Abstract: The present invention relates to a disposable device (100) for amplifying at least one target nucleic acid present in a liquid and biological sample of interest, which consists of a solid body (2), at least one fluid channel (3) connecting an inlet (4), via which all or part of the sample of interest can be drawn up and/or discharged, and an outlet (5), which is itself connected to a means for the drawing up/discharging of the said sample of interest, the fluid channel (3) further comprising from the inlet (4) to the outlet (5): a first compartment (8) containing all or part of the thermostable constituents, a means (15) for mixing the constituents with the sample of interest, a second compartment (9) containing all or part of the non-thermostable constituents, and in addition, at least one zone intended for heating the said sample of interest (6) mixed with the said amplification constituents in order to allow the amplification of the target nucleic acid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for preparing and/or treating a biological sample including an assembly (2) of storage chambers (3) and/or reaction chambers intended for receiving a fluid and means arranged to move an amount of fluid from and/or to at least one of the chambers (3) of the assembly (2) of chambers (3), the chambers (3) being separated by walls (5) so as to form an assembly of adjacent chambers (3) aligned in a given direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to, among other things, a device for collecting airborne microorganisms, said device having: an air collecting module, comprising: i. an upper element having an air admission duct permitting entry of an air stream into said module, said duct being provided, at its base, with means for disturbance of the air stream, ii. a lower element having air evacuating means permitting the air stream created to exit and said upper and lower elements can be made integral with one another so that the air stream can be created within said air collecting module; a cartridge, of roughly cylindrical shape, having a microorganism retention zone, said retention zone having means for lysis of the microorganisms, said cartridge being positioned within said air collecting module.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microsystem and a method for fabricating a microsystem. The pyrotechnic microsystem (7, 1?) comprises a substrate having at least two separate electrical initiation zones, each of which provides separate electrical initiation of a pyrotechnic material deposited on the substrate. This microsystem (7, 1?) is characterized in that the same pyrotechnic material deposit (721, 721?, 13) covers both initiation zones, said deposit (721, 721?, 13) produced on the substrate having a thickness sufficiently small for the initiation of the pyrotechnic material in the initiation zone to remain localized and not propagate to the other initiation zone, but sufficient to generate a specific gas quantity.

Abstract: A reaction card (1) having a body, a front surface (62) and a rear surface (63) defined by an edge (68), at least one inlet (2, 3, 4 and/or 5) and at least one outlet (7and/or 8), connected by a network of channels (64) constituting at least one reaction path for at least one fluid which is directed via valves (11to 36 and/or 61); each valve includes a flexible film (67) which can be deformed to allow fluid passage, the film being fixed on the card's rear surface at a peripheral indentation of an assembly of channels associated with the valve; the card includes channels flush with at least one of its surfaces, the channels being of two different cross-sections, a small cross-section serving as a reaction compartment; each front or rear surface is delimited by at least one film (48, 49, 65, 66 and/or 67).

Abstract: The invention relates to a microsystem and a method for fabricating a microsystem. The pyrotechnic microsystem (7, 1?) comprises a substrate having at least two separate electrical initiation zones, each of which provides separate electrical initiation of a pyrotechnic material deposited on the substrate. This microsystem (7, 1?) is characterized in that the same pyrotechnic material deposit (721, 721?, 13) covers both initiation zones, said deposit (721, 721?, 13) produced on the substrate having a thickness sufficiently small for the initiation of the pyrotechnic material in the initiation zone to remain localized and not propagate to the other initiation zone, but sufficient to generate a specific gas quantity.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the electrical initiation of at least one pyrotechnic microcharge (3), this device being characterized in that it comprises a support element having at least one conductive finger (6) connected to a first terminal of a central control unit (8), a second terminal of said central control unit (8) being intended to be electrically connected to an electrically conductive support for the pyrotechnic microcharge (3). The invention also relates to a microactuator (1, 1a, . . . , 1h) and a microsystem (1?) that use such an initiation device.

