Patents by Inventor Atsushi Chiba

Atsushi Chiba has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8447382
    Abstract: A body-insertable device including a resonance circuit for emitting a resonance magnetic field by being induced by a drive magnetic field received from the outside. An external device for deriving position information of the resonance circuit by using a detection signal of detected resonance magnetic field. The external device includes a drive coil driving unit for outputting a drive signal having a predetermined frequency, a drive coil for receiving the output drive signal and generating the drive magnetic field, and a drive magnetic field generation control unit for calculating an amplitude value of the drive signal by using a current amplitude value of the drive signal, detecting a degree of stability indicating whether a sharp change occurs in the drive magnetic field based on the calculated amplitude value, and controlling the deriving of a position information based on the detected degree of stability in the drive magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kimura, Ryoji Sato, Atsushi Chiba, Takahiro Iida
  • Patent number: 8446147
    Abstract: Provided is a position detecting device including a first magnetic-field generating unit including at least one magnetic-field generating coil and that generates a first magnetic field in a detection space where a detected object provided with a circuit including at least one built-in coil is disposed; a magnetic-field detecting unit having a plurality of detecting coils arrayed to detect an induced magnetic field generated from the built-in coil by the generated first magnetic field; and a second magnetic-field generating unit including at least one magnetic-field generating coil, that generates a second magnetic field, and including a magnetic-field component having a phase substantially opposite to the first magnetic field and entering the detecting coils, wherein the first magnetic-field generating unit and the detecting coils are disposed so that a generating direction of the first magnetic field and a detecting direction of the induced magnetic field intersect each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Atsushi Chiba, Akio Uchiyama, Atsushi Kimura, Ryoji Sato
  • Patent number: 8439851
    Abstract: A lumen passability checking device includes: an expandable and shrinkable outer casing that contains a predetermined fluid, is expanded by a pressure of the contained fluid, and forms an external diameter substantially equal to that of a capsule medical device to be inserted into a body of a subject; and a shape manipulating unit that flows out the fluid contained in the outer casing to shrink-deform the outer casing. The outer casing is shrink-deformed by flowing out the fluid, while maintaining a state of being integrated with the shape manipulating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Atsushi Chiba, Takeshi Yokoi
  • Patent number: 8419620
    Abstract: A magnetically guiding system includes: a capsule medical device that has a magnet provided therein; an information acquiring unit that acquires physical information about magnetic guiding of the capsule medical device; a magnetic field generating unit that generates a magnetic field for magnetically guiding the capsule medical device; and a control unit that sets a magnetic field condition based on the physical information acquired by the information acquiring unit and controls the magnetic field generating unit to generate a magnetic field corresponding to the magnetic field condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Hidetake Segawa, Atsushi Chiba, Atsushi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20130064648
    Abstract: A water pump includes a mechanical seal provided between a housing and a rotary shaft for preventing cooling water from leaking from a whirl chamber. The housing forms a space into which cooling water leaked from between the mechanical seal and the rotary shaft is flown and a water vent for discharging cooling water flown into the space. The housing is joined with a thermostat cover to form a reservoir communicating with the water vent. The reservoir has a drain for releasing evaporated cooling water to the air and a control wall for preventing cooling water remaining as liquid from flowing out through the drain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Atsushi Chiba, Itsuro Hashiguchi, Megumi Onozuka
  • Patent number: 8386020
    Abstract: A situation where a medical device is outside a region suitable for guidance control thereof can be easily coped with. Included are a medical device provided with a magnet; a guiding unit (5X-1, 5X-2, 5Y-1, 5Y-2, 5Z-1, 5Z-2) that forms a control magnetic field for guidance control of the medical device, inside a prescribed control area; a detection unit (7Y-1, 7Y-2) that detects positional information of the medical device; and a computational unit that judges that the medical device has gone outside the control area on the basis of an output from the detection unit (7Y-1, 7Y-2) and calculates a direction for returning the medical device to the control area, wherein a signal-waveform calculating unit (21) stops forming the control magnetic field when the medical device is outside the control area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Kimura, Akio Uchiyama, Ryoji Sato, Atsushi Chiba
  • Publication number: 20130043659
    Abstract: Provided is a piston ring such that it is possible to sufficiently inhibit adhesive wear when the piston ring is mounted to a piston for a diesel engine in which at least the piston ring groove in the piston is formed from steel or cast iron. Disclosed is a piston ring mounted to a piston for a diesel engine, wherein the load length ratio (Rmr2) (in accordance with JIS B0601:2001) of the top surface and bottom surface of the piston ring satisfies each of the following conditions: Rmr2 (0.5%, 0.3[mu]m)=20% and Rmr2 (0.5%, 0.4[mu]m)=40%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: NIPPON PISTON RING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Michihiro Ito, Naoyuki Akimoto, Iwao Hiraishi, Makoto Kajiwara, Atsushi Chiba
  • Publication number: 20130038711
