Abstract: A charger includes a rectifier including two input terminals for connection to an AC power supply, a cathode terminal and an anode terminal, a DC/DC converter including a first terminal be connected to the cathode terminal, a second terminal to be connected to the anode terminal, and two output terminals for connection to a battery, a power pulsation absorbing circuit including a first diode, a second diode, a third diode, an inductor, a capacitor, a first switch and a second switch, and a control section configured to control a switch of the DC/DC converter, the first switch and the second switch, wherein the control section is configured to control the DC/DC converter, the first switch and the second switch in such a way that a sum of a power outputted from the AC power supply and a power outputted from the capacitor is constant.

Abstract: A fixing structure of an electronic component includes a fixing member configured to fix an electronic component while pressing the electronic component against a wall surface of a housing in a pressing direction; and a fastened portion which is provided at a position away from the wall surface of the housing and to which the fixing member is fastened and fixed. The fixing member includes a fixing portion that is fastened and fixed to the fastened portion, a pressing portion that extends from the fixing portion toward the electronic component and is configured to press the electronic component against the wall surface in the pressing direction, and an engaging portion which is provided at the fixing portion. The fastened portion includes an engaged portion that is engaged with the engaging portion, and is configured to limit movement of the fixing portion in a direction opposite to the pressing direction.

Abstract: A data management system includes: an input control unit (110) that adds measurement data uploaded by designating a theme that is a unit of access control and acquired by a measurement system, to a dataset classified based on metadata included in the measurement data, within the theme; a management control unit (120) that associates the dataset with a chapter that is a unit of status management and is provided within the theme; and a display control unit (130) that displays information managed by the data management system.

Abstract: Provided is an optical signal detection device that includes: an objective; a holding member provided between the objective and a sample to hold the sample; and a gel member that fills a space between the objective and the holding member. The gel member has ¼ scale penetration indicating a value of 44 to 111, both inclusive, measured based on a penetration test using a ¼ scale cone of JIS K 2220.

Abstract: A signal acquisition device includes: a light source that oscillates pulsed laser light at a specific repetition period; an optical system that focuses the laser light onto a sample, and that collects generated fluorescence; a photodetector that detects the fluorescence collected by the optical system; an A/D converter that samples an intensity signal of the detected fluorescence, in synchronization with the repetition period of the light source unit, at a period that is an integer multiple of the repetition period, and that generates a digital intensity signal; and one or more processors comprising hardware, the one or more processors being configured to: obtain a fluorescence lifetime waveform on a basis of the generated digital intensity signal; and calculate a fluorescence lifetime coefficient from a waveform obtained by removing a region not corresponding to an exponential function from the obtained fluorescence lifetime waveform.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to miniaturize a connector for connecting an exchangeable battery to an electric vehicle. A power supply device includes a first battery which is exchangeable and includes a battery connector for connection to a moving object; a moving object connector disposed at the moving object and connectable to the battery connector; a first power converting section connected between the moving object connector and a load; a second battery connected to a power supply line in parallel to the first battery, wherein the power supply line is configured to connect the first power converting section to the load; and a control section which is configured to control the first power converting section in such a way that a current which is output from the first battery to the first power converting section via the moving object connector has a first value or a smaller value.

Abstract: A charger includes a rectifier including two input terminals for connection to an AC power supply, a cathode terminal and an anode terminal, a DC/DC converter including a first terminal be connected to the cathode terminal, a second terminal to be connected to the anode terminal, and two output terminals for connection to a battery, a power pulsation absorbing circuit including a first diode, a second diode, a third diode, an inductor, a capacitor, a first switch and a second switch, and a control section configured to control a switch of the DC/DC converter, the first switch and the second switch, wherein the control section is configured to control the DC/DC converter, the first switch and the second switch in such a way that a sum of a power outputted from the AC power supply and a power outputted from the capacitor is constant.

