Patents by Inventor Yasuaki Kasai

Yasuaki Kasai 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).

  • Publication number: 20230371793
    Abstract: An assembly can include a first component having at least one drainage channel and at least one fluid channel. The assembly can also include a second component having at least one drainage channel and at least one fluid channel. The assembly can also include a quick-connect coupling. The quick-connect coupling can be configured to couple the first component and the second component, fluidically connect the at least one drainage channel of the first component to the at least one drainage channel of the second component, and fluidically connect the at least one fluid channel of the first component to the at least one fluid channel of the second component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Joey Magno, Yasuaki Kasai
  • Publication number: 20190387966
    Abstract: A blood-vessel optical device is provided with: a sheath provided with a lumen penetrating therethrough, and a dovetail groove disposed so as to be parallel to the lumen; and an optical member accommodated in the lumen and including at least one of an illuminating portion guiding illumination light to an imaging subject and a light detecting portion guiding return light from the imaging subject, wherein the groove has a cross-sectional shape configured to accommodate an elongated member so as to be movable, and has an opening that has a width smaller than a diameter of the elongated member and from which a portion of the accommodated elongated member protrudes to the outside, and wherein the sheath is configured such that an external dimension in a direction orthogonal to an arrangement direction in which the lumen and the groove are arranged is smaller than an external dimension in the arrangement direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi TSURUTA, Takashi YASUMI, Yasuaki KASAI, Hirokazu YOKOTA
  • Publication number: 20190235231
    Abstract: An optical fiber scanner of the present invention includes: an optical fiber; a vibration device that vibrates the optical fiber; and a fixturethat fixes the optical fiber. The vibration device includes: a piezoelectric element; and an elastic member thattransmits the vibration of the piezoelectric element to the optical fiber. The piezoelectric element includes: first and second piezoelectrically active region; and a piezoelectrically inactive region arranged so as to fill a space between the adjacent end surfaces of these active regions. The second moments of area of a transverse shape formed of the piezoelectric element, the optical fiber, and the elastic member in two axial directions that are orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the optical fiber and that are orthogonal to each other are same at the position of the vibration device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi YASUMI, Yasuaki KASAI, Hiroshi TSURUTA, Hirokazu YOKOTA
  • Publication number: 20190200867
    Abstract: The technology is directed to an optical fiber scanner configured to be used in an observation device. The optical fiber scanner comprises an optical fiber guiding light therethrough. A vibration transmitting member is configured to transmit vibrations to the optical fiber. The vibration transmitting member includes a through hole defined therein through which the optical fiber extends. At least one piezoelectric element is disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the vibration transmitting member and vibrating a distal end portion of the optical fiber via the vibration transmitting member. A fixing member is disposed on a proximal end side of the vibration transmitting member. A tubular wire holding member includes a plurality of wires integrally attached for supplying a voltage to the piezoelectric element. The tubular wire holding member has a contact portion securing the plurality of wires to an outer peripheral surface of the piezoelectric element in contact therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Yokota, Yasuaki Kasai, Hiroshi Tsuruta, Takashi Yasumi
  • Patent number: 10330916
    Abstract: Provided is an optical-fiber scanner including: an optical fiber; a body fitted on a basal-end side of the optical fiber; piezoelectric elements secured to the body and causing the optical fiber to vibrate; and a securing portion to which the body is fitted at a position that is farther on a basal-end side away from the piezoelectric elements, wherein the body has a columnar portion that is formed of an elastic material to which the piezoelectric elements are attached and that has a through-hole into which the optical fiber can be inserted, and a distal-end portion that is disposed at a distal end of the columnar portion, that supports the optical fiber in a fitted state, and that has a rotator shape in which a cross-sectional area thereof in a radial direction gradually decreases toward a distal end of the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tsuruta, Yasuaki Kasai, Hirokazu Yokota
  • Publication number: 20190104930
    Abstract: Provided is an optical fiber scanner including: an optical fiber that guides light from a side of a proximal-end portion to a side of a distal-end portion along a longitudinal axis, the optical fiber emitting the light from the distal-end portion; a piezoelectric element that is secured to an outer circumferential surface of the optical fiber, the piezoelectric element, as a result of an alternating voltage being applied thereto, generating stretching vibrations in a direction along the longitudinal axis; and a pressing portion that, of an outer surface of the piezoelectric element positioned on the radially outer side of the optical fiber, presses down, radially inward, a portion corresponding to an antinode of the stretching vibrations in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the piezoelectric element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi YASUMI, Yasuaki KASAI, Hirokazu YOKOTA, Hiroshi TSURUTA
  • Publication number: 20190049719