    Abstract: A capsule endoscope system includes a capsule endoscope which attaches irradiation time of illuminating light required to pick up an image of an object to an item of image data, a magnetic field generating apparatus which generates a guidance magnetic field, an operation section which allows at least one of position and orientation of the capsule endoscope to be changed by manipulating the guidance magnetic field, a control section which attaches posture of a subject, an operating history of the operation section, and an output history of the guidance magnetic field to the item of the image data, a storage unit which stores the item of the image data, and an image play control section which determines, based on at least one piece of the information attached to each item of the image data, whether or not it is necessary to play and display the item of the image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Ryoji SATO, Atsushi CHIBA
  • Publication number: 20130018225
    Abstract: A magnetically guiding system includes: a capsule medical device that has a magnet provided therein; an information acquiring unit that acquires physical information about magnetic guiding of the capsule medical device; a magnetic field generating unit that generates a magnetic field for magnetically guiding the capsule medical device; and a control unit that sets a magnetic field condition based on the physical information acquired by the information acquiring unit and controls the magnetic field generating unit to generate a magnetic field corresponding to the magnetic field condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Hidetake Segawa, Atsushi Chiba, Atsushi Kimura
  • Patent number: 8335556
    Abstract: Smooth guiding through the inside of a body cavity is carried out by a magnetic field applied from the outside of the body. The provided capsule medical device (1) includes a bio-information detecting device (5) for detecting bio information of the inside of a body cavity; a magnet (12) for receiving a guidance magnetic field applied from outside the body and generating a driving force; a coil (7) for receiving a position-detection magnetic field applied from outside the body and generating a position-detection signal; a filter device (8), connected to the coil (7), for attenuating an induction signal component which is generated by the guidance magnetic field incident on the coil (7); and a wireless transmission device (10) for externally transmitting the position-detection signal which has passed through the filter device (8) and the bio information which has been detected by the bio-information detecting device (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Akio Uchiyama, Atsushi Kimura, Ryoji Sato, Atsushi Chiba
  • Patent number: 8303485
    Abstract: A magnetically guiding system includes: a capsule medical device that has a magnet provided therein; an information acquiring unit that acquires physical information about magnetic guiding of the capsule medical device; a magnetic field generating unit that generates a magnetic field for magnetically guiding the capsule medical device; and a control unit that sets a magnetic field condition based on the physical information acquired by the information acquiring unit and controls the magnetic field generating unit to generate a magnetic field corresponding to the magnetic field condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Hidetake Segawa, Atsushi Chiba, Atsushi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20120261886
    Abstract: A multi-piece oil ring includes an oil ring main member in which two rails are connected together by a columnar part and which has a roughly I-shaped cross section; and a coil expander disposed in an inner circumferential groove formed on the inner circumferential surface of the columnar. Each rail in the oil ring main member possesses a sliding section protuberance whose tip possesses a jutting portion. The axial length of the jutting portion is 0.02-0.18 mm. The change rate of the axial length of the individual jutting portion is in the range of 0 to 80% at least in a region of from its sliding surface to be faced to a cylinder, which is positioned at the tip of the jutting portion, to a position of 0.03 mm away from the aforementioned sliding surface in the radial direction of the oil ring main member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: NIPPON PISTON RING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Chiba, Kazuhiro Fujimura, Iwao Hiraishi, Makoto Kajiwara
  • Patent number: 8261751
    Abstract: A guiding system includes a capsule-type apparatus and a position controlling apparatus. The capsule-type apparatus includes a permanent magnet, which is fixed to a capsule-shaped casing, and is introduced into a subject. The position controlling apparatus includes a relative position controlling mechanism that changes a relative position between a predetermined axis and the subject, and a magnetic field generating mechanism that forms, in a space in which the subject is laid, a magnetic field that includes at least one of a component of a trapping magnetic field that attracts the permanent magnet to the predetermined axis and a component of a gradient magnetic field that attracts the permanent magnet in a direction same as or opposite to a direction in which the relative position is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Hironao Kawano, Atsushi Chiba
  • Publication number: 20120226092
    Abstract: Provided is an intra-subject medical system which includes a body-insertable device and a physical quantity generator. The body-insertable device is to be introduced into a subject, is covered by a capsule-shaped exterior member, and includes a physical quantity detecting member which has a directivity to detect a predetermined physical quantity; at least one functional member which has a necessary function for examining or treating inside the subject; and a switch control unit which controls an on/off states or operation mode of the at least one functional member when the physical quantity detecting member detects a physical quantity. The physical quantity generator has a physical quantity emitting unit which emits a temporary physical quantity inside the subject; and a physical quantity direction changing unit which changes an emission direction of the physical quantity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Hironao Kawano, Hironobu Takizawa, Akio Uchiyama, Atsushi Chiba, Takeshi Yokoi, Hideo Ito, Hidetake Segawa
  • Publication number: 20120205876