Abstract: An optical measurement device includes: an optical sensor that detects pulsed signal light and that outputs a detection signal formed of an exponential-function response; an A/D converter that samples the detection signal output from the optical sensor and that converts the detection signal into a digital signal; and a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to subject the digital signal output from the A/D converter to inverse transformation by using a multiple diagonal matrix, thus calculating an estimated pulse of the signal light.

Abstract: A photoacoustic imaging device includes an irradiator irradiating a specimen with excitation light, a detection unit detecting an acoustic wave at an irradiated position, a propagation body including a bag-shaped body including a film deforming in conformity with a surface shape of the specimen, an interior of the bag-shaped body being filled with an acoustic wave propagation medium, and a processor including hardware and configured to generate an image based on the detected acoustic wave, wherein the propagation body is disposed between the detection unit and the specimen, without interposing any air layers, and moves along with relative movement of the detection unit and the specimen, the detection unit includes an optics collecting the acoustic wave, the propagation body is attached to the optics, and a difference of refractive indexes between the optics and the propagation body is smaller than a difference of refractive indexes between the optics and air.

Abstract: A photoacoustic imaging device includes an excitation light irradiation unit that irradiates the same position of a specimen with two or more beams of pulsed excitation light separated by an irradiation time interval, a detector that detects an acoustic wave generated at the position irradiated with the excitation light by the excitation light irradiation unit, a generator that generates an image of the specimen based on the detected acoustic wave, and a controller that controls the irradiation time interval, the acoustic wave generated with a single beam of pulsed excitation light has multiple positive peaks that periodically occur, and the controller controls the irradiation time interval into a timing at which a second positive peak of the acoustic wave generated with the preceding excitation light is superimposed on a first positive peak of the acoustic wave generated with the subsequent excitation light.

Abstract: An optical measurement device includes: an optical sensor that detects pulsed signal light and that outputs a detection signal formed of an exponential-function response; an A/D converter that samples the detection signal output from the optical sensor and that converts the detection signal into a digital signal; and a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to subject the digital signal output from the A/D converter to inverse transformation by using a multiple diagonal matrix, thus calculating an estimated pulse of the signal light.

Abstract: A signal acquisition device includes: a light source that oscillates pulsed laser light at a specific repetition period; an optical system that focuses the laser light onto a sample, and that collects generated fluorescence; a photodetector that detects the fluorescence collected by the optical system; an A/D converter that samples an intensity signal of the detected fluorescence, in synchronization with the repetition period of the light source unit, at a period that is an integer multiple of the repetition period, and that generates a digital intensity signal; and one or more processors comprising hardware, the one or more processors being configured to: obtain a fluorescence lifetime waveform on a basis of the generated digital intensity signal; and calculate a fluorescence lifetime coefficient from a waveform obtained by removing a region not corresponding to an exponential function from the obtained fluorescence lifetime waveform.

Abstract: Provided is a microscope including: a scanner for scanning excitation light; an objective optical system that focuses the excitation light onto a sample and that collects fluorescence generated by the sample; a light-blocking member for transmitting a portion of the collected fluorescence; a detector for detecting the fluorescence; a setting unit that allows types of fluorescence having passed through the light-blocking member to be detected by the detector at different times in two types of positional relationships in which the positional relationship between the position of an opening in the light-blocking member and a focal point of the objective optical system in the sample is set to an optically conjugate positional relationship, in which in-focus fluorescence passes through the light-blocking member, and to an optically nonconjugate positional relationship; and an arithmetic operation unit for calculating the difference between fluorescence signals acquired at different times by the detector.

Abstract: An observation assistance device of the present invention includes: an information storage unit that stores sample state information showing a sample state change, a type of sample, a type of fluorescent substance, and an observation condition in fluorescence observation performed on a predetermined sample, and under a predetermined observation condition; an input unit via which inputs the type of sample to be observed and the type of fluorescent substance to be used; an assistance-display generating unit that reads sample state information and an observation condition of fluorescence observation performed on the same type of sample as the type of sample input, using the same type of fluorescent substance as the type of fluorescent substance, and generates an assistance display showing the sample state information in relation to the two or more parameters included in the observation condition; and a display unit that displays the generated assistance display.

