Patents Assigned to Tohoku University
  • Patent number: 8969100
    Abstract: Regions where metastatic cancer cells can exist are detected with high accuracy in a sentinel lymph node. Quantum dots are injected into the vicinity of a cancer in a living body, thereby identifying the location of the sentinel lymph node by means of fluorescence. Subsequently, the sentinel lymph node is extracted. With respect to the sentinel lymph node extracted with quantum dots injected, structural analysis is conducted by means of precision fluorescence measurement which uses a confocal fluorescence microscope for monomolecular observation. Specifically, the fluorescence intensity is measured with respect to each of multiple areas in the sentinel lymph nodes, and out of the multiple areas measured, one or more areas are detected as afferent lymph vessel inflow regions in descending order of fluorescence intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignees: Tohoku University, Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventors: Makoto Hikage, Kohsuke Gonda, Motohiro Takeda, Takashi Kamei, Noriaki Ohuchi, Hideki Gouda, Yasushi Nakano
  • Patent number: 8969944
    Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor integrated circuit that uses a novel vertical MOS transistor that is free of interference between cells, that enables the short-channel effect to be minimized, that does not have hot electron injection, and that does not require the formation of shallow junction. Also provided is a method of producing the semiconductor integrated circuit. A memory cell 1 in the semiconductor integrated circuit is provided with: a semiconductor pillar 2 that serves as a channel; a floating gate 5 that circumferentially covers the semiconductor pillar 2 via a tunnel insulation layer 6 on the outer circumference of the semiconductor pillar 2; and a control gate 4 that circumferentially covers the semiconductor pillar via an insulating layer 8 on the outer circumference of the semiconductor pillar 2, and that circumferentially covers the floating gate 5 via an insulating layer 7 on the outer circumference of the floating gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Tohoku University
    Inventors: Tetsuo Endoh, Seo Moon-Sik
  • Patent number: 8968526
    Abstract: There are provided a method for manufacturing a magnetic recording medium which is excellent in terms of both the recording and reproduction characteristics and the thermal fluctuation characteristics without reducing the density and hardness of the perpendicular magnetic layer; a magnetic recording medium; and a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus with which an excellent recording density is achieved, wherein, in the method for manufacturing the magnetic recording medium, at least a portion of the perpendicular magnetic layer 4 is formed as a magnetic layer having a granular structure that contains Co as a major component and also contains an oxide of at least one nonmagnetic metal selected from the group consisting of Cr, Si, Ta, Al, Ti, W and Mg; a target for forming the perpendicular magnetic layer 4 by the sputtering process is prepared so as to include an oxide of Co and a compound of Co and at least one nonmagnetic metal selected from the group consisting of Cr, Si, Ta, Al, Ti, W and Mg, an
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignees: Showa Denko K.K., Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Tohoku University
    Inventors: Shingo Sasaki, Shin Saito, Migaku Takahashi, Atsushi Hashimoto, Yuzo Sasaki, Gohei Kurokawa, Tomoyuki Maeda, Akihiko Takeo
  • Patent number: 8963760
    Abstract: To obtain accurate digital data while using a successive approximation system when performing analog-to-digital conversion processing in a plurality of steps, an AD converter includes: a signal generation unit that generates a ramp voltage based on a count signal; a signal conversion unit including a circuit that holds an input signal voltage, a successive approximation capacitance group that outputs bias voltages according to a connection combination of capacitances having different capacitance values, and a unit that compares one of the ramp voltage and the bias voltage with the signal voltage; and a control unit generating a digital signal of the signal voltage based on a comparison result of the bias voltage and the comparison result of the ramp voltage while acquiring data for calibration of the capacitance group based on the connection combination and the ramp voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignees: Tohoku University, Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Shigetoshi Sugawa
  • Patent number: 8957228
