All The Claims

1. An electroactive complex composed of an electroactive polymer which is a homopolymer or copolymer of at least two monomers and which is functionalized by a chelating agent complexed with a metal ion, an antiligand and a ligand which has specifically interacted with said antiligand.
2. The complex as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the electroactive polymer is chosen from polypyrrole, polyacetylene, polyazine, poly(p-phenylene), poly(p-phenylene vinylene), polypyrene, polythiophene, polyethylenedioxythiophene, polyfuran, polyselenophene, polypyridazine, polycarbazole, polyaniline or double-stranded polynucleotides.
3. The complex as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the chelating agent is chosen from NTA (nitrilotriacetate) or IDA (iminodiacetate).
4. The complex as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the metal ion is chosen from copper or mercury cations.
5. The complex as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the ligand and the antiligand are biological molecules chosen in particular from polynucleotides and polypeptides.
6. The complex as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the antiligand is bonded to histidine or one of its polymeric derivatives.
7. The complex as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the polypyrrole is a copolymer and comprises a monomer, the pyrrole ring of which is substituted by a \u2014CH2\u2014COOH or \u2014CH2\u2014CH2OH group.
8. An electroactive probe composed of an electroactive polymer which is a homopolymer or copolymer of at least two monomers and which is functionalized by a chelating agent complexed with a metal ion and an antiligand capable of interacting specifically with a ligand.
9. The electroactive probe as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the electroactive polymer is chosen from polypyrrole, polyacetylene, polyazine, poly(p-phenylene), poly(p-phenylene vinylene), polypyrene, polythiophene, polyethylenedioxythiophene, polyfuran, polyselenophene, polypyridazine, poly-carbazole, polyaniline or double-stranded poly-nucleotides.
10. The electroactive probe as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the chelating agent is chosen from NTA (nitrilotriacetate) or IDA (iminodiacetate).
11. The electroactive probe as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the metal ion is chosen from copper or mercury cations.
12. The electroactive probe as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the antiligand is a biological molecule chosen in particular from polynucleotides and polypeptides.
13. The electroactive probe as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the antiligand is bonded to histidine or one of its polymeric derivatives.
14. The electroactive probe as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the polypyrrole is a copolymer and comprises a monomer, the pyrrole ring of which is substituted by a \u2014CH2\u2014COOH or \u2014CH2\u2014CH2OH group.
15. A process for preparing a probe as defined in claim 8, characterized in that it comprises the following stages:
(a) a polymer which is a homopolymer or copolymer composed of at least two monomers, at least one of which is substituted by an activated group, is available,
(b) a chelating agent in aqueous solution is available, and
(c) the polymer which is a homopolymer or copolymer is functionalized by the chelating agent by hydrolysis,
(d) the polymer functionalized with the chelating agent is complexed by contact with an aqueous solution of metal ions,
(e) the antiligand is grafted by contact of the complexed polymer functionalized with the chelating agent and complexed with a metal ion by contact with a solution of antiligand.
16. The process as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the polymer is a polypyrrole composed of at least two pyrrole monomers, at least one of which is substituted on the carbon in the 3-position by an activated group.
17. A method for the detection of a ligand in a biological sample, characterized in that a probe as claimed in claim 8 is brought into contact under reaction conditions appropriate for the specific antiligandligand interaction and in that a difference in potential or a variation in current between the probe before bringing into contact and the probe after bringing into contact is demonstrated or quantified.
18. The method as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the antiligand is bonded to histidine or one of its polymeric derivatives.
19. An electrode, all or part of the surface of which is coated with a probe as claimed in claim 8.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. Spectral photoelectric measurement transformer, comprising:
an array of photoelectric transformer elements and dielectric interference bandpass filters disposed on a common filter support connected upstream therefrom for sensitizing the transformer elements to different wavelength ranges of the measurement light, wherein the bandpass filters are divided into a number of filter groups, each of which respectively contains the same different bandpass filters within the filter group, and
optical means which spectrally shift the effective bandpass curves of the bandpass filters of all the filter groups except one so that the effective bandpass curves of all the bandpass filters have different spectral positions.
2. Spectral photoelectric measurement transformer according to claim 1, wherein the half-widths and spectral distances of the bandpass curves of the bandpass filters of each filter group are disposed so that transmission gaps are left free between the bandpass curves.
3. Spectral photoelectric measurement transformer according to claim 2, wherein the widths of the transmission gaps essentially correspond to a multiple of the sought spectral resolution corresponding to the number of filter groups.
4. Spectral photoelectric measurement transformer according to claim 3, wherein the optical means comprise an optical deflector element connected upstream of the bandpass filters with a number of portions corresponding to the number of filter groups, and each portion of the deflector element is assigned to the bandpass filters of one of the filter groups, and the measurement light is deflected by a different angle of deflection so that measurement light is applied to the bandpass filters of the filter group assigned to the portion at an angle of incidence corresponding to the angle of deflection, and the effective bandpass curves of the bandpass filters are shifted towards shorter wavelengths as a result.
5. Spectral photoelectric measurement transformer according to claim 4, wherein the angle of deflection of the deflector element is selected so that the effective bandpass curves of the bandpass filters are shifted essentially equidistantly into the transmission gaps.
6. Spectral photoelectric measurement transformer according to claim 5, wherein the optical deflector element is disposed directly on or at a short distance from the filter support.
