Patents by Inventor Ken Kitamoto

Ken Kitamoto 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).

  • Publication number: 20230294979
    Abstract: A manufacturing method capable of manufacturing a laminate including a substrate having a recess and a film with a high yield is provided. The method of manufacturing a laminate of the present invention includes: preparing a substrate having a recess; disposing a film on the substrate so as to cover the recess; and obtaining a laminate by thermocompression bonding between the film and the substrate by pressing the film and the substrate with a first elastic body and a second elastic body in a state in which the substrate on which the film is disposed is disposed between the first elastic body and the second elastic body such that the film is on the first elastic body side, in which the first elastic body is harder than the second elastic body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Ken KITAMOTO, Ryoya NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20220055028
    Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing a fluid handling system that is capable of injecting a fluid into a desired chip or the like without using a large-scale device. In order to resolve the problem, this fluid handling system has a reservoir, a flow path chip, and a cap, one end of which is fitted to the internal opening of the reservoir and the other end of which is connected to an introduction port of the flow path chip, the cap having a through-hole that links the one end and the other end. In this fluid handling system, a protruding part provided to the flow path chip is fitted into the through-hole at the other end of the cap and restricts blocking of the through-hole when a fluid moves inside the through-hole of the cap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Applicant: Enplas Corporation
    Inventors: Ken KITAMOTO, Koji MURAKI, Yuya OSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20200353471
    Abstract: This cartridge includes: a reservoir that includes an accommodation part and an opening part; and a cap fitted to the opening part. The opening part of the reservoir has: a pressing region and an open region. The cap has a first region that is pressed when the cap is positioned in the pressing region. When the first region is positioned in the pressing region and a through hole in the first region is closed, the cartridge is in a closed state in which the fluid inside the container part is not discharged to the outside via the through hole, and when, from the closed state, the first region moves into the open region and the through hole in the first region opens, the cartridge is in an open state in which the fluid can be discharged from the accommodation part to the outside via the through hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Applicant: Enplas Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi YAMAUCHI, Ken KITAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10775307
    Abstract: This detection device is provided with: a chip including a detection region for detecting a substance to be detected; a light source which emits excitation light; a detector for detecting the fluorescence emitted from a fluorescent substance which labels the substance to be detected, and which is excited by the excitation light; and an optical fiber which includes a core, and a cladding covering the outer peripheral surface of the core, guides, to the detection region, the excitation light emitted from the light source, and guides, to the detector, the fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent substance. The optical fiber is fixed to the chip directly or via a connector. The excitation light emitted from the light source is guided within the core, and reaches the detection region of the chip. The fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent substance is guided within the core and the cladding, and reaches the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Kitamoto, Koichi Ono
  • Publication number: 20200024123
    Abstract: This liquid handling apparatus has a single introduction part that opens on a first surface side of a substrate and is for introducing a liquid, a plurality of discharge parts that open on the first surface side of the substrate and are for discharging the liquid that has been introduced through the single introduction part, a flow path for connecting the single introduction part and the plurality of discharge parts within the substrate, and a plurality of outflow prevention parts that are disposed so as to surround the openings of the plurality of discharge parts and are for using the surface tension of the liquid to check the progress of the outflow of the liquid from the discharge parts. For each opening part, there are two or more outflow prevention parts disposed so as to surround the opening part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Ken KITAMOTO, Takumi YAMAUCHI
  • Patent number: 10458572
    Abstract: A liquid handling device has an accommodation part for accommodating a liquid, two or more flow paths each opening to a lower part of a side wall surface of the accommodation part, and a liquid movement suppression part that is disposed in the lower part of the side wall between the openings of two of the flow paths that are adjacent to each other and slows or stops the movement of the liquid along the corner formed by the lower surface of the accommodation part and the side wall surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventors: Ken Kitamoto, Koichi Ono
  • Publication number: 20190170645
