Patents by Inventor Akio Uchiyama

Akio Uchiyama 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: 8217645
    Abstract: A position detecting system including: a detected object disposed in a space; and an external device disposed outside the space, wherein the detected object includes a resonant circuit, and the external device includes at least two drive coils; at least two drive-signal input units; at least one sense coil; a signal adjustment unit that adjusts a phase or amplitude of a drive signal using an evaluation function for evaluating the phase or the amplitude, based on an intensity of the magnetic field; and a position deriving unit that derives a position of the detected object based on a magnetic field detected by the sense coil, wherein the evaluation function derives a solution by adding or multiplying a weight set according to a positional relation between each drive coil and each sense coil to or by an intensity of a magnetic field detected by the sense coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Takahiro Iida, Atsushi Chiba, Atsushi Kimura, Akio Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 8214017
    Abstract: A capsule guiding system includes a magnetic guiding unit, a displaying unit, an operation unit, and a control unit. The magnetic guiding unit guides, using magnetic force, a capsule-shaped medical apparatus introduced inside a subject. The displaying unit displays an image of the subject and an image of the capsule-shaped medical apparatus as an overlapped image, and changes relative position and relative direction between the two images as the capsule-shaped medical apparatus is guided by the magnetic guiding unit. The operation unit inputs coordinate information which specifies movement direction of the capsule-shaped medical apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Ryoji Sato, Atsushi Kimura, Akio Uchiyama
  • Publication number: 20120143047
    Abstract: A position detection apparatus and a medical-device-position detection system that have improved position detection accuracy are provided by setting high amplification for the position detection apparatus. The position detection apparatus includes a circuit that has at least one embedded coil (10a) and that is provided inside an object (10) to be detected; a first magnetic-field generating unit (11) for generating a first magnetic field in the region where the embedded coil (10a) is disposed; a magnetic-field detecting unit (5, 12) for detecting an induced magnetic field generated at the embedded coil (10a) by the first magnetic field; and a second magnetic-field generating unit (23) for generating a second magnetic field having a phase substantially opposite to the phase of the first magnetic field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi KIMURA, Akio UCHIYAMA, Ryoji SATO
  • Patent number: 8195276
    Abstract: There is provided an in-vivo information acquisition apparatus capable of detecting high-accuracy in-vivo information substantially at the same time in a plurality of different examination sites in a body cavity and an in-vivo information acquisition apparatus system capable of introducing a plurality of in-vivo information acquisition apparatuses into a patient at the same time. The in-vivo information acquisition apparatus includes a specimen-collecting section for collecting a specimen at an examination site in a body cavity, a specimen-evaluating section for evaluating the specimen collected by the specimen-collecting section and outputting an evaluation result, a labeling section having identification information unique to the in-vivo information acquisition apparatus, a communication section for receiving a signal transmitted from the outside and for transmitting to the outside the evaluation result output by the specimen-evaluating section, and a power supply section for supplying electrical power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Uchiyama, Hironobu Takizawa, Ryo Karasawa
  • Patent number: 8177709
    Abstract: A rotary self-propelled endoscope system includes an insertion section body, an insertion section, a drive unit, a torque detection unit, and a control unit. In a distal end portion of the insertion section body, a rigid distal end portion including an image pickup apparatus is disposed. The insertion section is rotatably fit to the outside of the insertion section body, and includes a rotary tubular member having a helical portion formed by a helical concave-convex portion. The drive unit applies the rotary tubular member with axial and rotational drive force. The torque detection unit detects torque information of the rotary tubular member. On the basis of the torque information detected by the torque detection unit, the control unit compares a present value with a preset limit value for controlling the torque of the rotary tubular member, and controls the drive unit on the basis of the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Akio Uchiyama, Mitsuhiro Ito, Seiichi Ito, Yoshiyuki Tanii
  • Patent number: 8177715
    Abstract: A capsule medical system is provided with a capsule medical device to be inserted into a subject, at least one electrode pad having a plurality of receiving electrodes, a receiving electrode switching unit, a control unit for controlling operations of the receiving electrode switching unit, and a position detector. The capsule medical device has a biological information acquiring unit for acquiring biological information of the subject, and a transmitting unit for outputting the biological information from a transmitting electrode through a living body. At least one electrode pad detects the biological information by a plurality of receiving electrodes. The receiving electrode switching unit switches a pair of receiving electrodes among the plurality of receiving electrodes. The position detector detects a position of the capsule medical device inside the subject based on the biological information detected by the electrode pad, and position coordinate data of the plurality of receiving electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignees: Olympus Medical Systems Corp., Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Chiba, Akio Uchiyama, Hironobu Takizawa, Ryoji Sato, Atsushi Kimura, Tetsuo Minai, Takeshi Mori
