Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Noda

Kazuhiro Noda 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: 11933804
    Abstract: In a case where a dispensing tip is imaged from below, liquid attached to the tip falls downward and contaminates an imaging mechanism. An automatic analyzer includes: a buffer that has a hole for holding a tip for dispensing, the hole passing through the tip; a probe for dispensing having a tip to which the tip is attached; an imaging unit that images the tip; and a controller that controls the tip such that the tip is mounted on the probe by pressing the probe against the tip that passes through the hole to be held by the buffer, in which the imaging unit is disposed to image the tip from an upper side to a lower side in a gravity direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Kumagai, Kazuhiro Noda, Yukinori Sakashita
  • Patent number: 11885824
    Abstract: An automatic analyzer keeps the inside of a reagent cooler that stores a reagent vessel clean. The automatic analyzer includes: a reagent cooler that stores a reagent vessel containing a reagent to be reacted with a sample at a predetermined temperature. A reagent vessel replacement unit includes an opening configured to put the reagent vessel into and take the regent vessel out of the reagent cooler, wherein the opening is opened and closed to replace the reagent vessel. A positive pressure unit positively pressurizes the inside of the reagent cooler with respect to a periphery of the reagent cooler when the opening is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Kumagai, Kazuhiro Noda, Nobuya Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20230375507
    Abstract: An ultrasound image apparatus irradiates a bonded wafer in which two or more wafers are bonded with an ultrasonic wave to generate an image of the bonded surface between the wafers. An ultrasonic probe irradiates the bonded wafer with the ultrasonic wave on a lower side of the bonded wafer. A liquid ejection unit moves together with the ultrasonic probe while continuously ejecting a liquid toward a bottom surface such that a liquid film in contact with the bottom surface is formed between the liquid ejection unit and the bottom surface of the bonded wafer. Also, a gas ejection device ejects gas for pushing down the liquid toward an outer peripheral end portion of the bonded wafer so that the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection unit does not infiltrate into the bonded surface from the outer peripheral end portion of the bonded wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Shigeru OHNO, Kazuhiro NODA, Kotaro KIKUKAWA, Natsuki SUGAYA
  • Publication number: 20230366902
    Abstract: To provide an automatic analyzer that can be designed with a high degree of freedom in accordance with cooling performance by cooling air in a space separated from a reagent refrigerator and suppresses the occurrence of dew condensation in the reagent refrigerator. An automatic analyzer has a reagent refrigerator 20 that cools a reagent container 21 by using a refrigerant, a refrigerant cooling unit 201 that cools the refrigerant to circulate in the device, an air blowing unit 204 that takes in air fed to the reagent refrigerator 20 from the outside of the device, and a blowing air cooling unit 202 that cools air flowing from the air blowing unit 204 by using the refrigerant. The inside of the reagent refrigerator is positively pressurized by the blowing air that is taken in from the outside by the air blowing unit and is cooled by the blowing air cooling unit 202 to suppress the occurrence of dew condensation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Shun KURIKI, Yukinori SAKASHITA, Kazuhiro NODA, Nobuya FUKUDA
  • Publication number: 20230341431
    Abstract: Provided is a technology that enables stirring of a liquid containing fine particles without providing a dedicated stirring mechanism. An automatic analyzer according to the present disclosure includes a probe that aspirates and discharges a specimen and a reagent, and a control unit that controls an operation of the probe, in which the control unit controls the probe so that the specimen, the reagent, and fine particles are dispensed to an empty vessel to obtain a liquid mixture, and a first stirring of aspirating, discharging, and stirring the liquid mixture in the vessel before precipitation of the fine particles after the dispensing, and a second stirring of aspirating, discharging, and stirring the liquid mixture in the vessel after the precipitation of the fine particles after the first stirring are performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Masayuki KUWABARA, Mariko MIYAZAKI, Koshin HAMASAKI, Kazuhiro NODA
  • Publication number: 20230333133
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic analysis device capable of ensuring accuracy in a wide range of a pipetting amount without changing the rotation/vertical speed of a sampling arm and the aspiration speed of a pump. The automatic analysis device according to the present invention, which is an automatic analysis device for analyzing a target substance included in a sample, is characterized by comprising: a detection unit that analyzes the sample; and a probe that pipettes a liquid, wherein the probe changes the number of aspiration by which the liquid is aspirated into the probe according to the pipetting amount by which the probe pipettes the liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Kazuhiro NODA, Koshin HAMASAKI, Masayuki KUWABARA, Eiichiro TAKADA
