Abstract: A medical image processing method for image processing of a medical image picking up an image of a living mucous comprises a boundary information detecting step for detecting boundary information corresponding to a boundary portion of a living mucous from the medical image and a mucous feature detecting step for detecting presence of a living mucous with a different feature on the basis of the boundary information detected at the boundary information detecting step.

Abstract: An optical compensation film including: a support; an alignment film layer including a polymer having a radical polymerizable group; and an optical anisotropic layer including a liquid crystal compound, laminated in this order, wherein a content of a polymerization initiator capable of reacting with the radical polymerizable group and/or a compound capable of reacting with the radical polymerizable group and having two or more vinyl groups is 0.05% by mass to 30.0% by mass with respect to a total solid content of the polymer having a radical polymerizable group contained in the alignment film layer; and the like.

Abstract: A liquid crystalline composition is disclosed. The composition comprises at least one liquid-crystal compound and at least one fluoroaliphatic group-containing polymer of a formula (1-1). In the formula, i and j each indicate an integer equal to or more than 1; M represents k types of repetitive units each derived from an ethylenic unsaturated monomer (k indicates an integer equal to or more than 1); a, b and c each mean a mass percentage indicating a polymerization ratio; R11 and R12 each represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; X1 and X2 each represent an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom or —N(R13)—; R13 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; m1 and m2 each indicate an integer of from 1 to 6; and n1 indicates an integer of from 0 to 3.

Abstract: An image conversion section performs geometric conversion on a medical image resulting from the pickup of a tubular part in vivo, and a developed-view output section outputs the converted image obtained by the image conversion section to a display device as an image of a developed view.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and an image processing method which can improve efficiency of observation by a user are provided. The image processing apparatus of the present invention includes an image inputting unit configured to input a medical image including a plurality of color signals; a determining unit configured to determine whether the biological mucosa is sufficiently captured in the inputted medical image or not; and a controlling unit configured to control at least either of display or storage of the medical image based on the determination result in the determining unit.

Abstract: Anti-reflection film includes a transparent support, at least one optical functional layer overlaid on the support, and a low refractive index layer, overlaid on the optical functional layer, and having a lower refractive index than the optical functional layer. An anti-reflection film producing apparatus to produce this includes a coater for coating a surface of the optical functional layer with liquid for forming the low refractive index layer, to form a coating layer. A dryer promotes drying of the coating layer. A heater hardens the coating layer from the dryer at a first temperature level, and then hardens the coating layer at a second temperature level higher than the first temperature level, to form the low refractive index layer. Preferably, a difference between the first and second temperature levels is 1-50 deg. C. Also, ultraviolet rays are applied to the low refractive index layer after the hardening of the heater.

Abstract: An endoscope inserting direction detecting system receives an endoscopic image, detects an endoscope inserting direction, in which an endoscope should be inserted, on the basis of the endoscopic image and produces information concerning the detected inserting direction. A plurality of detecting algorithms, each of which detect the inserting direction, are included and any of the plurality of detecting algorithms can be selected based on the endoscopic image.

Abstract: At step S1, a red image is acquired from among red, green, and blue images constituting a received endoscopic image. At step S2, M sampling-pixels (where M denotes an integer equal to or larger than 1) are selected from the data of the red image. At step S3, a gradient vector is calculated in order to determine the direction of a gradient in brightness represented by each sampling-pixel. At step S4, the direction of a lumen is detected. At step S5, the detected direction of a lumen is adopted as an inserting direction and arrow information is superposed on an image. The resultant image is displayed on a display device. Control is then returned to step S1, and the same steps are repeated relative to data of the next frame. Consequently, even if the lumen disappears from a field of view for imaging, the inserting direction can be detected.

Abstract: At step S1, a red image is acquired from among red, green, and blue images constituting a received endoscopic image. At step S2, M sampling-pixels (where M denotes an integer equal to or larger than 1) are selected from the data of the red image. At step S3, a gradient vector is calculated in order to determine the direction of a gradient in brightness represented by each sampling-pixel. At step S4, the direction of a lumen is detected. At step S5, the detected direction of a lumen is adopted as an inserting direction and arrow information is superposed on an image. The resultant image is displayed on a display device. Control is then returned to step S1, and the same steps are repeated relative to data of the next frame. Consequently, even if the lumen disappears from a field of view for imaging, the inserting direction can be detected.

Abstract: An image processing method is provided which can determine if an image obtained by capturing an image of a subject is an image inappropriate for observation and diagnosis or not. The image processing method of the present invention comprises calculating one or more feature value of each of a plurality of images including a plurality of color signals obtained by capturing an image of a subject and determining the image-captured state of each of the images by comparing the calculated feature value with a threshold value of the image-captured state determining good or bad of the image set in advance.

