Abstract: A plurality of fuel cells are stacked together. Current collectors are stacked on the fuel cells at opposite ends in a stacking direction of said fuel cells, and heating members are stacked on the outside of said current collectors. In a normal operating condition, electricity is delivered through the current collectors. When the temperature of end cells is lowered, a switching operation is performed to stop delivering electricity through the current collectors and start delivering electricity through the heating members.

Abstract: In order to improve detecting accuracy in a gas leak detection for a fuel cell, in a gas leak detection method for a fuel cell having a solid polymer electrolyte membrane sandwitched by an anode and a cathode, an output voltage is measured in an activated over-potential region in a state in which the pressure of fuel gas which is supplied to the anode is maintained higher than the pressure of gas which is supplied to the cathode, and a gas leak is determined to exist when the output voltage is lower than a predetermined pressure value.

Abstract: When a diagnosis is to be performed using a fluorescence diagnostic image obtained by use of an endoscope apparatus or the like, if obstructing regions containing an obstructing factor such as blood or waste is present on the target subject, the misrecognition thereof as a diseased tissue is prevented. White light and excitation light are projected onto a target subject to obtain respective standard and fluorescence images thereof. Because the color of the obstructing regions is different from that of either normal or diseased tissue, the color data of the standard image is computed, and the obstructing regions detected by determining whether or not the color data is outside a predetermined range. The fluorescence image is subjected to an exceptional display process of rendering the color of the obstructing regions a different color than that of the other regions, and the processed fluorescence diagnostic image is displayed on a monitor.

Abstract: A complementary color filter transmits only fluorescence components of fluorescence having been produced from a measuring site exposed to excitation light, which fluorescence components have wavelengths falling within a wavelength region acting as a complementary color with respect to a desired wavelength region. A complementary color signal intensity detector detects a signal intensity of the fluorescence components having passed through the complementary color filter. An entire signal intensity detector detects a signal intensity of fluorescence components, which have wavelengths falling within an entire measurement wavelength region. A signal intensity of fluorescence components, which have wavelengths falling within the desired wavelength region, is calculated from the signal intensities detected by the complementary color signal intensity detector and the entire signal intensity detector. Image information in accordance with the thus calculated signal intensity is displayed.

Abstract: Exciting light is projected onto a specimen such as an organic body, and an intensity in at least one wavelength range of fluorescence emitted from the specimen upon excitation by the exciting light is detected. Image data representing a fluorescence image of the specimen is obtained through an operation based on the intensity of the fluorescence. Whether each of pixels forming the fluorescence image is adequate for said operation is determined on the basis of the intensity of the fluorescence of each pixel. The operation is carried out on adequate pixels, which have been determined to be adequate for the operation, to obtain values for the adequate pixels while values which will not visually adversely affect the part of the fluorescence image corresponding to the adequate pixels are allotted to inadequate pixels, which have been determined not to be adequate for said operation.

Abstract: Excitation light and reference light are irradiated to living body tissues, the excitation light causing the living body tissues to produce intrinsic fluorescence. The intrinsic fluorescence, which has been produced from the living body tissues when the excitation light is irradiated to the living body tissues, is detected as an intrinsic fluorescence image signal. Reflected reference light, which has been reflected from the living body tissues when the reference light is irradiated to the living body tissues, is detected as a reference light image signal. Display signals are formed from the intrinsic fluorescence image signal and the reference light image signal. Information concerning the living body tissues is displayed by utilizing the formed display signals. The display signals are formed such that an intensity of the reflected reference light is primarily reflected upon luminance, and a relative intensity of the intrinsic fluorescence is primarily reflected upon color.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a measuring apparatus utilizing attenuated total reflection. The measuring apparatus is equipped with a dielectric block, a thin film layer formed on one surface of the dielectric block, an optical system for making a light beam enter the dielectric block so that a condition for total internal reflection is satisfied at an interface between the dielectric block and the thin film layer, and a two-piece photodiode for detecting the light beam totally reflected at the interface. When attenuated total reflection is detected a plurality of times for a single sample, the two-piece photodiode is disposed at a predetermined position relative to a dark line when a first measurement is made. The two-piece photodiode is also disposed at the same position as the predetermined position stored in a storage unit when a second measurement and measurements thereafter are made.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a sensorutilizing attenuated total reflection. The sensor is constructed of a measuring chip, an optical system, and a measuring section. The measuring chip is equipped with a dielectric block, a thin film layer formed on the dielectric block, and a liquid-sample holding portion for holding a liquid sample. The optical system is used to make a light beam enter the dielectric block at various angles of incidence so that a total internal reflection condition is satisfied at an interface between the dielectric block and the thin film layer. The measuring section measures the state of attenuated total reflection, based on the intensity of the light beam totally reflected at the interface. The liquid-sample holding portion has an opening at its top surface. The sensor further has a lid supply mechanism for placing a lid on the opening to prevent evaporation of the liquid sample.

