Unex Corporation

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Hiroshi Masuda

Chikao Harada

Hidenori Suzuki

Katsushi Iikubo

Naotaka Nitta

Hitoshi Hirano

Hidehito Sasaki

Hiromasa Tsukahara

Takeo Matsumoto

Kazuaki Nagayama

Kenji Takezawa

It is provided a blood vessel function inspecting apparatus including: a blood vessel diameter measuring portion configured to measure a diameter of a blood vessel; a blood vessel wall thickness measuring portion configured to measure a wall thickness of the blood vessel; and a blood vessel function index value calculating portion configured to calculate a function index value for diagnosing the blood vessel of its function, after releasing of the blood vessel from blood flow obstruction, by dividing an amount of dilatation of said diameter of the blood vessel continuously measured by said blood vessel diameter measuring portion, by the wall thickness measured by said blood vessel wall thickness measuring portion.

Blood vessel function inspecting apparatus

A blood vessel ultrasonic image measuring method capable of facilitating the positioning of an ultrasonic probe and acquiring sufficient positioning accuracy. Because of inclusion of an around-X-axis positioning step of causing a multiaxis driving device to position an ultrasonic probe such that distances from respective ultrasonic array probes to the center of a blood vessel are equalized, and an X-axis direction positioning step and an around-Z-axis positioning step of causing the multiaxis driving device to position the ultrasonic probe such that the image of the blood vessel is positioned at the center portion in the width direction of the first short axis image display area and the second short axis image display area, the positioning may be performed by using the positions in the longitudinal direction of the ultrasonic array probes relative to the blood vessel or the distances of the ultrasonic array probes to the blood vessel.

Blood vessel ultrasonic image measuring method

An ultrasonic blood vessel inspecting apparatus provided with a longitudinal cross sectional blood vessel image generating portion configured to generate a longitudinal cross sectional image of a blood vessel located below a skin of a live body, on the basis of reflected wave signals of an ultrasonic wave by using an ultrasonic probe placed on the skin of said live body, includes: an index value calculating portion configured to calculate an index value indicative of a degree of clarity of an image which represents an intima-media complex of said blood vessel and which exists within said longitudinal cross sectional image of the blood vessel.

Ultrasonic blood vessel inspecting apparatus

A blood vessel function inspecting apparatus including a first blood state index value calculating portion that obtains estimated hematocrit values at a plurality of points predetermined within a blood vessel, on the basis of values of a blood viscosity and values of a shear rate at said plurality of points, which are respectively extracted from a viscosity distribution and a shear rate distribution, and according to reference relationships between a hematocrit value and the blood viscosity, which reference relationships respectively correspond predetermined different values of the shear rate; and a second blood state index value calculating portion that calculates, as said blood state index value, a value relating to an amount of difference of the estimated hematocrit values at said plurality of points with respect to each other, which amount is minimized by transforming said reference relationships at the same ratio for all of the values of the shear rate.

A blood vessel function inspecting apparatus including blood flow velocity distribution measuring portion for measuring a blood flow velocity distribution within a blood vessel in a non-invasion manner with ultrasonic waves before releasing of the blood vessel from a blood flow obstruction or after a blood vessel diameter measuring time period; viscosity-shear rate relationship calculating portion; and blood shear stress calculating portion for measuring a blood flow velocity within the blood vessel, concurrently with the measurement of a change ratio of the diameter of the blood vessel within the predetermined blood vessel diameter measuring time period after releasing of the blood vessel from the blood flow obstruction, and calculating a blood shear stress on the basis of a measured blood flow velocity, and according to a viscosity-shear rate relationship.

In a process of varying pressure of a pressure container () accommodating a forearm () of a subject () in a pressure range including negative pressure, a diameter (cross-sectional shape value) (D) of an arteryin the forearm () accommodated in the pressure container () is measured non-invasively by a vascular diameter calculating unit (). In addition, a display controller (display controlling means) () operates to display on a displaying device () a variation of an internal pressure (Pc) in the pressure container () and a variation of the diameter (D) of the artery () varying depending thereon. Based on the diameter (D) of the artery () obtained in the high pressure region, the variation of the internal pressure Pc in the pressure containerand the variation of the diameter (D) of the arteryvarying depending thereon i.e. mechanical properties of the artery () are displayed on the displaying device (). The artery () can be evaluated accurately based on the mechanical properties.

Biological luminal body evaluating apparatus

An apparatus for measuring a short-axis image of a blood vessel under a skin of a living being, the apparatus including an ultrasonic probe including an ultrasonic array which has a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in one direction in an emission surface and which emits, from the emission surface, an ultrasonic beam toward the blood vessel, the ultrasonic probe additionally including a main frame which is adapted to be placed on the skin of the living being, an x-axis supporting device which is supported by the main frame and which supports the ultrasonic array such that the ultrasonic array is rotatable about an x axis parallel to the direction of arrangement of the ultrasonic transducers in the emission surface, and an x-axis control device which controls a posture of the ultrasonic array supported by the x-axis supporting device such that in a y-z plane, the emission surface of the ultrasonic array is parallel to the blood vessel.

Blood vessel endothelium function evaluating apparatus provided with an electronic control device

An apparatus for holding a sensor such that the sensor touches an object at an arbitrary position in a three-dimensional space, the apparatus including a base member; a rotatable member which is rotatable relative to the base member about a vertical axis line; a first link device including a first stationary link, a first movable link, and two first pivotable links which are pivotably connected to the first stationary link and the first movable link, such that the first stationary link, the first movable link, and the two first pivotable links cooperate with each other to define a quadrilateral, wherein the first stationary link is fixed to the rotatable member such that the first movable link is movable in a plane containing the axis line; a second link device including two second pivotable links, and a second stationary link and a second movable link which are pivotably connected to the two second pivotable links, such that the two second pivotable links, the second stationary link, and the second movable link cooperate with each other to define a quadrilateral, wherein the second stationary link is fixed to the first movable link such that the second movable link is movable in the plane containing the axis line, and wherein the second movable link supports the sensor; a first biasing device which produces a thrust having a directional component resisting a load applied to the first movable link; and a second biasing device which produces a thrust having a directional component resisting a load applied to the second movable link.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Hiroshi Masuda