Abstract: A thermal flow sensor which is fabricated at a low cost and has improved reliability. Over a cavity (7) formed in a semiconductor substrate (2), at least a heating resistance (4) is formed near the center of the cavity with an electrical insulation film interposed between the heating resistance and the cavity. The temperature (Th) of the heating resistance (4) is controlled to be higher than the medium temperature (Ta) by a constant temperature (?Th=Th?Ta). A distance (Ws) in the direction of airflow from an upstream end of the heating resistance (4) to an upstream end of the electrical insulation film lying over the cavity and the constant temperature (?Th) satisfy the following relationship: ?Th/Ws?800 (° C./mm) Thus, a thermal flow sensor is provided which can prevent deposition of floating fine particles, such as carbon particles, caused by the thermophoretic effect, can be fabricated at a low cost, and has high reliability.

Abstract: A thermal type flow measuring apparatus includes a heating resistor provided in a thin part of a substrate and a bridge circuit for driving the heating resistor to have a preset heating temperature, wherein resistor elements on sides forming the bridge circuit are temperature sensitive resistors, a part or whole of at least one of the temperature sensitive resistors is placed in the thin part and near the heating resistor so that the temperature sensitive resistor is influenced by a heat of the heating resistor, and the preset heating temperature is increased as the flow of fluid is increased. This configuration introduces flow dependency into the heating temperature of the heating resistor.

Abstract: A flow rate sensor has a problem that a resistance value of a heat generating resistor itself varies and sensor characteristics are changed during use of the sensor for a long term. Also, the temperature of the heat generating resistor must be adjusted on a circuit substrate with a resistance constituting one side of a fixed temperature difference control circuit, and this has been one of factors pushing up the production cost. All resistances used for fixed temperature difference control are formed on the same substrate as temperature sensitive resistors of the same material. This enables all the resistances for the fixed temperature difference control to be exposed to the same environmental conditions. Hence, even when the resistances change over time, the changes over time occur substantially at the same tendency. Since the resistances for the fixed temperature difference control change over time essentially at the same rate, a resulting output error is very small.

Abstract: A thermal air flowmeter which improves air flow rate measurement sensitivity, reduces power consumption of a heating element and broadens the measuring range. A heating resistor is provided on insulating film in a thermal insulating area as a rectangular space on a flat substrate; and two resistance temperature detectors are provided upstream and downstream of the heating resistor. The sides of the rectangular thermal insulating area which are parallel to the axis of air flow are longer than its sides which are perpendicular to the axis of air flow.

Abstract: The present invention provides an air flow measuring device comprising a housing with a sub-passage having a inlet and a outlet for air flow formed in the housing, the sub-passage further having a predefined curvature with a maximum downstream point and a flow measuring element located in the sub-passage at a position at least further downstream from the point.

Abstract: A highly accurate physical quantity sensor which can ensure reliability in strength and reduce resistance changes caused by stresses. Assuming, with respect to stress ? imposed on a substrate in a predetermined direction (e.g., direction in which maximum stress is imposed), a parallel direction to be a horizontal direction and a perpendicular direction to be a vertical direction, each of resistors of the sensor has a horizontal resistance component Rl and a vertical resistance component Rt.

Abstract: An X-ray diagnostic apparatus includes an X-ray generating unit which generates X-rays, an X-ray detecting unit which detects X-rays transmitted through a subject, a C-arm on which the X-ray generating unit and the X-ray detecting unit are mounted, a support mechanism which movably supports the C-arm, a high voltage generating unit which generates a high voltage for generating X-rays from the X-ray generating unit, a first foot switch to input a first user instruction associated with generation of the X-rays, a second foot switch to input a second user instruction associated with movement of the C-arm, and a control unit which controls the high voltage generating unit in accordance with the input of the first user instruction and controls the support mechanism in accordance with the input of the second user instruction.

Abstract: A low-cost thermal flow meter that has good temperature characteristics and little variations. The thermal flow meter includes a sensor element including a heat-generating resistor and at least two temperature-measuring resistors disposed downstream and upstream. The sensor element is positioned in the flow of a measured medium. It also includes an adjusting means for adjusting a excess temperature (?Th=Th?Ta) of the heat-generating resistor, which is the difference between the temperature (Ta) of the measured medium and the temperature (Th) of the heat-generating resistor. The adjusting means adjusts the excess temperature (?Th) of the heat-generating resistor depending on the temperature of the measured medium such that the excess temperature becomes smaller as the temperature of the measured medium increases.

Abstract: A flow rate sensor has a problem that a resistance value of a heat generating resistor itself varies and sensor characteristics are changed during use of the sensor for a long term. Also, the temperature of the heat generating resistor must be adjusted on a circuit substrate with a resistance constituting one side of a fixed temperature difference control circuit, and this has been one of factors pushing up the production cost. All resistances used for fixed temperature difference control are formed on the same substrate as temperature sensitive resistors of the same material. This enables all the resistances for the fixed temperature difference control to be exposed to the same environmental conditions. Hence, even when the resistances change over time, the changes over time occur substantially at the same tendency. Since the resistances for the fixed temperature difference control change over time essentially at the same rate, a resulting output error is very small.

