Nihon University

School Juridical Person Nihon University

Axiom Co., Ltd.

Sadao Omata

Yoshinobu Murayama

Yoshikazu Kobayashi

Masaru Wada

Satoshi Kiyono

Kenji Shirai

Hideyuki Usui

Katsuhito Honda

Shunji Mori

Chris E Constantinou

Osamu Yamaguchi

A material hardness distribution display system () includes a probe unit () in which a plurality of probe elements () are two-dimensionally arranged. Each of the probe elements () has an oscillator () for introducing oscillation into a biological tissue and an oscillation detection sensor () which detects a reflected wave. The probe elements () are successively selected by a switch circuit () and connected to a hardness calculation unit () and a measurement depth calculation unit (). The hardness calculation unit () executes a frequency component analysis for an incident wave signal to the oscillator () and a reflected wave signal from the oscillation detection sensor () to calculate the hardness of the biological tissue on the basis of the analysis results. The measurement depth calculation unit () calculates a measurement depth inside the biological tissue at a position where the hardness has been measured, on the basis of a temporal position of the incident wave signal and a temporal position of the reflected wave signal. They are correlated to the respective probe elements ().

Material hardness distribution display system and material hardness distribution display method

We disclose an elasticity-measuring device which can be inserted into a canal part of living body and which is capable of quantitatively measuring the elasticity of the biological tissue of inner side of canal part. The device consists of a probe base () and probes (). The probes () are secured to probe base () and driven to press onto and return from biological tissue. According to the stress or hardness of the biological tissue measured by sensors on probes () and to the deviation between the probes () and the probe base (), we can decide the elasticity of the biological tissue of inner side of canal part quantitatively.

Elasticity measuring device for biological tissue

A device for measuring elastic properties, comprising a long bar-like probe base () and probes () fitted to the probe base () driven as to be pressed against and withdrawn from a living body tissue. The probes are so formed that generally semi-spherical contact balls () having stress detection bases () are fitted to the ends of leaf strings () and stress detection sensors () are disposed on the stress detection bases (). Light-receiving elements are fitted to the opposite side of the leaf displacement sensors (). The stress sensors () and displacement sensors () are connected to the device body through signal lines (), respectively. The profile of the displacement of the tissue is calculated and displayed in a manner indicating correlation with stress.

Device for measuring elastic properties of tissue

A biological property check device includes a plurality of probes () each having a light emitting element () for applying light to a biological tissue and a light reception element () for detecting the reflected light. Each probe () is successively selected by a switch circuit () under control of a control section () and connected to a property calculation section (). The property calculation section () includes a phase shift circuit for changing the frequency according to the phase difference between the input waveform to the light emitting element () and the output waveform from the light reception element (). According to the frequency change, the property of the biological tissue is calculated. The property calculated is displayed on a display section () via a data collection section () and a display processing section ().

Biological property check device using light

In a hardness measurement system, selecting an operating frequency is facilitated by using a phase shift circuit. A hardness sensor is connected to an operating frequency selection apparatus and in a free end state the amplitude versus frequency characteristic is acquired, and the frequency and the phase of the peaks are measured and acquired as the free end characteristic. Next, the hardness sensor is placed into contact with a first test piece, and the frequency and the phase that change for the peaks are measured and acquired as the first characteristic. The same procedure is performed for a second test piece that is harder than the first test piece to yield the second characteristic. Based on these characteristics and a predetermined selection criterion a peak suitable for hardness measurement is selected and the operating frequency is set from the frequency of the peak.

Operating frequency selection method for hardness measurement system, operating frequency selection apparatus, and hardness measurement system

To be able to detect a displacement amount of a moving object by a resolution of from micrometer to nanometer by a simple structure. An excitation coiland a detection coilare arranged to align and a magnetic body probein a conical shape a sectional area of which is change in a longitudinal direction is arranged in a state of being inserted into an air core portion of the excitation coil. An output terminal from the detection coilis connected to an amplifierand a phase shifting circuitis provided between the amplifierand an input terminal of the excitation coil. When the probeof the magnetic body is moved at inside of the air core portion of the excitation coil, inductance of the excitation coilis changed, a phase difference is produced between an input signal inputted to the excitation coiland an output signal outputted from the detection coiland the phase shifting circuitchanges a frequency to nullify the phase difference. The displacement amount is detected from the frequency deviation at this occasion.

Displacement sensor with an excitation coil and a detection coil

A processing terminalincludes a writing implement (ball point pen). The writing implementis provided with a tilt change detecting mechanism for detecting a change in a tilt with respect to a writing implement main body of a lead and a vibration detecting mechanism for detecting the change in the vibration of the vibrated lead at the time of handwriting. The processing terminalproduces handwriting motion information based on both of the detected changes in the tilt of the lead and in the vibration. A handwriting identification organizationcompares handwriting motion information with inherent information stored previously to identify handwriting. Thereby it can achieve high reliability in an authentication system with a simple structure.

