Abstract: Method for producing a comb-shaped copolymer whose skeleton is of an acrylamide, acrylic acid, acryloyl aminoethanol or dimethyl acrylamide type and on which poly(N-alkyl acrylamide) or poly(N,N-5 dialkyl acrylamide lateral segments are grafted, includes (a) producing a telomer poly(N-alkyl acrylamide) or poly(N,N-dialkyl acrylamide) of formula (I) H2N—R1-Z-{CH2—C(R2) [C(?O)N(R3) (R4)]—}n—H (I) 10 by reacting in water a compound of formula (II) CH2?C(R2)—C(?O)—N(R3) (R4) (II) with a chain limiting compound of formula (III) Z-R1—NH2; (b) isolating the telomer of formula (I) obtained at a stage (a); (c) reacting in water the telomer of formula (I) obtained at stage (b) with an acid chloride of formula (IV) CH2?C(R5)—C(?O)—C1 at a molar ratio (IV)/(III) equal to or less than 10 and equal to or greater than 1 so that a macro monomer of formula (V) 20 CH2?C(R5)—C(?O)NH—R1-Z-{CH2—C(R2) [C(?O)N(R3) (R4)]—}n—H (V) is obtained; (d) isolating the macro monomer of formula (V) obtained at stage (c); (e) copolymerizing in

Abstract: A method for treating the surface of a polymerio substrate, including the following steps: providing a first polymeric substrate; contracting at least one part of one face of the first substrate with some liquid solvent system, the liquid solvent system containing at least a first volatile compound and at least a second compound having a low molecular weight and able to swell and/or soften the polymeric material forming the face; letting at least the volatile compound to evaporate from the face of the first substrate and; contracting the so-treated face of first substrate with a third material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a comb-shaped copolymer whose skeleton is of an acrylamide, acrylic acid, acryloyl aminoethanol or dimethyl acrylamide type and on which poly(N-alkyl acrylamide) or poly(N,N-5 dialkyl acrylamide lateral segments are grafted.

Abstract: The present invention concern a method for sampling and mixing different flowable material materials from a plurality of wells in arbitrary order.

Abstract: An aqueous liquid medium for analyzing, purifying or separating species in an element having walls or for treating the walls of an element. The medium includes at least a polymer consisting of several polymeric segments. The polymer is of the irregular block-copolymer or irregular comb-like polymer type and has on the average at least three junction points between polymeric segments of different chemical or topological nature. The medium may be used in methods for analyzing, purifying or separating species and methods for treating an element to be contacted with a fluid and/or species contained in the fluid during preservation, transport, analysis, purification or separation of the fluid.

Abstract: A method for treating the surface of a polymeric substrate, including the following steps: providing a first polymeric substrate; contracting at least one part of one face of the first substrate with some liquid solvent system, the liquid solvent system containing at least a first volatile compound and at least a second compound having a low molecular weight and able to swell and/or soften the polymeric material forming the face; letting at least the volatile compound to evaporate from the face of the first substrate and; contacting the so-treated face of first substrate with a third material.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a microfluidic device (1) for performing physical, chemical or biological treatment to at least one packet without contamination.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for assaying the presence or the absence of at least one mutation on a strand of nucleic acid paired in a duplex form comprising at least the steps of contacting said duplex with at least one compound able to undergo a specific base pairing interaction with suspected mismatch and assaying for said mismatch by an analytical method. The invention further relates to the use in the diagnosis of predisposition to genetic diseases and cancers and in the diagnosis and prognosis of said diseases and cancers, like human breast cancer. The invention also relates to compositions including a compound able to undergo specific base pairing interaction, in association with a DNA fragment having a nucleic sequence relating to a gene on which point mutation(s) has been associated or putatively associated with a genetic disease or an increased predisposition to said disease.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for detecting point mutation(s) and/or large scale alteration(s) relative to at least one nucleic acid fragment said method comprising at least the steps of providing a sample liable to contain said nucleic acid fragment and at least a second nucleic acid fragment acting as a quantitative reference, subjecting said fragments to suitable conditions for obtaining a product containing homoduplexes and possible heteroduplexes, conducting on said product an analytical method suitable for obtaining at least signal(s) discriminating the existing duplex form(s) of the first nucleic acid fragment and relative quantitative data concerning said first nucleic acid fragment The invention further relates to the use of this method in the diagnosis of predisposition to genetic diseases and cancers and in the diagnosis and prognosis of said diseases and cancers, like human breast cancer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microfluidic device comprising at least one micro-channel connected at one end to an enclosed area, characterized in that it also comprises an inlet circuit and an outlet circuit connected to the enclosed area and between which the fluid can be discharged without any contact with the micro-channel, wherein at least one of said inlet and outlet circuits can be controlled in such a way that the pressure at the end of the micro-channel can be modified independently from the pressure at the other end of the micro-channel.

