Patents by Inventor Kazuma SEKIMOTO

Kazuma SEKIMOTO 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: 11474017
    Abstract: A microbial particle measuring apparatus includes: a light emitter configured to irradiate a fluid with light of a predetermined wavelength over a predetermined measurement time; a fluorescence receiver configured to selectively receive fluorescence emitted from particles contained in the fluid and output a signal having a magnitude corresponding to intensity of the fluorescence; a signal acquisition unit configured to obtain the signal output from the fluorescence receiver at regular intervals over the measurement time; and a determiner configured to calculate a slope of waveform of the signal obtained by the signal acquisition unit, and determine a concentration of microbial particles contained in the fluid using an attenuation amount of fluorescence intensity generated in a time period in which the slope in the measurement time is smaller than a predetermined value as an amount of attenuation derived from the microbial particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: RION Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuma Sekimoto
  • Patent number: 11215551
    Abstract: A particle counting system includes a particle counting means and pre-stage irradiation means. The particle counting means counts particles existing in a fluid by irradiating the fluid containing target particles with light at a predetermined wavelength, separating selectively autofluorescence or phosphorescence emitted from the target particles by the radiated light, receiving the separated autofluorescence or phosphorescence, and determining that the target particles are the particles according to the received autofluorescence or phosphorescence. The pre-stage irradiation means irradiates the fluid with ultraviolet light in advance before the particle counting means irradiates the fluid with the light at the predetermined wavelength. The particle counting means includes a band-pass filter that allows light having a wavelength of 450 nm to 600 nm to pass therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: RION CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuma Sekimoto
  • Patent number: 11119027
    Abstract: A microbial particle is accurately counted in distinction from a non-microbial particle. A preceding-stage irradiation section 2 irradiates a sample as fluid with ultraviolet light at a preceding stage of a microbial particle counter 1. The ultraviolet light is ultraviolet light having a deep ultraviolet region, the ultraviolet light increasing the fluorescence intensity of a first autofluorescence substance in the microbial particle. The microbial particle counter 1 measures light intensity in a first wavelength range including the fluorescence wavelength of the first autofluorescence substance. In addition, the microbial particle counter 1 measures light intensity in a specific second wavelength range. Further, the microbial particle counter 1 counts the microbial particle in distinction from a non-microbial particle in the fluid based on the measured light intensity in the first wavelength range and the measured light intensity in the specific second wavelength range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: RION Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuma Sekimoto
  • Publication number: 20210063297
    Abstract: A microbial particle measuring apparatus includes: a light emitter configured to irradiate a fluid with light of a predetermined wavelength over a predetermined measurement time; a fluorescence receiver configured to selectively receive fluorescence emitted from particles contained in the fluid and output a signal having a magnitude corresponding to intensity of the fluorescence; a signal acquisition unit configured to obtain the signal output from the fluorescence receiver at regular intervals over the measurement time; and a determiner configured to calculate a slope of waveform of the signal obtained by the signal acquisition unit, and determine a concentration of microbial particles contained in the fluid using an attenuation amount of fluorescence intensity generated in a time period in which the slope in the measurement time is smaller than a predetermined value as an amount of attenuation derived from the microbial particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventor: Kazuma SEKIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190310179
    Abstract: A microbial particle is accurately counted in distinction from a non-microbial particle. A preceding-stage irradiation section 2 irradiates a sample as fluid with ultraviolet light at a preceding stage of a microbial particle counter 1. The ultraviolet light is ultraviolet light having a deep ultraviolet region, the ultraviolet light increasing the fluorescence intensity of a first autofluorescence substance in the microbial particle. The microbial particle counter 1 measures light intensity in a first wavelength range including the fluorescence wavelength of the first autofluorescence substance. In addition, the microbial particle counter 1 measures light intensity in a specific second wavelength range. Further, the microbial particle counter 1 counts the microbial particle in distinction from a non-microbial particle in the fluid based on the measured light intensity in the first wavelength range and the measured light intensity in the specific second wavelength range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventor: Kazuma SEKIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190003951
    Abstract: The biological particle counter has a first circuit configured to generate a first signal corresponding to fluorescence from the biological particle in response to irradiated light. A measurement value obtainer is configured to obtain, from the biological particle counter, a voltage value of the first signal for a calibration particle obtained in such a manner that a fluorescence agent infiltrates into a surface of a polystyrene particle. A circuit adjuster is configured to use reference data indicating a correspondence relation between a fluorescence agent parameter value correlated to the content of the fluorescence agent and a reference voltage value of the first signal corresponding to the fluorescence agent parameter value, thereby specifying the reference voltage value of the first signal corresponding to the fluorescence agent parameter value for the calibration particle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Kazuma SEKIMOTO, Yuki OOHASHI, Takashi SANNOMIYA, Tsutomu NAKAJIMA, Miyuki FUKUDA, Masaru UENO, Yuuichi UEYA