Handwriting identification system, writing implement for identifying handwriting and method for identifying handwriting

According to a human spinal column measuring and displaying system of the invention, a probe is pinched between the second finger and the third finger of a measuring person, front ends of the fingers are moved from the first thoracic vertebra to the fifth lumbar vertebra of the spinal column of a measured subject, detaching amounts from reference positions in X, Y and Z directions are detected by three-dimensionally moving the front ends of the fingers. Based on measured data, positions of displaying the vertebrae in correspondence with positions of coordinates in X direction, Y direction and Z direction of the respective vertebrae are moved and a three-dimensional image of the spinal column of the measured subject is generated and the image of the spinal column is displayed on a display screen.

Human spinal column measurement and display system

To be able to detect a displacement amount of a moving object by a resolution of from micrometer to nanometer by a simple structure. An excitation coiland a detection coilare arranged to align and a magnetic body probein a conical shape a sectional area of which is change in a longitudinal direction is arranged in a state of being inserted into an air core portion of the excitation coil. An output terminal from the detection coilis connected to an amplifierand a phase shifting circuitis provided between the amplifierand an input terminal of the excitation coil. When the probeof the magnetic body is moved at inside of the air core portion of the excitation coilinductance of the excitation coilis changed, a phase difference is produced between an input signal inputted to the excitation coiland an output signal outputted from the detection coiland the phase shifting circuitchanges a frequency to nullify the phase difference. The displacement amount is detected from the frequency deviation at this occasion.

Displacement sensor

An apparatus for controlling the movement of a specimen in order to handle the specimen, e.g., a cell, easily and quickly with high accuracy. A standing wave vibration (V) having at least one node (N, N) is generated in a vibrator (). A specimen in a medium () is captured at a position in the vicinity of the surface of the node (N, N) and then turned in this position. The capturing position of the specimen (S) is altered through variable control of the vibration mode of the standing wave vibration (V), and the moving route, moving speed, or rotational speed of the specimen (S) is controlled as desired through variable control of the vibration parameters (e.g., frequency, amplitude, intermittent frequency) of the standing wave vibration (V).

Apparatus for controlling movement of specimen, method for controlling movement of specimen, and method for processing specimen

The present invention facilitates measurement of characteristic values corresponding to hardness of a material to be measured inside a living body using the response of a vibration transmission characteristic without the need to remove other tissue materials of the living body by dissecting or opening the abdomen of the living body. The present invention includes a sensor () made up of a transmitter and a receiver, frequency component analysis section () for the incident wave and reflected wave, a frequency/phase difference specification section () for comparing the spectral distribution of the incident wave with the spectral distribution of the reflected wave and specifying a phase difference &#x3b8;x, which is a difference between the phase of the incident wave and the phase of the reflected wave at each frequency fx, and a phase difference compensating operation section () that inputs the frequency fx and phase difference &#x3b8;x, performs compensating operations using a reference transmission characteristic curve which has been obtained as a reference beforehand and obtains a frequency variation df when the input phase difference &#x3b8;x is reduced to zero, and is characterized in that hardness of the material is calculated from df.

Substance characteristic measuring method and substance characteristic measuring instrument

An apparatus for measuring hardness of a material that makes it possible to measure hardness of a material having high spatial resolution over a wide area, hardness of tissue of a living body, hardness of micro areas in the entire organ and express the flexibility and robustness of the tissue of the living body based on CT values of an X-ray CT scanner. It includes an X-ray scanning section that scans and irradiates a specimen with X-rays, a CT value output section that calculates and outputs a CT value by measuring intensity of X-rays that have passed through the specimen, a storage apparatus that stores the correspondence relationship between CT value data and hardness data of a plurality of reference portions of tissue of the living body, a hardness conversion operation apparatus that converts to hardness using the correspondence relationship and a display that outputs the converted hardness.

Substance hardness measuring instrument, biological tissue hardness measuring instrument, and recording medium for outputting hardness data on substance when data is inputted to it

A noncontact physical property measurement instrument which easily and accurately measures physical properties of an object using a nondestructive, noncontact sensor. A noncontact physical property measurement instrument is provided with a transmitting section and a receiving section . The transmitting section sends a wave to an object in a medium , and the receiving section receives a wave reflected from the object and the surface of a coating . Both the transmitting section and the receiving section are connected to a gain change correction circuit to form a self-excited oscillating circuit serving as a feedback loop. The gain change correction circuit corrects the gain to the increase side according to a phase difference between the sent wave and the reflected wave, to thereby measure any changes due to a difference in physical properties of the object

Instrument for noncontact measurement of physical property

A hardness measuring apparatus in which a frequency deviation detecting circuit is used has a contact element, an oscillator, a self-oscillating circuit and a gain variation compensating circuit. The self-oscillating circuit feeds back oscillation information of the oscillator to generate a resonant state. The gain variation compensating circuit is disposed in the self-oscillating circuit. The gain variation compensating circuit has a central frequency different from that of the self-oscillating circuit, and increases gain in response to a change in frequency.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Sadao Omata