Patents by Inventor Akinori Araya

Akinori Araya 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).

  • Patent number: 10425592
    Abstract: Observation in which the properties of a detection element are utilized is performed. Provided is a detection device including: a detector that has a linear response characteristic, in which an output signal changes linearly, and a nonlinear response characteristic, in which the output signal changes nonlinearly, and that detects light from a sample and outputs the output signal in accordance with the intensity of the light; a light detection circuit that is capable of switching between a first amplification factor and a second amplification factor, the light detection circuit amplifying the output signal output from the detector based on the first amplification factor or the second amplification factor so as to generate a brightness signal; and an input unit with which a user is allowed to switch the amplification factor for the output signal to be used between the first amplification factor and the second amplification factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akinori Araya
  • Publication number: 20180167561
    Abstract: Observation in which the properties of a detection element are utilized is performed. Provided is a detection device including: a detector that has a linear response characteristic, in which an output signal changes linearly, and a nonlinear response characteristic, in which the output signal changes nonlinearly, and that detects light from a sample and outputs the output signal in accordance with the intensity of the light; a light detection circuit that is capable of switching between a first amplification factor and a second amplification factor, the light detection circuit amplifying the output signal output from the detector based on the first amplification factor or the second amplification factor so as to generate a brightness signal; and an input unit with which a user is allowed to switch the amplification factor for the output signal to be used between the first amplification factor and the second amplification factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akinori ARAYA
  • Patent number: 9625696
    Abstract: A laser scanning microscope includes a light irradiating portion that irradiates a sample; a PMT that detects fluorescence from the sample and outputs an intensity signal; a data processing portion that converts the intensity signal to brightness information at each pixel; a full-scale setting portion that can set a normal full scale that is smaller than the intensity signal when a light stimulus is given and an expanded full scale that is larger than the normal full scale, as a maximum range of the intensity signal that can be converted to brightness information; and a control portion that determines whether to switch between a normal observation mode and a stimulation observation mode; wherein the full-scale switching portion sets the normal full scale in the normal observation mode and sets the expanded full scale in the stimulation observation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuyuki Hashimoto, Kunihiko Sasaki, Yasunari Matsukawa, Akinori Araya
  • Patent number: 9494778
    Abstract: Brightness information with a wide dynamic range is acquired and observed while preventing degradation of a detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinori Araya, Yohei Kuwabara
  • Publication number: 20160109694
    Abstract: With the object of expanding the dynamic range of an intensity signal and suppressing degradation of a light detecting portion, a laser scanning microscope of the present invention includes a light irradiating portion that irradiates a sample with laser light; a PMT that detects fluorescence from the sample and that outputs an intensity signal; a data processing portion that converts the intensity signal to brightness information at each pixel; a full-scale setting portion that can optionally set a normal full scale that is smaller than the intensity signal of the fluorescence from the sample when a light stimulus is given thereto and an expanded full scale that is larger than the normal full scale, as a maximum range of the intensity signal that can be converted to brightness information; and a control portion that determines whether to switch between a normal observation mode in which the brightness information of the sample when the light stimulus is not given thereto is obtained and a stimulation observat
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuyuki HASHIMOTO, Kunihiko SASAKI, Yasunari MATSUKAWA, Akinori ARAYA
  • Patent number: 9170151
    Abstract: Provided is a photodetector including a light receiving portion that accumulates and outputs the amount of received observation light as electric charges; an offset portion that adds an offset signal to an output signal from the light receiving portion; an AD conversion portion that AD-converts the sum of the output signal and the offset signal obtained by the offset portion; a control unit that controls the AD conversion portion such that it A-D converts said sum when the light receiving portion is charged and discharged; and an offset correcting portion that corrects the offset signal by adjusting the value of the offset signal contained in the black level value such that the black level value obtained by the AD conversion portion from said sum when the capacitor is discharged becomes equal to a predetermined target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yohei Kuwabara, Akinori Araya, Kunihiko Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20140285654
    Abstract: Brightness information with a wide dynamic range is acquired and observed while preventing degradation of a detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: Akinori ARAYA, Yohei KUWABARA
  • Patent number: 8730574
    Abstract: A microscope system includes a culture unit for holding and cultivating a specimen while maintaining constant temperature and humidity; a stage for holding the culture unit; a first light-converging optical system for converging illumination light emitted from a light source on the specimen; a second light-converging optical system for converging transmitted light that has passed through the specimen; a transmitted-light pinhole provided at a position optically conjugate to the light-converging position of illumination light on the specimen to cut off part of transmitted light converged by the second light-converging optical system; a transmitted-light detector that detects transmitted light that has passed through the transmitted-light pinhole; a moving system for moving the first and second light-converging optical systems, the transmitted-light pinhole, and the transmitted-light detector and the stage relative to each other; a housing that encloses these components and cuts off external light; and a contro
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Akinori Araya, Tatsuo Nakata
  • Publication number: 20130306839
    Abstract: Provided is a photodetector including a light receiving portion that accumulates and outputs the amount of received observation light as electric charges; an offset portion that adds an offset signal to an output signal from the light receiving portion; an AD conversion portion that AD-converts the sum of the output signal and the offset signal obtained by the offset portion; a control unit that controls the AD conversion portion such that it A-D converts said sum when the light receiving portion is charged and discharged; and an offset correcting portion that corrects the offset signal by adjusting the value of the offset signal contained in the black level value such that the black level value obtained by the AD conversion portion from said sum when the capacitor is discharged becomes equal to a predetermined target value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Inventors: Yohei KUWABARA, Akinori ARAYA, Kunihiko SASAKI