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a macrolide compound expected to have a cell growth-inhibiting activity and a novel anticancer drug utilizing the compound. Specifically, the invention relates to a compound represented by Formula (I) or (II) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and relates to a cell growth inhibitor and an anticancer drug each containing the compound or the salt as an active ingredient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Tohoku University
    Inventors: Haruhiko Fuwa, Makoto Sasaki, Hiroshi Kubo, Takaya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8944995
    Abstract: An insertion device and an endoscope which are inserted and extracted through a small incision and have multiple functions. A device body has grip forceps as a treatment means. A first folding back section and a second folding back section are provided at a distal portion of the device body such that the first and second folding back sections are aligned in a row in the longitudinal direction of the device body. The first folding back section and the second folding back section respectively have image obtaining means. An operation means can move the first folding back section to a folded back position in which the first folding back section is folded back relative to the second folding back section, and can also move the second folding back section to a position in which the second folding back section is folded back relative to the device body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Tohoku University
    Inventors: Shinichirou Suda, Yoichi Haga, Tadao Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 8941005
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a photoelectric conversion device having a passivation layer suitable for a structure provided with a heat dissipation mechanism. A photoelectric conversion device 1 of the present invention has a first electrode layer 20, a single power generation laminate 22 having a nip structure formed of a-Si (amorphous silicon), and a second electrode layer 26 of Al formed on the power generation laminate 22 through a nickel layer 24. On the second electrode layer 26, a passivation layer 28 constructed of a material containing SiCN is formed. On the passivation layer 28, a heat sink 30 (for example, formed of Al) is mounted through an adhesive layer 29.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: National University Corporation Tohoku University
    Inventor: Tadahiro Ohmi
  • Patent number: 8941091
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate electrode which is formed on a substrate, and contains Al and Zr, a gate insulating film which is formed to cover at least the upper surface of the gate electrode, and contains Al and Zr, and an insulator layer formed on the substrate to surround the gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: National University Corporation Tohoku University
    Inventor: Tadahiro Ohmi
  • Publication number: 20150023862
    Abstract: A first object of the present invention is to provide a method for efficiently growing a nitride single crystal even under low pressure conditions. The present invention relates to a method for producing a nitride single crystal, comprising growing a nitride crystal on the surface of a seed crystal having a hexagonal crystal structure by setting a pressure in a reaction vessel having the seed crystal, a nitrogen-containing solvent, a mineralizer containing a fluorine atom, and a raw material placed therein to 5 to 200 MPa and performing control so that the nitrogen-containing solvent is in at least either a supercritical state or a subcritical state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicants: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Tohoku University, The Japan Steel Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru ISHIGURO, Quanxi BAO, Chiaki YOKOYAMA, Daisuke TOMIDA, Shigefusa CHICHIBU, Rinzo KAYANO, Mutsuo UEDA, Makoto SAITO, Yuji KAGAMITANI
  • Patent number: 8933408
    Abstract: [Problems to be Solved] A colquiriite-type crystal preferred for a scintillator for neutron detection, which has high sensitivity to neutron and which is reduced in background noise attributed to ? rays; a scintillator for neutron detection which comprises this crystal; and a neutron detector are provided. [Means to Solve the Problems] A colquiriite-type crystal represented by the chemical formula LiM1M2X6, such as LiCaAlF6, containing Na and Ce, for example, the colquiriite-type crystal containing at least one alkali metal element selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Rb and Cs, and a lanthanoid element selected from the group consisting of Ce, Pr and Nd, and having an isotopic ratio of 6Li of 20 mol % or more, preferably 50 mol % or more; a scintillator for neutron detection comprising the colquiriite-type crystal; and a neutron detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignees: Tokuyama Corporation, Tohoku University
