Abstract: A recording medium comprising a substrate and at least two porous ink receiving layers provided thereon of which a lower layer, second distant from the substrate, is arranged on the substrate side of an upper layer, most distant from the substrate. Pore distribution curves of the upper and lower layers respectively have one peak and two peaks. When pore radii giving the one peak and the two peaks are respectively regarded as R1 and R2, R3 where R2 is smaller than R3, R1 is 8 to 11 nm, R2 is 5 nm or more, R2 is smaller than R1, a difference between R1 and R2 is 2 nm or more, R3 is not less than R1, a difference between R3 and R1 is 3 nm or less. When pore volumes at the pore radii of R2 and R3 are respectively VR2 and VR3, a proportion VR2/VR3 is 0.8 to 2.4.

Abstract: An acoustic wave probe which includes an acoustic wave conversion element which receives an acoustic wave, a liquid-tightly sealed protecting unit which contains the acoustic wave conversion element, a portion of the protecting unit being an acoustic wave transmitting part having high acoustic wave transmittance, a detecting unit which detects a flexure amount denoting a degree of deformation of the protecting unit, and a notifying unit which notifies whether the flexure amount detected by the detecting unit is larger than a predetermined value.

Abstract: A recording medium includes a substrate and two or more ink receiving layers on each of a first surface and a second surface of the substrate. The ink receiving layers each contain a pigment and a binder. A1, A2, B1, and B2 (nm) satisfy the relationships (1), (2), and (3), where A1 is the peak of the pore radius distribution of the outermost ink receiving layer on the first surface side, A2 is the peak of the pore radius distribution of the ink receiving layer adjacent to the outermost layer, B1 is the peak of the pore radius distribution of the outermost ink receiving layer on the second surface side, and B2 is the peak of the pore radius distribution of the ink receiving layer adjacent to the outermost layer. The arithmetic average roughness Ra specified in JIS B 0601 of each of the outermost ink receiving layers is 0.50 ?m or more.

Abstract: An inhaler ejects liquid droplets or powder granules into an airflow duct 5 by means of an ejection unit 6 having a plurality of ejection ports 8 so as to make the user inhale them from a mouthpiece section 7. The inhaler has a buffer space section 1 communicating with the atmosphere by way of a plurality of air intake ports 2 and is adapted to suppress turbulence of airflow in the buffer space section 1 before supplying airflow into the airflow duct 5. The inhaler reduces the quantity of ejected liquid droplets or powder granules adhering to the inner wall surface of the airflow duct and suppresses the aggravation of particle size distribution due to collisions of liquid droplets or powder granules, whichever appropriate.

Abstract: The invention provides an ejection head cartridge and an inhalation apparatus that limit turbulence in an air stream and reduce the probability of collisions of ejected drug in an air flow channel so that the drug can be conveyed in a uniform air stream. An ejection head cartridge 10 that is attachable to an inhalation apparatus 100 for ejecting drug for inhalation by a user and has a plurality of ejection ports includes, among end portions continuous to a surface provided with the ejection ports 5, an end portion parallel to an ejection port array having a shape 9a that guides a part of the air stream generated in the direction orthogonal to the ejection-port providing surface along the surface.

Abstract: An ink jet recording medium having a gas-permeable substrate, and an ink receiving layer and a surface layer provided in that order on the gas-permeable substrate, wherein the surface layer is formed through the steps of (1) applying a coating liquid comprising a first inorganic pigment and a binder onto the ink receiving layer, and (2) applying a coagulating liquid comprising a coagulant and a second inorganic pigment having a refractive index higher by 0.30 or more than that of the above first inorganic pigment and an average particle size of 100 nm or less onto the applied coating liquid to subject the coating liquid to a coagulating treatment followed by pressing a coating layer including the coating liquid and the coagulating liquid against a heated casting drum while the coating layer is in a wet condition to subject the coating layer to a cast treatment.

Abstract: A position measuring system includes a laser interferometer, and a wavelength detection unit detecting the wavelength change of a laser beam. A phase compensation unit compensates for the wavelength change detected by the wavelength detection unit based on the phase difference of aerial vibration between the wavelength detection unit and the optical path of the laser interferometer, which is determined based on the difference in length between a first path of the aerial vibration from the aerial vibration source of an air conditioner to the wavelength detection unit and a second path of the aerial vibration from the aerial vibration source to the optical path of the laser interferometer. A position measuring unit compensates for a measurement value obtained by the laser interferometer on the basis of the compensated wavelength change. In the position measuring system, the first path is designed to be shorter than the second path.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus configured to expose a substrate through a liquid includes a projection optical system configured to project an image of a pattern formed on an original plate onto a substrate and a stage configured to move while supporting the substrate. Further, the exposure apparatus includes a member including a supply port and a recovery port of the liquid that is arranged between the stage and the projection optical system such that a space is formed between the projection optical system and the member, and a supply unit configured to supply inactive gas through an outlet port into a space between the projection optical system and the member. The outlet port is directed to the space.