  • Patent number: 10094763
    Abstract: A microviable particle counting system includes: a microviable particle counting instrument configured to detect autofluorescence of a microviable particle in a sample as fluid, thereby counting the microviable particle in the sample; and a former-stage irradiator provided at a former stage of the microviable particle counting instrument to irradiate the sample with ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light contains first ultraviolet light having such a wavelength that a carbon-carbon covalent bond is disconnected, and the first ultraviolet light has a wavelength shorter than 200 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: RION Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuma Sekimoto
  • Publication number: 20180058998
    Abstract: A microviable particle counting system includes: a microviable particle counting instrument configured to detect autofluorescence of a microviable particle in a sample as fluid, thereby counting the microviable particle in the sample; and a former-stage irradiator provided at a former stage of the microviable particle counting instrument to irradiate the sample with ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light contains first ultraviolet light having such a wavelength that a carbon-carbon covalent bond is disconnected, and the first ultraviolet light has a wavelength shorter than 200 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventor: Kazuma SEKIMOTO
  • Patent number: 9267845
    Abstract: A viable particle counting apparatus 77 includes devices 10, 70, 2. The device 10 radiates a light with a predetermined wavelength toward a liquid containing a detection target. The device 70 reduces a Raman-scattered light emitted from the liquid out of lights emitted due to an interaction of the light radiated by the device 10 with the target or the liquid and selects an autofluorescence light emitted from the target. The device 2 determines whether or not the target contained in the liquid is a viable particle, based on a light obtained after the Raman-scattered light is reduced by the device 70. The device 10 radiates the light with a wavelength that causes the autofluorescence light and the Raman-scattered light to be different in peak wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: RION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuo Ichijyo, Kazuma Sekimoto, Kousei Sekigawa, Yukihiro Kimoto, Takayuki Kosaka
  • Patent number: 9250174
    Abstract: A particle counting system includes a collector, a liquid input/output operation executing means, and a particle counter. The collector performs a collecting operation to introduce the surrounding air into a container storing a liquid to collect airborne particles in the liquid. The liquid input/output operation executing means executes a series of liquid input/output operations to supply an additional liquid for the collecting operation to the collector and discharge the liquid after the collecting operation from the collector. The particle counter measures the number of particles contained in the liquid discharged from the collector with the series of liquid input/output operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: RION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuma Sekimoto, Kazuo Ichijyo
  • Publication number: 20150346077
    Abstract: This invention relates to a viable particle counting system. The system includes: a viable particle counting means that counts viable particles existing in a fluid by irradiating the fluid containing target particles to be detected with light at a predetermined wavelength, separating selectively autofluorescence or phosphorescence emitted from the target particles by the radiated light, receiving the separated autofluorescence or phosphorescence, and determining that the target particles are the viable particles according to the received autofluorescence or phosphorescence; and a pre-stage irradiation means that irradiates the fluid with ultraviolet light in advance before the viable particle counting means irradiates the fluid with the light at the predetermined wavelength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: RION CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuma SEKIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20150211977
    Abstract: A particle counting system includes a collector, a liquid input/output operation executing means, and a particle counter. The collector performs a collecting operation to introduce the surrounding air into a container storing a liquid to collect airborne particles in the liquid. The liquid input/output operation executing means executes a series of liquid input/output operations to supply an additional liquid for the collecting operation to the collector and discharge the liquid after the collecting operation from the collector. The particle counter measures the number of particles contained in the liquid discharged from the collector with the series of liquid input/output operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: RION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuma Sekimoto, Kazuo Ichijyo
  • Publication number: 20140335557
    Abstract: A viable particle counting apparatus 77 includes devices 10, 70, 2. The device 10 radiates a light with a predetermined wavelength toward a liquid containing a detection target. The device 70 reduces a Raman-scattered light emitted from the liquid out of lights emitted due to an interaction of the light radiated by the device 10 with the target or the liquid and selects an autofluorescence light emitted from the target. The device 2 determines whether or not the target contained in the liquid is a viable particle, based on a light obtained after the Raman-scattered light is reduced by the device 70. The device 10 radiates the light with a wavelength that causes the autofluorescence light and the Raman-scattered light to be different in peak wavelength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: RION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuo ICHIJYO, Kazuma SEKIMOTO, Kousei SEKIGAWA, Yukihiro KIMOTO, Takayuki KOSAKA