Patents by Inventor Hiromichi SHINDOU

Hiromichi SHINDOU 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: 11150202
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging system includes the following. An X-ray Talbot imaging apparatus includes an X-ray source, a plurality of gratings, and an X-ray detector. An X-ray is irradiated from the X-ray source through the examined target which is an object and the plurality of gratings and to the X-ray detector to obtain a moire image necessary to generate the reconstructed image of the examined target. A first database shows, for each name or type of material, a correlation between information regarding a signal strength in the reconstructed image generated based on the moire image and quality information of the material included in the examined target. A controller estimates as the evaluation index the quality information in the examined target from the reconstructed image based on information regarding the input name or the type of material and input shape information and the first database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Yasunori Tsuboi, Hiromichi Shindou
  • Patent number: 10705227
    Abstract: [Problem] Provided is a layered structure in which a non-scintillator layer is utilized as a light transmission path to a sensor so as to transmit light in a vertical direction through the non-scintillator layer without allowing the light to re-enter a scintillator layer. [Means for Solution] Provided is a scintillator panel having a structure in which a scintillator layer and a non-scintillator layer are repeatedly arranged in a direction substantially parallel to a radiation incident direction. In this scintillator panel, the scintillator layer contains at least a phosphor, a binder resin, and voids; the non-scintillator layer is radiolucent; the scintillator layer and the non-scintillator layer have an irregular structure at their interface; and an arithmetic surface roughness Ra attributed to irregularities is 1/400 to 1/10 of the width of the non-scintillator layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Hiromichi Shindou, Kiyoshi Hagiwara
  • Patent number: 10663603
    Abstract: A scintillator panel includes a laminated scintillator having a structure obtained by repeatedly disposing a scintillator layer and a non-scintillator layer in a direction substantially parallel to an incident direction of a radiation, wherein the scintillator layer contains at least a phosphor, a binder resin, and voids, and the non-scintillator layer is transparent, and an average refractive index n1 of the binder resin and the voids of the scintillator layer and a refractive index n2 of the non-scintillator layer satisfy a relationship of formula (A) 0.9?(n2/n1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hagiwara, Hiromichi Shindou
  • Publication number: 20200033483
    Abstract: To provide a scintillator panel which is less likely to be influenced by film thickening, has high brightness and MTF, and has reduced noise. A scintillator panel including a laminate in which a scintillator layer and a non-scintillator layer are repeatedly stacked in a direction substantially parallel to a radiation incident direction, wherein the laminate has an inclined structure in which a lamination angle of each layer in the laminate is changed in a sector shape and extrapolated surfaces of each layer intersect on a single line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Tadashi ARIMOTO, Hiromichi SHINDOU
  • Publication number: 20190324158
    Abstract: [Problem] Provided is a layered structure in which a non-scintillator layer is utilized as a light transmission path to a sensor so as to transmit light in a vertical direction through the non-scintillator layer without allowing the light to re-enter a scintillator layer. [Means for Solution] Provided is a scintillator panel having a structure in which a scintillator layer and a non-scintillator layer are repeatedly arranged in a direction substantially parallel to a radiation incident direction. In this scintillator panel, the scintillator layer contains at least a phosphor, a binder resin, and voids; the non-scintillator layer is radiolucent; the scintillator layer and the non-scintillator layer have an irregular structure at their interface; and an arithmetic surface roughness Ra attributed to irregularities is 1/400 to 1/10 of the width of the non-scintillator layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Hiromichi SHINDOU, Kiyoshi HAGIWARA
  • Publication number: 20190317027
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging system includes the following. An X-ray Talbot imaging apparatus includes an X-ray source, a plurality of gratings, and an X-ray detector. An X-ray is irradiated from the X-ray source through the examined target which is an object and the plurality of gratings and to the X-ray detector to obtain a moire image necessary to generate the reconstructed image of the examined target. A first database shows, for each name or type of material, a correlation between information regarding a signal strength in the reconstructed image generated based on the moire image and quality information of the material included in the examined target. A controller estimates as the evaluation index the quality information in the examined target from the reconstructed image based on information regarding the input name or the type of material and input shape information and the first database.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Yasunori TSUBOI, Hiromichi SHINDOU
  • Patent number: 10393888
