Abstract: By widening a terrace on a crystal surface on a bottom face of a recess by step flow caused by heating, a flat face is formed on the bottom face of the recess, a two-dimensional material layer made of a two-dimensional material is formed on the formed flat face, and then a device made of the two-dimensional material layer is produced.

Abstract: By widening a terrace on a crystal surface on a bottom face of a recess by step flow caused by heating, a flat face is formed on the bottom face of the recess, a two-dimensional material layer made of a two-dimensional material is formed on the formed flat face, and then a device made of the two-dimensional material layer is produced.

Abstract: Provided is an endoscope sheath including an elongated body having flexibility, the body having a first lumen through which an endoscope passes in a longitudinal direction of the body and a second lumen through which a guide wire passes in the longitudinal direction. A direction in which the second lumen opens at the distal end of the body gradually diverges from a direction in which the first lumen opens at the distal end, in a forward direction from the distal end.

Abstract: The sheath includes a protruding section that protrudes from a ring-shaped distal end surface of a sheath body and a lifting part that lifts the protruding section within the pericardial cavity to a position separated from the surface of the heart toward the pericardium. The protruding section includes a pressing surface disposed toward the pericardium when the protruding section is lifted by the lifting part, and also includes an opening that is provided at a position facing the pressing surface in a radial direction and at which a distal end surface of the endoscope is capable of appearing in the radial direction as an endoscope bending section operates.

Abstract: An atrial-appendage ligation treatment tool including: a shaft provided with a lumen having, at a distal end thereof, an opening having an opening diameter that allows passage of a thread of a ligation loop formed in a ring shape, which can be tightened, by connecting an end of the thread at an intermediate position by means of a knot and that does not allow passage of the knot; and a cutting part that is provided at a distal end of the shaft and that cuts, at an inner side of the opening and in the vicinity of the opening, the thread passing through the lumen.

Abstract: Completion of atrial-appendage ligation using a ligation loop is confirmed easily and more reliably. Provided is an atrial-appendage ligation treatment tool including: an insertion portion that is introduced into a cardiac sac through a sheath penetrated through a pericardium; a securing part that secures a distal end of the insertion portion to an atrial appendage; and a sensor that is provided at the distal end of the insertion portion and that detects the state of the atrial appendage.

Abstract: Even if atrial-appendage tissue is damaged due to an excessive force unintentionally exerted during ligation of the atrial appendage, the effect of the damage is minimized. Provided is an atrial-appendage ligation treatment tool that is used, together with an atrial-appendage ligation tool having a ligation part, to perform atrial-appendage ligation treatment. The atrial-appendage ligation treatment tool includes: a compressing portion that is introduced, separately from the ligation part, to a cardiac sac through a sheath penetrated through a pericardium and that compresses the atrial appendage from outside to occlude an internal space therein; and a shaft that is disposed in the sheath in an inserted manner and that supports, at a distal end thereof, the compressing portion.

Abstract: An atrial-appendage ligation surgical tool that includes a pressing part and a shaft, in which the pressing part is guided into a pericardium via a sheath penetrating through a pericardial membrane, and includes contact portions that press the vicinity of a base of an atrial appendage and have a circular cross-sectional shape and round distal ends, and in which the shaft is in an inserted state in the sheath, supports the pressing part at a distal end, and has a rigidity that enables transmission of a pressing force acting in the longitudinal direction, applied from the proximal end side of the sheath.

Abstract: An atrial appendage ligation surgical tool that includes: a tubular loop shaft having an inner hole that penetrates therethrough in a longitudinal direction; and a ligature loop that is in an inserted state in the inner hole of the loop shaft and formed of a wire that forms a loop closed with a knot at a distal end of the loop shaft, the loop being contractible in size by being pulled from a proximal end of the loop shaft. The ligature loop is given a tendency to form a flat ring-shaped loop having a size an atrial appendage is insertable when in a free state, and the knot is placed near an end of the loop in a long axis direction thereof.

Abstract: Provided is an endoscope including an inserted portion that has, sequentially from a distal-end side, a distal-end portion, a bending portion, and a flexible portion; a wire that has an exposed portion that is disposed outside the distal-end portion of the flexible portion along the longitudinal direction and whose positions, at a first position and a second position that is separated from the first position on the base-end side, are restrained with respect to the distal-end portion of the flexible portion in a radial direction; and a wire adjusting portion that changes the length between the first position and the second position of the wire.

Abstract: A protein chip including at least a substrate having a plurality of steps which are regularly arranged on one surface thereof; a plurality of metallic microstructures arranged in the steps; and a lipid vesicle in which an outer surface thereof is modified by a functional group and a protein is present in a lipid bilayer thereof. The metallic microstructures and the lipid vesicle are bound via the functional group to provide the protein on the substrate.