    Abstract: This detection device is provided with: a chip including a detection region for detecting a substance to be detected; a light source which emits excitation light; a detector for detecting the fluorescence emitted from a fluorescent substance which labels the substance to be detected, and which is excited by the excitation light; and an optical fiber which includes a core, and a cladding covering the outer peripheral surface of the core, guides, to the detection region, the excitation light emitted from the light source, and guides, to the detector, the fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent substance. The optical fiber is fixed to the chip directly or via a connector. The excitation light emitted from the light source is guided within the core, and reaches the detection region of the chip. The fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent substance is guided within the core and the cladding, and reaches the detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Ken KITAMOTO, Koichi ONO
  • Patent number: 10241049
    Abstract: This detection device is provided with: a chip including a detection region for detecting a substance to be detected; a light source which emits excitation light; a detector for detecting the fluorescence emitted from a fluorescent substance which labels the substance to be detected, and which is excited by the excitation light; and an optical fiber which includes a core, and a cladding covering the outer peripheral surface of the core, guides, to the detection region, the excitation light emitted from the light source, and guides, to the detector, the fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent substance. The optical fiber is fixed to the chip directly or via a connector. The excitation light emitted from the light source is guided within the core, and reaches the detection region of the chip. The fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent substance is guided within the core and the cladding, and reaches the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: ENPLAS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ken Kitamoto, Koichi Ono
  • Patent number: 10029255
    Abstract: This liquid handling device is provided with a first chip that comprises a first substrate, a first film, a first flow path, a second flow path and a partition wall. A diaphragm portion of the first film is over the first flow path, the second flow path and the partition wall, and the center thereof is arranged over the first flow path. The first chip comprises a discharge hole or a discharge flow path which, in the liquid flow direction in the first flow path, opens into the first flow path between the partition wall and the center of the diaphragm and allows communication between the inside and outside of the first flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: ENPLAS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ken Kitamoto
  • Publication number: 20170314704
    Abstract: A liquid handling device has an accommodation part for accommodating a liquid, two or more flow paths each opening to a lower part of a side wall surface of the accommodation part, and a liquid movement suppression part that is disposed in the lower part of the side wall between the openings of two of the flow paths that are adjacent to each other and slows or stops the movement of the liquid along the corner formed by the lower surface of the accommodation part and the side wall surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Applicant: Enplas Corporation
    Inventors: Ken KITAMOTO, Koichi ONO
  • Publication number: 20170173583
    Abstract: This liquid handling device is provided with a first chip that comprises a first substrate, a first film, a first flow path, a second flow path and a partition wall. A diaphragm portion of the first film is over the first flow path, the second flow path and the partition wall, and the center thereof is arranged over the first flow path. The first chip comprises a discharge hole or a discharge flow path which, in the liquid flow direction in the first flow path, opens into the first flow path between the partition wall and the center of the diaphragm and allows communication between the inside and outside of the first flow path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventor: Ken KITAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170059484
    Abstract: This detection device is provided with: a chip including a detection region for detecting a substance to be detected; a light source which emits excitation light; a detector for detecting the fluorescence emitted from a fluorescent substance which labels the substance to be detected, and which is excited by the excitation light; and an optical fiber which includes a core, and a cladding covering the outer peripheral surface of the core, guides, to the detection region, the excitation light emitted from the light source, and guides, to the detector, the fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent substance. The optical fiber is fixed to the chip directly or via a connector. The excitation light emitted from the light source is guided within the core, and reaches the detection region of the chip. The fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent substance is guided within the core and the cladding, and reaches the detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Applicant: Enplas Corporation
    Inventors: Ken KITAMOTO, Koichi ONO
  • Patent number: 9387477
    Abstract: A fluid handling device includes a substrate, a film and a conductive layer. The substrate includes a through hole or a recess. The film includes first, second and third regions. The conductive layer is disposed on one surface of the film across the first, second and third regions. The first region of the film is bonded to one surface of the substrate such that one of openings of the through hole or an opening of the recess is closed to form a housing part, and that a part of the conductive layer is exposed to the inside of the housing part. The second region of the film is bent such that the conductive layer is located on an outside. The third region of the film is bonded to the first region of the film such that the conductive layer is exposed to the exterior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Ono, Ken Kitamoto
