Unex Corporation

The University of Tokushima

Hitoshi Hirano

Chikao Harada

Hidenori Suzuki

Hiroshi Masuda

Katsushi Iikubo

Hidehito Sasaki

Hiromasa Tsukahara

Yohsuke Kinouchi

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

A blood-vessel-shape measuring apparatus that can accurately measures a shape of a section of a blood vessel is provided. A blood-vessel-shape calculating meanscalculates, based on respective echo signals detected by first and second arraysthat are placed on a skinof a brachial portionas a portion of a living being such that each of the first and second arraysis across a brachial arterylocated under the skin, respective positions of respective portions of the arterial wall that are located right below the first and second arraysand correspond to supersonic-wave elementsof the first arrayand supersonic-wave elementsof the second array, and calculates, based on the respective positions of the respective portions of the arterial wall that correspond to the supersonic-wave elements, a shape of the brachial arteryon an orthogonal section thereof. Thus, even if the brachial arterymay run, under the skin, in a direction that is not orthogonal to the first or second arrayor is not parallel to the skin, an accurate sectional shape of the brachial arterycan be obtained.

Blood-vessel-shape measuring apparatus, blood-flow-velocity measuring apparatus, and blood-flow-amount measuring apparatus

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.

Sensor holding apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Hitoshi Hirano