Abstract: Method for the wet dynamic separation of a suspension in liquid phase, comprising microparticles comprising a magnetic material and a liquid medium in which said microparticles are in suspension, in which method: a) the suspension is confined in a chamber having a volume defined by at least two dimensions, for example length and depth; b) at least one plurality of elementary magnetic fields is set up, these magnetic fields being distributed in a “Halbach semi-configuration”, whose respective ends facing the chamber generate a vector sum of said elementary magnetic fields, corresponding to a magnetic capture field passing through said chamber and exerting a magnetic attraction on the microparticles, and whose opposite respective ends generate no magnetic field; and c) said capture magnetic field is generated, whereby a solid phase enriched with microparticles is captured in said chamber, and a liquid phase depleted in microparticles is extracted from said chamber.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrically-opened micro fluid-valve. The inventive valve comprises: at least one planar support (12); at least one afferent microchannel (14); at least one efferent microchannel (16), said microchannels being arranged in the support (12); such that at least one of the ends (141 and 161) thereof touch the inner face (121) of the support close to one another; at least one deposit (18) of a heat-sensitive material which is disposed on the inner face (121) of the support (12); and at least one heating means (20). According to the invention, the aforementioned deposit (18) of heat-sensitive material at least partially seals the space separating the ends (141 and 161) of the microchannels (14 and 16), thereby preventing same from intercommunicating.

Abstract: The invention concerns the technical field of micro-actuators used for mechanical, chemical, electrical or thermal functions in microsystems, for microelectronic applications such as chips, or biomedical functions such as microfluidics integrating cards. The invention concerns a micro-actuator comprising a so-called main chamber, made in a solid support and containing a so-called main pyrotechnic charge, the main chamber being sealed and delimited by solid support walls and by a deformable membrane, such that the gases emitted by the combustion of the main pyrotechnic charge, enable the volume of the chamber to be increased by deforming the membrane while maintaining intact the solid walls of the main chamber. The invention is characterized in that it comprises means for evacuating the gases from the main chamber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrically openable microfluidic valve, which comprises: at least one plane support (12); at least one afferent microchannel (14); at least one efferent microchannel (16); said microchannels being provided in the support, so that at least one of their ends (141) and (161) opens onto the internal face (121) of said support (12), near one another; at least one deposit (18) of a heat-sensitive material laid out on the internal face (121) of the support (12); and at least one heating means (20); so that the deposit (18) of heat-sensitive material at least partly closes off the space separating the ends (141) and (161) of the microchannels (14) and (16), thus preventing the latter from communicating with one another; the increase in temperature by the heating means (20) resulting in a modification of the structure of the heat-sensitive material, thus at least partially clearing the ends of the microchannels and the space between the latter, so as to allow communicati

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the electrical initiation of at least one pyrotechnic microcharge (3), this device being characterized in that it comprises a support element having at least one conductive finger (6) connected to a first terminal of a central control unit (8), a second terminal of said central control unit (8) being intended to be electrically connected to an electrically conductive support for the pyrotechnic microcharge (3). The invention also relates to a microactuator (1, 1a, . . . , 1h) and a microsystem (1?) that use such an initiation device.

Abstract: This invention concerns a valve (2), with at least one channel (3) running through it, allowing a fluid (F3) to be directed by transfer means within a device (1), the device (1) featuring at least one face (4), possibly flat, the valve (2) consisting of a film (7 or 16), flexible and/or which can be deformed, fixed on all or part of the face (4) of said device (1), and a film actuator (7), which enables said valve (2) to be activated or deactivated, this actuator consisting of an electrical power source. It also consists of a test sample card (1) equipped with at least one valve (2), and a process for actuating the valve (2), as described above. The invention is particularly applicable in the field of diagnosis.

