Patents by Inventor Ken Shirota

Ken Shirota 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: 11540793
    Abstract: Provided is an X-ray imaging system capable of performing X-ray imaging quickly. The X-ray imaging system is provided with: an X-ray tube device including a cathode and an anode, the X-ray tube device being capable of performing X-ray imaging by irradiating an imaging target with X-rays in a state of rotating the anode; a light irradiation device including a collimator defining an X-ray irradiation range of the X-rays with respect to the imaging target, a visible light irradiation unit for emitting visible light to the imaging target and a light irradiation operation unit for performing an operation for making the visible light irradiation unit in the light irradiation state; and a controller for controlling operations of the X-ray tube device and the light irradiation device. The controller rotates the anode at an imaging possible rotation speed capable of performing X-ray imaging when the light irradiation operation unit is operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Mitsuhashi, Haruo Uno, Ken Shirota
  • Patent number: 11545331
    Abstract: The X-ray imaging apparatus includes: a main power supply operation unit for switching ON/OFF of power supply to the X-ray imaging apparatus; a braking unit for decelerating a rotation speed of the anode to a predetermined braking speed lower than a resonance range which is a rotation speed of the anode at which resonance occurs in the X-ray tube; and a non-braking stop prediction unit configured to detect a predetermined situation in which a non-braking stop state is predicted, the non-braking stop state being a state in which the main power supply operation unit is operated to be turned to an OFF state without decelerating the rotating anode by the braking unit. The non-braking stop prediction unit activates the braking unit by detecting the predetermined situation to decrease the rotation speed of the anode to the braking speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Shirota, Haruo Uno
  • Publication number: 20210378612
    Abstract: Provided is an X-ray imaging system capable of performing X-ray imaging quickly. The X-ray imaging system is provided with: an X-ray tube device including a cathode and an anode, the X-ray tube device being capable of performing X-ray imaging by irradiating an imaging target with X-rays in a state of rotating the anode; a light irradiation device including a collimator defining an X-ray irradiation range of the X-rays with respect to the imaging target, a visible light irradiation unit for emitting visible light to the imaging target and a light irradiation operation unit for performing an operation for making the visible light irradiation unit in the light irradiation state; and a controller for controlling operations of the X-ray tube device and the light irradiation device. The controller rotates the anode at an imaging possible rotation speed capable of performing X-ray imaging when the light irradiation operation unit is operated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Takayuki MITSUHASHI, Haruo UNO, Ken SHIROTA
  • Publication number: 20210313136
    Abstract: The X-ray imaging apparatus includes: a main power supply operation unit for switching ON/OFF of power supply to the X-ray imaging apparatus; a braking unit for decelerating a rotation speed of the anode to a predetermined braking speed lower than a resonance range which is a rotation speed of the anode at which resonance occurs in the X-ray tube; and a non-braking stop prediction unit configured to detect a predetermined situation in which a non-braking stop state is predicted, the non-braking stop state being a state in which the main power supply operation unit is operated to be turned to an OFF state without decelerating the rotating anode by the braking unit. The non-braking stop prediction unit activates the braking unit by detecting the predetermined situation to decrease the rotation speed of the anode to the braking speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Ken SHIROTA, Haruo UNO
  • Patent number: 11123037
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray source, a detector for detecting X-rays, an imaging unit, an operation unit, a notification unit, and a control unit. The control unit generates an image of an inside of an examination room. Further, when detecting that a person other than a subject is present in the examination room based on the image of the inside of the examination room, the control unit performs control to issue caution information indicating that a person other than a subject is present in the examination room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Okumura, Ken Shirota, Junpei Sakaguchi, Toshiya Kawabata
  • Patent number: 11116472
    Abstract: An X-ray image capturing apparatus includes a target determiner that determines a target position of an imager and a target angle of the imager based on imaging content information for generating a tomographic image, and a drive controller that controls a drive to be driven such that a relative position of the imager corresponds to the target position and a relative angle of the imager corresponds to the target angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Ken Shirota
  • Patent number: 11116460
