Abstract: There is provided an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus capable of outputting an appropriate ultrasound image with no distortion regardless of a sound velocity distribution in a subject. In the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, sound velocities are calculated at two or more points in a subject, and coordinate transformation of a generated ultrasound image is performed based on the calculated sound velocities.

Abstract: A downhole acoustic tool and method of use are provided. The acoustic tool includes an acoustic tool body. In addition, a transmitter section located along the acoustic tool body, including four or more transmitters to be driven so as to excite multi-mode waveforms. The acoustic tool further includes an array receiver section located along the acoustic tool body, containing a receiver sub-section comprising four or more receivers axially aligned with the four or more transmitters and spaced axially apart from the transmitter section. The acoustic tool also includes a processor configured to drive the transmitter section to excite multi-mode waveforms and to extract the multi-mode waveforms detected by the receiver section for interpretation of formation properties. A method for measuring a formation using the described acoustic tool is also provided.

Abstract: A semiconductor light-emitting element includes a substrate and a semiconductor stack portion provided on the substrate and having at least a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer. The substrate has a property to allow transmission of light from the light-emitting layer, and has a hexahedral shape including a first surface on which a semiconductor stack portion is provided, a second surface located opposite to the first surface, a pair of third surfaces orthogonal to the first surface and the second surface, and a pair of fourth surfaces orthogonal to the first surface and the second surface and different from the pair of third surfaces.

Abstract: There are provided an ultrasound image generating apparatus, which generates a high-quality ultrasound image even in a deep portion of a subject, and a control method thereof. In an ultrasound image (Img), for a portion (Ar1) equal to or less than a depth threshold value (D1), a real scanning line (L1) obtained from an acoustic wave echo signal is used. In the ultrasound image (Img), for a portion (Ar2) deeper than the depth threshold value (D1), an interpolation scanning line (L2) located between the real scanning lines (L1) is generated from an acoustic wave echo signal having a positional deviation between a focusing position of ultrasound waves and an observation target position. Also for a portion deeper than the interpolation scanning line (L2), a high-quality ultrasound image (Img) is obtained.

Abstract: Provided are a puncture range determination apparatus and a puncture range determination method in which the hardness of tissue is considered as well as blood vessels. A blood vessel (32) is detected through performing Doppler processing. In addition, a soft region (33) of a subject is detected through performing elastication processing. A range of the soft region (33) excluding the blood vessel (32) is detected as a puncture recommendation range. Guide lines (34) and (35) defining the puncture recommendation range are displayed. A doctor performs puncturing with a needle inside the guide lines (34) and (35) and punctures a puncture target region (31) with the needle.

Abstract: There are provided an acoustic wave image generating apparatus and a control method thereof for making an insertion needle clear. A first ultrasound image is generated using ultrasound echo signals obtained from a first plurality of ultrasound transducers. From the first ultrasound image, an evaluation value indicating the discontinuity of a needle is calculated for an image of an insertion needle. In a case where the calculated evaluation value is less than a threshold value, a second ultrasound image is generated using ultrasound echo signals obtained from a second plurality of ultrasound transducers whose number is larger than the first plurality. The first ultrasound image is displayed if the evaluation value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, and the second ultrasound image is displayed if the evaluation value is less than the threshold value.

Abstract: A storage device of the present invention includes a control circuit configured to convert a writing target file into one or more blocks and designate a writing method for the writing target file in accordance with whether or not a duplication elimination is to be applied to the writing target file, and a storage circuit including a storage medium and configured to calculate one or more hash values each associated with a corresponding one of the one or more blocks in accordance with the writing method, determine each of one or more addresses on the storage medium on the basis of a corresponding one of the one or more hash values, and write the one or more blocks into the storage medium.

Abstract: A technique facilitates slowness estimation in accordance with dispersion information in a sonic logging tool. The technique may be used for processing dispersive waveforms in real-time. In this embodiment, the technique utilizes a sonic transmitter and a sonic receiver array in the logging tool. The technique also includes use of a memory and a processor mounted in the logging tool, for converting dispersive waveforms into slowness of the formation and/or fluid in accordance with dispersion information stored in the memory. Additionally, the technique may utilize a telemetry system for sending the formation slowness data and/or quality control indicators to the surface.

Abstract: An example method for displaying sonic logging data associated with a formation surrounding a borehole can include acquiring sonic data at a plurality of depths using an acoustic array located in the borehole and transforming the acquired sonic data from a time-space domain to a frequency-wave number domain at a limited number of discrete frequencies. The method can also include estimating slowness values at the limited number of discrete frequencies from the transformed sonic data, interpolating the estimated slowness values to obtain a projection of one or more slowness-frequency dispersions of the acquired sonic data and displaying the projection of the slowness-frequency dispersions. The projection of the slowness-frequency dispersions can include a plurality of color bands corresponding to each of the limited number of discrete frequencies.