Abstract: A fuel cell which can self-heat in a short time, in which no reaction gas is necessary for combustion, thereby improving the starting performance at low temperatures. The fuel cell comprises a cell structure in which an anode and a cathode are provided on either side of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane. This cell structure has a power generation plane and at least a part of the generation plane is defined as a local generation area so as to locally generate power. The fuel cell may include a pair of separators between which the cell structure is placed, and a reaction gas passage may be formed between the cell structure and each separator. One of a system for supplying a reaction gas to only a part of the reaction gas passage, and a system for supplying a reaction gas to the entire reaction gas passage is switchably selected.

Abstract: A system and method for draining remaining water in a gas passage of a fuel cell, which has a simple structure and the remaining can be efficiently and reliably drained outside. Water which remains in a gas passage of the fuel cell is first drained by increasing the flow rate of the reaction gas while the operation of the fuel cell is stopped. The remaining water which has not been drained is then drained by increasing the pressure of the reaction gas and then decreasing the increased pressure. The increase and decrease operation of the pressure of the reaction gas is started after the increase of the flow rate of the reaction gas is started. Typically, the increase of the pressure of the reaction gas is started when a predetermined time has elapsed after the increase of the flow rate of the reaction gas is started.

Abstract: Operation processing is performed on a first fluorescence image and at least either one of a second fluorescence image and a reflected reference light image to form a tissue condition image, which represents a tissue condition of living body tissues and has been compensated for a distance to the living body tissues. According to at least one of the three images, a judgment is made as to whether each image area in the tissue condition image is an abnormal light affected area or a normal light detection area. The abnormal light affected area is displayed in a form different from the normal light detection area.

Abstract: A fluorescence observing apparatus including a light source for emitting excitation light, an excitation light irradiation section for irradiating the excitation light to a sample, and a fluorescence measurement section for measuring fluorescence emitted from the sample by the irradiation of the excitation light. The temperature of the light source is always sensed by a thermistor, and a Peltier element disposed in direct contact with the light source is cooled by a control section so that the temperature of the light source is maintained at 20° C. or less.

Abstract: A method and system by which the sentinel lymph node, which is the first lymph node to which cancer is transferred when cancer is transferred to lymph nodes, is detected easily and with a high degree of accuracy. A fluorescent colorant is injected near a tumor, and after a predetermined period of time an abdominal operation is performed and stimulating light is projected onto the area being examined. Because the fluorescent colorant has been accumulated on the sentinel lymph node, it emits fluorescent light, which is then magnified and converted to a visual image. The examiner can view the normal image and the visible image at the same time. Because the stimulating light is in the near-infrared wavelength band, which is difficult for the fatty and other tissue that cover the sentinel lymph node to absorb, the sentinel lymph node is detected from the surface of the tissue.

Abstract: A magnetic disc device is disclosed, having a disc enclosure for enclosing a magnetic disc medium on which data has been recorded, a circuit for processing a signal that has been read from the magnetic disc device, wherein a signal that is read from the magnetic disc is output from only an interface.

