Nec Corporation

Shigeyuki Miyamoto

Akio Ohashi

Seishiro Tobe

Ryosuke Ugo

Toshihiro Akaike

There is provided a method of assessing total environmental load of an object product, including the steps of (a) collecting first data about environmental load at each of nodes relating to the object product, the first data including second data for retrieving data about environmental load of other node to which the each of nodes has a direct link, (b) retrieving the first data directly associated with the object product, in accordance with a predetermined condition, (c) recursively retrieving other first data about environmental load, based on second data included in the first data having been retrieved in the step (b), and (d) calculating total environmental load based on the first data having been retrieved in the steps (b) and (c). The method makes it possible to input data about environmental load with ease relative to a conventional method, and also to assess environmental load about a product comprised of a plurality of parts.

Method of assessing environmental load and apparatus of doing the same

An environmental load assessing device includes an object data storage section composed of an object-oriented database. The object data storage section stores data inputted from an input section. Specifically, parts of a product to be assessed and/or processes in a life cycle of the product are stored as objects, respectively. Attribute data of the parts and/or the processes are stored as attribute data of objects corresponding to those parts and/or processes. Coupling relationships between the parts and/or between the processes are defined by classes and attribute data of objects corresponding to those parts and/or processes and stored.

Environmental load assessing device having an object-oriented database

The environmental assessment system is used for assessing impacts to environment during a life cycle of a product from its production up to its disposal, and includes an input section, an input help section, a data storing section, an environmental impact assessment section and a display section. The input section inputs text information and image information relating to respective processes of the product, information relating to inter-relationships between respective processes, factors for environmental impacts, and environmental impact values. The input help section stores information necessary for helping data input at the input section and displays the stored data according to instructions from the input section. The data storing section stores the information inputted through the input section for each of the processes. The environmental impact assessment section calculates a total environmental impact of the product, and the display section displays information such as the total environmental impact values. The input help section includes an image information storing section to show content of each process in images.

System for assessing impact on environment during life cycle of product

A biosensor for detecting the toxicity of a sample includes a solid-state area image pickup element, a culture container positioned on an upper surface of a light-receiving portion of the element, at least a bottom surface of the culture container being formed of transparent material, a cell cultured in the culture container, and culture medium for growing the cell.

Toxicity detecting biosensor system

The life cycle of a product is divided into plurality of assessment steps. The assessment steps are structured so as to have a tree structure defining a product as a root and each assessment step as a branch extending from the root. For each assessment step, environmental loadings are assessed.

Method for assessing environmental impact of manufacture and disposal of

The substrate for cell culture to be used for cell arrangements is formed by applying a photoresist on a surface of a substrate, removing selective parts of the photoresist on the surface of the substrate by optical exposure and development, and forming an immobilized enzyme membrane on the surface of the substrate after removing the photoresist, and removing the photoresist after forming the immobilized enzyme membrane. An enzyme substrate of enzyme contained in the immobilized enzyme membrane is a material that is necessary for growth of cells for forming cell arrangements or is a material that inhibits growth of such cells, and a reaction product of oxygen contained in the immobilized enzyme membrane is a material that is necessary for growth of cells for forming cell arrangements or a material that inhibits growth of such cells. It is possible to control the cell adhesion on the surface of the substrate.

Method for fabricating substrate for cell culture and method for cell

An apparatus for arranging cells in a culture medium includes a substrate having patterns on a surface thereof, the patterns each having different adhesive property to cells, a container containing therein the substrate, cells and liquid culture medium for incubating the cells, and a shaker for shaking, rotating or oscillating the container. The apparatus assures that cells stick only to a pattern on which a material to which cells are easy to stick is applied, and do not stick to a pattern on which the material is not applied.

Apparatus for arranging cells in culture medium

Method for arranging cells in a culture medium

The invention discloses a cell culture support which provides for the adhesion and culturing of one or more adhesive cells using a photoresist in which to provide a particular patterned design on a surface of the support. The patterned design is provided by the photoresist which is partially removed by photolithography during the making of the support which in turn imparts a striped, checkerboard or dotted pattern on the surface of the support. Further, the cell culture support is produced by pretreating the support surface with a reagent to provide hydrophobicity to the support surface. Also a reagent can be added to pretreat the support surface in order to facilitate adhesion at the photoresist prior to applying the photoresist into the cell culture support. Collagen is applied in the form of a solution, containing in addition thereto albumin and a crosslinking agent, in order to form a film. Collagen specifically affects the cell adhesion rate or the morphology of the cells to be adhered to the support. The steps of applying a photoresist, partially removing it, providing hydrophobicity to the cell support surface, applying a solution to affect cell adhesiveness, film formation and dissolving the remaining photoresist are carried out repeatedly. In addition using a solution to promote film formation of a different film composition and thickness than the first is applied to produce the cell culture support. By varying the film composition a patterned design, such as checker board, is developed for purposes of providing a cell culture support for adherent cells.

Cell culture support having patterned substance that influences cell

In a system and a method for observing a biological sample, a drive unit is connected to a solid state image sensor located to directly observe a biological sample. A record and display unit is connected to the drive unit for receiving, through the drive unit, observed image information picked up by the solid state image sensor. A control unit is connected to the drive unit and the record and display unit for intermittently or periodically putting the solid state image sensor into an operating condition. Thus, it is possible to effectively suppress or prevent the temperature elevation of the biological sample, which would otherwise be caused by the heat generated from the solid state image sensor. Accordingly, it is possible to continuously observe the growth or reproduction of a biological sample for a long time while giving no adverse influence to the growth or reproduction of the biological sample.

Biological sample observation system using a temperature controlled

A biological sample observation system and method of using a solid-state image sensor element and a holding member, wherein the holding member holds an observation target sample on an upper portion of a light-receiving portion of the solid-state area image sensor element, at a predetermined distance therefrom, and without an optical lens system between the holding member and the image sensor element.

Biological sample observation system using a solid state imaging device

An enzyme electrode comprising an enzyme and a coenzyme immobilized in at least one layer is provided. This electrode has an outer membrane preventing the coenzyme from dissipation and so sensitivity and durability can be improved. In an inner membrane containing the enzyme and the coenzyme, a mediator of electron transfer may be added. The enzyme and the coenzyme may be separated in two layers, respectively, in the inner membrane to improve measurement sensitivity.

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Tokyo, Japan

Shigeyuki Miyamoto