Abstract: In one embodiment, a contact-surface determination apparatus includes processing circuitry. This processing circuitry acquires an image depicting a contact surface of a ultrasonic probe, and determines a state of the contact surface of the ultrasonic probe on the basis of the acquired image.

Abstract: A non-aqueous pigment ink that includes a colorant and a non-aqueous solvent, wherein the colorant is a pigment complex of a pigment, a dispersant and an amine compound, the amine compound is a diamine and/or triamine comprising two or more primary and/or secondary amino groups within each molecule, and the dispersant comprises two or more reactive functional groups within each molecule that exhibit reactivity with the amino groups of the amine compound.

Abstract: A non-aqueous pigment ink comprising a pigment, a pigment dispersant and a non-aqueous solvent, wherein the pigment dispersant is an acrylic polymer comprising, as constituent monomers, (M1) an alkyl(meth)acrylate having an alkyl group of 12 or more carbon atoms, (M2) a (meth)acrylic acid derivative having an amino group, and (M3) a (meth)acrylic acid derivative having a glycidyl group, in which the combination of all the constituent monomers comprises from 7 to 15 mol % of the monomer (M2) and from 0.5 to 3 mol % of the monomer (M3) and the molar ratio (M2)/(M3) between the monomer (M2) and the monomer (M3) is within a range from 4 to 20.

Abstract: A non-aqueous pigment ink comprising a pigment, a pigment dispersant and a non-aqueous solvent, wherein the pigment dispersant is an acrylic polymer comprising, as constituent monomers, (M1) an alkyl (meth)acrylate having an alkyl group of 12 or more carbon atoms, (M2) a (meth)acrylic acid derivative having an amino group, and (M3) (meth)acrylic acid and/or a (meth)acrylic acid derivative having a carboxyl group, in which a combination of all the constituent monomers comprises from 8 to 15 mol % of the monomer (M2) and from 0.6 to 8 mol % of the monomer (M3), and the molar ratio (M2)/(M3) between the monomer (M2) and the monomer (M3) is within a range from 1.3 to 15.

Abstract: A water-based inkjet ink containing at least water, a low polarity water-soluble organic solvent, a pigment and optionally a basic substance, wherein the water constitutes 60 percent by mass or less of the total quantity of the ink while the water-soluble organic solvent constitutes 15 percent by mass or more of the total quantity of the ink, the pigment includes a self-dispersible pigment that has anionic functional groups on its surface and contains, as counter ions, quaternary ammonium ions represented by the formula (1) wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group.

Abstract: A non-aqueous pigment ink comprising a pigment, a pigment dispersant and a non-aqueous solvent, wherein the pigment dispersant is an acrylic polymer comprising, as constituent monomers, (M1) an alkyl (meth)acrylate having an alkyl group of 12 or more carbon atoms, (M2) a (meth)acrylic acid derivative having an amino group, and (M3) (meth)acrylic acid and/or a (meth)acrylic acid derivative having a carboxyl group, in which a combination of all the constituent monomers comprises from 8 to 15 mol % of the monomer (M2) and from 0.6 to 8 mol % of the monomer (M3), and the molar ratio (M2)/(M3) between the monomer (M2) and the monomer (M3) is within a range from 1.3 to 15.

Abstract: A non-aqueous pigment ink comprising a pigment, a pigment dispersant and a non-aqueous solvent, wherein the pigment dispersant is an acrylic polymer comprising, as constituent monomers, (M1) an alkyl(meth)acrylate having an alkyl group of 12 or more carbon atoms, (M2) a (meth)acrylic acid derivative having an amino group, and (M3) a (meth)acrylic acid derivative having a glycidyl group, in which the combination of all the constituent monomers comprises from 7 to 15 mol % of the monomer (M2) and from 0.5 to 3 mol % of the monomer (M3) and the molar ratio (M2)/(M3) between the monomer (M2) and the monomer (M3) is within a range from 4 to 20.

Abstract: A non-aqueous pigment ink that includes a colorant and a non-aqueous solvent, wherein the colorant is a pigment complex of a pigment, a dispersant and an amine compound, the amine compound is a diamine and/or triamine comprising two or more primary and/or secondary amino groups within each molecule, and the dispersant comprises two or more reactive functional groups within each molecule that exhibit reactivity with the amino groups of the amine compound.