Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.

Canon U.s.a., Inc.

Yasumichi Arimitsu

Kosuke Fujimoto

Nobuhiko Hata

Yasuyuki Miyaoka

Junichi Tokuda

Sang-Eun Song

Masahiko Igaki

Brian Ninni

Kemal Tuncali

Takahisa Kato

Kazufumi Onuma

Satoru Kitajima

Shinichiro Takahama

Lydia G Olson

A vibrating actuator includes a vibrator and a contact body. The vibrator includes an elastic body and an electrical-mechanical energy transducer. The contact body is long in a predetermined direction and contacts the vibrator. The vibrator and the contact body are relatively moved in the predetermined direction by vibration of the vibrator. An end portion of the long contact body is covered with a viscoelastic body circumferentially with respect to the predetermined direction.

Vibrating actuator, multi-axis stage, articulated robot, and continuum robot

A vibration actuator capable of reducing variations of pressure force and reaction force acting on a vibrator and a contact member has a specific construction. Vibrator devices respectively have vibrators, each of which includes an elastic member and an electro-mechanical energy conversion element. A contact member contacts the vibrators and is movable in a predetermined direction relatively to the vibrators. A restraint member fixes a first vibrator device among the vibrator devices to restrict a degree of freedom in the predetermined direction. A flexible member connects a second vibrator device among the vibrator devices to the first vibrator device. The flexible member has predetermined rigidity in the predetermined direction and has rigidity, which is lower than the predetermined rigidity, in directions other than the predetermined direction.

Vibration actuator, and drive device, multi-axis stage unit, and articulated robot that use vibration actuator

A vibration-type actuator that can suppress variation in pressing force and reaction force on vibration bodies and contact bodies includes vibration body units, each including a vibration body including an elastic body and an electro-mechanical energy conversion element, and a contact body contacting with the vibration bodies, with the contact body and the vibration bodies moving relatively in a predetermined direction. A first vibration body unit, from among the vibration body units, includes a restriction unit configured to fix the first vibration body unit and restrict a degree of freedom in the predetermined direction, and a second vibration body unit, from among the vibration body units, includes a supporting guide unit configured to support the second vibration body unit while the second vibration body unit is movable in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction.

Vibration-type actuator with vibration body and contact body relatively moving, apparatus, multi-axis stage unit, and articulated robot

A vibration drive device that suppresses an increase in the number of component parts and can be easily downsized. Vibration is excited in a vibration element in pressure contact with a driven element to thereby rotationally move the driven element relative to the vibration element. A bearing rotatably supports the driven element. A first and a second bearing portions are joined to the driven element. The second and a third bearing portions are pressed against each other via rolling elements in a direction along the axis of the bearing. The rolling elements are brought into pressure contact with the first raceway surface of the first bearing portion, the second raceway surface of the second bearing portion, and the third raceway surface of the third bearing portion. One of the second and third bearing portions is integrally formed with the driven element from the same material.

Vibration drive device, image forming apparatus, positioning stage, and medical system

An apparatus () includes a needle placement manipulator () and an attachment () for the manipulator. The manipulator includes a needle holder and a rotary mechanism. The rotary mechanism () has a remote center of motion (RCM:) and is configured to position a needle holder () such that the axis of the needle holder traces a conical region of coverage (), the conical region of coverage having the apex thereof at the RCM and the base thereof in a direction towards a subject of needle placement (). The attachment supports the guide mechanism and is configured to be mounted onto the subject of needle placement. The attachment includes a guide portion () configured to change an inclination of the rotary mechanism with respect to the subject of needle placement such that the axis of the needle holder intersects an insertion target () located outside of the conical region of coverage.

Placement manipulator and attachment for positioning a puncture instrument

The vibration actuator enables easy inspection of conductivity of a conduction path for connecting an electrode of an electromechanical energy conversion element to a GND potential. In the vibration actuator, a vibration element includes an elastic body formed of a material which is insulating, dielectric, or semi-conductive, and a piezoelectric element joined to the elastic body. The piezoelectric element includes a first electrode formed on a surface of a piezoelectric body by which surface the piezoelectric body is joined to the elastic body, a second electrode provided in a manner opposed to the first electrode via the piezoelectric body, and at least two conduction paths each having a conductor in a through-hole formed in the piezoelectric body. One of the at least two conduction paths electrically connects the first electrode and the second electrode.