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a laminated scintillator panel having a structure in which a scintillator layer and a non-scintillator layer are repeatedly laminated in a parallel direction perpendicular to incidence of radiation, characterized by including a step of joining the scintillator layer and the non-scintillator layer. The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a lattice-shaped laminated scintillator panel capable of enlarging the area and increasing the thickness with means completely different from a prior art in which a silicon wafer is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromichi Shindou, Tadashi Arimoto
  • Publication number: 20190219712
    Abstract: A scintillator panel includes a laminated scintillator having a structure obtained by repeatedly disposing a scintillator layer and a non-scintillator layer in a direction substantially parallel to an incident direction of a radiation, wherein the scintillator layer contains at least a phosphor, a binder resin, and voids, and the non-scintillator layer is transparent, and an average refractive index n1 of the binder resin and the voids of the scintillator layer and a refractive index n2 of the non-scintillator layer satisfy a relationship of formula (A) 0.9?(n2/n1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Inventors: Kiyoshi HAGIWARA, Hiromichi Shindou
  • Patent number: 10068679
    Abstract: Provided is a scintillator panel realizing reduced image unevenness and the like by virtue of having a cushioning layer between a support and a phosphor. The cushioning layer absorbs irregularities on the phosphor layer when the scintillator panel is compression bonded to a planar light-receiving element and thereby allows the phosphor layer to be in contact with the planar light-receiving element without any gaps in the interface. The scintillator panel includes, in the order named, a support, a cushioning layer disposed on a surface of the support, and a phosphor layer deposited on the surface of the cushioning layer, the cushioning layer having a specific thickness, the phosphor layer being configured to be placed into uniform contact with a surface of a planar light-receiving element when the phosphor layer is pressed against the planar light-receiving element by the application of a pressure from the support side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Tadashi Arimoto, Hiromichi Shindou, Atsushi Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20170371045
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a laminated scintillator panel having a structure in which a scintillator layer and a non-scintillator layer are repeatedly laminated in a parallel direction perpendicular to incidence of radiation, characterized by including a step of joining the scintillator layer and the non-scintillator layer. The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a lattice-shaped laminated scintillator panel capable of enlarging the area and increasing the thickness with means completely different from a prior art in which a silicon wafer is used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Applicant: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromichi Shindou, Tadashi Arimoto
  • Publication number: 20170016997
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to obtain a radiation detector and a radiation imaging system that can perform one-shot energy subtraction method at low cost. The radiation detector of the invention includes a phosphor (Fa), a phosphor (Fb) having a different fluorescence lifetime from the phosphor (Fa), a light receiving element that uses an internal photoelectric effect, and a controller that controls the light receiving element to perform, for one-shot X-ray irradiation, a plurality of times of reading of morphological image information at a time interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Hiromichi SHINDOU, Takehiko SHOJI
  • Patent number: 9484481
    Abstract: A radiograph detector includes: a fluorescent layer, a bonding layer, and a light detector disposed in this order, wherein the fluorescent layer includes fluorescent particles, first binder resin, and second binder resin, and the second binder resin contains a binder polymer identical to a bonding layer forming polymer contained in the bonding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Masashi Kondo, Hiromichi Shindou
  • Publication number: 20160155526
    Abstract: Provided is a scintillator panel realizing reduced image unevenness and the like by virtue of having a cushioning layer between a support and a phosphor. The cushioning layer absorbs irregularities on the phosphor layer when the scintillator panel is compression bonded to a planar light-receiving element and thereby allows the phosphor layer to be in contact with the planar light-receiving element without any gaps in the interface. The scintillator panel includes, in the order named, a support, a cushioning layer disposed on a surface of the support, and a phosphor layer deposited on the surface of the cushioning layer, the cushioning layer having a specific thickness, the phosphor layer being configured to be placed into uniform contact with a surface of a planar light-receiving element when the phosphor layer is pressed against the planar light-receiving element by the application of a pressure from the support side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventors: Tadashi ARIMOTO, Hiromichi SHINDOU, Atsushi HASEGAWA
  • Publication number: 20160041272
    Abstract: A radiograph detector includes: a fluorescent layer, a bonding layer, and a light detector disposed in this order, wherein the fluorescent layer includes fluorescent particles, first binder resin, and second binder resin, and the second binder resin contains a binder polymer identical to a bonding layer forming polymer contained in the bonding layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Masashi KONDO, Hiromichi SHINDOU