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Biomedical subjects

F Bastien

Publications and source records attributed to F Bastien.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Sensitivity of a Lamb wave sensor with 2 microm AlN membrane.

Anti-symmetrical Lamb wave mode A0 presents a large sensitivity to mass loading and can be used in contact with liquids with a small attenuation. The advantages of this system are the possibility to get a large mass sensitivity. The sensitivity increases when the thickness of membrane decreases. Therefore the problem is to obtain thin piezoelectric membranes. A membrane of AlN with a thickness of 2 microm has been made. The measured mass sensitivity with a fluid is 200 cm(2) g(-1). In a practical use point of view, the problem in this kind of sensor is its temperature sensitivity. In order to reduce effective temperature sensitivity, a device with thin metallic strips is presented. On the same membrane two different waves with perpendicular propagating directions are produced. Experimentally, temperature sensitivity is rather different depending on the propagation direction but mass sensitivity is almost the same, this allows distinguishing temperature effects from those due to mass loading on the frequency shift measurements.

Acoustics↗
PubMed2006

Action of low frequency vibration on liquid droplets and particles.

Liquids handling is an important issue in biomedical analysis. Two different devices for acoustic manipulation of droplets have already been tested. The first one, more classical, uses a high frequency travelling wave and acoustic streaming. The second one uses low frequency flexural standing waves in a plate. This means of liquid handling is original and easy to implement but the physical principle is not obvious. In order to understand more precisely the phenomena involved we present new observations on droplet displacement between two planes and on the behaviour of a droplet on an inclined vibrating plane with this method. The physical principle involved is discussed. The common acoustic radiation pressure formulation is expressed via the non-linear theory of sound propagation, but in our case the acoustic wavelength is much smaller than the height of a water droplet. To get a better understanding of the phenomenon, further experiments on the internal liquid flow and behaviour of particles in the droplet have been performed. These will be compared with results obtained with particles in a thin water-filled vibrating glass tube. The general conclusion is that the phenomenon is practical to use for droplet displacement even if its complex mechanism is not completely understood.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Displacement of droplets and deformation of thin liquid layers using flexural vibrations of structures. Influence of acoustic radiation pressure.

In this paper observations concerning some effects of vibrating structures on fluids are presented, followed by a tentative theoretical analysis. First, a brief description of a caterpillar-like structure is made. This structure is almost equivalent to an infinite beam which allows the choice of positions of the nodal lines of a vibrating mode. Displacement of liquid droplets using switching between two modes of this structure is then presented. This phenomenon is supposed to be induced by acoustic radiation pressure. Possible extensions of this principle are then discussed. After this, results are reported concerning deformations of thin liquid layers.

Acoustics↗
PubMed1996

Mineralogical analysis of the respiratory tract in aluminium oxide-exposed workers.

A retrospective study was conducted in order to characterize the retention of fibrous and nonfibrous mineral particles in the respiratory tract in subjects with previous occupational exposure in the aluminium industry. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid (three samples) or lung parenchyma (two samples) were studied using analytical transmission electron microscopy in five patients. A high concentration of aluminium fibres (> 10(7) fibres.g-1 dry lung) was identified in two lung tissue samples, and aluminium fibres were also identified in BAL fluid in three patients. All fibres were short (mean length: 1-2 microns), with no fibre longer than 5 microns. Some biopersistence of these fibres in the respiratory tract is suggested from these observations, since fibres were identified in biological samples collected more than 4 yrs after cessation of exposure in four out of five patients. Occupational physicians should be aware of possible exposure to short, thin aluminium fibres during primary aluminium production. Further studies are needed to assess the potential health effects of these fibres. Industrial hygiene measurements should also be performed to document the potential sources of exposure to aluminium fibres in this industry.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The Employee Health Care Value Survey: round one.

In a groundbreaking arrangement, a consortium of large employers--the Xerox, GTE, and Digital Equipment Corporations--launched the Employee Health Care Value Survey during fall 1993. Completed by 24,306 employees, this survey was used to develop comparable methods for assessing corporate health care benefit strategies. It also enabled fair comparisons of thirty-two health plans across the country on more than sixty criteria. Variation in performance among plans was substantial, with managed care plans--particularly prepaid group practices and individual practice associations (IPAs)--recording the most favorable rankings on disenrollment, overall satisfaction, and other measures of "bottom-line performance." Variation in enrollees' health among plans was more modest, with indemnity enrollees posing a somewhat greater illness burden to their plans than enrollees of other plan types. The employers and evaluated health plans are now using the results for multiple purposes, including quality improvement initiatives, employee-based plan performance reports, employee contribution strategies, and health promotion programs.

Consumer Behavior↗