Abstract: Provided is a technique for using an optical microscope image of an area on a sample to collect area-specific information characterizing each kind of biological tissue from imaging mass analysis data. On an optical image of a two-dimensional target area on a sample, a difference is examined in the kind of tissue or other features and areas are specified, each regarded as the same kind of tissue. When data processing is initiated, peak information is extracted, for each specified area, from mass spectrum data of all the measurement points. A peak method is applied to each area to extract peak information. Then, when a command to compare a set of areas is given, the peak information of those areas is collected. By comparing the peak information of different areas by a machine learning algorithm or similar judging technique, area-specific peak information is obtained, and this information is stored in memory.

Abstract: A device for displaying assistance information for surgical operation 1 includes an endoscope 11, a CT device 30, an image pickup device 20, a surface shape calculating unit 43, a coordinate axis matching unit 44 that matches the shape of the patient surface by the CT device 30 and the shape of the patient surface calculated from the image, an endoscope optical axis calculating unit 45 that calculates a ray indicative of an optical axis in the image pickup direction of the endoscope 11, an intersection calculating unit 46 that calculates an intersection of the ray and the plane constituting the internal parts of the patient 60, and an outputting unit 47 that outputs the information indicative of the intersection after overlapping the information on the information indicative of the shape of the patient 60.

Abstract: A cell sorting apparatus includes an extracorporeal circulation system 10 for sampling blood from a subject and circulating the blood outside a body; a cell measuring section 20 for supplying measurement light to cells contained in the blood to optically measure cell information on the physical quantity relating to the volume of the cell itself or a nucleus of the cell; and a cell separating section 30 for separating cells with reference to the cell information measured. The cell separating section 30 separates cells, based on the cell information measured by the cell measuring section 20 and a sorting condition set for sorting a specific type of cell such as a cancer cell, the cells satisfying the sorting condition, and returns the other cells into the body via the extracorporeal circulation system 10. Thus, a cell sorting apparatus can be realized which is capable of suitably sorting a target cell from the cells in blood.

Abstract: An evanescent catheter system having a tip portion of an optical fiber capable of securely measuring fluorescence intensity or fluorescence spectrum of a substance around a catheter tip, without being hindered by optical absorption of hemoglobin in erythrocytes in blood, and being capable of calculating an existing amount of a fluorescence-emitting substance existing in an evanescent light generating part. A protecting layer 22 and a cladding 23 are removed from an upper semicircular part of a core 24 at a tip of a catheter 21 to expose the core 24. When excitation light 29 is incident, evanescent light 25 is generated on the upper semicircular part of the core 24 and a fluorescent substance generates emits fluorescence 30. An interference filter 26 filters out the excitation light and only the fluorescence 30 reaches the photodiode 28, permitting a measuring device to measure an existing amount of the fluorescent substance.

Abstract: In an imaging mass analysis, image information of a sample allows users to grasp specific information about the sample, such as distribution of a portion with a particular function or effect. The mass spectrum intensity data are normalized for each pixel so that the sum of the intensities over the entire mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) is one. Entropy is calculated by totaling the product of the intensity normalizing at each m/z and the logarithm of that intensity over the entire m/z range. After the entropy is calculated for each pixel, the pixels are colored according to their entropy values to display a two-dimensional color image of entropy distribution. The entropy of a cancerous portion is relatively small because of a high content of a specific kind of substance and the simplified composition of the substances. Thus, the cancerous part and the normal part of the entropy image can be distinguished.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to measure lymphatic pressure with more safety and ease at lower cost. To achieve this, a lymphatic pressure-measuring system 1 includes: a manchette 11 fitted on a vital observation portion; a measurement unit 13 that measures and outputs pressure of the manchette 11; an infrared camera 21 that detects fluorescence emitted from fluorescent dye previously injected into a lymph vessel in the vital observation portion; and an image processing device 22 that generates and displays an image showing a position of the fluorescent dye in the lymph vessel based on a detection result of the infrared camera 21. The infrared camera 21 repeats the detection while the pressure of the manchette 11 decreases from first pressure to block a lymph flow in the vital observation portion to second pressure at restart of the lymph flow. The measurement unit 13 repeats the measurement during the period.

Abstract: Since cerebral atrophy does not occur only in a specific cross-section and reaches the brain in its entirety or arises prominently in a specific lobe (for example temporal lobe), for the assessment of cerebral atrophy, not only atrophy assessment for the frontal lobe but also an assessment also including atrophy of the temporal lobe, the parietal lobe and the occipital lobe is more desirable. The intracranial volume, the volume of the grey matter and the volume of the white matter are respectively extracted, computed and converted into numbers by image processing from a plurality of MRI slice images and the like. Ratios of these values from the conversions into numbers are taken to calculate the ratio of the grey matter and the ratio of the white matter with respect to the entire brain. Through comparison of a multitude of measurement data obtained by this automated computation, and a case, an objective cerebral atrophy assessment is carried out.