  • Patent number: 8164334
    Abstract: A position detection system that does not require calibration measurement to be performed in advance and reduces the work required for detecting a position and so on is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoji Sato, Akio Uchiyama, Atsushi Kimura
  • Patent number: 8159214
    Abstract: A position detecting system includes a magnetic field generator, a detecting body, a magnetic field detector, a position/direction calculating unit, and a control unit. The magnetic field generator generates a magnetic field in a three-dimensional space. The detecting body is put into the three-dimensional space, and includes a resonance circuit for generating a resonance magnetic field. The position/direction calculating unit calculates a position/direction of the detecting body. If the resonance circuit is in the non-resonant state, the magnetic field detector detects an environmental magnetic field, and the control unit updates detection data of the environmental magnetic field. If the resonance circuit is in the resonant state, the magnetic field detector detects the spatial magnetic field in the three-dimensional space. The position/direction calculating unit executes processing using the detection data of the spatial magnetic field and updated detection data of the environmental magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Akio Uchiyama, Atsushi Kimura
  • Patent number: 8140145
    Abstract: A position detection apparatus and a medical-device-position detection system that have improved position detection accuracy are provided by setting high amplification for the position detection apparatus. The position detection apparatus includes a circuit that has at least one embedded coil (10a) and that is provided inside an object (10) to be detected; a first magnetic-field generating unit (11) for generating a first magnetic field in the region where the embedded coil (10a) is disposed; a magnetic-field detecting unit (5, 12) for detecting an induced magnetic field generated at the embedded coil (10a) by the first magnetic field; and a second magnetic-field generating unit (23) for generating a second magnetic field having a phase substantially opposite to the phase of the first magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Kimura, Akio Uchiyama, Ryoji Sato
  • Patent number: 8095330
    Abstract: A position detecting device includes a position calculator that performs an optimization convergence calculation using an evaluation function that expresses an error between a measurement value and a theoretical value of magnetic field information of a detection target to calculate at least a position of the detection target; a storage unit that stores a final convergence result of the optimization convergence calculation performed by the position calculator; and a controller that determines whether a result of the optimization convergence calculation converges, suspends the optimization convergence calculation performed by the position calculator when the result does not converge, and performs, after a predetermined time has passed, a returning process of returning a state of the optimization convergence calculation to a converged state by causing the position calculator to perform the optimization convergence calculation based on the final convergence result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Atsushi Kimura, Akio Uchiyama, Atsushi Chiba, Ryoji Sato
  • Patent number: 8091164
    Abstract: There is provided an assisting table capable of horizontally holding a subject and holding an angle at which a head of a subject is supported in an inclined state, and an assisting instrument, which includes a containing portion for containing a fluid to introduce a capsule medical device into a body cavity, capable of ejecting a capsule medical device with the fluid from the containing portion by detachably attaching the capsule medical device at a distal end opening portion of the containing portion and by changing a shape of the containing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Hidetake Segawa, Takeshi Yokoi, Akira Kikuchi, Hironobu Takizawa, Akio Uchiyama
  • Publication number: 20110319715
    Abstract: An encapsulated endoscope system in accordance with the present invention comprises: an encapsulated endoscope that rotates to develop a thrust; a controller that moves the encapsulated endoscope in an intended direction of advancement; an imaging unit incorporated in the encapsulated endoscope; and an image processing unit that receives image data sent from the imaging unit, and produces an image, which results from rotation of the received image data, according to the rotational phase of the encapsulated endoscope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akio Uchiyama, Hironobu Takizawa, Takeshi Yokoi, Hitoshi Mizuno
  • Patent number: 8062210
    Abstract: An encapsulated endoscope system in accordance with the present invention comprises: an encapsulated endoscope that rotates to develop a thrust; a controller that moves the encapsulated endoscope in an intended direction of advancement; an imaging unit incorporated in the encapsulated endoscope; and an image processing unit that receives image data sent from the imaging unit, and produces an image, which results from rotation of the received image data, according to the rotational phase of the encapsulated endoscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Uchiyama, Hironobu Takizawa, Takeshi Yokoi, Hitoshi Mizuno
  • Publication number: 20110273548
