Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation

Unibio Corporation

Hidehito Takayama

Takeshi Miyazaki

Kazumi Tanaka

Matsuomi Nishimura

Toshikazu Ohnishi

Akihiro Mouri

Nobuhito Yamaguchi

Kazuo Isaka

Takashi Mori

Kazuo Iwata

Yuji Tsuruoka

Kazumasa Matsumoto

Yoshito Yoneyama

Eiichi Motai

Satoshi Shimizu

Takayuki Yagi

Hiroyuki Tanaka

Tadashi Okamoto

Tsuyoshi Shibata

Masataka Yashima

Osamu Kanome

Hiroaki Hoshi

Hiroshi Kawabata

Kenichi Suzuki

Masanori Sakuranaga

Keiji Ohkoda

Toshikazu Onishi

Kazuhiro Jindai

Hidehiko Saito

Toshihiro Fukasaka

Risa Watanabe

Hirokazu Sada

Yutaka Takemoto

Kyoji Yoshinaka

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a modified activin A. The present invention provides activin A comprising a modified proregion.

Modified activin A

A liquid discharge apparatus for aligning needle-like structures. The apparatus includes a tapered nozzle having an entrance and a discharge opening. The nozzle is tapered in such a manner that its diameter decreases towards the discharge opening. The diameter of the nozzle at the entrance is larger than the length of the needle-like structures, and the diameter of the discharge opening is larger than the diameter of the needle-like structures and smaller than the length of the needle-like structures. By passing through the nozzle, the needle-like structures are aligned.

Liquid discharge apparatus and method for aligning needle-like substances

An alignment unit and an alignment method for aligning needle-like structures. The alignment unit includes a substrate having a surface and grooves defined in the surface. The grooves are sized and arranged such that when the needle-like structures are received therein, the needle-like structures are aligned.

Method for aligning needle-like structures and alignment unit

An analytical chip is provided with a flow channel (), whose section is in a closed shape and through which a fluid sample (Fs) is made to flow, for carrying out analysis regarding the fluid sample (Fs) based on interaction between a predetermined substance and a specific substance (), which is placed facing said flow channel (). The chip further has a projection member () attached to said flow channel (). With this arrangement, it becomes possible to analyze the fluid sample (Fs) efficiently with high precision.

Analytical chip, analytical-chip unit, and analysis apparatus

A method for making a liquid ejection head includes the steps of placing a vibrator unit including a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged in a comb shape in a head housing; filling each of the spaces between the piezoelectric elements and in the receiving sections of the head housing, and the liquid feed openings with a resin; depositing a resin on a planar surface including the ends of the piezoelectric elements, followed by patterning the resin to form islands which are isolated pressure-transmitting portions; placing a diaphragm on the patterned resin and forming a soluble resin pattern on the diaphragm; forming a coating layer on the soluble resin pattern; and dissolving away the soluble resin pattern to form a liquid feed chamber, pressure chambers, etc.

Method for making liquid ejection head

A manufacturing method of a liquid jet head, comprising a step of disposing a liquid flow path pattern containing a soluble resin on a substrate and disposing a coating layer containing a resin forming a wall of the liquid flow path so as to coat the liquid flow path pattern, a step of disposing a liquid discharge energy generation element for generating energy for use in discharging a liquid in a place disposed opposite to the liquid flow path pattern, a step of separating and removing the substrate, and a step of removing the liquid flow path pattern to form the liquid flow path.

Manufacturing method of liquid jet head

A manufacturing method of a liquid jet head comprises the following steps of forming a piezoelectric member which generates a discharge pressure for discharging a liquid on a substrate, disposing a vibration plate on the piezoelectric member, forming a liquid flow path pattern containing a soluble resin on the vibration plate, forming a coat layer containing a resin constituting a wall of the liquid flow path on the liquid flow path pattern, removing the liquid flow path pattern to form the liquid flow path, removing the substrate, and patterning the piezoelectric member in accordance with the liquid flow path.

A printing method and printing apparatus capable of printing a high-quality image representing excellent tonality even when a plurality of inks having the same color and different densities are adhered to the substantially same pixel position on a printing medium to form one print dot and represent tonality. When printing is to be performed on a printing medium by discharging ink from an inkjet printhead using a plurality of inks having different densities, this apparatus calculates a lapse time from previous ink discharge, predicts a density change according to the lapse time based on the calculated lapse time, selects an ink and ink discharge amount suitable for representing a density value indicated by input multi-valued image data based on the predicted density change of ink, and drives the printhead so as to cause ink discharge from the printhead based on the selected ink and ink discharge amount.