  • Patent number: 9283558
    Abstract: A fluid handling device includes a substrate, a film, and a conductive layer. The substrate includes a first through-hole, and a second through-hole. The conductive layer is disposed on one surface of the film to extend in a first area, a second area and a third area of the film. The substrate includes a first surface and a second surface facing away from the first surface. The first area is bonded to the first surface of the substrate such that a housing part is formed by closing one opening of the first through-hole, and such that a part of the conductive layer is exposed to the inside of the housing part. The second area is disposed inside the second through-hole, and the third area is bonded to the second surface of the substrate such that a part of the conductive layer is exposed to the outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Ono, Ken Kitamoto
  • Patent number: 9267619
    Abstract: A micro fluid chip includes a first chip and a second chip. The first chip includes a first substrate having a fluid channel and a partition wall, and a first film made of resin. The second chip includes a second substrate having a recess, and a second film made of elastomer. The second film has an elastic modulus higher than that of the first film. The first chip and the second chip are stacked in such a manner that the partition wall and the recess face each other with the first film and the second film therebetween. By setting the inner side of the recess to a negative pressure, a gap is formed between the first film and the partition wall, and thus a fluid channel is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Ono, Ken Kitamoto
  • Publication number: 20150360223
    Abstract: A fluid handling device includes a substrate, a film and a conductive layer. The substrate includes a through hole or a recess. The film includes first, second and third regions. The conductive layer is disposed on one surface of the film across the first, second and third regions. The first region of the film is bonded to one surface of the substrate such that one of openings of the through hole or an opening of the recess is closed to form a housing part, and that a part of the conductive layer is exposed to the inside of the housing part. The second region of the film is bent such that the conductive layer is located on an outside. The third region of the film is bonded to the first region of the film such that the conductive layer is exposed to the exterior.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Koichi ONO, Ken KITAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20150343441
    Abstract: A fluid handling device includes a substrate, a film, and a conductive layer. The substrate includes a first through-hole, and a second through-hole. The conductive layer is disposed on one surface of the film to extend in a first area, a second area and a third area of the film. The substrate includes a first surface and a second surface facing away from the first surface. The first area is bonded to the first surface of the substrate such that a housing part is formed by closing one opening of the first through-hole, and such that a part of the conductive layer is exposed to the inside of the housing part. The second area is disposed inside the second through-hole, and the third area is bonded to the second surface of the substrate such that a part of the conductive layer is exposed to the outside.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Koichi ONO, Ken KITAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9101934
    Abstract: A liquid handling apparatus includes a substrate that includes a groove which is a channel through which a liquid can be moved on the basis of a capillary phenomenon, and a film that is bonded to the substrate to cover the opening of the groove, in which the channel has a main channel and a guide channel, the groove has a main groove that is the main channel by the film being bonded to the substrate, and a guide groove that is the guide channel by the film being bonded to the substrate, opens on a lateral surface of the main groove, and has a width narrower than the width of the main groove, and the guide groove is placed in an area on a film side of the lateral surface of the main groove and shallower than the main groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: ENPLAS Corporation
    Inventor: Ken Kitamoto
  • Publication number: 20150021501
    Abstract: A micro fluid chip includes a first chip and a second chip. The first chip includes a first substrate having a fluid channel and a partition wall, and a first film made of resin. The second chip includes a second substrate having a recess, and a second film made of elastomer. The second film has an elastic modulus higher than that of the first film. The first chip and the second chip are stacked in such a manner that the partition wall and the recess face each other with the first film and the second film therebetween. By setting the inner side of the recess to a negative pressure, a gap is formed between the first film and the partition wall, and thus a fluid channel is opened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Koichi ONO, Ken KITAMOTO
  • Patent number: 8851120
    Abstract: Chip body 130 in which a through hole or concave is formed, intermediate film 140, on one surface of which adhesive layer 150? is formed and lower film 170, on one surface of which transfer function layer 160 is formed, are prepared. Intermediate film 140 and lower film 170 are bonded together such that transfer function layer 160 is embedded in adhesive layer 150? to form a laminated body. The laminated body and chip body 130 are bonded together by thermocompression to manufacture micro-chip 100.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Enplas Corporation
    Inventor: Ken Kitamoto