1. A module for processing geophysical data coming from at least one geophysical sensor, said module comprising:
an electronic board configured to enable the processing of geophysical data captured by said at least one geophysical sensor,
two cable sections each comprising, at one extremity, a connector designed to be connected to said electronic board, wherein each connector forms one half-shell, each connector being arranged so as to cooperate with one other half-shell in such a way as to form a shell in which the electronic board is placed.
2. The module according to claim 1, comprising a top cover and a bottom cover arranged so as to form a sub-assembly in which the electronic board is placed.
3. The module according to claim 2, wherein said sub-assembly is held by the shell-forming connectors.
4. The module according to claim 2, wherein the bottom cover, the top cover and the connectors cooperate so as to form a tightly sealed shell around the electronic board.
5. The module according to claim 4, wherein said top cover comprises an orifice compared with each face of the electronic board, providing each with a link between one of the connectors and one connection point of the board.
6. The module according to claim 1, wherein the electronic board is positioned longitudinally along one axis formed by the cable sections, laterally surrounded by the shell-forming connectors.
7. The module according to claim 1, wherein the connectors forming said shell are identical and are positioned in a symmetrical position with regard to said axis.
8. The module according to claim 1, wherein the electronic board extends vertically between the shell-forming connectors.
9. The module according to claim 2 said bottom cover comprises at least one slot arranged so as to hold the electronic board vertically.
10. The module according to claim 1, wherein said electronic board comprises at least one electrical connection point for each connector, said at least one electrical connection points being laid out in a central region of said electronic board.
11. The module according to claim 10, wherein the electrical connection points of the electronic board are laid out in the vicinity of one other.
12. The module according to claim 1, wherein each connector comprises an external face made out of flexible material and an internal face made out of rigid material.
13. The module according to claim 1, wherein each connector comprises a strip at its lower face made out of flexible material.
14. The module according to claim 12, wherein the hardness of said external face and internal face respectively belong to the ranges of 60 to 90 Shore A and 60 to 90 Shore D.
15. The module according to claim 1, wherein said at least one geophysical sensor comprises at least one geophone.
16. The module according to claim 1, wherein said at least one geophysical sensor comprises at least one MEMS sensor.
17. The module according to claim 1, wherein each cable section comprises:
one end-of-section hermaphrodite connector configured to be connected to one other end-of section hermaphrodite connector of one other cable section; and
one connector providing an electrical link between the cable section and the electronic board.
18. The module according to claim 1, wherein each cable section comprises at each of its extremities one connector providing an electrical link between the cable section and the electronic board.
19. A connector forming a half-shell and arranged so as to cooperate with one other connector forming another half-shell so as to form a shell in which an electronic board of a module for processing geophysical data coming from at least one geophysical sensor is placed, wherein the module comprises an electronic board configured to enable the processing of geophysical data captured by said at least one geophysical sensor, and two cable sections each comprising, at one extremity, said connector designed to be connected to said electronic board.
20. A sub-assembly comprising:
a bottom cover and a top cover configured to cooperate together;
an electronic board placed and held by said top and bottom cover; and
first and second cable sections each comprising, at one extremity, a connector designed to be connected to said electronic board, wherein each connector forms one half-shell, each connector being arranged so as to cooperate with one other half-shell in such a way as to form a shell in which the electronic board is placed.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A method for delivering a biologically active substance to a localized site in vivo, said method comprising:
administering a composition to said localized site, said composition comprising (i) a protein polymer of at least 15 kD which comprises alternating blocks of at least 2 units each of (a) an amino acid sequence of from about 3 to 30 amino acids which promotes protein crystallization and (b) an amino acid sequence element selected from the group consisting of an elastin-like element, a collagen-like element or a keratin-like element, and (ii) a biologically active substance;
wherein said composition acquires a non-liquid form under physiological conditions and wherein said biologically active substance is delivered from said non-liquid to said localized site.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said amino acid sequence which promotes protein crystallization is GAGAGS or SGAGAG.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said amino acid sequence element (b) is the amino acid sequence VPGG, APGVGV, GXGVP or VPGXG, where X is valine, lysine, histidine, glutamic acid, arginine, aspartic acid, serine, tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine, leucine, glutamine, asparagine, cysteine or methionine.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein amino acid X is valine or lysine.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the delivery of said biologically active substance occurs over an extended period of time.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of administering comprises injecting said composition in liquid form which acquires a non-liquid form subsequent to injection.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the rate at which said liquid form acquires a non-liquid form is decreased by the addition to said liquid form of a compound which inhibits hydrogen bonding.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said compound which inhibits hydrogen bonding is selected from the group consisting of urea, guanidine hydrochloride, dimethyl formamide, colloidal gold sol, aqueous lithium bromide and formic acid.
9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the rate at which said liquid form acquires a non-liquid form is increased by the addition to said liquid form of a nucleating agent or accelerator.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said nucleating agent is said protein polymer in precrystallized form.
11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said protein polymer is SLP3 or SLP4.
12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said protein polymer is about 10% (ww) to about 50% (ww) of said composition.
13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said biologically active substance is selected from the group consisting of a protein or a nucleic acid.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said protein has a molecular weight of from about 350 daltons to about 500,000 daltons.
