Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member to bear a toner image on a surface thereof, a transfer device to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium, and a transfer bias power source to apply to the transfer device a superimposed transfer bias in which an alternating current (AC) component is superimposed on a direct current (DC) component in a superimposed transfer mode to transfer the toner image. The superimposed transfer bias has a waveform in which a first polarity in a direction of transferring the toner image onto the recording medium and a second polarity opposite the first polarity switch alternately. The superimposed transfer bias is output such that a standard value of each of the DC component and the AC component is multiplied by a respective correction ratio, and the correction ratio of the DC component is different from that of the AC component.

Abstract: A transfer device comprises a freely rotatable transferring member contacting an image bearing member to form a transfer nip therebetween; a transfer bias applying member to apply a first bias created by superimposing an alternating current component on a direct current component to the transferring member to transfer a toner image borne on the image bearing member to a recording medium in the transfer nip; and an applicator to apply a protective agent to a surface of the transferring member.

Abstract: At least one specified position and, if necessary, a cutting surface are specified in a three-dimensional medical image. Plural anatomical structures present within a predetermined range from the specified position are extracted, as structures to be separated, by referring to a structure information storage unit that stores plural anatomical structures and a separation condition storage unit that stores a separation condition for each anatomical structure of a subject to determine, based on the specified position, a boundary surface and, if necessary, a cutting surface for separately displaying the plural anatomical structures. The boundary surface corresponding to the structures to be separated and the specified position and, if necessary, the cutting surface are set based on the separation condition. A three-dimensional medical image in which the structures to be separated are separated by the boundary surface and, if necessary, by the cutting surface is generated, and displayed.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer device to transfer a toner image formed on an image bearing member onto a recording medium, a sheet separation device to separate the recording medium from the image bearing member, a sheet separation bias application device to apply to the sheet separation device a sheet separation bias in which an alternating current (AC) component is superimposed on a direct current (DC) component, and a transfer bias application device to selectively apply to the transfer device one of a DC transfer bias having a DC component and a superimposed transfer bias in which an AC component is superimposed on a DC component. Upon application of the superimposed transfer bias to the transfer device, the sheet separation bias applied to the sheet separation device is changed from the sheet separation bias applied upon application of the DC transfer bias to the transfer device.

Abstract: A virtual field of view of a virtual endoscope, which is positioned at a position corresponding to a detected position of an endoscope in a 3D medical image, is determined based on a position of a structure of interest, the corresponding position and a posture of the endoscope, and an angle of view of the endoscope, such that the position of the structure of interest is contained within the virtual field of view and the virtual field of view has continuity with the field of view of the endoscope. From the 3D medical image inputted, a virtual endoscopic image having the determined virtual field of view with the view point thereof being the corresponding position of the endoscope is generated. The generated virtual endoscopic image is displayed on a WS display.

Abstract: A virtual endoscope image generation unit receives, as an input, a three-dimensional medical image formed by a three-dimensional medical image formation unit, and generates a virtual endoscope image representing the body cavity viewed from a position in the three-dimensional medical image corresponding to the position of a treatment tool detected in real time by a treatment tool position detection unit. The generated virtual endoscope image is displayed on a WS display.

Abstract: A constitution information obtainment unit obtains constitution information about a patient to be diagnosed including at least one of genetic information and allergy information about the patient. A comparison constitution information obtainment unit obtains, as comparison constitution information, constitution information about plural patients to be compared. A similar constitution information extraction unit calculates, with respect to the comparison constitution information about the plural patients to be compared, degrees of similarity to the constitution information about the patient to be diagnosed, respectively, and extracts, as similar constitution information, the comparison constitution information the calculated degree of similarity of which satisfies a predetermined threshold condition.

Abstract: A virtual endoscopic image generating unit for generating, from a 3D medical image representing an interior of a body cavity of a subject formed by a 3D medical image forming unit and inputted thereto, a virtual endoscopic image, in which a position of a structure of interest identified by a position of interest identifying unit is a view point of the virtual endoscopic image, a real-time position of at least one of an endoscope and a surgical tool detected by an endoscope position detecting unit or a surgical tool position detecting unit is contained in a field of view of the virtual endoscopic image, and the position of at least one of the endoscope and the surgical tool is shown in an identifiable manner in the virtual endoscopic image, is provided. A display control unit causes a WS display to display the generated virtual endoscopic image.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member to carry a toner image, a nip forming member to form a transfer nip with the image carrying member, and a transfer bias outputting unit to output a transfer bias to transfer the toner image from the image carrying member to a recording medium. The transfer bias is composed of a direct current (DC) component and an alternating current (AC) component, and a least one of the DC component and the AC component is subjected to constant voltage control. When constant current control is conducted at a timing other than when the toner image is being transferred from the image carrying member to the recording medium, a detection bias voltage at the transfer nip is detected, and the voltage of at least one of the DC component and the AC component is controlled based on the detected detection bias voltage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier to carry a toner image, a transfer member to form a transfer nip by contacting the image carrier surface, and a power supply to output a voltage to the recording material captured in the transfer nip so as to transfer the toner image formed on the image carrier surface. The voltage is switching alternately between a voltage in the transfer direction and a voltage opposite to the voltage in the transfer direction, and a time average value (Vave) of the voltage is set to have a polarity of the transfer direction, and is set to a value in the transfer voltage side, and a change mode to change a cycle of the voltage output from the power supply can be changed based on the toner deterioration information which determines the deterioration status of the toner.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a transfer device includes: an image carrier from which an image is transferred onto a transfer medium using electrostatic toner, the image carrier being applied with a direct current voltage superimposed with an alternating current (AC) voltage as a transfer bias. An output voltage of a power source for applying the voltage is controlled so that a current level of a direct current component output from the power source is kept at a specified current level.

