Patents by Inventor Kensaku Aota

Kensaku Aota 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: 5779982
    Abstract: An automatic sample preparing apparatus which can automatically perform all the steps of a sample preparation process from smearing of sample onto a slide glass to dyeing the smeared sample and with which there is no wasting of dyeing liquid even when only a small number of samples are to be dyed and the degree of freedom of slide glass handling and control is high. The apparatus can include a smearing part, cassettes, a carrying part, a loading part, a dyeing part and a storing part. The smearing part functions to smear samples onto slide glasses. Each cassette has a holding part which can hold slide glasses and a liquid and a pair of hanging support parts connected to this holding part. The carrying part carries the cassettes. The loading part loads the slide glasses one by one into the cassettes. The dyeing part performs dyeing of the smeared sample on the slide glasses. The storing part stores cassettes containing slide glasses with sample smeared thereon and dyed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: TOA Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kensaku Aota, Jun Toyoda, Yoshihiko Miki, Masakazu Kondo
  • Patent number: 5588555
    Abstract: A blood analyzer system transports blood samples through at least one blood analyzer and an automatic blood smear generator under the control of a preprogrammable controller. Blood samples are stored in containers that identify the blood samples they contain. The containers move through the system mounted in protective racks that permit the reading of the identifications. The results of analysis by one or more blood analyzers in the system determines for each sample individually whether or not to make a blood smear. When a blood smear is to be made, the controller makes the smear thickness of each blood sample consistent with other samples whatever the consistency of the sample to be smeared. If a required sample is not made, a detector sounds an alarm, thereby alerting operators that the system has failed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: TOA Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeo Kanamori, Kensaku Aota, Takashi Demachi, Takahiro Inoue, Kiyoyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5455006
    Abstract: A sample container turning apparatus including: a holding member for holding a plurality of sample containers in a predetermined direction; an intermittent conveyor for conveying the holding member intermittently; an arm member; a rotary member rotatably mounted on the arm member; a hand member attached to the rotary member and including a plurality of grip hands hinged to the rotary member so as to pivot on hinge shafts for gripping and releasing the one of the sample containers; a couple member coupled to the hand member and including a shaft member adapted to reciprocate through the rotary member; a first drive mechanism for pivoting the hand members by reciprocating the shaft member of the coupling member; a second drive mechanism for rotating the rotary member; and controller for controlling the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Assignee: Toa Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kensaku Aota, Kunio Ishikawa, Jun Toyoda, Souichi Tani
  • Patent number: 5356595
    Abstract: A blood analyzer system transports blood samples through at least one blood analyzer and an automatic blood smear generator under the control of a preprogrammable controller. Blood samples are stored in containers that identify the blood samples they contain. The containers move through the system mounted in protective racks that permit the reading of the identifications. The results of analysis by one or more blood analyzers in the system determines for each sample individually whether or not to make a blood smear. When a blood smear is to be made, the controller makes the smear thickness of each blood sample consistent with other samples whatever the consistency of the sample to be smeared. If a required sample is not made, a detector sounds an alarm, thereby alerting operators that the system has failed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: TOA Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeo Kanamori, Kensaku Aota, Takashi Demachi, Takahiro Inoue, Kiyoyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5270012
    Abstract: A blood analyzer system incorporates a conveyor for handling and transporting sample blood through at least one blood analyzer and an automatic blood smear generator under the control of a programmable controller. Blood samples are stored in sample containers having identifiers for the sample blood that they contain. These sample containers are transported through the system in protective racks that permit the reading of the identifiers. The results of analysis by one or more blood analyzers in the system determines the need for performing or omitting subsequent operations on a particular sample blood. When a smeared blood sample is to be made, the controller assures that the smear thickness is consistent with other samples regardless of the thickness or viscosity of the sample blood. If the system fails to make a required smeared blood sample, a detector sounds an alarm, warning of a system failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1993
    Assignee: TOA Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeo Kanamori, Kensaku Aota, Takashi Demachi, Takahiro Inoue, Kiyoyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5209903
    Abstract: A blood analyzer system incorporates a conveyor for handling and transporting sample blood through at least one blood analyzer and an automatic blood smear generator under the control of a programmable controller. Blood samples are stored in sample containers having identifiers for the sample blood that they contain. These sample containers are transported through the system in protective racks that permit the reading of the identifiers. The results of analysis by one or more blood analyzers in the system determine the need for performing or omitting subsequent operations on a particular sample blood. When a smeared blood sample is to be made, the controller assures that the smear thickness is consistent with other samples regardless of the thickness or viscosity of the sample blood. If the system fails to make a required smeared blood sample, a detector sounds an alarm, warning of a system failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1993
    Assignee: Toa Medical Electronics, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeo Kanamori, Kensaku Aota, Takashi Demachi, Takahiro Inoue