Abstract: A device and method for determining an excretion flow rate of a body fluid of a person or an animal. The device includes an absorbent element equipped with at least three electrodes connected to a measuring system for measuring at least one electric parameter so as to be electrically coupled two by two and to form at least two pairs of electrodes, separating systems which include an inlet opening exposing a part of the absorbent element so as to create a diffusion path. At least two of the electrodes are first electrodes placed along the diffusion path in such a way that each of the first electrodes is at a distance from the inlet opening representative of a volume of absorbed fluid.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrochemical battery that comprises at least two electrodes (21, 22) each made of a different conducting material, characterised in that said electrodes are woven or sewn in the fabric of the piece of clothing (1), said fabric containing between 60 and 90% of an animal or vegetal natural fibre and between 10 and 40% of a textile fibre of a chemical elastic material, and using a physiological fluid as an electrolyte. The invention also relates to a piece of clothing equipped with such a battery.

Abstract: A device for evaluating the hydric loss of a person or an animal by sweating is provided with: a support comprising a measuring face and a contact face designed to be applied on the skin of the person or animal, a swelling element by absorption of sweat, securedly affixed to the support, said swelling element being arranged to be in direct contact or in fluidic communication with the skin and, a measuring instrument to measure the increase of at least one dimension of the swelling element. Increase of the dimension of the swelling element is caused by absorption of said sweat. A method for evaluating the hydric loss of a person or an animal using such a device is also described.

Abstract: Method for measuring the global ion concentration of a body fluid that comprises application of a stable DC voltage between first and second electrodes of a cell for measuring the global ion concentration of a body fluid so as to cause electrochemical hydrolysis reactions of the body fluid water to occur at the level of said first and second electrodes, measurement of a hydrolysis current generated by said electrochemical hydrolysis reactions of the water and determination of the global ion concentration of the body fluid by comparison with a previously defined calibration curve. The measuring cell comprises a fluid channel having an internal cross-section smaller than or equal to 1.5 mm.

Abstract: The invention relates to an embedded bodily fluid analysis device comprising a measuring cell containing the bodily fluid to be analyzed, at least one reference cell containing a reference standard and an electronic measuring circuit. The measuring cell is provided with at least one work electrode of the measuring cell and with at least one reference electrode of the measuring cell. The reference cell is provided with at least one work electrode of the reference cell formed by the same material or materials as a work electrode of the measuring cell and with at least one reference electrode of the reference cell formed by the same material or materials as a reference electrode of the measuring cell.

Abstract: Process for manufacturing an article comprising an approximately flat porous support and, within this support, defined zones in a chosen pattern, these zones being grafted with sensor molecules, such as metals, biological molecules, whereas the rest of the support remains free of this grafting.

Abstract: A device for measuring electrical activity of biological elements, including a substrate that has lower and upper faces and at least one through opening, the opening being delimited by a set of walls. Two plates are placed on either side of the lower and upper faces of the substrate and delimit, with the set of walls, a chamber. Each of the plates is provided, on its face lying opposite the substrate, with at least one electrode facing the opening in the substrate. Each of the plates further has at least one channel that starts inside the chamber and connects the chamber to the outside of the device, and the chamber communicates with the outside of the device only through the channels.

Abstract: The invention concerns a component for biological or biochemical analysis microsystems formed from a support and having at least one chemically functionalised surface zone, in order to allow in said zone the formation of a chemistry for anchoring biological or biochemical elements, and/or electrically, in order to allow in said zone the formation of electrical charges. The support comprises at least one part (21) formed of a composite material, said composite material being a mixture of at least one inert material and at least one chemically and/or electrically functionalisable material to provide said functionalised surface zone.

Abstract: The device of the invention comprises a support having a surface comprising an attachment zone (Z) capable of being functionalized with a probe (A) capable of binding, according to the pH and reversibly, to a target (B) so as to attach it; a working electrode (WE) and a counterelectrode (CE) for this working electrode, arranged on the support in the vicinity of the attachment zone; and means for applying a given electric current or a given potential to said working electrode so as to cause, when said attachment zone and said electrodes are immersed in an aqueous solution, a local variation in pH in the region of said attachment zone. The method for attaching and/or detaching a target or an object according to the invention uses this device, the attachment and/or the detachment being electrochemically controlled with the working electrode.

Abstract: A device for measuring electrical activity of biological elements, including a substrate that has lower and upper faces and at least one through opening, the opening being delimited by a set of walls. Two plates are placed on either side of the lower and upper faces of the substrate and delimit, with the set of walls, a chamber. Each of the plates is provided, on its face lying opposite the substrate, with at least one electrode facing the opening in the substrate. Each of the plates further has at least one channel that starts inside the chamber and connects the chamber to the outside of the device, and the chamber communicates with the outside of the device only through the channels.

Abstract: The invention concerns a standard micro-component (4) for calibrating or standardizing fluorescence measuring instruments, comprising a substrate (1) whereon is arranged at least one thin film (2). The thin film (2) includes fluorescent components. At least one first zone (3) of null thickness is formed in the thin film (2), thereby exposing the substrate (1). The thin film (2) comprises at least one exposed zone (2a), such that first and second fluorescence levels are respectively defined in the non exposed part and in the exposed part (2a) of the thin film (2). The second fluorescence level is lower than the first fluorescence level. The standard micro-component (4) can also include a plurality of stacked thin films so as to define a plurality of fluorescence levels.

Abstract: The invention concerns the use of a miniature device for separating and isolating biological objects for various applications in the field of molecular biology, methods for making DNA or protein chips in particular, and the DNA or protein chips obtained by using said methods.

Abstract: The invention concerns a component for biological or biochemical analysis microsystems formed from a support and having at least one chemically functionalised surface zone, in order to allow in said zone the formation of a chemistry for anchoring biological or biochemical elements, and/or electrically, in order to allow in said zone the formation of electrical charges. The support comprises at least one part (21) formed of a composite material, said composite material being a mixture of at least one inert material and at least one chemically and/or electrically functionalisable material to provide said functionalised surface zone.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for forming a polymer layer with a uniform thickness on the surface of a solid support, to the solid support obtained using this process, and to its applications.

Abstract: An optomechanical sensor for measuring or detecting an acceleration or a vibration in at least one direction. The sensor has a frame, and a flexible beam having two ends. A first end is attached to the frame and a second end is mobile in the at least one direction, in response to an acceleration movement of the frame. The flexible beam includes an optical guiding structure having an input and an output. The frame has N light collection elements, where N is an integer .gtoreq.2. The frame also includes a multi-mode coupler having an input facing the output of the optical guiding structure and N outputs, the coupler coupling an optical signal at the output of the optical guiding structure to the N light collection elements. The multi-mode coupler may also transform an input light beam having a maximum into a distribution having N maxima at the output of the coupler.