Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

The University of Tokyo

Yoshihisa Fujimoto

Kunihiko Iizuka

Teruo Fujii

Soo-Hyeon Kim

Takeshi Mitsunaka

Masayuki Miyamoto

Yusuke Kanazawa

Pascal Lore

A size reduction in an optical system that detects a fluorescent photon is achieved. A photon detection operation of a photon detection unit () is controlled on the basis of timing of an irradiation operation of an excitation light source (), and after excitation light emitted to a microfluidic channel () is switched off, a fluorescent photon generated by a target flowing in the microfluidic channel () is detected.

In-liquid microparticle analysis system and in-liquid microparticle analysis method

An object trapping device enables efficiently trapping a plurality of objects in a specific combination. Each of a first electrode pair (), a second electrode pair (), and a third electrode pair () in an electrode pair group () is applied with an individual AC voltage and traps an object by dielectrophoresis generated in accordance with the AC voltage that is applied.

Object trapping device and object trapping device unit

An analog front end that reads from a sensor an output signal which is either a current output signal (IOUT) or a charge output signal corrects characteristics of the sensor by adjusting a bias voltage (VBIAS) of an output signal line from the sensor.

Analog front end for signal reading by having a variable bias voltage generation circuit correct characteristics of a sensor

Provided are a fluorescent testing system, a dielectrophoresis device, and a molecular testing method that measure only fluorescence emitted from a test object without separating excitation light and the fluorescence by an optical filter and that are able to prevent reduction of an application range of a type of the fluorescence. A fluorescent testing system () includes: an excitation light source () that radiates excitation light (L) to a test object (M) flowing in a microfluidic channel (); a silicon integrated circuit () provided with a photon detection unit () that detects light by a photodiode (); a dielectrophoresis electrode pair () that generates an electric field (EF) to draw the test object (M) onto the photodiode () by dielectrophoresis; and a control unit () that causes the excitation light source () to radiate the excitation light (L) to the test object (M) that is drawn and causes the photon detection unit (), after extinguishment of the excitation light (L), to detect fluorescence (L) emitted from the test object (M).

Fluorescent testing system, dielectrophoresis device, and molecular testing method

A time-to-digital conversion circuit includes; an oscillator circuit that outputs a plurality of phase signals different from each other, a counter that counts a number of edges of at least one phase signal among the plurality of phase signals and outputs a count signal, a phase sampling circuit that samples the value of each of the plurality of phase signals at a stop time point and outputs a stop phase signal, a start phase signal generating circuit that outputs a start phase signal, and an output circuit that, based on the count signal, the stop phase signal, and the start phase signal, generates an output signal, the output signal being a digital signal indicating a time period from a start time point to a stop time point.

Time-to-digital conversion circuit

Provided are a fluorescent testing system, a molecular testing method, and a fluorescent testing method that can avoid enlargement and complication. A fluorescent testing system () includes: an excitation light source () that radiates excitation light (L) to protein to which a fluorescent probe is added; a silicon integrated circuit () including a photon detection unit () that detects light by a photodiode (); a holding layer () including a microwell () that is provided above the photodiode () and holds the protein to which the fluorescent probe is added; and a control unit () that causes the excitation light source () to radiate the excitation light (L) to the protein which. is held and to which the fluorescent probe is added and causes the photon detection unit (), after extinguishment of the excitation light (L), to detect fluorescence emitted from the protein to which the fluorescent probe is added.

Fluorescent testing system, molecular testing method, and fluorescent testing method

A SPAD control circuit for detecting a photon is provided. The SPAD control circuit includes a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), a switch, a combinational circuit, and a sequential circuit. The SPAD has two terminals. The switch applies a voltage to one of the two terminals of the SPAD. The combinational circuit detects whether the SPAD is in an active state or a standby state. The sequential circuit includes a terminal that receives input of a pulse signal used to set the SPAD to the active state, a terminal that receives input of a reset-related signal, and an output terminal. The switch is controlled by an output signal output from the output terminal of the sequential circuit. An output signal of the combinational circuit is input to the terminal of the sequential circuit that receives input of the reset-related signal.