  • Publication number: 20230184801
    Abstract: [Problem to be solved] There is provided a dispensing control method and a dispenser that suppress the division of an air layer and that obtain high dispensing accuracy. [Solution] An automatic analyzer includes: a nozzle 20 that dispenses a dispensed liquid 23; a syringe motor 209 that generates a pressure fluctuation for controlling a flow velocity on aspiration or discharge of the dispensed liquid 23 in the nozzle 20; a piping 210 that connects the nozzle 20 to the syringe motor 209; and a controller 102 that controls operations of the nozzle 20 and the syringe motor 209. The controller 102 calculates positions of interfaces 31 to 34 in the piping 210, and the controller 102 controls the flow velocity based on the positions of the interface 31 to 34 and orientations of the interfaces 31 to 34 that move.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Ruochi HSU, Nobuhiro TSUKADA, Kazuhiro NODA, Shinya MATSUOKA
  • Publication number: 20230061292
    Abstract: Provided is an automatic analyzer capable of reducing risks such as infection, injury, and damage to the device caused by manual operation of a user. In the automatic analyzer according to the present disclosure, an unused vessel holding unit is configured to be able to hold a cleaning member that cleans a hole for mounting a reaction vessel, and a reaction vessel transport unit or a specimen probe picks up the cleaning member from the unused vessel holding unit, transports the cleaning member to the reaction vessel mounting unit, and inserts and removes the cleaning member into and from the hole, thereby cleaning the inner surface of the hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Shun KURIKI, Kazuhiro NODA, Yukinori SAKASHITA
  • Publication number: 20220397582
    Abstract: An automatic analysis device improves the uniformity of a mixed liquid by noise agitation by a dispensing mechanism. The dispensing mechanism agitates a mixed liquid by suctioning the mixed liquid into a reaction vessel by a nozzle and then re-discharging the suctioned mixed liquid into the reaction vessel. When the mixed liquid is re-discharged into the reaction vessel, the nozzle is moved upward at a speed higher than a speed at which the liquid surface of the mixed liquid rises due to the re-discharging of the mixed liquid from the nozzle during a first period and lowers the speed of moving the nozzle upward than the speed during the first period while maintaining or reducing the speed at which the liquid surface of the mixed liquid rises due to re-discharging of the mixed liquid from the nozzle during a second period following the first period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Mariko MIYAZAKI, Nobuhiro TSUKADA, Kazuhiro NODA, Eiichiro TAKADA, Yuka MIYAKE
  • Publication number: 20220381799
    Abstract: An abnormality is detected with high accuracy at the time of pipetting a liquid to be subjected to abnormality detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro NODA, Koshin HAMASAKI
  • Publication number: 20220317140
    Abstract: Provided is a reagent cooler that prevents occurrence of condensation and further uniforms a temperature in the cooler with low power consumption and a simple structure. The reagent cooler includes a refrigerant pipe that is disposed inside an outer wall of the reagent cooler 103 and circulates a refrigerant inside the outer wall; a blowing pipe 109 that is disposed inside the outer wall and guides outside air existing outside the reagent cooler to inside of the reagent cooler; and a blowing unit 114 that is disposed at the blowing pipe and diffuses the outside air into the inside of the reagent cooler through the blowing pipe. With the outside air cooled by the outer wall and taken into the inside of the reagent cooler, the reagent cooler is positively pressurized and the internal temperature is made uniform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Nobuya FUKUDA, Kazuhiro NODA, Yukinori SAKASHITA
  • Publication number: 20220146540
    Abstract: Provided is an automatic analysis device capable of detecting a pipetting condition with high accuracy even when pressure pulsation occurs due to a pipetting syringe operation or a probe operation before and after pipetting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro NODA, Kenta IMAI, Tatsuki TAKAKURA, Nobuhiro TSUKADA
  • Publication number: 20220146543
    Abstract: An automatic analyzer keeps the inside of a reagent cooler that stores a reagent vessel clean. The automatic analyzer includes: a reagent cooler that stores a reagent vessel containing a reagent to be reacted with a sample at a predetermined temperature. A reagent vessel replacement unit includes an opening configured to put the reagent vessel into and take the regent vessel out of the reagent cooler, wherein the opening is opened and closed to replace the reagent vessel. A positive pressure unit positively pressurizes the inside of the reagent cooler with respect to a periphery of the reagent cooler when the opening is opened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2020
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Takahiro KUMAGAI, Kazuhiro NODA, Nobuya FUKUDA
  • Patent number: 11234846
