Patents by Inventor Takashi Azuma

Takashi Azuma 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: 9632151
    Abstract: A magnetic resonance measuring equipment capable of detecting a nuclear magnetic resonance signal with a higher sensitivity and a higher resolution in comparison with related magnetic resonance measuring equipment. The magnetic resonance measuring equipment modulates a nuclear magnetic resonance signal by applying a vibration (sonic wave) of a known frequency, which is higher than the frequency of the nuclear magnetic resonance signal, to an examination object, and detects the modulated signal by performing lock-in detection, which makes it possible that the magnetic resonance measuring equipment detects the nuclear magnetic resonance signal with a high sensitivity. In addition, after irradiating a local area of the object with an ultrasonic wave, and modulating the nuclear magnetic resonance signal derived from the irradiated local area, the magnetic resonance measuring equipment can detect the nuclear magnetic resonance signal with a high resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Seki, Takashi Azuma
  • Patent number: 9439620
    Abstract: When multiple tissues having differing speeds of sound are intermixed in the viewing field of a measured subject such as a living body, the invention measures hardness, such as modulus of elasticity or viscosity, with high precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Marie Tabaru, Takashi Azuma, Hideki Yoshikawa, Kunio Hashiba
  • Publication number: 20160213353
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide an ultrasound imaging apparatus which generates a scalar field image directly without obtaining a motion vector, so as to make tissue boundaries discernible. A received signal is processed to generate images of two or more frames, two frames are selected from the images, multiple regions of interest are set in one frame, and in the other frame, search regions each wider than the region of interest are set respectively for the multiple regions of interest. In the search region, multiple candidate regions each in a size corresponding to the region of interest are provided. Then, a norm is obtained between a pixel value of the region of interest and a pixel value of the candidate region, for each of the multiple candidate regions, thereby obtaining a norm distribution within the search region. An image is generated assuming a value representing the state of the norm distribution as a pixel value of the region of interest that is associated with the search region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Hironari MASUI, Takashi AZUMA
  • Publication number: 20160120511
    Abstract: A modulation frequency control unit (36) controls a displacement-use transmission unit (34) such that displacement-use ultrasonic beam (EB) is subjected to modulation processing using a relatively high modulation frequency and a relatively low modulation frequency. A displacement measurement unit (24) measures the displacement of a tissue in a treatment area (P) at each of the modulation frequencies, and a coagulation measurement unit (25) measures local coagulation in the treatment area (P) on the basis of the measurement result of the displacement at the relatively high modulation frequency, and measures wide-area coagulation in the treatment area (P) on the basis of the measurement result of the displacement at the relatively low modulation frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Applicants: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, HITACHI ALOKA MEDICAL, LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Azuma, Akira Sasaki, Ryosuke Aoyagi, Shu Takagi, Kazunori Itani, Keisuke Fujiwara, Hideki Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 9259205
    Abstract: Provided is a technology which quantitatively measures blood flow in the vicinity of circulatory organs. An ultrasound image capture device according to the present invention removes an image portion corresponding to an organ shape by taking the difference of a multi-frame ultrasound image, and thereafter computes a measured value of a blood flow velocity vector on the basis of a plurality of images at different timings (as per FIG. 3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiko Tanaka, Takashi Azuma, Kunio Hashiba
  • Patent number: 9238469
    Abstract: In the interior equipment installation structure for a railcar according to the present invention, a first installation member is mounted to a roof body shell along the car longitudinal direction or the car width direction. Second installation members are attached to the first installation member using mechanical fastening tools such as bolts with the positions of the second installation members adjusted in the up-down direction of the car. The second installation members are used for installing lighting appliances such as fluorescent lights, each has a size corresponding to each of the lighting appliances, and are continuously installed. There are portions in which plate members are overlapped with each other between respective adjacent ones of the second installation members, and hand strap receivers are installed in these portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuichirou Mitani, Takashi Azuma
  • Patent number: 9165363
    Abstract: Provided is an image diagnostic device with which it is possible to correct location misalignment of an image capture subject, and to improve the reliability of the result of the correction, in time series image data. An image diagnostic device may include an input part (13) which receives image data input; a correction unit (14) which computes a correction vector which denotes location misalignment of an image capture subject, and selects image data used with an image correction unit; an image correction part (20) which carries out a correction process on the image data based on the correction vector and creates corrected image data; a control part (21) which controls the correction unit and the image correction part; a memory (22) which stores the corrected image data and measurement data as stored data; an output unit (23) which outputs the stored data externally; a display unit (24) which displays the stored data; and an external input device (30) where an operator makes an input operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI MEDICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Yoshikawa, Takashi Azuma