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging apparatus includes a controller configured or programmed to perform control to change an amount of assist from a drive in manually moving a moving body based on at least one of operation of an operation button configured to receive an operation for moving the moving body or an operation for aligning the moving body and a current position and target position of the moving body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Shirota, Junpei Sakaguchi, Hiroshi Okumura
  • Patent number: 11064962
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray tube, an X-ray detector, a moving body movable in a predetermined direction, a moving mechanism, a motor, an operating force detector configured to detect an operating force, and a controller configured or programmed to perform mode switching control to switch, based on whether or not an operation to enable manual movement of the moving body has been detected, a control mode to a torque control mode or a position control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Shirota, Junpei Sakaguchi, Hiroshi Okumura
  • Patent number: 11006913
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray tube, an X-ray detector, a moving body configured to support at least one of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector in such a manner that at least the one of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector is movable in a predetermined direction, a drive configured to provide an amount of assist for moving the moving body in the predetermined direction, and a controller configured or programmed to perform control to change the amount of assist to be provided to the moving body by the drive according to a height position of the moving body when the moving body is manually moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Shirota, Junpei Sakaguchi, Hiroshi Okumura
  • Patent number: 10987074
    Abstract: A radiation image capturing apparatus maintains previous image capturing position data stored in an image capturing position data storage unit 15 of a control unit 13 when a setting of a reference position of a long-length imaging region and the number of images to be captured are not changed. On the other hand, the radiation image capturing apparatus clears the previous image capturing position data stored in the image capturing position data storage unit 15 of the control unit 13 when either a setting of a reference position of a long-length imaging region or the number of images to be captured is changed. Then, the control unit 13 temporarily prohibits X-ray image capturing, and a warning display unit 16 causes a display unit 11 to display a display prompting input of image capturing position data for subsequent long-length image capturing. This display is kept displayed until an operator inputs image capturing position data for subsequent long-length image capturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventor: Ken Shirota
  • Publication number: 20200367848
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray source, a detector for detecting X-rays, an imaging unit, an operation unit, a notification unit, and a control unit. The control unit generates an image of an inside of an examination room. Further, when detecting that a person other than a subject is present in the examination room based on the image of the inside of the examination room, the control unit performs control to issue caution information indicating that a person other than a subject is present in the examination room.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Hiroshi OKUMURA, Ken SHIROTA, Junpei SAKAGUCHI, Toshiya KAWABATA
  • Publication number: 20200214656
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray tube, an X-ray detector, a moving body movable in a predetermined direction, a moving mechanism, a motor, an operating force detector configured to detect an operating force, and a controller configured or programmed to perform mode switching control to switch, based on whether or not an operation to enable manual movement of the moving body has been detected, a control mode to a torque control mode or a position control mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Ken SHIROTA, Junpei SAKAGUCHI, Hiroshi OKUMURA
  • Publication number: 20200214655
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray tube, an X-ray detector, a moving body configured to support at least one of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector in such a manner that at least the one of the X-ray tube and the X-ray detector is movable in a predetermined direction, a drive configured to provide an amount of assist for moving the moving body in the predetermined direction, and a controller configured or programmed to perform control to change the amount of assist to be provided to the moving body by the drive according to a height position of the moving body when the moving body is manually moved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Ken SHIROTA, Junpei SAKAGUCHI, Hiroshi OKUMURA
  • Publication number: 20200205759
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging apparatus includes a controller configured or programmed to perform control to change an amount of assist from a drive in manually moving a moving body based on at least one of operation of an operation button configured to receive an operation for moving the moving body or an operation for aligning the moving body and a current position and target position of the moving body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Ken SHIROTA, Junpei SAKAGUCHI, Hiroshi OKUMURA