    Abstract: An optical fiber scanner including: an optical fiber configured to emit, from a distal end thereof, illumination light guided from a light source; and at least three flat-plate-shaped piezoelectric elements that are disposed at positions spaced apart from the distal end that are closer to a proximal end of the optical fiber in the longitudinal axis direction and configured to vibrate the distal end of the optical fiber in a direction intersecting the longitudinal axis, wherein each of the piezoelectric elements has chamfered sections on both widthwise ends along at least a portion thereof in a longitudinal direction, and the piezoelectric elements adjacent in a circumferential direction are assembled into a tubular shape that surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the optical fiber in a close contact manner in a state where the chamfered sections are brought into close contact with one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi TSURUTA, Yasuaki KASAI, Hirokazu YOKOTA, Takashi YASUMI
  • Patent number: 10197797
    Abstract: A scanner unit includes: a tubular elastic part provided with marks outside a prescribed bonding region set on an outer surface thereof and; and a piezoelectric element that is bonded to the bonding region. The piezoelectric element includes: a piezoelectric body having two mutually opposing electrode faces; and marks that are different from each other, respectively provided on the two electrode faces. The mark provided on one electrode face has a shape that matches the mark provided outside the bonding region when the piezoelectric body is bonded to the bonding region so that the other electrode face contacts the outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu Yokota, Yasuaki Kasai, Hiroshi Tsuruta, Yoshiro Okazaki, Kazutoshi Kumagai
  • Publication number: 20190029507
    Abstract: An optical fiber scanner includes an optical fiber and a fixed member that is fixed to the outer periphery of the optical fiber. The fixed member is provided with: two vibration parts that are adjacent to the optical fiber in radial directions of the optical fiber that intersect with each other and that expand and contract in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber; and a connector that connects the two vibration parts. The two vibration parts respectively have inner surfaces that abut against the outer periphery of the optical fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu YOKOTA, Yasuaki KASAI, Hiroshi TSURUTA, Takashi YASUMI
  • Patent number: 10151918
    Abstract: A scanner includes: an optical fiber that guides light from a light source; a drive unit including at least one actuator that, when a voltage is applied thereto, displaces an exit end of the optical fiber in a direction intersecting an optical axis; a support portion that is provided on a basal end side from the drive unit and that is spaced away from the drive unit to support the optical fiber; and a correction portion that performs correction so as to bring the center of gravity of the drive unit and a combined center of gravity of the optical fiber, the drive unit, and the support portion close to each other on a cross-section of the drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuaki Kasai, Hiroshi Tsuruta
  • Publication number: 20180252910
    Abstract: An optical fiber scanner including: an elongated optical fiber that guides light; a vibration transferring member that has a through-hole through which the optical fiber is made to pass; piezoelectric elements bonded to the outer surfaces of the vibration transferring member and that perform stretching vibrations in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber when alternating voltages at a predetermined frequency are applied thereto, thus causing the optical fiber to generate bending vibrations in directions intersecting the longitudinal direction; and a fixing part that fixes the vibration transferring member. The vibration transferring member is provided with: holding surfaces formed of flat surfaces to which the piezoelectric elements are bonded; and contact surfaces formed of flat surfaces parallel to the holding surfaces, that are provided at least partially on the inner surfaces of the through-hole, and with which the outer surface of the optical fiber is brought into contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi TSURUTA, Yasuaki KASAI, Hirokazu YOKOTA
  • Patent number: 10067338
    Abstract: An optical fiber scanner including: an optical fiber that guides illumination light; a piezoelectric element that is disposed at an intermediate position on the optical fiber in the long-axis direction and that displaces, due to a bending vibration, an emission end of the optical fiber in a direction intersecting the long axis; a wiring part that is electrically bonded to the piezoelectric element at a location between the piezoelectric element and the optical fiber; a tube-shaped electrically conductive frame that has an inner hole for accommodating the piezoelectric element and the optical fiber; and a holding section that fixes the frame and the piezoelectric element and that conducts electricity between the frame and the piezoelectric element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshiro Okazaki, Yasuaki Kasai, Hiroshi Tsuruta, Hirokazu Yokota, Kazutoshi Kumagai
  • Patent number: 10036887
    Abstract: An optical fiber scanner is provided with an illumination optical fiber that guides light and emits the light from a distal end thereof; a plurality of piezoelectric elements that are secured on a side surface of the illumination optical fiber, that have polarizations in radial directions of the illumination optical fiber, and that vibrate the illumination optical fiber when an alternating voltage is applied in the polarization directions; and a vibration suppressing part that suppresses vibrations in the radial directions generated at a position of the illumination optical fiber away from the piezoelectric elements toward a base end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tsuruta, Yasuaki Kasai
  • Patent number: 9921407