Single photon avalanche diode control circuit

Time-to-digital conversion circuitry converts a time between a start time point and a stop time point, which are state-change time points of digital signals, into digital. The time-to-digital conversion circuitry comprises oscillation circuitry that outputs a plurality of phase signals having different phases, and outputs a digital value of the time based on the plurality of phase signals. The oscillation circuitry performs free-running oscillation and outputs the phase signals that do not synchronize with the start time point and the stop time point.

Time-to-digital conversion circuitry

A touch panel controller () includes: a drive section (); a differential amplifier (); variable integral capacitors (Cint, Cint); and a capacitance control section () that controls the variable integral capacitors (Cint, Cint) so as to correct line dependency of capacitors (Cto C, Cto S).

Touch panel controller, integrated circuit, touch panel system, and electronic device

To realize a mixer with a charge subsampling circuit with which a base band signal can be readily obtained without being affected by noise from wide bandwidth signals or undesired signals. A current generating circuitoutputs a current in proportion to the input signal voltage. In response to a control signal from the timing generating block, a charge subsampling circuitsamples the current at the same sampling frequency as the carrier frequency. In a charge-integrating process accompanying the sampling, weighting is carried out on terms in the transfer function of the FIR filter using a set of selected weights.

Mixer

The &#x394;&#x3a3; AD converter includes: a sampling section for sampling an input signal at each cycle Ts; an AD conversion section for performing AD conversion of the input signal; a DA conversion section for performing DA conversion of an output of the AD conversion section; and a loop filter for integrating a difference obtained by subtracting an output of the DA conversion section from an output of the sampling section so as to output the integrated difference to the AD conversion section, wherein the sampling section includes two sampling circuits disposed parallel to each other, and the two sampling circuits respectively operate at timings different from each other, and each of the sampling circuits delays the input signal so as to output the delayed input signal.

AD converter

A loop delay control circuit is provided between a comparator and a power switch stage. When the amplitude of an input signal is especially high, the loop delay control circuit secures an oscillation threshold value by setting a delay amount at a low value. On the other hand, when the amplitude of the input signal is not so high, the loop delay control circuit reduces an average switching rate by increasing the delay amount, but does not reduce the oscillation threshold value. This makes it possible to provide a delta-sigma modulator allowing realization of both (i) a high oscillation threshold value, i.e., high output power, and (ii) high power efficiency.

Delta-sigma modulator and its application to switching amplification circuit

In the hold phase, two negative feedback circuits constituted by the negative feedback capacitorsandand two positive feedback circuits constituted by positive feedback capacitors are provided between an input terminal and an output terminal of an operational amplifier. Here, in a sampling phase before a hold phase, charges according an input signal Vis stored in each of the capacitors, and charges according to an input signal Vare stored in each of the capacitors. As a result, a gain of the switched capacitor amplifier circuit is derived from (Ca+C)/(Ca&#x2212;Cx) wherein Ca indicates an electrostatic capacitance of the negative feedback capacitors, and Cx indicates an electrostatic capacitance of the positive feedback capacitors, and thus the gain can be increased without significantly increasing an electrostatic capacitance ratio.

Switched-capacitor amplifier and analog interface circuit for charge coupled element adopting the same

A non-inverting-side first switch is formed in a first area on one of sides of a differential amplifier, meanwhile a non-inverting-side second switch is formed in a second area on the other of sides of the differential amplifier, the non-inverting switches being for resetting a non-inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier. Similarly, An inverting-side first switch is formed in the first area, meanwhile an inverting-side second switch is formed in the second area, the inverting switches being for resetting a non-inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier. Further, a non-inverting-side line connecting the non-inverting-side first switch and the non-inverting input terminal, and an inverting-side line connecting the inverting-side first switch and the inverting-side second switch are provided next to each other. A signal line crossing one of the lines is provided so as to cross the other of the lines. This causes interferences from the signal line onto the lines to cancel out each other. As a result, it is possible to realize a switched capacitor circuit capable of attaining improvement in operational accuracy and low electric power consumption or high-speed operation.

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Sakai, Japan

Yoshihisa Fujimoto