Abstract: A keyword extracting section extracts anatomical structures and/or information related to diseases from image observation reports regarding input image data. A display protocol determining section determines display protocols by selecting display protocols from among those stored in a display protocol table, based on the extracted anatomical structures and/or information related to diseases. Medical images for display are displayed based on the determined display protocols.

Abstract: To correct a region recognition result in each tomographic image easily. Causing a plurality of tomographic images representing a plurality of regions of a subject or a reconstructed image based on the images and results of recognition processing of the regions of the subject represented by the respective tomographic images, in which the positional relationship of the recognized regions between the tomographic images matches with the anatomical positional relationship of the regions, to be displayed on a screen, accepting input of correction information identifying a correction position which is a boundary of different regions, determining an image whose result of the recognition processing is incorrect and a correct region of the image based on the anatomical positional relationship and/or results of the recognition processing of images adjacent to the correction position, and the correction information, and correcting the result of the recognition processing of the image.

Abstract: Positional relationships are automatically determined with higher accuracy in a predetermined direction between three-dimensional images representing a subject including a periodic structure having periodicity in the predetermined direction, with respect to the periodic structure. A positional correspondence is provisionally determined in a predetermined direction between two three-dimensional images including a periodic structure having periodicity in the predetermined direction, based on a criterion wherein the periodic structure contributes less to the determination. The provisionally determined correspondence is then corrected so that a position in one of the three-dimensional images corresponding to a position of the other three-dimensional image in the predetermined direction can be corrected within a range near the position in the former three-dimensional image in the predetermined direction, according to a criterion wherein the periodic structure contributes more.

Abstract: Generating, with respect to each of the three-dimensional image and the three-dimensional comparison image, a plurality of tomographic images orthogonal to a central axis of each vertebra of the subject along the central axis, calculating a first characteristic amount representing a profile in a direction orthogonal to the central axis at each point on the central axis based on the tomographic images, calculating a second characteristic amount representing a profile in a direction of the central axis at each point on the central axis based on the tomographic images, calculating a third characteristic amount representing regularity of disposition of each vertebra at each point on the central axis based on the calculated first and second characteristic amounts, and aligning positions of the third characteristic amount calculated from the three-dimensional image and the third characteristic amount calculated from the three-dimensional comparison image along the central axis.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a controller that controls a transfer bias supply to cause a transfer bias to increase, between an image carrier and a first rotary body disposed opposite the image carrier, a potential of the first rotary body toward an opposite polarity to a charge polarity of toner of a toner image on the image carrier to be higher than a potential of the image carrier, and to change, on the basis of identified recording medium type, a returning peak value which is one of a peak value of positive polarity and a peak value of negative polarity of the transfer bias and which generates an electric field that causes the toner having moved to the recording medium from the image carrier to return to the image carrier from the recording medium in a transfer nip.

Abstract: A transfer device includes an image carrier that carries a toner image; a nip forming member that forms a transfer nip between the nip forming member and the image carrier by contacting with a front surface of the image carrier; and a transfer bias applying unit that applies a transfer bias, thereby transferring the toner image carried on the image carrier to a recording material at a position of the transfer nip. The transfer bias applying unit applies the transfer bias in which an AC component and a DC component are superimposed and in which a peak-to-peak voltage of the AC component is larger than 6 times an absolute value of a voltage of the DC component.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer bias generator including a transfer bias supply that supplies a transfer bias to a transfer nip formed between an image carrier and a first rotary body, and a controller that detects a toner adhesion amount at a predetermined region of the image carrier located immediately upstream from the transfer nip and having a predetermined length in a moving direction of the image carrier. The transfer bias generator outputs at least an alternating current component under one of constant voltage control and constant current control and changes a target output value of the alternating current component according to the toner adhesion amount detected by the controller.

Abstract: Time-series images of a heart and sound data representing heart sounds are obtained. The time-series images of the heart is temporally synchronized with the sound data representing the heart sounds, and the time-series images of the heart and the sound data representing the heart sounds synchronized with each other are played back.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier; a toner image forming unit that forms a toner image on the image carrier; a transfer unit that transfers the toner image on the image carrier to a transfer target having ridges and valleys on a surface thereof; an adjusting unit that adjusts a ratio of A/B, where A is a transfer ratio [%] from the image carrier to a valley portion of the transfer target while B is a transfer ratio [%] from the image carrier to a ridge portion of the transfer target, based on an adjustment input by a user; and a control unit that controls a transfer condition of the transfer unit based on the ratio of A/B adjusted by the adjusting unit.