  • Patent number: 9129187
    Abstract: An objective is to enable calculation of a distribution of a physical property such as a density inside a measurement object, even when the distribution of the physical property value is non-uniform, within a feasible period of time without causing image deterioration due to phenomena such as refraction and multiple-reflections caused by the non-uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI MEDICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mariko Yamamoto, Shin-ichiro Umemura, Takashi Azuma, Kunio Hashiba
  • Patent number: 9119557
    Abstract: An ultrasonic image processing method and device, and an ultrasonic image processing program which can correspond to analytical methods different depending on a region or the purpose of a diagnosis or treatment. The ultrasonic image processing method comprises an image data creation step which stores a detection result obtained by irradiating a subject with ultrasonic waves by an irradiating section and detecting an ultrasonic signal from the subject by a detecting section and creates at least two-frame image data different in detection timing on the basis of the stored detection result, a motion vector distribution image creation step which creates a motion vector distribution image on the basis of a predetermined motion vector analysis through the use of a plurality frames of the image data, and a conversion step which converts a vector distribution image to a scalar distribution image on the basis of a plurality of established regions of interest (ROI).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI MEDICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hironari Masui, Takashi Azuma
  • Publication number: 20150239471
    Abstract: Even if an adjustable speed limitation function (ASL) sets a vehicle speed upper limit to a relatively low vehicle speed, a control unit 10 is configured to, in order to suppress the problem of a decrease in fuel efficiency while the ASL is executing the vehicle speed limitation, suppress an output of an engine 2 so that the vehicle speed does not exceed the vehicle speed upper limit, and cause a gear stage of an automatic transmission 3 to be shifted up to a higher speed side gear stage having higher fuel efficiency than a gear stage that is set based on the driving state of a vehicle 1, when a deviation between the vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor 21 and the vehicle speed upper limit that is set by a vehicle speed upper limit setting switch 24 becomes less than a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Azuma, Tetsutaka Shibata, Naoto Kawahara
  • Patent number: 9067606
    Abstract: There is provided a railcar including a under frame, paired side bodyshell parts, and a roof bodyshell part. Strap bar receiving parts hanging downward from the roof bodyshell part are fixed to the roof bodyshell part. An upper horizontal member and a lower horizontal member are provided like bridges between the paired side bodyshell parts. The upper horizontal member and the lower horizontal member are disposed at an interval in a vertical direction and connected by connection pipes. The upper horizontal member is formed by a plurality of reinforcement pipes and the lower horizontal member is formed by a plurality of reinforcement pipes. At least one ends of the plurality of reinforcement pipes are fixed to the strap bar receiving parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignees: EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY, KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JAPAN TRANSPORT ENGINEERING COMPANY
    Inventors: Makoto Taguchi, Jin Kato, Aya Kojima, Keisuke Mizutani, Kenichi Koyama, Tetsuya Asaka, Takashi Ono, Takashi Azuma
  • Patent number: 9012386
    Abstract: The invention provides a grease composition for a hub unit bearing employing an angular contact ball bearing, containing (a) as a thickener a mixture of diurea compounds represented by formula (I): R1—NHCONH—R2—NHCONH—R1, formula (II): R1—NHCONH—R2—NHCONH—R3, and formula (III): R3—NHCONH—R2—NHCONH—R3 wherein R1 is cyclohexyl group, R2 is a divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group having 6 to 15 carbon atoms, R3 is a straight-chain or branched alkyl group having 12 to 20 carbon atoms, and (R1/(R1+R3))×100=85 to 95 mol %; (b) a base oil; (c) a molybdenum dialkyldithiocarbamate; and (d) a calcium sulfonate. The grease composition of the invention, when used in the hub unit bearing, shows minimum leakage, excellent anti-flaking properties and satisfactory bearing lubrication life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Kyodo Yushi Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Saita, Takashi Azuma, Masamichi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9005127
    Abstract: There is provided an ultrasound image picking-up device that can correct a positional shift from a reference image before therapy even with insufficient clarity of an ultrasound image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Azuma
  • Patent number: 8979759
    Abstract: Ultrasonic imaging device noninvasively measures cardiac muscle stiffness or intracardiac pressure. The device includes: an ultrasonic probe (2) transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to and from the heart; a signal-processing section (15) processing reflected echo signals; a display section (14) displaying results of signal processing as an image; and an input section (10) setting a predetermined point on the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiko Tanaka, Takashi Azuma, Marie Tabaru, Kunio Hashiba
