System for detecting defects within a fluid flowing through a circuit comprising a fluidic device, and for preventing failure of the device as a result of the defects

A system for detecting at least one defect liable to be present in a fluid flowing through a fluidic circuit comprising at least one fluidic device and, where appropriate, at least one fluidic bifurcation upstream of the fluidic device, and for preventing failure of the fluidic device inherent to the one or more defects, comprising:

• at least one electrical sensor comprising a plurality of electrodes distributed around a section of the fluidic circuit upstream of the fluidic device, with their ends flush with the internal surface of the section;
• an electronic circuit for controlling the electrodes and for taking electrical-impedance-tomography measurements, the circuit being configured to excite respective electrodes simultaneously, and to measure electrical impedance matrices of the fluid flowing through the section;
• a signal-processing unit, configured to identify the one or more defects and/or to reconstruct images of the fluid flowing through the section, based on the measurements of impedance matrices of the electronic circuit;
• an electronic unit for automatically controlling a controller of the fluidic device or the fluidic device itself or where appropriate the fluidic bifurcation, configured to modify the frequency of operation of the fluidic device or control its operation or interrupt its operation so as to prevent failure of the fluidic device or to physically extract one or more defects upstream of the fluidic device, depending on signals of the flowing fluid representative of one or more defects.