Abstract: A surgical assistance system for operating on biological tissue using a surgical tool attached to an arm of an automatically-controlled surgical instrument so that an optimal feed rate of the tool is calculated and outputted to the surgical instrument, the system including: a device for storing and voxelizing medical image data obtained from a biological tissue subject to surgery; a device for setting an operative location based on the shape of the biological tissue; a device for calculating a tool path along which the tool travels to perform surgery at an operative location; a device for determining the region of interference between the tool and the voxels; a device for determining the hardness of the biological tissue in the interference region; a device for calculating an optimal tool feed rate corresponding to the hardness; and a device for outputting the feed rate obtained by the calculations to the surgical instrument.

Abstract: A light fluctuation measuring apparatus, comprising a parameter setting unit 2 which sets parameters of a microscopic image obtaining unit and/or parameters of a light emission measuring unit used for observing light emission in a desired area of a sample in time series, a parameter storage 4 which stores parameters, a mode selector 3 which selects one of a microscopic image obtaining mode for obtaining a microscopic image by a microscopic image obtaining unit, and a light emission measuring mode for observing light emission in a desired area by a light emission measuring unit, and a control unit 1 which reads parameters stored in the storage 4 based on a selected mode, inputs the parameter to a microscopic image obtaining unit or a light emission measuring unit, and controls these units.

Abstract: A light fluctuation measuring apparatus, comprising a parameter setting unit 2 which sets parameters of a microscopic image obtaining unit and/or parameters of a light emission measuring unit used for observing light emission in a desired area of a sample in time series, a parameter storage 4 which stores parameters, a mode selector 3 which selects one of a microscopic image obtaining mode for obtaining a microscopic image by a microscopic image obtaining unit, and a light emission measuring mode for observing light emission in a desired area by a light emission measuring unit, and a control unit 1 which reads parameters stored in the storage 4 based on a selected mode, inputs the parameter to a microscopic image obtaining unit or a light emission measuring unit, and controls these units.

Abstract: An electric discharge machining apparatus includes a first movable body (40, 42, 50) movable along the Z axis, a ball screw (34), a motor (30) for causing rotation of the ball screw, a nut (35), attached to the first movable body, threadingly engaging the ball screw, a second movable body (10, 13) movable along the Z axis relative to the first movable body, capable of having the tool electrode attached thereto, and a linear motor (71, 72, 73) for moving the second movable body, for machining a workpiece by moving a tool electrode along a Z axis towards the workpiece while causing an electric discharge between the workpiece and the tool electrode. The linear motor includes a stator (73) attached to the first movable body, and a mover (71, 72) attached to the second movable body. The first and second movable bodies include respective electrode attachment units (50, 13).

Abstract: In a method of and apparatus for controlling an atmosphere in a heat treatment furnace according to the present invention, a carburizing is carried out while supplying a hydrocarbon series gas and an oxidization gas into the furnace. The quantity of a residual CH.sub.4, a partial pressure of the oxidization gas and a partial pressure of CO are measured. The quantity of each gas to be supplied into the furnace is controlled according to either one of the values of the partial pressures.

Abstract: In a method of and apparatus for controlling an atmosphere in a heat treatment furnace according to the present invention, a carburizing is carried out while supplying a hydrocarbon series gas and an oxidization gas into the furnace, and the supply of the hydrocarbon series gas is stopped either when the quantity of a residual CH.sub.4 in the furnace is changed to increasing from decreasing, or when a partial pressure of oxygen in the furnace reaches a predetermined value.