    Abstract: A piston ring is provided at its outer periphery with a sliding surface, wherein in a cross section thereof which is perpendicular to a radial direction of the piston ring, the sliding surface includes a first sliding surface which occupies a predetermined region from one end thereof, and a second sliding surface which occupies a region extending from one end to the other end of the first sliding surface, the first sliding surface is formed of hard film, the second sliding surface is not formed of hard film, and the second sliding surface exists at a position deviated inward from a phantom line extending from the first sliding surface toward the other end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: Nippon Piston Ring Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Fujimura, Atsushi Chiba, Naoyuki Akimoto, Iwao Hiraishi
  • Patent number: 8217645
    Abstract: A position detecting system including: a detected object disposed in a space; and an external device disposed outside the space, wherein the detected object includes a resonant circuit, and the external device includes at least two drive coils; at least two drive-signal input units; at least one sense coil; a signal adjustment unit that adjusts a phase or amplitude of a drive signal using an evaluation function for evaluating the phase or the amplitude, based on an intensity of the magnetic field; and a position deriving unit that derives a position of the detected object based on a magnetic field detected by the sense coil, wherein the evaluation function derives a solution by adding or multiplying a weight set according to a positional relation between each drive coil and each sense coil to or by an intensity of a magnetic field detected by the sense coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Takahiro Iida, Atsushi Chiba, Atsushi Kimura, Akio Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 8177715
    Abstract: A capsule medical system is provided with a capsule medical device to be inserted into a subject, at least one electrode pad having a plurality of receiving electrodes, a receiving electrode switching unit, a control unit for controlling operations of the receiving electrode switching unit, and a position detector. The capsule medical device has a biological information acquiring unit for acquiring biological information of the subject, and a transmitting unit for outputting the biological information from a transmitting electrode through a living body. At least one electrode pad detects the biological information by a plurality of receiving electrodes. The receiving electrode switching unit switches a pair of receiving electrodes among the plurality of receiving electrodes. The position detector detects a position of the capsule medical device inside the subject based on the biological information detected by the electrode pad, and position coordinate data of the plurality of receiving electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignees: Olympus Medical Systems Corp., Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Chiba, Akio Uchiyama, Hironobu Takizawa, Ryoji Sato, Atsushi Kimura, Tetsuo Minai, Takeshi Mori
  • Publication number: 20120010480
    Abstract: An in-vivo information acquiring system includes a body-insertable apparatus that includes a magnetic field responding unit, acquires in-vivo information, and transmits the in-vivo information to the outside; a magnetic field generator that generates a magnetic field for the responding unit; a magnetic field control unit that controls a generation of the magnetic field; a receiving unit that receives the in-vivo information transmitted from the apparatus; a processing unit that processes the in-vivo information; a display unit that displays the processed in-vivo information on a screen; an alarm lamp that notifies a generation state of the magnetic field; and a control unit that controls light emission process of the lamp such that an operator who visually identifies the in-vivo information is less disturbed by the light. The control unit performs control such that the lamp emits light upon no magnetic field and stops the generation of light upon the magnetic field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Takuto IKAI, Atsushi CHIBA
  • Patent number: 8095330
    Abstract: A position detecting device includes a position calculator that performs an optimization convergence calculation using an evaluation function that expresses an error between a measurement value and a theoretical value of magnetic field information of a detection target to calculate at least a position of the detection target; a storage unit that stores a final convergence result of the optimization convergence calculation performed by the position calculator; and a controller that determines whether a result of the optimization convergence calculation converges, suspends the optimization convergence calculation performed by the position calculator when the result does not converge, and performs, after a predetermined time has passed, a returning process of returning a state of the optimization convergence calculation to a converged state by causing the position calculator to perform the optimization convergence calculation based on the final convergence result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kimura, Akio Uchiyama, Atsushi Chiba, Ryoji Sato
  • Patent number: 8049503
    Abstract: A system includes a body-insertable apparatus disposed while introduced in a subject in a detection space, and an external apparatus disposed on the outside of the subject. The body-insertable apparatus includes a first switch for connecting/interrupting a resonance circuit and an oscillation circuit or a ground line. The external apparatus includes a drive coil driving unit for outputting a drive signal having the resonance frequency; a drive coil for generating the drive magnetic field in the detection space in accordance with the drive signal; and a second switch for connecting/interrupting the drive coil driving unit and the drive coil. The second switch connects the drive coil driving unit and the drive coil when the first switch is off, and disconnects them when the first switch is on. The resonance circuit generates the resonance magnetic field in accordance with the induction signal or the drive magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kimura, Atsushi Chiba, Ryoji Sato, Hironao Kawano