  • Publication number: 20190380674
    Abstract: An X-ray image capturing apparatus includes a target determiner that determines a target position of an imager and a target angle of the imager based on imaging content information for generating a tomographic image, and a drive controller that controls a drive to be driven such that a relative position of the imager corresponds to the target position and a relative angle of the imager corresponds to the target angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventor: Ken SHIROTA
  • Patent number: 10441232
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging apparatus is configured so that an height-position composition element 15 sends a directive to an angle driving element 44 in an imaging element 4, and the height-position compensation element 15 corrects the height-position of the X-ray tube 42 by driving of the up-and-down driving element 44 in conjunction with the imaging region that the imaging region data recognition element 14 of the console element 1, the angle of the X-ray tube 42 is corrected so that the X-ray irradiation angle of the X-ray from the X-ray tube 42 faces downward; and when the height-position compensation element 15 corrects the height-position of the X-ray tube 42 downward, the angle of the X-ray tube 42 is corrected so that the X-ray irradiation angle of the X-ray from the X-ray tube 42 faces upward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ken Shirota, Tomoharu Okuno
  • Patent number: 10398401
    Abstract: In a radiation tomography imaging device, the imaging range calculation element 35 calculates a possible imaging range of the FPD 5 based on the imaging distance G, the irradiation swing angle ? and the movable range SP of the X-ray tube 3. The operator can preliminarily calculate the possible imaging range of the radiation detection means prior to the X-ray tomography imaging because the imaging distance, the irradiation swing angle, and the movable range SP are all predetermined parameters. The possible imaging range FP of the FPD 5 is the positional range of the FPD 5 in which the X-ray tube 3 can acquire the X-ray tomography image without moving the X-ray tube 3 to the outside of movable range. Therefore, the radiation tomography imaging can start the X-ray tomography by assuredly moving the FPD 5 within the possible imaging range by referring to the preliminarily calculated possible imaging range of the FPD 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoharu Okuno, Ken Shirota
  • Publication number: 20180271462
    Abstract: A radiation image capturing apparatus maintains previous image capturing position data stored in an image capturing position data storage unit 15 of a control unit 13 when a setting of a reference position of a long-length imaging region and the number of images to be captured are not changed. On the other hand, the radiation image capturing apparatus clears the previous image capturing position data stored in the image capturing position data storage unit 15 of the control unit 13 when either a setting of a reference position of a long-length imaging region or the number of images to be captured is changed. Then, the control unit 13 temporarily prohibits X-ray image capturing, and a warning display unit 16 causes a display unit 11 to display a display prompting input of image capturing position data for subsequent long-length image capturing. This display is kept displayed until an operator inputs image capturing position data for subsequent long-length image capturing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Publication date: September 27, 2018
    Inventor: Ken SHIROTA
  • Patent number: 10070833
    Abstract: A mobile X-ray imaging apparatus has an angle sensor and a movement calculation circuit that controls the driving of drive wheels based on the turning angle of auxiliary wheels relative to a straight moving direction of the base unit when a fine movement switch instructs movement of the base unit in the fine movement mode. The turning angle of auxiliary wheels is detected by a turning angle sensor and the rotation of the pair of drive wheels is controlled by the movement calculation circuit as the auxiliary wheels turns to the straight moving direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ken Shirota, Hiroshi Okumura
  • Publication number: 20180214101
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging apparatus is configured so that an height-position composition element 15 sends a directive to an angle driving element 44 in an imaging element 4, and the height-position compensation element 15 corrects the height-position of the X-ray tube 42 by driving of the up-and-down driving element 44 in conjunction with the imaging region that the imaging region data recognition element 14 of the console element 1, the angle of the X-ray tube 42 is corrected so that the X-ray irradiation angle of the X-ray from the X-ray tube 42 faces downward; and when the height-position compensation element 15 corrects the height-position of the X-ray tube 42 downward, the angle of the X-ray tube 42 is corrected so that the X-ray irradiation angle of the X-ray from the X-ray tube 42 faces upward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Applicant: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ken SHIROTA, Tomoharo OKUNO