Abstract: A microscope system includes an objective lens that focuses, on a specimen, illumination light produced by a light source. An illumination-area switching mechanism is disposed between the objective lens and the specimen and switches an illumination area irradiated with the illumination light focused by the objective lens among a plurality of illumination areas on the specimen that are located outside an objective optical axis of the objective lens. An inner focus lens is disposed on the objective optical axis between the light source and the objective lens and changes a focus position of the objective lens in a direction along the objective optical axis.

Abstract: An observation assistance device of the present invention includes: an information storage unit that stores sample state information showing a sample state change, a type of sample, a type of fluorescent substance, and an observation condition in fluorescence observation performed on a predetermined sample, and under a predetermined observation condition; an input unit via which inputs the type of sample to be observed and the type of fluorescent substance to be used; an assistance-display generating unit that reads sample state information and an observation condition of fluorescence observation performed on the same type of sample as the type of sample input, using the same type of fluorescent substance as the type of fluorescent substance, and generates an assistance display showing the sample state information in relation to the two or more parameters included in the observation condition; and a display unit that displays the generated assistance display.

Abstract: Provided is an image-acquisition apparatus including: a scanning portion that scans illumination light emitted from a light source; an optical system that focuses the scanned illumination light on a sample, while collecting signal light beams generated at the individual scanning positions on the sample; a detector that detects the collected signal light beams and that generates detection signals thereof; a signal controller that is configured to generate periodic signals that are repeated at a predetermined period; a light controller that is configured to temporally control a position or an intensity of the illumination light in accordance with the generated periodic signals; and a computer that is configured to process, in accordance with the generated periodic signals, the detection signals generated, wherein the computer is provided with a frequency shifter for shifting frequencies of the detection signals, and an integrator that integrates the shifted detection signals at an integration time.

Abstract: Provided is a microscope provided with: a scanner that scans an excitation beam coming from a light source; an objective optical system that focuses the scanned excitation beam onto a sample and that collects fluorescence generated at individual scanning positions in the sample; a detector that detects the collected fluorescence; a light blocking member that is disposed between the detector and the system and that partially blocks the collected fluorescence; a switching portion that switches the positional relationship between the member and a light-focusing point of the excitation beam in the sample between an optically conjugate positional relationship, in which an in-focus fluorescence generated at the light-focusing point passes through the member, and a non-conjugate positional relationship, in which the in-focus fluorescence is blocked by the member; and a computing portion that computes a difference between fluorescence signals acquired by the detector in the two positional relationships.

Abstract: Provided is an image-acquisition apparatus including: a scanning portion that scans illumination light emitted from a light source; an optical system that focuses the scanned illumination light on a sample, while collecting signal light beams generated at the individual scanning positions on the sample; a detector that detects the collected signal light beams and that generates detection signals thereof; a signal controller that is configured to generate periodic signals that are repeated at a predetermined period; a light controller that is configured to temporally control a position or an intensity of the illumination light in accordance with the generated periodic signals; and a computer that is configured to process, in accordance with the generated periodic signals, the detection signals generated, wherein the computer is provided with a frequency shifter for shifting frequencies of the detection signals, and an integrator that integrates the shifted detection signals at an integration time.

Abstract: Provided is a microscope including: a scanner for scanning excitation light; an objective optical system that focuses the excitation light onto a sample and that collects fluorescence generated by the sample; a light-blocking member for transmitting a portion of the collected fluorescence; a detector for detecting the fluorescence; a setting unit that allows types of fluorescence having passed through the light-blocking member to be detected by the detector at different times in two types of positional relationships in which the positional relationship between the position of an opening in the light-blocking member and a focal point of the objective optical system in the sample is set to an optically conjugate positional relationship, in which in-focus fluorescence passes through the light-blocking member, and to an optically nonconjugate positional relationship; and an arithmetic operation unit for calculating the difference between fluorescence signals acquired at different times by the detector.