Abstract: An ultrasonic probe 10 is formed by arranging a plurality of transducers 26a to 26m for converting drive signals into ultrasonic waves to transmit the waves to an object to be inspected, and receiving ultrasonic waves generated from the object to convert the waves into electrical signals. Each of the transducers 26a to 26m has a plurality of oscillation elements 34-1 to 34-30, and each of the oscillation elements 34-1 to 34-30 has a characteristic in which the electromechanical coupling coefficient changes in accordance with the strength of the direct-current bias applied by being superposed on the drive signals. Electrodes 35, 36, and 37 of each of the oscillation elements 34-1 to 34-30 are connected to terminals 49-1 and 49-2 to which the drive signals are applied.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus including: a tomogram forming means forming a tomogram of a diagnosis portion of an examinee by transmitting/receiving an ultrasound wave to/from the examinee via an ultrasound probe; color Doppler image forming means forming a color Doppler image based on a Doppler signal obtained from the diagnosis portion; image processing means performing image processing on the tomogram and the color Doppler image; and display means displaying images obtained by the image processing means, the tomogram and the color Doppler image being color displayed on the display means, wherein the image processing means causes the color Doppler image to be displayed transparently.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a condenser microphone whose body can be miniaturized while keeping a property and a sound quality comparable to those of a conventional condenser microphone. The condenser microphone includes a cylindrical body, a plurality of vibration plates which are formed into the shapes of squares and placed in parallel to a body axis line within the body, acoustic holes formed on a body side wall in a direction vertical to the vibration plates and back pole plates which are placed on a side opposite to the acoustic holes with the vibration plate between and face on the respective vibration plates at an interval of a micro gap. A potential of the back pole plate is varied according to a vibration of the vibration plate.

Abstract: An ultrasonographic method includes: a first encoding transmission/reception step for transmitting an ultrasonic beam encoded by an encoding set consisting of a plurality of modulation codes in which at least two are in complementary relationship and demodulating reception signals corresponding to the ultrasonic beam; a step for obtaining a first synthesis signal by synthesizing the demodulation signals demodulated by the first encoding transmission/reception step; a second encoding transmission/reception step for transmitting an ultrasonic beam encoded by a reverse encoding set consisting of a plurality of modulation codes in which the arrangement order of modulation codes of the encoding set is reversed and demodulating the reception signals corresponding to the ultrasonic beam; a step for obtaining a second synthesis signal by synthesizing the demodulated signals demodulated by the second encoding transmission/reception step; a step for obtaining a third synthesis signal by synthesizing the first synthesis

Abstract: The angular position of a notch (17) is determined on the basis of data provided by second notch detectors (24a) and (24b) and an encoder (25). A controller (38) turns a rotational arm (22) for angular displacement such that holders (26) and (27) are displaced in a circumferential direction B from the notch (17), and then the holders (26) and (27) hold a wafer (19). Since the holders (26) and (27) are in touch with edges in which the notch (17) is not formed, the first notch detector (23) is able to detect the notch (17) without difficulty. Thus the position of the wafer (19) relative to the rotational arm (22) does not need to be changed several times depending on positions at which the holders (26) and (27) hold the wafer (19), which is necessary in the prior technology. The aligner (20) touches parts, not including the notch (17), of the wafer (19) and is capable of adjusting the position of the wafer (19) in a short time.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasound probe, a transmission unit for transmitting an ultrasound signal to an object to be examined via the ultrasound probe, a reception unit for processing a signal received by the ultrasound probe, and an image generating unit for generating an image on the basis of the received signal processed by the reception unit, wherein the transmission unit has a function of transmitting the ultrasound signals with varying frequency plural times in an identical direction at predetermined time intervals. The ultrasound signal transmitted plural times includes a first waveform in which the frequency increases and a second waveform in which the frequency decreases, and the reception unit has a function of phasing and adding received signals respectively corresponding to the first waveform and the second waveform, whereby, in tissue harmonic imaging, the penetration is improved, while the resolution is maintained.

Abstract: A flow straightening grid 30 is provided at an area where the air flow turns about 180 degrees in an air path 23, or in the vicinity thereof. Because of this, the air flow can be prevented from being disturbed in the air path 23 and, therefore, noise caused by the disturbance of the air flow can be reduced effectively.

Abstract: A straw (3) capable of being detachably inserted into the straw insert hole (2) of a press-deformable container (1) having the straw insert hole (2), characterized by comprising a locking part (4) for stopping the insertion of the straw (3) into the straw insert hole (2) and a through hole (5) positioned apart from the locking part (4) by a distance (W) almost the same as the thickness of a container forming material having the straw insert hole (2).

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasound probe having two-dimensionally arranged transducer elements for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to an object, a transducer element selector for selecting transducer elements used in transmission and reception, a signal processing unit for applying a delay to a signal received by a selected transducer element, an image processing unit for generating an image based on the output signal of the signal processing unit, and an image display unit. The image processing unit stores a first ultrasound image obtained by a scan of a first transducer arrangement selected by the transducer element selector and a second ultrasound image obtained by a scan of a second transducer arrangement selected by the transducer element selector so as to irradiate an ultrasound beam in a different direction than the beam direction of the first transducer arrangement, and combines the first ultrasound image and the second ultrasound image.