Abstract: When a fluorescence image is to be displayed, a region of interest in a living body is irradiated with excitation light so that the fluorescence emitted therefrom is detected by a cold CCD camera via image fibers. A color mosaic filter is fixed on the detection surface of the cold CCD camera so that the fluorescence is separated into three fluorescence components corresponding to red, green and blue wavelength ranges before being detected. The signal intensity corresponding to the red wavelength range is divided by the total signal intensity which is the sum of the signal intensities corresponding to the red, green and blue wavelength ranges. A visual image displayed on the monitor is based on thus divided signal intensity. As it is quite rare that the total signal intensity becomes zero, occurrence of an operation error due to division by the value of zero can be restrained.

Abstract: An excitation light irradiating device irradiates excitation light to a measuring site. A fluorescence imaging device performs an imaging operation for detecting a fluorescence image formed with fluorescence, which has been produced from the measuring site when the excitation light is irradiated to the measuring site. An illumination device irradiates illumination light to the measuring site. An ordinary imaging device performs an imaging operation for detecting an ordinary image formed with reflected light of the illumination light. A controller controls such that the imaging operation for detecting the fluorescence image and the imaging operation for detecting the ordinary image are performed alternately, and such that an operation for throwing off accumulated electric charges is performed before the imaging operation of the fluorescence imaging device is performed and/or before the imaging operation of the ordinary imaging device is performed.

Abstract: Excitation light is irradiated to a region of interest in a living body, the excitation light causing the region of interest to produce intrinsic fluorescence. An image displaying system acquires image information in accordance with the intrinsic fluorescence and displays the acquired image information. The image displaying system comprises a light intensity detecting device for an entire measurement wavelength region of the intrinsic fluorescence, a light intensity detecting device for a partial measurement wavelength region of the intrinsic fluorescence, and a display device. The display device displays a display color in accordance with a ratio between the light intensity, which has been detected by the light intensity detecting device for the entire measurement wavelength region, and the light intensity, which has been detected by the light intensity detecting device for the partial measurement wavelength region. The display color is displayed by the utilization of an additive color mixture process.

Abstract: A complementary color filter transmits only fluorescence components of fluorescence having been produced from a measuring site exposed to excitation light, which fluorescence components have wavelengths falling within a wavelength region acting as a complementary color with respect to a desired wavelength region. A complementary color signal intensity detector detects a signal intensity of the fluorescence components having passed through the complementary color filter. An entire signal intensity detector detects a signal intensity of fluorescence components, which have wavelengths falling within an entire measurement wavelength region. A signal intensity of fluorescence components, which have wavelengths falling within the desired wavelength region, is calculated from the signal intensities detected by the complementary color signal intensity detector and the entire signal intensity detector. Image information in accordance with the thus calculated signal intensity is displayed.

Abstract: A blood-constituent concentration measuring instrument capable of accurately measuring concentrations of the constituent parts of blood without invading tissue. Light source means (1) emits measuring light (S) to a living organism (2). The measuring light (S) consists of a plurality of wavelength components different from one another. Straight-advance light discrimination means (3) extracts a straight-advance light component or a scattered light component close thereto from light scattered at the living organism (2). Then, extinction-index change detection means (4) detects an extinction index change in straight-advance light component or the scattered light component extracted by the straight-advance light discrimination means (4). Calculation means (5) calculates concentrations of the constituent parts of the blood, based on the extinction index change for each wavelength component of the measuring light.

Abstract: A region of interest in a living body is exposed to excitation light, which causes it to produce fluorescence. The fluorescence is separated with respect to desired wavelength ranges and detected. A first detector detects an entire fluorescence component or a fluorescence sum component, which is the sum of a fluorescence component of a comparatively short wavelength region and a fluorescence component of a comparatively long wavelength region. A second detector detects a fluorescence component of a comparatively long wavelength region or a fluorescence difference component, which is the difference between a fluorescence component of a comparatively short wavelength region and a fluorescence component of a comparatively long wavelength region. The output from the first detector and the output from the second detector are divided by each other. The fluorescence intensity depending upon the distance with respect to the region of interest is thus corrected such that no error may occur in making an operation.