Patents by Inventor Hirokazu YOKOTA

Hirokazu YOKOTA 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).

  • Publication number: 20170010461
    Abstract: An optical fiber scanner includes: an elongated optical fiber; driving piezoelectric elements that are provided on an outer circumferential surface of the optical fiber and produce bending oscillation at a distal-end portion of the optical fiber as a result of an alternating voltage being applied thereto; detecting piezoelectric elements provided on the outer circumferential surface at the distal-end portion of the optical fiber; and a control unit that controls an alternating voltage to be applied to the driving piezoelectric elements on the basis of the voltages produced by the detecting piezoelectric elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuaki KASAI, Hiroshi TSURUTA, Yoshiro OKAZAKI, Hirokazu YOKOTA, Kazutoshi KUMAGAI
  • Publication number: 20160377857
    Abstract: This optical fiber scanner has an elongated optical fiber, a vibration transmission member which has a column-like shape and has a penetrating hole through which the optical fiber penetrates, and a piezoelectric element provided on an outer surface of the vibration transmission member, wherein the penetrating hole is a fitted hole which is formed from a proximal end of the vibration transmission member to a middle of the vibration transmission member and the optical fiber is fitted, and the penetrating hole is an accommodation hole which is formed from the middle to a distal end of the vibration transmission member, which has a large inner diameter than an outer diameter of the optical fiber, and which accommodates a distal end portion of the optical fiber with a gap between the optical fiber and the accommodation hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi TSURUTA, Yasuaki KASAI, Yoshiro OKAZAKI, Hirokazu YOKOTA, Kazutoshi KUMAGAI