Abstract: A nerve stimulation apparatus performs nerve stimulation of a required level while reducing the adverse effect on the heart and on the detection of a cardiac event. Provided is a nerve stimulation apparatus that includes a stimulation signal output unit that outputs a nerve stimulation signal; a cardiac event detector that detects a cardiac event; and a controller that controls the stimulation signal output unit so as to output a nerve stimulation signal having a smaller intensity in a non-refractory period than that in a cardiac refractory period that is obtained on the basis of the cardiac event detected by the cardiac event detector.

Abstract: Provided is a nerve stimulation apparatus that is capable of performing effective nerve stimulation depending on a therapeutic purpose without adversely affecting a heart. Further provided is a nerve stimulation apparatus including: a stimulation-pulse output unit that outputs a stimulation pulse; a cardiac-event detector that detects a cardiac event; and a controller that controls the stimulation-signal output unit so as to output, during a cardiac refractory period, the nerve stimulation signal having an intensity that corresponds to the heart rate obtained on the basis of the cardiac event detected by the cardiac-event detector.

Abstract: Provided is a nerve stimulation apparatus that is capable of performing effective nerve stimulation depending on a therapeutic purpose without adversely affecting a heart. Further provided is a nerve stimulation apparatus including: a stimulation-pulse output unit that outputs a stimulation pulse; a cardiac-event detector that detects a cardiac event; and a controller that controls the stimulation-signal output unit so as to output, during a cardiac refractory period, the nerve stimulation signal having an intensity that corresponds to the heart rate obtained on the basis of the cardiac event detected by the cardiac-event detector.

Abstract: Provided is a fuel cell for being implanted which enables a long time operation while reducing its size so as to be implanted in a living body. The fuel cell to be adopted includes: a container which contains a fuel such as glucose and an electrolyte solution therein; a pair of electrodes which are arranged in the container and have a noble metal catalyst fixed thereon; an aeration portion which is formed on at least one part of the outer surface of the container and has air permeability and waterproofness; and septa and for injecting the fuel from the outside into the container or discharging it from the container.

Abstract: A cardiac activity state is correctly determined and the vagus nerve is stimulated at an appropriate timing. Provided is a nerve stimulation apparatus including a detector that detects an electrocardiac signal; a nerve stimulation unit that generates an electrical pulse for stimulating the vagus nerve; and a controller that determines a cardiac activity state on the basis of the electrocardiac signal detected by the detector and controls the nerve stimulation unit on the basis of the determination result; wherein the controller has a determination period for determining the cardiac activity state and a non-determination period for not determining the cardiac activity state, and wherein the controller allows the electrical pulse to be generated from the nerve stimulation unit while controlling a generation period of the electrical pulse so as to include it within the non-determination period.

Abstract: A nerve stimulation apparatus performs nerve stimulation of a required level while reducing the adverse effect on the heart and on the detection of a cardiac event. Provided is a nerve stimulation apparatus that includes a stimulation signal output unit that outputs a nerve stimulation signal; a cardiac event detector that detects a cardiac event; and a controller that controls the stimulation signal output unit so as to output a nerve stimulation signal having a smaller intensity in a non-refractory period than that in a cardiac refractory period that is obtained on the basis of the cardiac event detected by the cardiac event detector.

Abstract: The purpose is to provide an electrode layout method of a heart treatment apparatus, which is capable of improving the heart treatment efficiency by setting electrodes in the heart as well as reducing the invasion into the patient so as to effectively stimulate a site which needs to be stimulated. There is provided an electrode layout method of a heart treatment apparatus comprising: inserting at least two lines of leads which are provided to the heart treatment apparatus and which have electrodes on their distal ends, into a vein communicated to the interior of a right atrium and extending along a cardiac wall; and placing the electrodes provided on the respective leads in the vein located at approximately opposite positions across a heart.

Abstract: To provide a method of cardiac surgery which is capable of facilitating the manipulation of devices in a thoracic cavity so as to thereby simplify the surgery, as well as alleviating physical burdens on a patient, and a defibrillation electrode, a defibrillator, and an endoscope apparatus for the same. There is provided a method of cardiac surgery, comprising: using a device which comprises a treatment unit to be inserted into a thoracic cavity for performing treatment of a heart; inserting a distal end of this device between the heart and a pericardium; thereafter piercing through the pericardium with the distal end of the device; and performing treatment of the heart from the outside of the pericardium by using the treatment unit.

Abstract: A protein chip including at least a substrate having a plurality of steps which are regularly arranged on one surface thereof; a plurality of metallic microstructures arranged in the steps; and a lipid vesicle in which an outer surface thereof is modified by a functional group and a protein is present in a lipid bilayer thereof. The metallic microstructures and the lipid vesicle are bound via the functional group to provide the protein on the substrate.