    Abstract: A capsule endoscope device includes an illumination unit that illuminates a living tissue using at least one of a white light illumination unit and a special light illumination unit; an imaging unit that captures an image of the tissue; a transmission unit that transmits imaging information containing the image; a storage unit that stores a threshold with respect to information on a distance between the endoscope and the tissue; a detection unit that detects the information; and an output unit that compares the information with the threshold, selects an image capturing condition of a special light observation mode if the distance is not larger than the threshold, selects an image capturing condition of a normal light observation mode if the distance is larger than the threshold, and outputs the selected image capturing condition to an operation unit related to image capturing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Applicants: OLYMPUS CORPORATION, OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Akio UCHIYAMA, Tetsuo MINAI, Shinsuke TANAKA, Takeshi SUGA, Tatsuya ORIHARA, Kazuaki TAMURA
  • Patent number: 8038600
    Abstract: A medical system includes: a medical device to be inserted into the body cavity; a rotating device for the medical device for rotating the medical device around the insertion axis; an image pickup device provided to the medical device; and an image capturing timing detection device for detecting a signal regarding image capturing timing performed by the image pickup device. Furthermore, the medical system includes: a rotating angle acquisition device for acquiring the rotating angle of the rotating device for the medical device regarding the image capturing timing in response to the output of the image capturing timing detection device; and an image acquisition device for performing rotation processing for the image captured by the image pickup device based upon the information regarding the rotating angle acquired by the rotating angle acquisition device, thereby acquiring the image subjected to a rotation processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Uchiyama, Isao Aoki, Shinsuke Tanaka, Hironobu Takizawa, Hironao Kawano
  • Patent number: 8033989
    Abstract: An encapsulated endoscope system in accordance with the present invention comprises: an encapsulated endoscope that rotates to develop a thrust; a controller that moves the encapsulated endoscope in an intended direction of advancement; an imaging unit incorporated in the encapsulated endoscope; and an image processing unit that receives image data sent from the imaging unit, and produces an image, which results from rotation of the received image data, according to the rotational phase of the encapsulated endoscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Uchiyama, Hironobu Takizawa, Takeshi Yokoi, Hitoshi Mizuno
  • Patent number: 8032320
    Abstract: A position detection system and method in which the accuracy of position measurement of a device is not decreased with changes in the resonant frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoji Sato, Akio Uchiyama, Atsushi Kimura
  • Patent number: 8021356
    Abstract: This capsule medication administration system includes: a capsule type medical device which includes a drug retention section, a drug release section which releases a drug which is retained in the drug retention section, and a communication section which sends and receives signal between the outside; an external device which includes an external communication section which sends and receives signal between the capsule type medical device; a condition input section which inputs conditions for operating the drug release section to the external device; an information acquisition section which acquires information for comparison with conditions which have been inputted by the condition input section; and a comparison section which compares together the information which has been acquired by the information acquisition section and the conditions which have been inputted with the condition input section; and the drug release section is controlled based upon the result of comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Akio Uchiyama, Hironobu Takizawa, Hidetake Segawa, Hironao Kawano
  • Publication number: 20110218398
    Abstract: An image processing system includes an image generation unit that has two observation modes of a first observation mode for capturing an image under illumination by a first light source and a second observation mode for capturing an image under illumination by a second light source different from the first light source and generates an image to be displayed based on the image captured by selecting one of the observation modes; a brightness detection unit that detects brightness of the image captured in one observation mode; and a control unit that controls an exposure operation or image processing in the other observation mode performed subsequent to an observation in the one observation mode based on the brightness of the image detected by the brightness detection unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2010
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki TAMURA, Takeshi MORI, Akio UCHIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20110213203
    Abstract: A body-insertable apparatus includes a light-receiving unit that includes light-receiving elements each having a receiving wavelength spectrum; light-emitting units including a near ultraviolet light source whose peak of the emission intensity is near ultraviolet light with a wavelength deviated, from a receiving wavelength spectrum associated with the receiving wavelength spectrum, by a predetermined wavelength and including a yellow light source whose peak of the emission intensity is yellow; a selection unit that can select, from among the light-emitting units, light-emitting units corresponding respectively to the near ultraviolet and the yellow light sources; an image creating unit creating a normal-light image in accordance with a combined flat-shaped wavelength spectrum combined using the light-receiving unit or creating a special-light image in accordance with a combined sharp wavelength spectrum combined using a pixel that receives blue-color-component light of the light-receiving unit and a pixel th
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Tetsuo MINAI, Shinsuke TANAKA, Akio UCHIYAMA