    Abstract: A fiber-optic scanner equipped with a light-guiding optical fiber; the fiber-optic scanner including a plurality of vibration generating units disposed circumferentially at equal intervals on an outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber located on a base end side thereof at a predetermined distance from the emission end of the optical fiber to vibrate an emission end of the optical fiber in a plurality of directions; and a vibration damping member disposed at least in a position between base end-side edges of the vibration generating units and the emission end of the optical fiber, wherein the vibration damping member has a uniform shape of a rotating body rotated around the axis line of the optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuaki Kasai
  • Patent number: 9874739
    Abstract: This optical fiber scanner has an elongated optical fiber, a vibration transmission member which has a column-like shape and has a penetrating hole through which the optical fiber penetrates, and a piezoelectric element provided on an outer surface of the vibration transmission member, wherein the penetrating hole is a fitted hole which is formed from a proximal end of the vibration transmission member to a middle of the vibration transmission member and the optical fiber is fitted, and the penetrating hole is an accommodation hole which is formed from the middle to a distal end of the vibration transmission member, which has a large inner diameter than an outer diameter of the optical fiber, and which accommodates a distal end portion of the optical fiber with a gap between the optical fiber and the accommodation hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tsuruta, Yasuaki Kasai, Yoshiro Okazaki, Hirokazu Yokota, Kazutoshi Kumagai
  • Patent number: 9835851
    Abstract: The force of a piezoelectric element is efficiently transferred to an optical fiber without attenuation, so that the vibration of the optical fiber becomes large. Provided is an optical fiber scanner including an optical fiber which has an elongated cylindrical shape in which illumination light emitted from a light source is guided and can emerge from a distal end thereof and whose distal end can be vibrated in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction thereof; and at least one piezoelectric element which have a plate shape polarized in a thickness direction thereof and which are separately bonded to an outer circumferential surface of the optical fiber closer to a base side than to a distal end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoki Funakubo, Hiroshi Tsuruta, Morimichi Shimizu, Yasuaki Kasai
  • Publication number: 20170238792
    Abstract: Provided is an optical fiber scanner including: an illumination optical fiber that optically guides illumination light and outputs the light from a distal end thereof; an elastic section that engages with a base side of the illumination optical fiber relative to the distal end thereof and that is formed of an elastic material; piezoelectric elements fixed to a side surface of the elastic section, each piezoelectric element being polarized in a radial direction of the illumination optical fiber and receiving an alternating-current voltage in a polarization direction so as to cause the illumination optical fiber to vibrate via the elastic section; and a stationary section that has an engagement hole engaging with the elastic section at a position away from the piezoelectric elements toward the base side and that supports the illumination optical fiber in a cantilevered manner via the elastic section engaged with the engagement hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu YOKOTA, Yasuaki KASAI, Hiroshi TSURUTA
  • Publication number: 20170242239
    Abstract: Provided is an optical-fiber scanner including: an optical fiber; a body fitted on a basal-end side of the optical fiber; piezoelectric elements secured to the body and causing the optical fiber to vibrate; and a securing portion to which the body is fitted at a position that is farther on a basal-end side away from the piezoelectric elements, wherein the body has a columnar portion that is formed of an elastic material to which the piezoelectric elements are attached and that has a through-hole into which the optical fiber can be inserted, and a distal-end portion that is disposed at a distal end of the columnar portion, that supports the optical fiber in a fitted state, and that has a rotator shape in which a cross-sectional area thereof in a radial direction gradually decreases toward a distal end of the optical fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi TSURUTA, Yasuaki KASAI, Hirokazu YOKOTA
  • Publication number: 20170176742
    Abstract: Provided is an optical fiber scanner including: an illumination optical fiber; an annular elastic member formed of an elastic material having an engagement hole that engages with the illumination optical fiber; and a plurality of piezoelectric elements fixed to the annular elastic member, each piezoelectric element being polarized in a radial direction of the illumination optical fiber and applied an alternating voltage in a polarization direction so as to cause the illumination optical fiber to vibrate. The annular elastic member has a vibration transmitting section to a side of which the plurality of piezoelectric elements are bonded and transmits vibrations to the illumination optical fiber, and a fiber support section that is integrally molded together with the vibration transmitting section and that is capable of supporting the illumination optical fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuaki KASAI, Hiroshi TSURUTA, Hirokazu YOKOTA
  • Publication number: 20170075107
    Abstract: An optical fiber scanner including: an optical fiber that guides light produced by a light source; an actuator that is fixed at an intermediate position of the optical fiber in the long-axis direction and that displaces a distal end of the optical fiber through a bending vibration; and an electrically conductive detection wire member that extends in a state in which it is attached to the outer periphery of the optical fiber at least between the actuator and the distal end of the optical fiber, over a predetermined range in the long-axis direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazutoshi KUMAGAl, Yasuaki KASAI, Hiroshi TSURUTA, Yoshiro OKAZAKI, Hirokazu YOKOTA