Vibration actuator that is easy in conduction inspection

In a vibration actuator suitable for use in a magnetic field environment, vibration is excited in a vibration element in pressure contact with a driven element, so as to cause relative movement of the driven element and the vibration element. The vibration element includes an elastic body, of which a main ingredient is electrically insulating, dielectric, or semi-conductive, and an electromechanical energy conversion element. A first electrode having an open loop structure is provided on a surface of a piezoelectric body of the electromechanical energy conversion element, through which surface the piezoelectric body is joined to the elastic body. Second electrodes are provided on the piezoelectric body in a manner opposed to the first electrode via the piezoelectric body. A conduction path electrically connects the first electrode and at least one of the second electrodes. A gap is formed between each of adjacent second electrodes.

Vibration actuator suitable for use in magnetic field environment and medical system

A positioning apparatus including a needle holder having a through hole for regulating needle placement and movement, a needle positioning unit, and an engagement member that fixes a position of the needle holder with respect to the needle positioning unit. The needle holder is either least partially detachably attached to the needle positioning unit or deformable. The positioning apparatus may be designed to accommodate the placement of multiple needles.

Needle positioning apparatus

A needle placement manipulator includes, a needle holder configured to hold a needle, a guide system configured to position the needle holder to a predetermined direction with respect to a subject of needle placement, an attachment including an attaching portion to which the guide system is attached and a setting portion on which an RF-coil is set. A base surface of the setting portion is configured to be disposed on the subject.

Needle placement manipulator with attachment for RF-coil

One aspect of the invention relates to a vibration type drive device including: a mechanical energy application element; a resilient member provided with the mechanical energy application element; a driven member subjected to a relative displacement with respect to the resilient member due to a vibration excited by the resilient member, wherein the resilient member includes a conductive material, and does not constitute an electric closed loop.

Vibration type drive device, medical apparatus, and medical system

A needle placement manipulator includes, a pair of rotary guides arranged at a slanted angle with respect to each other, a needle holder which holds a needle along a needle holder axis, and a base body on which the guides are supported. The needle holder axis and each axis of the rotary guides cross at a single point located at or below the base body. The base body is configured to be attached to a patient or to an RF-coil.

Needle placement manipulator with two rotary guides

A displacement measuring apparatus including: a first light detector including a first emitter illuminating optically identifiable marks disposed on a moving body, and a first light receiver detecting light through the marks; a second light detector including a second emitter illuminating the marks and a second light receiver detecting light through the marks, wherein the second light detector is arranged at a predetermined interval from the first light detector in a moving direction of the moving body; an identical point detecting unit detecting a first timing at which the first and second light detector detecting an identical mark among the marks, and a second timing; a velocity calculating unit calculating a velocity of the moving body by using the first and second timing determined by the identical point detecting unit; and a time-sharing light emitting unit allowing the first and second emitter to emit the light in a time-sharing manner.

Displacement measuring apparatus

A force sensor includes a base unit, an elastic supporting unit, an action unit supported by the elastic supporting unit, and a detection unit that detects at least one of an external force acting on the action unit and a moment acting on the action unit. The detection unit includes a light source, a diffraction grating, a photodetector array that receives an interference image formed by light that has been emitted from the light source and diffracted by the diffraction grating and outputs signals having different phases, and a calculation unit that calculates a displacement of the action unit with respect to the base unit on the basis of the signals and calculates at least one of the external force and the moment acting on the action unit on the basis of the displacement.

Force sensor and industrial robot including the same

A velocity detection apparatus detects a position of a moving object at a first timing and a second timing to detect a velocity of the moving object based on a difference between the first timing and the second timing. The first timing is a timing at which an identifiable mark position of the moving object is detected by a first detector and the second timing is a timing at which the mark position is detected by a second detector. The velocity detection apparatus includes a light source and first and second detectors which detects the mark position based on light obtained by illuminating the moving object using the light source. A vertical projection position of the light source onto a plane which is parallel to a main surface of the first or second detector is located between vertical projection positions of the first and the second detector onto the plane.

Velocity detection apparatus having two detectors

A displacement detection apparatus includes a scaleon which marks are disposed, first and second position detection sensorsanddetecting positions of the marks, and a processorperforming a calculation processing of an output signal from each of the first and second position detection sensorsand. The first and second position detection sensorsandare disposed at a distance L from each other to be movable relative to the scale. The processorcalculates a correction value P' of a mark pitch P of the marksusing the distance L, a first time Trequired for K marks of the marksto pass a detection position, and a second time Trequired for a specific mark of the marks, which are measured at the same time of the first time T, to move the distance L.

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Yokohama, Japan

Yasumichi Arimitsu