Konica Minolta, Inc.

Tohoku University

Konica Minolta Opto, Inc.

Junichi Jono

Yasuo Ando

Mikihiko Oogane

Koujirou Sekine

Masaaki Tsuchida

Kosuke Fujiwara

Katsumi Fujiwara

Yasuyuki Natsuno

Yuichi Atarashi

Fumio Nagai

Takashi Terauchi

Toshinori Takimura

Shoichi Tao

Kikuo Iwasaka

Masaru Fuse

Makoto Takada

Akira Kunimoto

Kousuke Fujiwara

Masanao Majima

An electrical characteristic parameter inspection apparatus includes multiple sensors to be arranged on or over an object and a hardware processor. The hardware processor selects multiple predetermined selection patterns, each of the selection patterns including a sensor pair, the sensor pair including two or more sensors among the multiple sensors; measures electrical characteristic parameters for the respective selection patterns, the electrical characteristic parameters being output from the sensors included in the selection patterns; and analyzes the electrical characteristic parameters measured for the respective selection patterns.

Electrical characteristic parameter inspection apparatus, electrical characteristic parameter inspection method, and storage medium

A magnetic sensor includes a plurality of magnetoresistive element units. Each of the magnetoresistive element units includes a flat-surface-type first magnetoresistive element having a detection axis in a first direction and a flat-surface-type second magnetoresistive element having a detection axis in a second direction different from the first direction. The first magnetoresistive element and the second magnetoresistive element are arranged so as to face each other. The plurality of magnetoresistive element units are arrayed in a direction orthogonal to flat surfaces of the first magnetoresistive element and the second magnetoresistive element. The surfaces facing a measurement sample constitute a surface parallel to the direction in which the magnetoresistive element units are arrayed.

Magnetic sensor

A laparoscopic device includes a flexible insertion part including an imaging optical system and an illumination optical system that are covered with an exterior tube; and an operational part connected to a base end of the insertion part. The insertion part is inserted into a peritoneal dialysis catheter for observation of an abdominal cavity, and the insertion part includes a distal extended part that is extendable from the peritoneal dialysis catheter in the abdominal cavity during use and formed in a shape with a curved part having a cumulative central angle between 180&#xb0; and 360&#xb0;.

Laparoscopic device and endoscopic system

Provided is a production method for a magnetoresistive element including treating a stacked layer into a predetermined shape. The stacked layer includes a magnetoresistive layer whose resistance changes depending on a magnetic field and a cap layer above the magnetoresistive layer and having a thickness in a range of 10 nm to 60 nm. The method further includes covering and protecting the stacked layer with an insulating layer, forming an opening in the insulating layer by reactive etching and exposing a surface of the cap layer at the opening, etching the cap layer in a range less than a total thickness of the cap layer by ion milling of the surface, and depositing an upper layer to be a part of the magnetoresistive element. The upper layer is in contact with the surface of the cap layer after the etching.

Magnetoresistive element, and production method for magnetoresistive element

There are provided: an element arrayincluding a plurality of tunnel magnetoresistive elementsrespectively having a fixed magnetic layera free magnetic layerand an insulation layerprovided between the fixed magnetic layerand the free magnetic layerthe elements respectively for varying the tunnel resistance of the insulation layerby influence of an external magnetic field; and an electric circuitthat applies a voltage to a plurality of the tunnel magnetoresistive elementsforming the element arraywith the voltage to be applied to each tunnel magnetoresistive element being equal to or higher than 0.1 mV and equal to or lower than 50 mV.

Magnetic sensor, sensor unit, magnetic detection device, and magnetic measurement device

A method for producing a tunnel magnetoresistive element includes a stacking step, then in-magnetic field heating, and then dry etching. The stacking includes stacking a B absorption layer which is in contact with an upper surface of a CoFeB layer. The dry etching includes removal of layers to the B absorption layer. An end of etching is set as an end point time detected by an analysis device when a final layer before the B absorption layer directly above the CoFeB layer is exposed has reduced to a prescribed level, or when the B absorption layer directly above the CoFeB layer has increased to the prescribed level. An amount of over-etching after the end point time is specified in advance, and the B absorption layer is stacked such that the thickness from the prescribed level to the upper surface of the CoFeB layer corresponds to the over-etching amount.

