Patents by Inventor Hironobu Yamakawa
Hironobu Yamakawa 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).
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Patent number: 8916113Abstract: An automatic chemical analyzer in which a reaction solution is stirred by air ejected from an air ejection hole placed above a reaction container. The reaction region can be washed and cleaned sufficiently without causing damage, such as exfoliation of a coating reagent. A reaction container disk 161 is provided with a pore 240 and a pressure detector 241 connected with the pore. Before and after the stirring operation, the ejection hole (nozzle) 170 ejecting air is moved and the output value of the pressure detector is compared with a previously measured normal value. With a discharge pipe 1101 and a suction pipe 1102 inserted to the opening of the reaction container 1140 to be close to both ends of the opening and the side wall of the container, the reaction region 1150 at the bottom of the container is washed by continuous discharge and suction of cleaning fluid.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2010Date of Patent: December 23, 2014Assignees: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.Inventors: Hironobu Yamakawa, Yoichi Aruga, Takenori Okusa, Kenichi Takahashi, Hans Hornauer, Hans-Juergen Mueller
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Patent number: 8757864Abstract: A chemical analyzer supplies a sample and a reagent into a reaction container provided with an opening mixes a fluid which is to be measured and contains the sample and reagent supplied into the reaction container, measures a property of the fluid in the reaction container, and controls the drive for the mixer. The mixer has a vertical drive machine to move the mixing tool up and down. The control unit controls the vertical drive machine to move the mixing tool up and down in the fluid to be measured in the reaction container so as to cause upward and downward flow of the fluid which is to be measured and is positioned below the mixing tool.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2007Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Hironobu Yamakawa, Hideo Enoki, Isao Yamazaki, Nobuhiro Tsukada
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Patent number: 8747744Abstract: An automatic chemical analyzer in which a reaction solution is stirred by air ejected from an air ejection hole placed above a reaction container. The reaction region can be washed and cleaned sufficiently without causing damage, such as exfoliation of a coating reagent. A reaction container disk is provided with a pore and a pressure detector connected with the pore. Before and after the stirring operation, the ejection hole (nozzle) ejecting air is moved and the output value of the pressure detector is compared with a previously measured normal value. With a discharge pipe and a suction pipe inserted to the opening of the reaction container to be close to both ends of the opening and the side wall of the container, the reaction region at the bottom of the container is washed by continuous discharge and suction of cleaning fluid.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2013Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Hironobu Yamakawa, Yoichi Aruga, Takenori Okusa, Taisaku Seino
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Publication number: 20120107180Abstract: An automatic chemical analyzer in which a reaction solution is stirred by air ejected from an air ejection hole placed above a reaction container. The reaction region can be washed and cleaned sufficiently without causing damage, such as exfoliation of a coating reagent. A reaction container disk 161 is provided with a pore 240 and a pressure detector 241 connected with the pore. Before and after the stirring operation, the ejection hole (nozzle) 170 ejecting air is moved and the output value of the pressure detector is compared with a previously measured normal value. With a discharge pipe 1101 and a suction pipe 1102 inserted to the opening of the reaction container 1140 to be close to both ends of the opening and the side wall of the container, the reaction region 1150 at the bottom of the container is washed by continuous discharge and suction of cleaning fluid.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2010Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Hironobu Yamakawa, Yoichi Aruga, Takenori Okusa, Kenichi Takahashi, Taisaku Seino
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Patent number: 8128798Abstract: A liquid transfer device electrically controls liquid position. The surface of the liquid transfer device is provided with unevenness in order to solve a problem of having a large number of electrodes for controlling voltage. The number of electrodes for controlling voltage can be halved by the utilization of a restoring force of the liquid to a spherical shape by surface tension, in addition to an electrical force.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2007Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Sakuichiro Adachi, Kunio Harada, Hideo Enoki, Hironobu Yamakawa, Nobuhiro Tsukada
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Patent number: 7767147Abstract: Conventional liquid transport substrates having a fluid channel formed along an array of electrodes have a problem in which throughput decreases, depending on driving conditions. In order to avoid two-way passage in a fluid channel from the inlet to a measuring section and a fluid channel from the measuring section to the outlet, the measuring section is located in the middle of the fluid channel connecting the inlet and the outlet, so that manipulation from the inlet to the outlet takes place in one direction on the substrate. Even when analyzing a large number of sample droplets, by transport of the droplets substantially in one direction, it is possible to complete measurement in a short time.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2005Date of Patent: August 3, 2010Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Sakuichiro Adachi, Kunio Harada, Hideo Enoki, Hironobu Yamakawa, Tomonori Mimura
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Publication number: 20090321262Abstract: Provided is a liquid transfer device which controls electrically liquid position. The surface of the liquid transfer device is provided with unevenness in order to solve a problem of having a large number of electrodes for controlling voltage. The number of electrodes for controlling voltage can be halved by utilization of restoring force of liquid to a spherical shape by surface tension, in addition to electrical force.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2007Publication date: December 31, 2009Inventors: Sakuichiro Adachi, Kunio Harada, Hideo Enoki, Hironobu Yamakawa, Nobuhiro Tsukada
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Patent number: 7342662Abstract: The adverse effect on measurement accuracy brought about by the transmission of light beams through portions of a liquid sample with different concentrations, i.e., a concentration distribution in the vertical direction of a container, is prevented by using semiconductor light sources of two different types with different wavelengths. The semiconductor light sources (2, 4) of two different types are housed in the same package (5) such that a detector (9) can capture the light beams emitted by the light sources after their optical axes have intersected with one another. The multiple light beams can be thus caused to pass through portions with substantially the same concentration and therefore can be detected without being influenced by the difference in concentration of the sample in the container.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2005Date of Patent: March 11, 2008Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Kunio Harada, Sakuichiro Adachi, Hideo Enoki, Hironobu Yamakawa, Tomonori Mimura