Abstract: At step S1, a red image is acquired from among red, green, and blue images constituting a received endoscopic image. At step S2, M sampling-pixels (where M denotes an integer equal to or larger than 1) are selected from the data of the red image. At step S3, a gradient vector is calculated in order to determine the direction of a gradient in brightness represented by each sampling-pixel. At step S4, the direction of a lumen is detected. At step S5, the detected direction of a lumen is adopted as an inserting direction and arrow information is superposed on an image. The resultant image is displayed on a display device. Control is then returned to step S1, and the same steps are repeated relative to data of the next frame. Consequently, even if the lumen disappears from a field of view for imaging, the inserting direction can be detected.

Abstract: At step S1, a red image is acquired from among red, green, and blue images constituting a received endoscopic image. At step S2, M sampling-pixels (where M denotes an integer equal to or larger than 1) are selected from the data of the red image. At step S3, a gradient vector is calculated in order to determine the direction of a gradient in brightness represented by each sampling-pixel. At step S4, the direction of a lumen is detected. At step S5, the detected direction of a lumen is adopted as an inserting direction and arrow information is superposed on an image. The resultant image is displayed on a display device. Control is then returned to step S1, and the same steps are repeated relative to data of the next frame. Consequently, even if the lumen disappears from a field of view for imaging, the inserting direction can be detected.

Abstract: A plurality of images inputted in an image signal input portion are divided into a plurality of regions by an image dividing portion, and a feature value in each of the plurality of regions is calculated by a feature value calculation portion and divided into a plurality of subsets by a subset generation portion. On the other hand, a cluster classifying portion classifies a plurality of clusters generated in a feature space into any one of a plurality of classes on the basis of the feature value and occurrence frequency of the feature value. And a classification criterion calculation portion calculates a criterion of classification for classifying images included in one subset on the basis of a distribution state of the feature value in the feature space of each of the images included in the one subset.

Abstract: A data storage library includes a drive enclosure bay which can be adapted to work with multiple air-flow configuration requirements. This is accomplished by creating air-flow ports in the top and bottom of the drive enclosure bay, by forming drive tray slots and printed circuit board ports in associated drive trays, by creating frame ports and PCB notches in associated interface cards, and replacing traditional connectors with slimmer but longer connectors that provide additional standoff and improved air-flow.

Abstract: A method of drying a coating film comprises: applying a coating solution containing a solvent to a substrate transporting continuously so as to form a solvent-containing coating film; and drying the solvent-containing coating film, wherein, when the coating film includes a portion having a solvent content in a range of 20% to 45% by mass, the portion of the coating film is dried at a rate of 0.2 g/m2·s or above, and a portion of the substrate, on which the portion of the coating film is formed, is transported in a non-contact state.

Abstract: A laser transmitter device includes a laser light source, first and second optical elements, and first and second detection elements. The first optical element has a first optical characteristic with wavelength dependency, whose light transmissivity or reflectivity shows a monotone increase or decrease within a wavelength range over channels. The second optical element has a second optical characteristic with wavelength dependency, whose transmissivity or reflectivity changes in a cycle corresponding to intervals of the channels or two times the intervals. The first detection element detects an intensity of light emitted from the laser light source and coming via the first optical element, and generates a first electric signal reflecting the first optical characteristic. The second detection element detects an intensity of light emitted from the laser light source and coming via the second optical element, and generates a second electric signal reflecting the second optical characteristic.

Abstract: A signal processing circuit of an external device includes a CPU and a memory which are not shown. A program for estimating at least one of the position and orientation of a capsule endoscope on the basis of strength signals received through respective antennas is installed in the signal processing circuit. A single-core coil to generate a magnetic field is arranged in the capsule endoscope. The generated magnetic field is detected by a plurality of coils arranged outside a body, whereby a distance that the capsule endoscope has traveled can be obtained with accuracy. This arrangement controls image-capture timing to reliably capture images necessary for a diagnosis and prevent unnecessary image capture.

Abstract: An inorganic fine particle-containing composition comprising a silylation-treated inorganic oxide fine particle, which comprises 1.4 or more silyl groups per a surface area of 1 nm2 of the inorganic oxide fine particle.

Abstract: According to the present invention, an image processing method includes: an input step of inputting an image; and an extraction step of performing matching between a template, obtained by modeling a predetermined structural component in the image and the image input in the input step to extract a structural component serving as an extraction target in the image.

Abstract: According to the invention, a computer includes an information input section, a search criteria input section, an image characteristic value creating section, an image region-of-interest creating section, an information list creating section, a graph executing section and a test executing section. The computer performs processing for inputting information, creating display data and analyzing numeric values in accordance with an event and displays a processing result on a display apparatus. Under this construction, an optimum test procedure can be automatically selected, and work effort can be reduced thereby. Furthermore, by preventing improper selection of a test procedure, an accurate test result can be obtained.