    Inventors: Sumito Ishizu, Kentaro Fukuda, Noriaki Kawaguchi, Akira Yoshikawa, Takayuki Yanagida, Yui Yokota, Yutaka Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 8921525
    Abstract: [Problem] Disclosed is an antibody that exhibits excellent cytotoxicity and cell growth inhibition and that is based on an anti-human epithelial cell growth factor receptor (1) (Her1) antibody (528). Further disclosed is a method for producing same, and the like. [Solution] The mutant of an H chain humanized variable region (5H) or an L chain humanized variable region (5L) of the anti-human epithelial cell growth factor receptor (1) (Her1) antibody (528) is the aforementioned antibody characterized by having one to a plurality (for example: 1 to 5, or 1 to 3) of amino acid mutations within CDR2. Further disclosed are antibody molecules containing said region, a nucleic acid molecule coding for these polypeptides, a method for producing said antibody molecules, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Tohoku University
    Inventors: Izumi Kumagai, Takeshi Nakanishi, Ryutaro Asano, Mitsuo Umetsu
  • Patent number: 8921084
    Abstract: The present invention answers the demands of power generating device and biosensor development and provides a flexible, free-standing type protein containing carbon nanotube film, and a sensor and power generating device each equipped with the carbon nanotube film as an electrode. According to the present invention a carbon nanotube free standing film is provided including a carbon nanotube aggregate formed by aggregating a plurality of carbon nanotubes, and a plurality of enzymes included between the plurality of carbon nanotubes. The carbon nanotube film may include a different protein to the enzyme and may include a surfactant agent between the plurality of carbon nanotubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignees: Tohoku University, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Matsuhiko Nishizawa, Takeo Miyake, Syuhei Yoshino, Takeo Yamada, Kenji Hata
  • Patent number: 8920924
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method of producing fine particulate alkali metal niobate in a liquid phase system, wherein the size and shape of particles of the fine particulate alkali metal niobate can be controlled; and fine particulate alkali metal niobate having a controlled shape and size. Specifically disclosed are a method of producing particulate sodium-potassium niobate represented by the formula (1): NaxK(1-x)NbO3 (1), the method including four specific steps, wherein a high-concentration alkaline solution containing Na+ ion and K+ ion is used as an alkaline solution; and particulate sodium-potassium niobate having a controlled shape and size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignees: Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., TOHOKU University, Fuji Ceramics Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Muramatsu, Kiyoshi Kanie, Atsuki Terabe, Yasuhiro Okamoto, Hideto Mizutani, Satoru Sueda, Hirofumi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8922735
    Abstract: A backlight system includes: a light-emitting section (1) having a plurality of light sources that emit beams of light at different dominant wavelengths from one another; and an imaging optical system (3) including a plurality of microlenses (3a) that focus beams of light emitted from the light-emitting section (1), the backlight system irradiating a liquid crystal panel with beams of light having passed through the imaging optical system (3), the liquid crystal panel including a plurality of pixels arrayed at a predetermined pitch from each other, on the assumption that the pitch at which the pixels are arrayed is denoted as P and the imaging optical system (3) has an imaging magnification of (1/n), the light sources (1) being arrayed at a pitch (P1) given as P1=n×P, the microlenses (3a) being arrayed at a pitch (P2) given as P2=(n/(n+1))×P.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Tohoku University
    Inventors: Tatsuo Uchida, Yoshito Suzuki, Tohru Kawakami, Kazuo Sekiya, Masahiro Nishizawa, Takahiro Ishinabe, Baku Katagiri, Yoshihiro Hashimoto, Shoichi Ishihara, Shuichi Kozaki, Yutaka Ishii
  • Patent number: 8915999
    Abstract: A shower plate is disposed in a processing chamber in a plasma processing apparatus, and plasma excitation gas is released into the processing chamber so as to generate plasma. A ceramic member having a plurality of gas release holes having a diameter of 20 ?m to 70 ?m, and/or a porous gas-communicating body having pores having a maximum diameter of not more than 75 ?m communicating in the gas-communicating direction are sintered and bonded integrally with the inside of each of a plurality of vertical holes which act as release paths for the plasma excitation gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, National University Corporation Tohoku University