Abstract: A stage apparatus includes X- and Y-axis laser interferometers each of which measures the position a stage, a wavelength compensator which compensates for the wavelength change of a laser beam from each of the X- and Y-axis laser interferometers, a fan duct which is connected to a thermoregulator for supplying a temperature-controlled gas and supplies the temperature-controlled gas to the optical axes of the X- and Y-axis laser interferometers, and a fan duct which is connected to the thermoregulator and supplies the temperature-controlled gas to the wavelength compensator. The time necessary for supplying the temperature-controlled gas from the thermoregulator to the optical axes of the X- and Y-axis laser interferometers through the fan duct is equal to the time necessary for supplying the temperature-controlled gas from the thermoregulator to the wavelength compensator through the fan duct.

Abstract: A stage apparatus includes X- and Y-axis laser interferometers each of which measures the position a stage, a wavelength compensator which compensates for the wavelength change of a laser beam from each of the X- and Y-axis laser interferometers, a fan duct which is connected to a thermoregulator for supplying a temperature-controlled gas and supplies the temperature-controlled gas to the optical axes of the X- and Y-axis laser interferometers, and a fan duct which is connected to the thermoregulator and supplies the temperature-controlled gas to the wavelength compensator. The time necessary for supplying the temperature-controlled gas from the thermoregulator to the optical axes of the X- and Y-axis laser interferometers through the fan duct is equal to the time necessary for supplying the temperature-controlled gas from the thermoregulator to the wavelength compensator through the fan duct.

Abstract: A position measuring system includes a laser interferometer, and a wavelength detection unit detecting the wavelength change of a laser beam. A phase compensation unit compensates for the wavelength change detected by the wavelength detection unit based on the phase difference of aerial vibration between the wavelength detection unit and the optical path of the laser interferometer, which is determined based on the difference in length between a first path of the aerial vibration from the aerial vibration source of an air conditioner to the wavelength detection unit and a second path of the aerial vibration from the aerial vibration source to the optical path of the laser interferometer. A position measuring unit compensates for a measurement value obtained by the laser interferometer on the basis of the compensated wavelength change. In the position measuring system, the first path is designed to be shorter than the second path.

Abstract: Low distortion is implemented even in a high input level, and a smooth change in gain is maintained. A first amplifier (10) with high gain and low noise that can be gain-controlled by a first gain control signal, and a second amplifier (20) with low gain and low distortion that can be gain-controlled by a second gain control signal are provided, and a third amplifier (30) is further coupled with an outputs of the first and the second amplifiers (10, 20). An input terminal of the first amplifier (10) and an input terminal of the second amplifier (20) are coupled with each other, and an output terminal of the first amplifier (10) and an output terminal of the second amplifier (20) are coupled with each other. The output of the first amplifier (10) is then turned on or off by a mode switching signal. A change in gain resulting from turning on and off the first amplifier (10) is corrected by the third amplifier (30).

Abstract: A phase shifting device includes a signal source; a variable phase shifter; first and second doubling circuits; and a 90-degree phase comparator. An output from the signal source is connected to an input of the variable phase shifter and to an input of the second doubling circuit, an output from the variable phase shifter is connected to an input of the first doubling circuit, an output from the first doubling circuit serves as a first output signal, and an output from the second doubling circuit serves as a second output signal. The first output signal and the second output signal are inputted to the 90-degree phase comparator. The amount of phase shift rotation of the variable phase shifter is changed by a phase shift control signal outputted from the 90-degree phase comparator. By this, an exact 90-degree phase shift is obtained.

Abstract: Low distortion is implemented even in a high input level, and a smooth change in gain is maintained. A first amplifier (10) with high gain and low noise that can be gain-controlled by a first gain control signal, and a second amplifier (20) with low gain and low distortion that can be gain-controlled by a second gain control signal are provided, and a third amplifier (30) is further coupled with an outputs of the first and the second amplifiers (10, 20). An input terminal of the first amplifier (10) and an input terminal of the second amplifier (20) are coupled with each other, and an output terminal of the first amplifier (10) and an output terminal of the second amplifier (20) are coupled with each other. The output of the first amplifier (10) is then turned on or off by a mode switching signal. A change in gain resulting from turning on and off the first amplifier (10) is corrected by the third amplifier (30).

Abstract: A phase shifting device includes a signal source; a variable phase shifter; first and second doubling circuits; and a 90-degree phase comparator. An output from the signal source is connected to an input of the variable phase shifter and to an input of the second doubling circuit, an output from the variable phase shifter is connected to an input of the first doubling circuit, an output from the first doubling circuit serves as a first output signal, and an output from the second doubling circuit serves as a second output signal. The first output signal and the second output signal are inputted to the 90-degree phase comparator. The amount of phase shift rotation of the variable phase shifter is changed by a phase shift control signal outputted from the 90-degree phase comparator. By this, an exact 90-degree phase shift is obtained.