Abstract: The angular position of a notch 17 is determined on the basis of data provided by second notch detectors 24a and 24b and an encoder 25. A controller 38 turns a rotational arm 22 for angular displacement such that holders 26 and 27 are displaced in a circumferential direction B from the notch 17, and then the holders 26 and 27 hold a wafer 19. Since the holders 26 and 27 are in touch with edges in which the notch 17 is not formed, the first notch detector 23 is able to detect the notch 17 without difficulty. Thus the position of the wafer 19 relative to the rotational arm 22 does not need to be changed several times depending on positions at which the holders 26 and 27 hold the wafer 19, which is necessary in the prior technology. The aligner 20 touches parts, not including the notch 17, of the wafer 19 and is capable of adjusting the position of the wafer 19 in a short time.

Abstract: Noise caused by the disturbance of the air flow is reduced. A flow straightening grid 30 is provided at an area where the air flow turns about 180 degrees in an air path 23, or in the vicinity thereof. Because of this, the air flow can be prevented from being disturbed in the air path 23 and, therefore, noise caused by the disturbance of the air flow can be reduced effectively.

Abstract: A straw (3) capable of being detachably inserted into the straw insert hole (2) of a press-deformable container (1) having the straw insert hole (2), characterized by comprising a locking part (4) for stopping the insertion of the straw (3) into the straw insert hole (2) and a through hole (5) positioned apart from the locking part (4) by a distance (W) almost the same as the thickness of a container forming material having the straw insert hole (2).

Abstract: An ultrasonic enhanced-contrast imager includes an ultrasonic probe for transmitting an ultrasonic wave to an organism and receiving an ultrasonic wave from the organism, a transmitting section for transmitting an ultrasonic signal to the ultrasonic probe, a receiving section for processing a response signal ultrasonic wave received by the ultrasonic probe, a filter for extracting a specific frequency component from the processed response signal, a setting control section for setting a pass frequency band of the filter on the basis of a frequency band of the response signal from a contrast medium injected to the organism, and a control section for controlling the operation of the filter in the set pass band.

Abstract: According to an information recording/reproducing method by which, at recording or reproduction of data, the data are temporarily stored in a memory to perform the recording or reproduction, when recording or reproduction of the data stored in the memory is performed with dividing data, recording or reproduction of subsequent data is performed without dividing the data, and when recording or reproduction of the data stored in the memory is performed without dividing data, recording or reproduction of subsequent data is performed with divided the data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a condenser microphone whose body can be miniaturized while keeping a property and a sound quality comparable to those of a conventional condenser microphone. The condenser microphone includes a cylindrical body, a plurality of vibration plates which are formed into the shapes of squares and placed in parallel to a body axis line within the body, acoustic holes formed on a body side wall in a direction vertical to the vibration plates and back pole plates which are placed on a side opposite to the acoustic holes with the vibration plate between and face on the respective vibration plates at an interval of a micro gap. A potential of the back pole plate is varied according to a vibration of the vibration plate.

Abstract: A fluorescent layer (R), fluorescent layer (G), and fluorescent layer (B) are formed according to each column by the screen printing method. As a result, spaces of the approximately the same thickness as the fluorescent layers (R), (G), and (B) exist between regions of the barrier ribs that extend in the column direction and a protective layer. The lowering of the efficiency of exhaust and the efficiency of sealing in discharge gas can thus be avoided. As a result, discharge gas can be made to exist appropriately in the discharge spaces without fail, thereby enabling excellent display characteristics to be obtained. Furthermore, since display cells that neighbor each other in the column direction are partitioned by barrier ribs, erroneous discharge will not occur. The non-discharge gap can thus be narrowed and increased fineness can be accommodated for readily.

Abstract: A fluorescent layer (R), fluorescent layer (G), and fluorescent layer (B) are formed according to each column by the screen printing method. As a result, spaces of the approximately the same thickness as the fluorescent layers (R), (G), and (B) exist between regions of the barrier ribs that extend in the column direction and a protective layer. The lowering of the efficiency of exhaust and the efficiency of sealing in discharge gas can thus be avoided. As a result, discharge gas can be made to exist appropriately in the discharge spaces without fail, thereby enabling excellent display characteristics to be obtained. Furthermore, since display cells that neighbor each other in the column direction are partitioned by barrier ribs, erroneous discharge will not occur. The non-discharge gap can thus be narrowed and increased fineness can be accommodated for readily.

Abstract: In a vehicle air conditioner, an air conditioning case has a first front foot air outlet from which air is blown toward a front-seat foot area of a passenger compartment, and a rear foot passage for introducing air toward a rear-seat foot area of the passenger compartment. A rear foot air outlet is provided at a most downstream end of the rear foot passage, and a second front foot air outlet from which air is blown toward the front-seat foot area is provided in the rear foot passage at a position adjacent to the first front foot air outlet. Thus, a ratio between an air amount blown toward the front-seat foot area and an air amount blown toward the rear-seat foot area is readily adjusted by changing an opening area of the second foot air outlet.

Abstract: In a vehicle air conditioning apparatus where temperature of air blown toward a front seat side and temperature of air blown toward a rear seat side of the passenger compartment are independently controlled, a switching door for generally partitioning a downstream warm air passage of a heater core into first and second air passages is disposed at an air outlet side of the heater core. When heating capacity for the front seat side of the passenger compartment is necessary to be increased, the switching door is operated to a rear shutting position so that all air heated by the heater core can be introduced toward the front seat side through the first and second air passages of the warm air passage.

Abstract: A vehicular air-conditioner provided with a rear face duct and rear foot duct, wherein the dimensions of the vehicular air-conditioner in the lengthwise direction are reduced by arranging the rear face duct (26) and foot duct (31) to appear to overlap at the parts extending downward when viewed from the side. Specifically, the rear face duct (26) is bent to the vehicle front to fit in the space formed by splitting the foot duct 31 into two from an intermediate position of the downstream side to form the right side duct portion (31a) and the left side duct portion (31b).