    Abstract: This guide catheter includes a resin tube having an inner lumen through which a guide wire is insertable; a metal pipe attached to an inside of the tube to be coaxial with the tube; and a metal wire having a distal end portion welded to a region more distal than a proximal end of the pipe on an outer circumferential surface of the pipe. The pipe has a most proximal portion formed in a proximal end surface of the pipe, the most proximal portion is more proximal than other portions of the proximal end surface in a central axis direction of the pipe. A welding region of the wire welded to the pipe is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the pipe and a proximal end of the welding region is positioned apart from the most proximal portion of the pipe in the central axis direction of the pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Noda
  • Patent number: 11228854
    Abstract: A tinnitus treatment device provides a sound stimulus for tinnitus treatment to a user who is a tinnitus patient on a unit time basis, and includes: a controller; and a recording medium in which a treatment program is stored. The treatment program is executed by the controller to perform: analogizing one or both of a RI effect curve and a TL decrease curve for tinnitus treatment sound provided to the user; generating the tinnitus treatment sound based on the one or both of the RI effect curve and the TL decrease curve which is analogized; and presenting the tinnitus treatment sound generated to the user via a sound presentation unit on the unit time basis to provide the sound stimulus to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Noda
  • Publication number: 20210368282
    Abstract: A tinnitus treatment device provides a sound stimulus for tinnitus treatment to a user who is a tinnitus patient on a unit time basis, and includes: a controller; and a recording medium in which a treatment program is stored. The treatment program is executed by the controller to perform: analogizing one or both of a RI effect curve and a TL decrease curve for tinnitus treatment sound provided to the user; generating the tinnitus treatment sound based on the one or both of the RI effect curve and the TL decrease curve which is analogized; and presenting the tinnitus treatment sound generated to the user via a sound presentation unit on the unit time basis to provide the sound stimulus to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventor: Kazuhiro NODA
  • Publication number: 20210318350
    Abstract: In a case where a dispensing tip is imaged from below, liquid attached to the tip falls downward and contaminates an imaging mechanism. An automatic analyzer includes: a buffer that has a hole for holding a tip for dispensing, the hole passing through the tip; a probe for dispensing having a tip to which the tip is attached; an imaging unit that images the tip; and a controller that controls the tip such that the tip is mounted on the probe by pressing the probe against the tip that passes through the hole to be held by the buffer, in which the imaging unit is disposed to image the tip from an upper side to a lower side in a gravity direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Kumagai, Kazuhiro Noda, Yukinori Sakashita
  • Publication number: 20210275338
    Abstract: A stent delivery device that can be inserted into an endoscope. The device includes a guide catheter including a guide tube, an operating wire, and a joint portion that joins the guide tube and the wire. The device also includes a pusher catheter including a first tube through which the wire is inserted and a second tube through which the guide tube is inserted. The device may include a bite prevention portion that can prevent the wire from biting into an inner surface of the second tube. In a state where a distal end of the pusher catheter protrudes from the endoscope channel and the channel includes a curved portion in a curved state, a proximal end of the guide tube, which includes the joint portion, and/or the bite prevention portion can be positioned proximal of a proximal end of the curved portion in the endoscope channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro NODA, Yuko KIRINO
  • Publication number: 20210267778
    Abstract: A medical stent including: a tubular main body made of resin that extends along an axis; a first locking member including a first fixed end fixed to the distal end side of the main body, and a first free end positioned radially outward of the main body; a second locking member including a second fixed end fixed to the proximal end side of the main body, and a second free end positioned radially outward of the main body; and a spiral reinforcing material made of metal which is embedded between the inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the main body. The reinforcing material includes a first portion spirally wound between the first and second fixed ends, a second portion spirally wound at a pitch greater than that of the first portion, and a third portion spirally wound at a pitch greater than that of the second portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryosuke SAKAI, Toshihiro YAMAGATA, Kazuhiro NODA, Yuko KIRINO, Nozomu KOTAKE
  • Patent number: 11041872
    Abstract: The present invention provides an automatic analysis device and an automatic specimen processing system having a component-rack supply mechanism that, in a state where a plurality of component racks each having a disposable component mounted thereon are stacked, separates only a component rack at the leading stage of the stack from the other component racks, and supplies the separated component rack to the automatic analysis device or the automatic specimen processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Noda, Tatsuya Fukugaki, Takahiro Kumagai