Abstract: A method for determining a flow rate and/or a concentration of particles of a fluid flowing in a chamber, which includes the steps of: producing an ultrasound beam of a given frequency with a first transducer such that all fluid components traveling through an intersection region between the ultrasound beam and the chamber are insonated by the first transducer; receiving Doppler-shifted ultrasound signals generated by the fluid components in the insonated region of the chamber with a second transducer; acquiring the ultrasound signals received by the second transducer during an acquisition time; obtaining a Doppler Power Spectrum of the acquired ultrasound signals; and determining the flow rate and/or the concentration of particles of the fluid by adjustment between, on the one hand, the obtained Doppler Power Spectrum and, on the other hand, a model of the Doppler Power Spectrum.

Abstract: A device for preserving a predetermined dose of liquid-based substance, notably animal semen or a preservation medium containing embryos or tissue samples, comprises a tube (11) made of a weldable plastics material. The tube allows a service state in which a receiving portion (21) intended to contain the said predetermined dose has a circular cross-section whereas a sealing portion (22) comprises a welded pinch (19) and a transition zone (23). Over at least part of the sealing portion a differentiating edge region (28) gives the external surface of the tube a visual appearance different from the visual appearance of the external surface of the tube outside of the differentiating edge region. A range comprises such a device and a similar device but without the differentiating edge region.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method which comprises emitting ultrasound into a liquid mixture containing first and second reagents in separate phases initially separated by a liquid precursor-gas barrier, the ultrasound having a high enough energy level to vaporize the precursor gas, such as to contact the reagents and thus to activate a chemical reaction therebetween.

Abstract: A method of high-resolution ultrasound imaging, in which transducers are made to emit ultrasound waves in a field of observations containing micro bubbles, by making the micro bubbles burst one by one in tandem with the emissions of ultrasound waves. At each shot j of an ultrasound wave, raw reverberated signals Sj(i,t) picked up by each transducer i are recorded, and then differential signals Vj(i,t) representative of variations between successive raw signals are determined, a parabolic function Pj(x) is fitted to the differential signals corresponding to each shot j, and then a crest Aj(x0,y0) of this function Pj, corresponding to the position of the micro bubble destroyed between shots j?1 and j, is determined.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method which comprises emitting ultrasound into a liquid mixture containing first and second reagents in separate phases initially separated by a liquid precursor-gas barrier, the ultrasound having a high enough energy level to vaporise the precursor gas, such as to contact the reagents and thus to activate a chemical reaction therebetween.

Abstract: A method of high-resolution ultrasound imaging, in which transducers are made to emit ultrasound waves in a field of observations containing micro bubbles, by making the micro bubbles burst one by one in tandem with the emissions of ultrasound waves. At each shot j of an ultrasound wave, raw reverberated signals Sj(i,t) picked up by each transducer i are recorded, and then differential signals Vj(i,t) representative of variations between successive raw signals are determined, a parabolic function Pj(x) is fitted to the differential signals corresponding to each shot j, and then a crest Aj(x0,y0) of this function Pj, corresponding to the position of the micro bubble destroyed between shots j-1 and j, is determined.

Abstract: The invention relates to an emulsion that can be activated by ultrasounds, comprising, in an emulsion in an aqueous solution, microparticles having a diameter of less than 10 ?m and containing an active agent and a gaseous precursor in a liquid form, encapsulated by a first emulsifier. The microparticles contain nanoparticles smaller than 1 ?m, in an emulsion in the gaseous precursor, each nanoparticle comprising an inner liquid that contains the active agent and is encapsulated by a second emulsifier.

Abstract: To mark an area of interest in a target medium, an initially inactivated and ultrasound-activatable optical marker is added to the medium, and then an ultrasound activation beam is emitted, being focused on the area of interest in order to locally activate the marker, which then colors the area of interest.