Abstract: The invention concerns the technical field of micro-actuators used for mechanical, chemical, electrical or thermal functions in microsystems, for microelectronic applications such as chips, or biomedical functions such as microfluidics integrating cards. the invention concerns a micro-actuator comprising a so-called main chamber, made in a solid support and containing a so-called main pyrotechnic charge, said main chamber being sealed and delimited by solid support walls and by a deformable membrane, such that the gases emitted by the combustion of the main pyrotechnic charge, enable the volume of said chamber to be increased by deforming said membrane while maintaining intact the solid walls of the main chamber. The invention is characterized in that it comprises means for evacuating the gases from the main chamber.

Abstract: A method of controlling the presence or absence of a volume of liquid in a container or of controlling the filling of a container with a liquid volume. A channel passes through the container and channel opens into a shaft which collects all or part of the liquid. The channel(s) and shaft(s) form a fluidic network. Implementation of the method includes: detecting the capacity, or another related parameter, such as the relative permittivity of the air present in the container, the oscillation frequency or the voltage, at each shaft before the liquid is injected; detecting the capacity, or another related parameter, at each shaft after the liquid has been injected; determining the capacitive variation, or a variation in a related parameter, at each shaft; and deducing the quantity of liquid present at each reaction shaft. The invention is particularly suitable for use in the field of diagnosis.

Abstract: This invention concerns a valve (2), with at least one channel (3) running through it, allowing a fluid (F3) to be directed by transfer means within a device (1), the device (1) featuring at least one face (4), possibly flat, the valve (2) consisting of a film (7 or 16), flexible and/or which can be deformed, fixed on all or part of the face (4) of said device (1), and a film actuator (7), which enables said valve (2) to be activated or deactivated, this actuator consisting of an electrical power source.

Abstract: Method for the wet dynamic separation of a suspension in liquid phase, comprising microparticles comprising a magnetic material and a liquid medium in which said microparticles are in suspension, in which method:

Abstract: An apparatus including at least one sonotrode (2) designed to generate ultrasound of variable power in at least one biological sample (5) containing cells to be lysed, the sample (5) being contained in at least one receptacle (4 or 10) such that the sonotrode (2) is in direct contact with the receptacle(s) (4). Also disclosed is a method for using ultrasound to lyse a biological sample (5) contained in a receptacle (4), which includes placing the receptacle (4) in direct contact with the sonotrode (2), and activating the sonotrode (2) for long enough to lyse the cells in the sample (5) but preserve the DNA and/or RNA molecules released for subsequent operations, e.g. amplification. The invention is particularly applicable in the discipline of molecular biology.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for lysis (1) of micro-organism to release at least one intracellular biological constituent, comprising a container (2) wherein are present a biological sample, in liquid medium, containing the micro-organism to be lyzed, and a material in the form of particles, relatively hard and inert with respect to the sample. The invention also concerns a grinding method. The material in the form of particles comprises at least two types of grinding means into different dimensions: at least large dimension magnetic means (3) automatically controlled by a magnetic field; and at least small dimension means (4) actuated by the large dimension grinding means (3). The invention is useful for separating biological constituents.

Abstract: The invention concerns a reaction card (1) consisting of a body, having a front surface (62) and a rear surface (63) defined by an edge (68), at least one input (2, 3, 4 and/or 5) and at least one output (7 and/or 8), connected one (2, 3, 4 and/or 5) to the other (7 and/or 8) through a network of channels (64) constituting at least one reaction path for at least one fluid, the fluid or fluids being directed inside the card (1) via valves (11 to 36 and/or 61); each valve (11 to 35 or 61) consists of a flexible film (67), which can be deformed to allow a fluid to pass through, the film (67) being fixed on the rear surface (63) of said card (1) at the peripheral indentation of the assembly of channels associated with the valve (11 to 35 or 61); the card (1) features channels (64) flush with at least one of its surfaces (62 and/or 63), the channels (64) being of two different cross-sections, a small cross-section serving as a reaction compartment; each front (62) or rear (63) is delimited by at least one film (48