Printing apparatus and method for printing using a plurality of inks having different densities

A plurality of ink-jet head units, each having ink with different density in a color, are prepared. Superimposed print information of a plurality of the types of ink, each having different density, is stored as an ink type distribution table in correspondence with the density of image data. An increase in ink density in each nozzle is predicted on the basis of a continuous ink non-discharging count (non-discharging time) stored in an ink density characteristics change table. Binary data for determining an optimal ink type distribution for recording the image data, i.e., ink-jet head units to be used for printing, are generated by referring to the predicted value and the ink type distribution table. Printing is then performed. In addition, the density value of the target pixel to be printed is predicted. The error between the predicted density value and the density value of the original pixel is distributed to the pixels around the target pixel to convert the image data, thereby printing an image on the basis of the resultant image data.

Image processing method and apparatus and recording apparatus

A recording apparatus includes a recording head for performing recording on recording paper, the recording head having three or more types of inks of different densities but of the same color. A combination of the inks used to record a pixel of a grayscale image, which is to be recorded on the recording paper, is decided based upon the pixel by a data distribution unit which refers to ink density data and combination data. Recording by the recording head is controlled, based upon the combination of inks decided, by a unit which controls the recording head and paper feed.

Recording apparatus and method of controlling same

In a method for measuring a specified component in a specimen by reacting the specimen with a first reagent formed by binding a substance active to the specified component, with carrier particles and a second reagent formed by labelling a substance active to the specified component with a first label, and measuring the substances in the complexes obtained in the reaction, there is disclosed a method featured by labelling the carrier particles with a second label different from the first label, and detecting the second label and then the first label utilizing the detection of the second label as a trigger. This method enables a highly precise measurement without the influence of noise components in the detection of specified trace components in the specimen, utilizing an antigen-antibody reaction or a nucleic acid hybridization.

Method for specimen measurement

A minute flow path is filled with liquid so that the liquid may be supplied from an accumulating portion. Energy is imparted to the liquid exposed outwardly of an opening in the flow path by a heat generating element or by energy application to thereby heat and gasify the liquid. Thereupon, the liquid is supplied by an amount corresponding to the gasified liquid by capillary phenomenon through the flow path, and gasification is continuously effected, whereby a flow free of pulsating flow can be formed in the flow path.

Liquid moving apparatus and measuring apparatus utilizing the same

A flow of liquid containing floating fine particles is formed in a flow path, thereby causing successive movement of the particles. A light beam having intensity distribution from a laser is focused on the liquid flow, whereby the particle is optically trapped at the irradiating position, thus being stopped against the liquid flow or being slowed by a braking force. This phenomenon is utilized in controlling the spacing of the particles in the flow or in separating the particles.

Method and apparatus for particle manipulation, and measuring apparatus

On a slab-like board formed of a transparent material is closely attached a wedge-shaped transparent cover member provided with a recess in a central inner portion, thereby to form a clearance. The height of the clearance between the recess and the board is configured to decrease continuously or in steps. When an immunological active substance such as a monoclonal antibody is caused to sensitize carrier particles F, and a reagent having the carrier particles F dispersed into a liquid medium mainly composed of the water is mixed with a specimen, the reaction will occur in which the flocculate is formed from plural carrier particles. When this reaction liquid is poured into the clearance through the opening, the reaction liquid penetrates in the direction having a narrower vertical spacing due to surface tension. A single carrier particle unflocculated can move deep within the recess because it is small in diameter, but the flocculate G is trapped on its way and can not move because of its size.

Apparatus and method for measuring specimen

An apparatus is so constructed as to measure a specific substance in a test specimen by the degree of the aggregation of carrier particles in a reaction solution in which the test specimen is mixed with the carrier particles which carry a substance specifically binding to the specific substance. The apparatus includes a substrate having comb-shaped electrodes mounting the reaction solution and amplifier and alternating oscillator for displaying a variable voltage to the comb-shaped electrodes. The test specimen measuring apparatus having the structure accelerates the aggregation of the reaction solution by applying an alternating voltate to the comb-shaped electrodes in a state that the reaction solution is being mounted on the substrate, and detects the spatial spectrum of the comb-shaped electrodes on which the reaction solution is mounted, thus performing the qualitative or quantitative detection of the presence of the substance in the test specimen.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Hidehito Takayama