Abstract: A power control device includes non-volatile memory, a controller, and a logic circuit. The non-volatile memory includes a function of externally outputting a logical state of a bit stored in a specific area as a state hold signal that indicates an ON/OFF state of a device function unit before a power cutoff. The controller controls the ON/OFF state of the device function unit and also writes the ON/OFF state of the device function unit to the specific area of the non-volatile memory. The logic circuit controls power supply to the controller on the basis of a logic level of the state hold signal from the non-volatile memory.

Abstract: A technique facilitates cement bonding evaluation including collecting waveform data and pre-processing the waveform data. The technique also may utilize processes which provide a time window position for the pre-processed waveform data and calculation of waveform amplitude and/or attenuation. Additionally, the technique may include deriving an amplitude-based bond index and/or attenuation-based bond index through the use of a model or other suitable waveform data processing technique which enables preparation of quality control plots with respect to the processing results.

Abstract: In a photoacoustic image generation apparatus for obtaining a photoacoustic signal by emitting light toward a subject from a light source and detecting photoacoustic waves emitted from the subject having received the light and imaging the subject based on the photoacoustic signal, there are provided: means for removing a signal showing a component appearing discontinuously in the subject from photoacoustic signals relevant to a plurality of cross sections of the subject that have been generated by changing an angle between an emission direction of the light and a surface of the subject; and means for constructing a three-dimensional image of the subject from photoacoustic signals showing the plurality of cross sections after the removal processing.

Abstract: A communication method includes transmitting a first data from a first communication device to a second communication device, transmitting, from the second communication device to the first communication device, a limiting request that requests limiting of a transmission band from the first communication device to the second communication device, in a case where the data amount of the first data is less than a first threshold value, and executing limiting of the transmission band, based on the limiting request.

Abstract: In a photoacoustic image generation apparatus for generating a photoacoustic image of a subject including an interventional instrument for each scanning plane, there are provided: means for generating a reflected acoustic wave image of the subject for each scanning plane; means for detecting a change in a photoacoustic image on an observation scanning plane, which is generated as an image, from a plurality of photoacoustic images regarding the observation scanning plane; means for detecting a change in a reflected acoustic wave image on the observation scanning plane from a plurality of reflected acoustic wave images regarding the observation scanning plane; determination means for determining whether or not a distal end of the interventional instrument is present on the observation scanning plane based on the change in the photoacoustic image and the change in the reflected acoustic wave image; and notification means for sending notification of a result of the determination.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor chip including a first circuit, a second circuit, a first interconnect connected to the first circuit, a second interconnect connected to the second circuit, and a third interconnect connecting the first interconnect and the second interconnect.

Abstract: There are provided an acoustic wave image generating apparatus for generating a B-mode image having a fixed brightness and a control method thereof. First brightness information (81) indicating the brightness of a first B-mode image in the depth direction of the subject is generated. Positional deviation correction is performed on an acoustic wave echo signal having a positional deviation between the focusing position of acoustic waves and the observation target position, and second brightness information (82) indicating the brightness in the depth direction of the subject is generated from a superposition signal obtained by superimposing an acoustic wave echo signal for which the positional deviation has been corrected and an acoustic wave echo signal without positional deviation. The brightness of the first B-mode image is corrected based on the first brightness information and the second brightness information.

Abstract: Provided are a washing device and a washing method that can remove burnt body fluid adhered to a medical instrument. The washing device can remove the burned component which adhered to a tip end portion of a surgical instrument by applying a physical force caused by the pressure of cleaning agent-dissolved water ejected from a cleaning nozzle member in addition to a chemical force caused by a cleaning agent contained in the cleaning agent-dissolved water.

Abstract: There are included a data-processing-unit that selects two or more pieces of data from among a plurality of pieces of first element data or from among a plurality of pieces of first reception data generated by subjecting the pieces of first element data to phasing addition processing and that performs superimposition processing on the two or more pieces of data to generate processed data, an image-generation-unit that generates an acoustic wave image on the basis of the processed data, a setting-information-holding-unit that holds setting information on at least one of a transmitting-unit, a receiving-unit, the data-processing-unit, the-image-generation-unit, and a display-control-unit, and a setting-changing-unit that, in a case where a measurement condition is changed, changes setting of at least one of the transmitting-unit, the receiving-unit, the data-processing-unit, the image-generation-unit, and the display-control-unit on the basis of the held setting information, the setting being related to the aco

Abstract: There are included a data processing step of selecting two or more pieces of data from among a plurality of pieces of first element data or a plurality of pieces of first reception data generated by subjecting the pieces of first element data to phasing addition processing, and performing superimposition processing on the two or more pieces of data, a region-of-interest setting step of setting a region of interest in an imaging area, and a processing condition changing step of changing a processing condition in the data processing step, in a case where the region of interest is set in the region-of-interest setting step, on the basis of information on the set region of interest.

Abstract: A semiconductor light-emitting element includes a substrate and a semiconductor stack portion provided on the substrate and having at least a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer. The substrate has a property to allow transmission of light from the light-emitting layer, and has a hexahedral shape including a first surface on which a semiconductor stack portion is provided, a second surface located opposite to the first surface, a pair of third surfaces orthogonal to the first surface and the second surface, and a pair of fourth surfaces orthogonal to the first surface and the second surface and different from the pair of third surfaces.