15. The method according to claim 13, wherein said nucleic acid is from about 60 to about 22,000 bases in length.
16. The method according to claim 1, wherein said biologically active substance is selected from the group consisting of an anti-tumor agent, an analgesic, an antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory compound, a hormone or a vaccine.
17. The method according to claim 1, wherein said biologically active substance is labeled.
18. The method according to claim 2, wherein said amino acid sequence GAGAGS or SGAGAG is repeated from 2 to 16 times per alternating block.
19. The method according to claim 1, wherein said protein polymer comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:
(a) (VPGVG)8(GAGAGS)812;
(b) (VPGVG)12(GAGAGS)89;
(c) (VPGVG)16(GAGAGS)88;
(d) (VPGVG)32(GAGAGS)85;
(e) (VPGVG)8(GAGAGS)613;
(f) (VPGVG)8(GAGAGS)413;
(g) (GVGVP)4 GKGVP (GVGVP)3 (GAGAGS)412; or
(h) GAGAGS (GVGVP)4 GKGVP (GVGVP)3 (GAGAGS)212.
20. A composition comprising (i) a protein polymer of at least 15 kD which comprises alternating blocks of at least 2 units each of (a) an amino acid sequence of from about 3 to 30 amino acids which promotes protein crystallization and (b) an amino acid sequence element selected from the group consisting of an elastin-like element, a collagen-like element or a keratin-like element, and (ii) a biologically active substance;
wherein said composition acquires a non-liquid form under physiological conditions.
21. The composition according to claim 20, wherein said amino acid sequence which promotes protein crystallization is GAGAGS or SGAGAG.
22. The composition according to claim 20, wherein said amino acid sequence element (b) is the amino acid sequence VPGG, APGVGV, GXGVP or VPGXG, where X is valine, lysine, histidine, glutamic acid, arginine, aspartic acid, serine, tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine, leucine, glutamine, asparagine, cysteine or methionine.
23. The composition according to claim 22, wherein amino acid X is valine or lysine.
24. The composition according to claim 20, wherein said biologically active substance is selected from the group consisting of a protein or a nucleic acid.
25. The composition according to claim 24, wherein said protein has a molecular weight of from about 350 daltons to about 500,000 daltons.
26. The composition according to claim 24, wherein said nucleic acid is from about 60 to about 22,000 bases in length.
27. The composition according to claim 20, wherein said biologically active substance is selected from the group consisting of an anti-tumor agent, an analgesic, an antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory compound, a hormone or a vaccine.
28. The composition according to claim 21, wherein the amino acid sequence GAGAGS or SGAGAG is repeated from 2 to 16 times per alternating block.
29. The composition according to claim 20, wherein said protein polymer comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:
(a) (VPGVG)8(GAGAGS)812;
(b) (VPGVG)12(GAGAGS)89;
(c) (VPGVG)16(GAGAGS)88;
(d) (VPGVG)32(GAGAGS)85;
(e) (VPGVG)8(GAGAGS)613;
(f) (VPGVG)8(GAGAGS)413;
(g) (GVGVP)4 GKGVP (GVGVP)3 (GAGAGS)412; or
(h) GAGAGS (GVGVP)4 GKGVP (GVGVP)3 (GAGAGS)212.
30. A method for altering the physical dimensions of a body tissue in a mammal, said method comprising:
introducing into or onto said body tissue a composition comprising a protein polymer of at least 15 kD which comprises alternating blocks of at least 2 units each of (a) an amino acid sequence of from about 3 to 30 amino acids which promotes protein crystallization and (b) an amino acid sequence element selected from the group consisting of an elastin-like element, a collagen-like element or a keratin-like element;
wherein said composition acquires a non-liquid form under physiological conditions.
31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said amino acid sequence which promotes protein crystallization is GAGAGS or SGAGAG.
32. The method according to claim 30, wherein said amino acid sequence element (b) is the amino acid sequence VPGG, APGVGV, GXGVP or VPGXG, where X is valine, lysine, histidine, glutamic acid, arginine, aspartic acid, serine, tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine, leucine, glutamine, asparagine, cysteine or methionine.
33. The method according to claim 32, wherein amino acid X is valine or lysine.
34. The method according to claim 30, wherein the step of introducing comprises injecting said composition in liquid form which acquires a non-liquid form subsequent to injection.
35. The method according to claim 30, wherein said protein polymer is about 10% (ww) to about 50% (ww) of said composition.
36. The method according to claim 31, wherein said amino acid sequence GAGAGS or SGAGAG is repeated from 2 to 16 times per alternating block.
37. The method according to claim 30, wherein said protein polymer comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:
(a) (VPGVG)8(GAGAGS)812;
(b) (VPGVG)12(GAGAGS)89;
(c) (VPGVG)16(GAGAGS)88;
(d) (VPGVG)32(GAGAGS)85;
(e) (VPGVG)8(GAGAGS)613;
(f) (VPGVG)8(GAGAGS)413;
(g) (GVGVP)4 GKGVP (GVGVP)3 (GAGAGS)412; or
(h) GAGAGS (GVGVP)4 GKGVP (GVGVP)3 (GAGAGS)212.
38. The method according to claim 30, wherein said composition further comprises a biologically active substance.