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Publication number: 20070264156Abstract: A chemical analyzer supplies a sample and a reagent into a reaction container provided with an opening, mixes a fluid which is to be measured and contains the sample and reagent supplied into the reaction container, measures a property of the fluid in the reaction container, and controls the drive for the mixer. The mixer has a vertical drive machine to move the mixing tool up and down. The control unit controls the vertical drive machine to move the mixing tool up and down in the fluid to be measured in the reaction container so as to cause upward and downward flow of the fluid which is to be measured and is positioned below the mixing tool.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2007Publication date: November 15, 2007Inventors: Hironobu Yamakawa, Hideo Enoki, Isao Yamazaki, Nobuhiro Tsukada
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Patent number: 7118662Abstract: The windows 5a, 5b are configured so that the thickness of the upper and lower parts of the substrate formed therein with the channels becomes thinner in these parts than in other parts. An air space is defined in the vicinity of the one side wall of the channel within a part where the first outgoing window 5a is formed, so as to serve as a window, and the second outgoing window 5b has a shape such as to be recessed inward from the one side wall of the planar plate 10, in comparison with the other part thereof. Further, the fluorescence transmission path 6b is also formed on opposite sides with air spaces. It is noted that a rod-like fiber or the like may be embedded in the planar plate 10 on the outgoing side of the planar plate 10 at the time of forming the separation channel 21 and the like.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2002Date of Patent: October 10, 2006Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Hironobu Yamakawa, Ryo Miyake, Yasuhiko Sasaki, Akira Koide
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Publication number: 20060166373Abstract: There are provided a chemical analysis apparatus and an analysis device in which predetermined quantities of a sample and a reagent are presicely pipetted, then are subjected to various processes, and are tested by a test device. Thus, the chemical analysis apparatus comprises the analysis device, an oil supply portion, a sample pipetting portion and a reagent pipetting portion. The analysis device comprises an upper board provided with a common electrode, and a lower board provided with a drive electrode including a train of a plurality of electrodes. Oil is filled in a space defined between the two boards, and liquid drops of the sample, the reagent and the like are formed in the oil.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2005Publication date: July 27, 2006Inventors: Hideo Enoki, Hironobu Yamakawa, Kunio Harada, Sakuichiro Adachi, Tomonori Mimura
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Publication number: 20060097155Abstract: Conventional liquid transport substrates having a fluid channel formed along an array of electrodes have a problem in which throughput decreases, depending on driving conditions. In order to avoid two-way passage in a fluid channel from the inlet to a measuring section and a fluid channel from the measuring section to the outlet, the measuring section is located in the middle of the fluid channel connecting the inlet and the outlet, so that manipulation from the inlet to the outlet takes place in one direction on the substrate. Even when analyzing a large number of sample droplets, by transport of the droplets substantially in one direction, it is possible to complete measurement in a short time.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2005Publication date: May 11, 2006Inventors: Sakuichiro Adachi, Kunio Harada, Hideo Enoki, Hironobu Yamakawa, Tomonori Mimura
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Publication number: 20060039823Abstract: A chemical analysis apparatus is equipped with analysis sections having openings, means for supplying samples or reagents from the openings, means for combining and mixing samples with reagents to obtain droplets as liquids to be measured, and means for measuring the physical properties of the liquids to be measured during reaction or after completion of reaction. Furthermore, plate members are provided facing each other in analysis sections and a plurality of electrodes are provided on the plate member faces that face each other. Voltage is applied from the plurality of electrodes to the droplets of the samples and the reagents.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2005Publication date: February 23, 2006Inventors: Hironobu Yamakawa, Hideo Enoki, Kunio Harada, Sakuichiro Adachi, Tomonori Mimura
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Publication number: 20050259261Abstract: The adverse effect on measurement accuracy brought about by the transmission of light beams through portions of a liquid sample with different concentrations, i.e., a concentration distribution in the vertical direction of a container, is prevented by using semiconductor light sources of two different types with different wavelengths. The semiconductor light sources (2, 4) of two different types are housed in the same package (5) such that a detector (9) can capture the light beams emitted by the light sources after their optical axes have intersected with one another. The multiple light beams can be thus caused to pass through portions with substantially the same concentration and therefore can be detected without being influenced by the difference in concentration of the sample in the container.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 19, 2005Publication date: November 24, 2005Inventors: Kunio Harada, Sakuichiro Adachi, Hideo Enoki, Hironobu Yamakawa, Tomonori Mimura
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Publication number: 20040156748Abstract: The invention provides a chemical analysis apparatus which can inhibit a solution drop from being scattered and has a high pipetting accuracy.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2004Publication date: August 12, 2004Inventors: Hironobu Yamakawa, Hideo Enoki, Isao Yamazaki
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Publication number: 20020096432Abstract: An electrophoresis apparatus in which an electrophoretic channel formed in a planar plate made of a transparent member and having satisfactory flat and smooth surfaces is irradiated with an excitation beam through the bottom surface or the top surfaces of the channel in a direction orthogonal thereto, and fluorescence from a sample is detected through a side surface of the channel, or the channel is irradiated with the excitation beam through a side surface of the channel while fluorescence from the sample is detected through the bottom surface or the top surface of the channel. With this arrangement, background light and stray light can be reduced so as to enhance the accuracy of detection of the electrophoresis apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2002Publication date: July 25, 2002Inventors: Hironobu Yamakawa, Ryo Miyake, Yasuhiko Sasaki, Akira Koide