7. Spectral photoelectric measurement transformer according to claim 5, wherein the optical deflector element has a plane parallel portion and at least one prismatic portion or an appropriate prismatic Fresnel structure.
8. Spectral photoelectric measurement transformer according to claim 5, wherein the optical deflector element is disposed directly on or at a short distance from the filter support.
9. Spectral photoelectric measurement transformer according to claim 4, wherein the optical deflector element has a plane parallel portion and at least one prismatic portion or an appropriate prismatic Fresnel structure.
10. Spectral photoelectric measurement transformer according to claim 4, wherein the optical deflector element is disposed directly on or at a short distance from the filter support.
11. Spectral photoelectric measurement transformer according to claim 4, wherein the optical deflector element has two prismatic portions for each angle of deflection which deflect the measurement light by the same angle in two spatial directions orthogonal to one another.
12. Spectral photoelectric measurement transformer according to claim 4, wherein the optical deflector element is made from optical transparent plastic.
13. Spectral photoelectric measurement transformer according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric interference bandpass filters are lithographically applied to the filter support using thin film coating technology.

1. A measuring apparatus comprising:
an acoustic wave detecting unit that detects acoustic waves generated from a subject irradiated with light; and
a member that is disposed between the acoustic wave detecting unit and the subject and has an acoustic speed value smaller than an average acoustic speed value inside the subject;
wherein a thickness of the member is greater than a value obtained by dividing the acoustic speed value inside the subject by the minimum frequency detectable by the acoustic wave detecting unit.
2. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the minimum frequency detectable by the acoustic wave detecting unit is a frequency detected with half sensitivity with respect to a frequency detectable with the maximum sensitivity of the acoustic wave detecting unit.
3. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a signal processing unit that acquires a subject information based on the detected acoustic waves,
wherein, when determining a generated location of the acoustic waves, the signal processing unit acquires the subject information by calculating a distance up to the generated location of the acoustic waves based on a variation in an incident angle of the acoustic waves on the acoustic wave detecting unit according to a ratio of the acoustic speed value inside the member to the average acoustic speed value inside the subject.
4. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first holding plate; and
a second holding plate that holds the subject together with the first holding plate between the member and the subject,
wherein the member is disposed on the second holding plate.
5. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the member has a sheet-like shape.
6. The measuring apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the shape of the member is varied depending on the shape of the subject.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A multi-stage ignition type gas generator, comprising:
a housing having a gas discharge port;
a first combustion chamber provided inside the housing;
a second combustion chamber provided inside the housing separately from the first combustion chamber;
a third combustion chamber provided inside the housing and through which a gas generated in at least one of the first combustion chamber and the second combustion chamber passes before reaching the gas discharge port;
a first partition wall separating the first combustion chamber and the third combustion chamber and defining a first communicating port that communicates the first combustion chamber and the third combustion chamber;
a second partition wall separating the second combustion chamber and the third combustion chamber and defining a second communicating port that communicates the second combustion chamber and the third combustion chamber;
first restriction means that seals the first communicating port, the first restricting means allowing communication between the first combustion chamber and the third combustion chamber only by a gas pressure generated in the first combustion chamber;
second restriction means that seals the second communicating port, the second restriction means allowing communication between the second combustion chamber and the third combustion chamber only by a gas pressure generated in the second combustion chamber;
a first gas generating agent accommodated in the first combustion chamber for generating a first combustion gas for inflating an air bag;
a second gas generating agent accommodated in the second combustion chamber for generating a second combustion gas for inflating the air bag;
a third gas generating agent accommodated in the third combustion chamber for generating a third combustion gas for inflating the air bag;
a first ignition means for directly igniting and burning the first gas generating agent;
a second ignition means for directly igniting and burning the second gas generating agent; and
shielding means, which prevents at least one of the first communication port and the second communication port from being obstructed by at least one of the first gas generating agent, the second gas generating agent, and the third gas generating agent,
wherein, the first gas generating agent and the second gas generating agent are different in at least one of combustion heat, combustion temperature, all gas output, and gas output per unit time in combustion of the gas generating agent.
2. The multi-stage ignition type gas generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first restriction means seals the first communicating port from the third combustion chamber side.
3. The multi-stage ignition type gas generator as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first restriction means at least one of deforms, destructed by fire, detaches from the first partition wall, displaces, ruptures, and breaks only by combustion of the first gas generating agent and opens the first communicating port.
4. The multi-stage ignition type gas generator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first restriction means is selected from the group consisting of a metal tape, a cover, and a check valve that closes the first communicating port.
5. The multi-stage ignition type gas generator as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first ignition means includes a first igniter and the second ignition means includes a second igniter for initiating operation of the gas generator, and the first igniter and the second igniter are attached to a single common igniter collar attached to the housing.
6. The multi-stage ignition type gas generator as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprising:
a coolant that defines the third combustion chamber therein,
wherein, the first combustion gas, the second combustion gas, and the third combustion gas pass through the coolant before being discharged from the discharge port.
7. The multi-stage ignition type gas generator as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the shielding means is made of one of a wire mesh and a multi-perforated plate.
8. The multi-stage ignition type gas generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second restriction means seals the second communicating port % from the third combustion chamber side.
9. The multi-stage ignition type gas generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shielding means is made of one of a wire mesh and a multi-perforated plate.