Abstract: A thermal flow sensor which is fabricated at a low cost and has improved reliability. Over a cavity (7) formed in a semiconductor substrate (2), at least a heating resistance (4) is formed near the center of the cavity with an electrical insulation film interposed between the heating resistance and the cavity. The temperature (Th) of the heating resistance (4) is controlled to be higher than the medium temperature (Ta) by a constant temperature ({Th=Th?Ta). A distance (Ws) in the direction of airflow from an upstream end of the heating resistance (4) to an upstream end of the electrical insulation film lying over the cavity and the constant temperature (?Th) satisfy the following relationship: ?Th/Ws?800 (° C./mm) Thus, a thermal flow sensor is provided which can prevent deposition of floating fine particles, such as carbon particles, caused by the thermophoretic effect, can be fabricated at a low cost, and has high reliability.

Abstract: The present invention provides an air flow measuring device comprising a housing with a sub-passage having an inlet and an outlet for air flow formed in the housing, the sub-passage further having a predefined curvature with a maximum downstream point and a flow measuring element located in the sub-passage at a position at least further downstream from the point.

Abstract: A heating resistor type air flow rate measuring apparatus is provided with a couple of heating resistors placed at the positions where those resistors may each interfere thermally with respect to an air flow, and a couple of driving circuits for driving those heating resistors. The air flow rate signal is obtained by calculating the difference between the output signals of a couple of heating resistors in terms of heat radiation rate effected by an air flow, and adding the difference value onto the output signal of one of heating resistors.

Abstract: There is provided a flow rate measuring device which comprises a means for introducing a backward flow of the main passage into the sub-passage through the outlet of the sub-passage of the flow rate measuring device is provided near the outlet of the sub-passage, in order to keep the flow rate measuring element from being destroyed under the presence of dust and water in an intake manifold and which has high reliability for a long period of use and an excellent pulsation characteristic.

Abstract: An X-ray diagnosis apparatus for obtaining an X-ray image comprises an X-ray radiator, a detector, a first mechanism, a second mechanism, a controller, and an image processor. The X-ray radiator is configured to radiate an X-ray to a specimen. The detector is configured to detect an X-ray data resulting from the X-ray. The first mechanism is coupled to the detector and is configured to shift the detector along a detecting plane of the detector. The second mechanism is coupled to the X-ray radiator and is configured to change a radiation direction of the X-ray against the detector. The controller is configured to control the second mechanism in accordance with the shift of the detector. The image processor is coupled to the detector and is configured to prepare a fluoroscopic image data as the X-ray image based on the X-ray data. The image processor also corrects a deformation of the fluoroscopic image data.

Abstract: A heating resistance flow rate measuring apparatus which can use a power source of an ECU in an automobile without requiring an expensive protective circuit and regulator. Heating of temperature detecting resistors themselves causes temperature changes on the windward and leeward sides, and these temperature changes depend on the amounts of heat generated by the temperature detecting resistors. The amounts of heat generated by the temperature detecting resistors depend on a voltage value of the ECU power source applied to the temperature detecting resistors, and an error is caused in a sensor output depending on a variation in the voltage of the ECU power source. Based on the finding that suppressing the amount of heat generated by the temperature detecting resistors is effective in avoiding the sensor output error caused depending on a variation in the output voltage of the ECU power source, means for suppressing the amount of heat generated by the temperature detecting resistors is disposed.

Abstract: A Thermal type fluid flow sensor comprises a heating resistor formed on a thin film of a substrate, and plural thermal sensitive resistors configuring a bridge circuit. The thermal sensitive resistors are disposed on the thin film of the substrate so as to be located on an adjacent upstream side and an adjacent downstream side of the heating resistor in a stream direction of fluid to be measured. Resistor traces for the thermal sensitive resistors are formed so that the respective thermal sensitive resistors exhibit substantially equal changes in resistance with each other to distortion caused in the thin film.

Abstract: A heating resistor type flow-measuring device is capable of adjusting heating temperature of a heating resistor according to the ambient temperature as well as making the initial adjustment. A heating resistor, a thermoresistance, a group of the resistors, and an amplifier constitute a bridge circuit, and leading terminals of the group of resistors are connected to one of input terminals of an amplifier for amplifying an error voltage through MOS transistors. The heating temperature of the heating resistor can be changed by selecting one of the MOS transistors and turning it on.

Abstract: A thermal type air flow meter that makes it possible to precisely and easily determine whether a sensor element is a non-defective or a defective by screening is provided. First and second diaphragm sections composed of an electrical insulating film are formed in a semiconductor substrate. A heating resistor and a resistor for intake air temperature sensor are disposed on them to obtain a sensor element for thermal type air flow meters. The length of the short sides W1 of the rectangular first diaphragm section is made substantially equal to the length of the short sides of the second diaphragm section rectangular as well. Thus, the pressures applied to each of the diaphragm sections are substantially identical with each other in pressurization during screening.

Abstract: A structure is disclosed in which a conductive material having corrosiveness equal to or higher than that of the materials constituting electronics circuitry is disposed on halfway of the diffusion path of corrosive gases between an entrance place thereof and the electronics circuitry, whereby the conductive material traps the corrosive gases.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple-structure physical quantity detecting device whose resistance does not vary irrespective of use for long periods, a method for manufacturing thereof and a motor vehicle control system using the physical quantity detecting sensor to improve its reliability. An airflow sensor (20) is equipped with a heat generating resistor (12H) and a temperature measuring resistor (12C), formed on a semiconductor substrate (11). The heat generating resistor (12H) is formed in a thin-wall portion (11A). Both end portions of the heat generating resistor (12H) are connected through first lead conductors (13H1, 13H2) to electrodes (14H1, 14H2), respectively. A second lead conductor (15H1) connected to the electrode (14H1) extends to an outer circumferential portion of the airflow sensor (10).