Method for producing tunnel magnetoresistive element

A tunnel magnetic resistance element includes the following, a fixed magnetic layer with a fixed direction of magnetization, a free magnetic layer in which the direction of magnetization changes, and an insulating layer which is positioned between the fixed magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer. The fixed magnetic layer, the free magnetic layer, and the insulating layer form a magnetic tunnel junction. A resistance of the insulating layer changes by a tunnel effect according to a difference in an angle between the direction of magnetization of the fixed magnetic layer and the direction of magnetization of the free magnetic layer. The free magnetic layer includes a ferromagnetic layer, a soft magnetic layer, and a magnetic bonding layer placed in between. Material of the magnetic bonding layer include Ru or Ta, and a layer thickness is 1.0 nm to 1.3 nm.

Tunnel magnetic resistance element and method for manufacturing same

A lens barrel for imaging a subject; and a lens frame which holds the lens. The lens frame includes a body structure opened at a tip and an end; and a lens base which fixes the lens and is adhered to a tip opening of the body; the lens base includes: a tip base including an opening which exposes a tip side lens optical surface and an inner side which supports the lens; and a circle or arc sidewall extending axially from the tip base; the inner surface of the sidewall is formed along an outer circumference surface of the lens; the inner side surface and the outer circumference are adhered to each other; and a portion of the upper surface of the sidewall is provided toward an end side separated from the far end of the lens to be exposed inside the body.

Lens barrel, image obtaining unit, and method for assembling same

An optical fiber assembly includes optical fibers, an array member, an adhesive part, a cylindrical member and a fixing member. The fibers are inserted into the array member, and the array member is inserted into a cylindrical part of the cylindrical member. The adhesive part is disposed on one-end side of the array member. The fibers extend through the one end. The cylindrical part and the fixing member are fixed to each other in a state in which (i) the array member is sandwiched between a terminal part of the cylindrical member and the fixing member in an axial direction and (ii) the array member is positioned in the axial direction in relation to the cylindrical part. Thereby, the array member and the adhesive part are housed in a structure constituted of the cylindrical member and the fixing member.

Optical fiber assembly, method of fabricating same, and probe

Provided is an optical fiber assembly with which flexibility in the vicinity of an alignment member can be maintained, as well as a method for manufacturing this optical fiber assembly, and an optical probe which uses this optical fiber assembly. This optical fiber assembly is equipped with: multiple optical fibers (); an alignment member () that aligns and holds these multiple optical fibers (); a first adhesion part () where the alignment member () and the multiple optical fibers () are adhered by means of a first adhesive agent having curability; and a second adhesion part () where the multiple optical fibers () are adhered to each other within a prescribed distance from the rear end of the alignment member () by means of a second adhesive agent that cures while having greater flexibility than the first adhesive agent.

Optical fiber assembly, optical probe, and method for manufacturing optical fiber assembly

Optical probe having, independently, an irradiation light guide path for irradiation light and a received light guide path for acquiring radiated light. A first optical fiber configures the irradiation light guide path, and a second optical fiber configures the received light guide path. A condensing lens receives on one surface irradiation light from the first optical fiber and emits same on the other surface, and receives radiated light radiated from the other surface and concentrates same on the side of the first and second optical fibers. The central axis of the exit end of the first optical fiber is deviated relative to the optical axis of the condensing lens, moving reflected light at the condensing lens surface away from, and moving radiated light concentrated by the condensing lens closer to, the center of the light-receiving end of the second optical fiber.

Probe

Provided are an optical connector and an optical tomographic imaging apparatus, by which no noise occurs and a high quality image without a distortion can be obtained. In the optical connector, optical fibers are inserted into a lumen of a tube from opposite ends thereof; one of the optical fibers is fixed to the tube and the other optical fiber is held so as to be rotatable relative to the tube; an end of one of the optical fibers is separated from an end of the other optical fiber to form a gap therebetween in the lumen; a connecting section which connects the exterior space of the tube and the gap is formed; and a liquid or fluid made of a material which can transmit light is held in the exterior space, the gap, and the connecting section. Consequently, a significant pressure variation in matching liquid does not occur if the distance between the facing optical fibers changes.

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Tokyo, Japan

Junichi Jono