  • Patent number: 8144396
    Abstract: An image can be prevented from becoming unclear over time during long-term observation. The invention provides a microscope apparatus including a specimen container for containing a specimen; an objective lens disposed opposite the specimen container for collecting light from the specimen in the specimen container; an immersion-liquid supplying unit for supplying immersion liquid to a space between the objective lens and the specimen container; and an immersion-liquid removing unit for removing the immersion liquid from the space between the objective lens and the specimen container. The immersion-liquid removing unit includes a nozzle for ejecting compressed air to the space between the objective lens and the specimen container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Tomioka, Akinori Araya, Toshiyuki Hattori, Yasunari Matsukawa, Tatsuo Nakata
  • Patent number: 8111455
    Abstract: A light source apparatus is provided which includes semiconductor laser elements that emit laser light according to an inputted current signal, a light receiving element that receives the laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser elements, and a controller that controls light emission of the semiconductor laser elements. The controller includes a first semiconductor laser element drive circuit that outputs a current signal to the semiconductor laser elements according to an instruction signal, a second semiconductor laser element drive circuit that adjusts the current signal based on a light quantity of the laser light received by the light receiving element, and outputs the adjusted current signal to the semiconductor laser elements, and a circuit switching section that switches between the first and the second semiconductor laser element drive circuits according to an instruction signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Akinori Araya
  • Patent number: 7969653
    Abstract: It is possible to achieve a required field number and numerical aperture for microscope observation at a scanning speed equal to video-rate or higher and also to change the scanning speed with a simple configuration. The invention provides a laser microscope including a laser light source; a scanning unit configured to scan a specimen with laser light emitted from the laser light source; and an objective lens configured to focus the laser light scanned by the scanning unit on the specimen. The scanning unit is provided with an electro-optical deflecting element including an electro-optical crystal in which a refractive index gradient is induced by injecting electric current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Akinori Araya, Tatsuo Nakata, Makio Ueno
  • Patent number: 7964853
    Abstract: A laser scanning microscope that can construct a fluorescence image with high resolution even with a photodetector having a small array size is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Akinori Araya
  • Publication number: 20110134516
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a microscope system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinori ARAYA, Tatsuo Nakata
  • Patent number: 7876500
    Abstract: It is possible to check for observation success or failure and the observation history without waiting for observation to be completely finished, thus saving time and energy required for observation, and avoiding lost opportunities for observation of precious samples etc. Provided is a microscope apparatus including an image acquisition unit for acquiring a plurality of frame images while varying a plurality of parameters; an image saving unit for successively saving the frame images acquired by the image acquisition unit; a property-information saving unit for saving property information in which identifying information of the saved frame images is associated with the parameters; and a control unit for controlling these units, wherein the control unit saves updated property information in the property-information saving unit each time the frame image is saved in the image saving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Hattori, Tatsuo Nakata, Yasunari Matsukawa, Akinori Araya, Masaharu Tomioka
  • Publication number: 20100282981
    Abstract: A laser scanning microscope that can construct a fluorescence image with high resolution even with a photodetector having a small array size is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Akinori ARAYA
  • Patent number: 7773297
    Abstract: A scanning microscope includes an objective lens for focusing illumination light onto a specimen; a scanning device for deflecting and scanning the illumination light; a pupil-projection optical system for illuminating a pupil of the objective lens with the scanned illumination light; and a total-magnification specifying unit for specifying a total magnification. An optical-system selecting unit changes at least one of the objective lens and the pupil-projection optical system such that a magnification of an optical system including the objective lens and the pupil-projection optical system is equal to or less than the total magnification specified by the total-magnification specifying unit and that the numerical aperture of the optical system is maximized. A deflection-angle determination unit determines a deflection angle of the illumination light deflected by the scanning device based on the ratio of the magnification of the optical system to the total magnification to achieve the total magnification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunari Matsukawa, Masaharu Tomioka, Akinori Araya, Toshiyuki Hattori
  • Patent number: 7724426
    Abstract: To provide a laser scanning microscope including a laser beam source for stimulation that emits a laser beam for stimulation for applying photostimulation to a sample, a scanner that performs scanning with the laser beam for stimulation, a control device that controls the scanner, and an objective lens that condenses the laser beam for stimulation used for scanning by the scanner to the sample. The scanner has at least one acoustooptic device arranged on an optical path of the laser beam for stimulation. The control device determines a plurality of frequencies on the basis of the position and the range of a photostimulation region, and simultaneously applies the high-frequency signals of the determined plurality of frequencies to a vibrator attached to the acoustooptic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Yamashita, Akinori Araya
  • Publication number: 20090135476
    Abstract: Beth of highly stable light having the same optical performance and fast-modulated light are emitted simply and inexpensively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Akinori ARAYA
  • Publication number: 20080259442
    Abstract: A scanning microscope includes an objective lens for focusing illumination light onto a specimen; a scanning device for deflecting and scanning the illumination light; a pupil-projection optical system for illuminating a pupil of the objective lens with the scanned illumination light; and a total-magnification specifying unit for specifying a total magnification. An optical-system selecting unit changes at least one of the objective lens and the pupil-projection optical system such that a magnification of an optical system including the objective lens and the pupil-projection optical system is equal to or less than the total magnification specified by the total-magnification specifying unit and that the numerical aperture of the optical system is maximized. A deflection-angle determination unit determines a deflection angle of the illumination light deflected by the scanning device based on the ratio of the magnification of the optical system to the total magnification to achieve the total magnification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunari Matsukawa, Masaharu Tomioka, Akinori Araya, Toshiyuki Hattori