  • Patent number: 8971600
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is provided for displaying a color map on which a difference in blood flow dynamics is reflected. Setting a test subject who is administered a contrast agent is assumed as an imaging target, and a probe transmits and receives ultrasonic waves to and from the target for contrast imaging. Image data is constructed based on signals received by the probe and a time-intensity curve is generated from intensity values of the image data. According to the time-intensity curve, a value of a predetermined parameter is calculated for producing a distribution image of blood flow dynamics. The distribution image (color map) of the blood flow dynamics is produced from the parameter value. The color map is a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional image being color-coded according to the parameter value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Yoshikawa, Takashi Azuma
  • Patent number: 8911372
    Abstract: A diagnostic imaging apparatus for imaging information changing with time and displaying it in real time, composed of an ultrasonic probe (2), having piezoelectric elements arranged in an array form that transmit ultrasonic waves to a target object (1) and acquires a reflection signal from the target object; a body movement measuring unit (12) that constitutes a two-dimensional ultrasonic image using the reflection signal acquired by the ultrasonic probe, sets, in the image plane, a plurality of measuring areas used for measuring the body movement of the target object, and measures the body movement and deformation amounts in the measuring areas; and an image accumulating (subtracting) unit for accumulating or subtracting images using body movement measured by the body movement measurement unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Yoshikawa, Takashi Azuma, Kenichi Kawabata, Kazuaki Sasaki, Shinichiro Umemura
  • Patent number: 8895489
    Abstract: The invention provides a grease composition for hub unit bearing, containing (a) an aromatic diurea thickener, (b) a base oil, (c) a metal salt of oxidized wax, (d) diphenyl hydrogen phosphate, and (e) at least one rust preventive selected from the group consisting of sulfonate rust preventives and carboxylic acid rust preventives. The grease composition of the invention shows excellent anti-fretting properties at low temperature, and at the same time, exhibit excellent rust preventing properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignees: Kyodo Yushi Co., Ltd., NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Azuma, Yoshihisa Imamoto, Motohiro Ito, Yasushi Shibata
  • Patent number: 8867813
    Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging apparatus is provided, discriminates a noise area where echo signals are faint, by selecting a reference frame and a comparative frame from an image obtained by processing received signals and including a plurality of frames. A region of interest is set in the reference frame, a search area wider than the region of interest is set in the comparative frame, and multiple candidate regions being destination candidates of the region of interest are set within the search area. A degree of similarity between an image characteristic value in the region of interest and an image characteristic value in the candidate region is calculated, with respect to each of the candidate regions, to obtain a distribution of the degrees of similarity across the search area. Based on the similarity distribution, whether or not the region of interest corresponds to the noise area is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Hironari Masui, Takashi Azuma
  • Patent number: 8861812
    Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic imaging apparatus including: a time-gain controller (TGC) that compensates an amplitude fading occurring in the process of propagation inside a living body; a scan converter (SC) that constructs image data; a TIC measurement unit that measures a TIC of each pixel; an evaluation index input unit that inputs an index for evaluating hemodynamics on the basis of a TIC; a mapping parameter estimation unit that estimates a mapping parameter comparable to an evaluation index; a TIC image construction unit that constructs a two-dimensional image on the basis of the mapping parameter; and a pixel detection unit that extracts a region corresponding to a color map from a TIC image, and utilizing a TIC measured with each pixel so as to measure a difference in hemodynamics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Yoshikawa, Takashi Azuma
  • Publication number: 20140240482
    Abstract: A weight value used for a beamforming process performed on received signals in an ultrasound imaging apparatus is obtained with a small amount of computations and with a high degree of precision, even when a method of adaptive signal processing is employed. Multiple elements 401 receive ultrasound signals from a test subject, and the similarity operator 404 obtains the similarity between the received signals x(n). By using the similarity C(n) between the received signals obtained by the similarity operator 404, the adaptive weight operator 407 computes the adaptive weight w(n) in association with the similarity. The beamforming operator 408 uses the adaptive weight w(n) and the received signal x(n) to generate a beamforming output. The imaging processor 108 uses the beamforming output to generate image data. By way of example, the similarity operator 404 performs computations of the similarity in the time direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: HITACHI MEDICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Teiichiro Ikeda, Takashi Azuma, Hiroshi Masuzawa