Abstract: Provided is a method that involves the detection of protein antigen (PA) and/or collagen-binding protein (CBP) of oral cavity bacteria in a sample, and in which oral cavity bacteria that exacerbate hemolysis are detected for and/or subjects at high-risk for hemolysis aggravation are screened anchor the level of risk of the hemolysis aggravation in a subject is assessed if a PA is not detected anchor a CBP is detected in the sample. Also provided are a detection reagent and kit for use in the method.

Abstract: Surgical operation supporting apparatus and method is disclosed in which based on a high-definition tomographic images of an operation site produced before surgery, a three-dimensional model of the operation site is generated, and a surface of the operation site is optically measured during the surgical operation, and further, first position information that represents a three-dimensional position of each of points on the surface is acquired. An unexposed portion of the operation site is measured with ultrasonic waves during the surgical operation, and second position information that represents a three-dimensional position of each of points in the unexposed portion is acquired. Based on the first position information and the second position information, displacement and distortion at a portion whose three-dimensional position is not known in the three-dimensional model is estimated to obtain an estimated result.

Abstract: A mass spectrometer capable of obtaining a clear microscopic observation image with high spatial resolution in real time, even during a mass analysis, without affecting the analysis is provided. An aperture 1a is formed in a stage 1 on which a sample plate 2 to be placed. The sample plate 2 is transparent or translucent. A microscopic observation unit, including an observation optical system 20 and a CCD camera 21, is provided below the stage 1 to observe the reverse side of the sample 3 through the aperture 1a of the stage 1 as well as the transparent sample plate 2. The observed image is displayed on the screen of a display unit 27. If the sample 3 is a slice of biological tissue, the sample image taken from the reverse side will be substantially the same as an image taken from the obverse side.

Abstract: Presentation of images showing with high resolution the state of a surgical field during surgery is realized with a simple configuration. When performing surgery, a three-dimensional model is generate based on MRI images of a patient captured prior to surgery, and three-dimensional coordinates of each location on a surface of the patient are measured by scanning a laser beam over the surface and detecting laser beam reflected therefrom, and correspondence is made with the MRI image for each location of the surface (frameless/markerless: steps 100 to 116), the position of a surgical instrument is also detected by the laser beam, the position of the surgical instrument derived, and images of the surgical instrument combined onto the MRI images and displayed during surgery (steps 120 to 130).

Abstract: The invention relates to a microscopic cell observation and inspection system that uses a total internal reflection cell illuminator that is capable of freely changing an observation position without recourse to any special slide glass, makes sure high SN-ratio observation and facilitates sample manipulation, thereby making high-sensitivity, fast detection of a lot of cell reactions on the same slide glass. While, in response to a command from personal computer (80), step motors (53, 54) are driven to sequentially scan observation positions of cell sample (S) on slide glass (21), one of shutter units (71) and (72) is closed and the other is opened at high speed, whereby either one of illumination optical paths for a TIRF microscope and a drop fluorescence microscope is selected to illuminate cell sample (S) on that observation position.

Abstract: A switch-type imaging fiber apparatus and a branch-type imaging fiber apparatus are provided. Light emitted from a laser light source is made incident on an opening of an IF (image fiber) guided by a GM (galvanometer), output from an optical system provided at a leading end portion of the IF, and applied to an observation target. The light reflected by the observation target is sent back to the IF, transformed into parallel light by an f? objective lens, reflected by a dichroic mirror, made incident on an image pickup device (CCD) via an imaging lens, and can be observed on a monitor. The GM is controlled to switch to make the light incident on the opening of an arbitrary one of a plurality of IFs. Accordingly, observation can be performed by focusing the light solely on the arbitrary IF.

Abstract: Surgical operation supporting apparatus and method is disclosed in which based on a plurality of high-definition tomographic images of an operation site produced before surgery, a three-dimensional model of the operation site is generated, and a surface of the operation site is optically measured during the surgical operation, and further, first position information that represents a three-dimensional position of each of points on the surface of the operation site is acquired. Further, an unexposed portion of the operation site is measured with ultrasonic waves during the surgical operation, and the second position information that represents a three-dimensional position of each of points in the unexposed portion of the operation site is acquired. Moreover, based on the first position information and the second position information, displacement and distortion occurring at each of the points in the operation site are estimated using the generated three-dimensional model.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for preventing and/or treating neurologic damage after spinal cord injury in a mammal including human in need thereof which comprises administering an effective amount of a compound of the general formula [I]: or a salt, or a solvate thereof, and a use thereof.

Abstract: Augmenting factors for human antibody production having a molecular weight of 2,000-4,000 are prepared from the supernatant of cultured human lymphocytes. Nylon wool-adherent cells of human lymphocytes are separated from nylon wool-passed cells, and are then cultured, dialyzed and lyophilized. The factors espeically augment and enhance the production of immunoglobulins, IgG and IgM.