Abstract: A collection of colloidal particles in the form of one or several chains, in which the chains are generated in an irreversible manner and have at least one recognition site for a species, the site being different from sites implicated in the linear organisation of the particles. The invention further relates to a method for production of the collection, particularly for detection and/or dosage of at least one species in a fluid and a surface element functionalised by a collection of colloidal chains and a hybridisation network including such a surface element.

Abstract: A medium comprises an electrolyte wherein is dissolved at least an assembly of block copolymers characterized in that the block copolymers: are present in the electrolyte at a concentration level to provide the medium with the property of reversibly passing from a state of viscosity V1, obtained at a temperature T1, to a viscosity state V2 greater by at least 100% than V1, obtained at a temperature T2, and comprise in their structure at least: two non-contiguous polymeric segments having in the electrolyte a lower critical solubility temperature (LCST) and having an average number of atoms along their skeleton more than 50; and a polymeric segment soluble in the electrolyte at temperatures T1 and T2. The invention also concerns the use of the medium for separating analytes.

Abstract: A surface treatment solution for an element designed to be contacted with a fluid and/or species contained in the fluid when the fluid is being transported, analyzed, purified, separated or preserved. The method is characterised in that the solution comprises at least a polymer consisting of several polymeric segments, the polymer being of the block copolymer type or comb-like polymer type having at least three junction points between the polymeric segments of different chemical or topological nature. The invention also concerns methods using the solution for treating an element to be contacted with a fluid and/or species contained in the fluid during preservation, transport, analysis, purification or separation of the fluid.

Abstract: The invention concerns a non-thermosensitive liquid medium for analyzing, purifying or separating species in a channel and comprising at least a polymer consisting of several polymeric segments. The invention is characterised in that the polymer is of the irregular block-copolymer or irregular comb-like polymer type and has on the average at least three junction points between polymeric segments of different chemical or topological nature. The invention also concerns methods for analyzing, purifying or separating species using a non-thermosenstive separation medium.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for separating particles or molecules whereby these particles or molecules are introduced in a separating medium and a moving force is applied to them in said medium. The method is characterised in that the separating medium is a ferrofluid, i.e. a colloidal suspension of magnetic particles and a magnetic field is applied to this ferrofluid generating therein at least an alternation of a zone rich in magnetic particles and a zone poor in magnetic particles, part at least of the region of the ferrofluid in which this alternation is generated is passed through by the particles or molecules to be separated during their migration.

Abstract: An integrated microfluidic element (1) composed of two juxtaposed plates (3, 5) bonded together, wherein at least one plate (3) has an etched structure or pattern of channels (7) on the surface facing the other plate (1) to form sealed micro channels (7), said element having micro spacers or posts (11) distributed over the etched surface of said one plate outside of said etched structure or pattern, and walls (9) surrounding said channels (7), said walls (9) having a height equal to that of said spacers or posts (11); and a method for the manufacture of such integrated microfluidic element.

Abstract: In order to separate, within a fluid (1), certain particles (2) contained therein, this fluid is arranged in a corridor (C) partly defined by two faces which are close together and substantially parallel to each other and to the direction of separation E and an exciting field is simultaneously applied to the entire volume of fluid contained in this corridor, according to a direction having at least one component perpendicular to the direction E, which exciting field varies along the said direction in a curve consisting of a regular sequence of mutually identical asymmetric patterns, the mean of this field, taken at each instant along the direction E, being zero, and means are provided for repetitively varying the effect of the exciting field on the particles. The substantially parallel faces may be electrodes between which a potential difference source is connected for producing an electric field thereby exciting particles in the corridor (C).