Abstract: A method for analyzing the respiratory activity of a patient includes steps for acquiring at least one respiratory activity signal including at least one elementary signal corresponding to a respiratory cycle, the general form of which may be expressed by x(t)=x0+x1 cos(?(t)), wherein ?(t) is the phase of the elementary signal, and for analyzing the respiratory activity signal.

Abstract: This method for analyzing the cardiac activity of a patient are comprises the steps for acquiring (20) at least one cardiac said electric signal comprising at least one elementary signal corresponding to a heart beat, for extracting (29) from said elementary signal, at least one elementary wave, the general shape of which may be expressed by x(t)=x0+x1 cos(?(t)), wherein ?(t) is the phase of said elementary wave, and for analyzing (30) said elementary wave, comprising the steps for determining an expression of a phase equation F ? ( ? ) = ? ? ? t of said elementary wave and determining an expression of the phase ?(t) of said elementary wave as a functions of parameters measuring the anharmonicity of said elementary wave and its morphology, from p cosn and p sinn functions defined by: p ? ? cos n ? ( t , r ) = ? k = 1 ? ? cos ? ( kt ) ? r k k n ? ? and ? ? p ? ? sin n ? ( t , r ) = ? k = 1 ? ? sin ? ( kt ) ? r k k n .

Abstract: This method for decomposing an anharmonic periodic signal, the general form of which may be expressed as x(t)=x0+x1 cos(?(t)), wherein ?(t) is the phase of the signal, is characterized in that it consists of: determining an expression of the phase equation F ? ( ? ) = ? ? ? t , determining an expression of the phase ?(t) as a function of de parameters (r, rk, ?1, pk) measuring the anharmonicity of the signal and its morphology, from p cosn and p sinn functions defined by: p ? ? cos n ? ( t , r ) = ? k = 1 ? ? cos ? ( kt ) ? r k k n ? ? and ? ? p ? ? sin n ? ( t , r ) = ? k = 1 ? ? sin ? ( kt ) ? r k k n .

Abstract: A method of characterizing viscoelastic properties of a sample of a substance, includes the application (52) to the sample of an oscillatory mechanical excitation, the measurement (54) of a response of the sample to the mechanical excitation and the determination (56, 58) of characteristic parameters of the viscoelastic properties of the sample, is characterized in that the determination (56, 58) of characteristic parameters includes the steps of expressing the response in the form of a nonlinear periodic response signal, of general form x(t)=x0+x1 cos(?(t)??0), where ?(t) is the phase of the signal, and of determining viscoelasticity parameters, characterizing the nonlinearity of the response signal.

Abstract: This method for analyzing the respiratory activity of a patient comprises the steps (20) for acquiring at least one respiratory activity signal comprising at least one elementary signal corresponding to a respiratory cycle, the general form of which may be expressed by x(t)=x0+x1 cos (?(t)), wherein ?(t) is the phase of said elementary signal, and for analyzing (24, 26, 28) said respiratory activity signal.

Abstract: This method for analyzing the cardiac activity of a patient are comprises the steps for acquiring (20) at least one cardiac said electric signal comprising at least one elementary signal corresponding to a heart beat, for extracting (29) from said elementary signal, at least one elementary wave, the general shape of which may be expressed by x(t)=x0+x1 cos(?(t)), wherein ?(t) is the phase of said elementary wave, and for analyzing (30) said elementary wave, comprising the steps for determining an expression of a phase equation F ? ( ? ) = ? ? ? t of said elementary wave and determining an expression of the phase ?(t) of said elementary wave as a functions of parameters measuring the anharmonicity of said elementary wave and its morphology, from p cosn and p sinn functions defined by: p ? ? cos n ? ( t , r ) = ? k = 1 ? ? cos ? ( kt ) ? r k k n and p ? ? sin n ? ( t , r ) = ? k = 1 ? ? sin ? ( kt ) ? r k k n .

Abstract: This method for decomposing an anharmonic periodic signal, the general form of which may be expressed as x(t)=x0+x1 cos(?(t)), wherein ?(t) is the phase of the signal, is characterized in that it consists of: determining an expression of the phase equation F ? ( ? ) = ? ? ? t , determining an expression of the phase ?(t) as a function of de parameters (r, rk, ?1, pk) measuring the anharmonicity of the signal and its morphology, from p cosn and p sinn functions defined by: p ? ? cos n ? ( t , r ) = ? k = 1 ? ? cos ? ( kt ) ? r k k n ? ? and ? ? p ? ? sin n ? ( t , r ) = ? k = 1 ? ? sin ? ( kt ) ? r k k n .