    Inventors: Masahiro Okesaku, Tadahiro Ohmi, Tetsuya Goto, Takaaki Matsuoka, Toshihisa Nozawa, Atsutoshi Inokuchi, Kiyotaka Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 8917541
    Abstract: Provided are a magneto resistive effect element with a stable magnetization direction perpendicular to a film plane and with a controlled magnetoresistance ratio, and a magnetic memory using the magneto resistive effect element. Ferromagnetic layers 106 and 107 of the magneto resistive effect element are formed from a ferromagnetic material containing at least one type of 3d transition metal such that the magnetoresistance ratio is controlled, and the film thickness of the ferromagnetic layers is controlled on an atomic layer level such that the magnetization direction is changed from a direction in the film plane to a direction perpendicular to the film plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Tohoku University
    Inventors: Hideo Ohno, Shoji Ikeda, Fumihiro Matsukura, Masaki Endoh, Shun Kanai, Hiroyuki Yamamoto, Katsuya Miura
  • Patent number: 8917753
    Abstract: Provided is an alignment method of a semiconductor optical amplifier with which optimization of coupling efficiency between incident laser light and light waveguide of the semiconductor optical amplifier is enabled without depending on an external monitoring device. The alignment method of a semiconductor optical amplifier is a method that optically amplifies laser light from a laser light source and outputs the optically amplified laser light, which adjusts relative position of the semiconductor optical amplifier with respect to the laser light entering into the semiconductor optical amplifier by flowing a given value of current to the semiconductor optical amplifier while entering the laser light from the laser light source to the semiconductor optical amplifier so that a voltage applied to the semiconductor optical amplifier becomes the maximum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Tohoku University
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Oki, Rintaro Koda, Masaru Kuramoto, Takao Miyajima, Hiroyuki Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 8906796
    Abstract: A method of producing a semiconductor transistor involving formation of an ohmic electrode on an active layer composed of a GaN-based semiconductor includes a process of forming a first layer 11 composed of tantalum nitride on an active layer 3 and a second layer 12 composed of Al layered on the first layer 11 and a process of forming ohmic electrodes 9s and 9d in ohmic contact with the active layer 3 by heat treating the first layer 11 and the second layer 12 at a temperature of from 520° C. to 600° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Tohoku University
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kambayashi, Akinobu Teramoto, Tadahiro Ohmi
  • Patent number: 8901535
    Abstract: A semiconductor nanoparticle assembly including semiconductor nanoparticles having a core/shell structure, and wherein the semiconductor nanoparticles are bonded by means of amide bonds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignees: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc., Tohoku University
    Inventors: Masaru Takahashi, Kensaku Takanashi, Hideki Hoshino, Kohsuke Gonda, Motohiro Takeda, Noriaki Ohuchi
  • Patent number: 8895162
    Abstract: A magnetoresistive element according to an embodiment includes: a base layer; a first magnetic layer formed on the base layer and having a changeable magnetization direction with an easy axis of magnetization in a direction perpendicular to a film plane; a first nonmagnetic layer formed on the first magnetic layer; and a second magnetic layer formed on the first nonmagnetic layer and having a fixed magnetization layer with an easy axis of magnetization in a direction perpendicular to the film plane. The first magnetic layer includes a ferrimagnetic layer having a DO22 structure or an L10 structure, the ferrimagnetic layer has a c-axis oriented in a direction perpendicular to the film plane, and the magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer is changeable by a current flowing through the first magnetic layer, the first nonmagnetic layer, and the second magnetic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, National University Corporation Tohoku University
    Inventors: Katsuya Nishiyama, Shigemi Mizukami, Terunobu Miyazaki, Hiroaki Yoda, Tadashi Kai, Tatsuya Kishi, Daisuke Watanabe, Mikihiko Oogane, Yasuo Ando, Masatoshi Yoshikawa, Toshihiko Nagase, Eiji Kitagawa, Tadaomi Daibou, Makoto Nagamine, Chunlan Feng