Abstract: The method comprises the following steps: —providing particles (49) to be solubilised in stable suspension, the particles (49) of a suspension being of identical chemical composition; —generating at least one drop (16) comprising at least one particle (49) to be solubilised of the stable suspension of particles (49) and a culture medium (50) that is able to contain at least one living cell (4) and/or at least one product derived from a living cell in suspension; —introducing the drop (16) into a tube (10); —incubating the drop (16) in the tube (10); —illuminating the tube (10) through an incident light beam; and —measuring, at various times, the quantity of light from the light beam scattered transversely to the incident beam by the drop (16) in the tube (10).

Abstract: A process is provided for isolating and analyzing microorganisms contained in a sample by collecting a determined volume in a sample, the determined volume representing all or part of this sample, likely to contain at least one microorganism. The collected volume is then split up into a plurality of compartments having a culture medium, the volume of each compartment being smaller than 10 ?L, each compartment being isolated from the other compartments and having no interface with the ambient atmosphere. At least one microorganism is incubated in the compartments for determined durations, and compartments are detected that contain at least one microorganism. The incubation may be extended after detecting compartments so that at least one microorganism having a defined quantity can be detected, and then the content of the detected compartments can be recovered. Finally, at least one functional parameter relative to a microorganism in the compartments is determined.

Abstract: The process comprises the following steps: collecting a determined volume in a sample (4), likely to contain at least one microorganism (2), splitting the collected volume into a plurality of compartments (6), the volume of each compartment (6) being smaller than 10 ?L, incubating at least one microorganism (2) in the compartments (6), detecting compartments (6) comprising at least one microorganism (2), extending the incubation until detecting a defined quantity of microorganism (2), recovering the content of the detected compartments (6) in receptacles (82) for subsequent use, determining at least one functional parameter relative to a microorganism (2) in the detected compartments (6, 6?), the steps for splitting, incubation, detection and determining at least one functional parameter being integrated into an automated system (1) for isolating and analyzing microorganisms (2).

Abstract: This method comprises bringing drops to be separated into contact with an interface (40) suitable for allowing an osmotic equilibrium between the content of each drop to be separated. The method comprises an osmotic flow between the drops (20A) of the first group of drops through the interface (40) in order to modify the density of each drop (20A) of the first group of drops and the separation of the drops (20A, 20B) according to the density thereof or a combination of the density and the volume in order to isolate the drops (20A) of the first group of drops from the drops (20B) of a second group of drops.

Abstract: This method comprises bringing drops to be separated into contact with an interface (40) suitable for allowing an osmotic equilibrium between the content of each drop to be separated. The method comprises an osmotic flow between the drops (20A) of the first group of drops through the interface (40) in order to modify the density of each drop (20A) of the first group of drops and the separation of the drops (20A, 20B) according to the density thereof or a combination of the density and the volume in order to isolate the drops (20A) of the first group of drops from the drops (20B) of a second group of drops.

Abstract: The disclosed bonding pitch for electrodes, having a softening point C.I.A. comprised between 80.degree. C. and 150.degree. C., a concentration of quinoline-insoluble substances higher or equal to 4% by weight, a concentration of .alpha.+.beta. resins comprised between 28 and 40% by weight, and a fixed carbon content determined according to the standard ISO 6998, at least equal to 51% by weight, is characterized by a vitreous transition domain .DELTA.Tg, determined by differential calorimetric analysis, at the most equal to 50.degree. C. In order to produce such a pitch, a pitch having a content of quinoline-insoluble substances lower than 4% by weight is subjected to a treatment by waves having a frequency between 0.9 and 300 GHz. Such treatment makes possible the increase of the carbon content of the pitch while preserving a good affinity to the coke and significantly decreasing its vitreous transitional domain.