Abstract: A catheter or balloon catheter includes a tube or balloon which is provided with a plurality of pores. A stimulus-responsive polymer is attached to the pores so that fluid transmission through the pores is controllable by a stimulus such as a change of pH, composition, and temperature. The catheter can administer a necessary limited amount of medicament to a locally limited site of a blood vessel only when necessary.

Abstract: There is a disclosure of a method and a container for storing a blood or blood component, including a sheet material having a plurality of layers and wherein the layers are adhered to each other, at least a portion of the layer which contacts blood or blood components is composed of a block copolymer having a micro-phase separating structure. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a container which has excellent properties in relation to the storage of platelet, gas permeability and mechanical strength. Also, there is a disclosure of a method and a tube for transfusing blood or a blood component, including a tube material having a plurality of the same layers as the above.

Abstract: A small-sized, simple, high-resolution slit system adapted for use in a mass spectrometer. The slit system forms a slit whose width can be electrically controlled. The slit system comprises two displacement-enlarging mechanisms disposed in rotation symmetry. Each displacement-enlarging mechanism comprises two levers disposed in series. Each displacement-enlarging mechanism is formed by one flange provided with a groove extending therethrough. A piezoelectric device which expands and contracts along one axis is mounted to the input end of each displacement-enlarging mechanism. A blade is mounted to the output end of each displacement-enlarging mechanism. Both blades together form the slit which can be opened and closed.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a highly biodegradable flexible member adapted for medical use which is capable of undergoing degradation in a relatively short period of time in natural environment by burying in soil or abandoning in sea after its sterilization so that no environmental pollution would be caused by its disposal, and which additionally has excellent workability, cost performance, compatibility to ecosystem, as well as biocompatibility. At least a portion of the flexible medical member is fabricated from a material containing a resin composition comprising a polyhydroxyalkanoate, a copolymer thereof, or a mixture thereof as its main component, and 0.01 to 60% by weight of a lipid compound.

Abstract: A power steering device for use with a boat propulsion unit has a hydraulic cylinder unit for angularly moving a steering arm of the boat propulsion unit. A rotary valve mechanism for supplying working oil from a working oil tank to the hydraulic cylinder unit and discharging working oil from the hydraulic cylinder unit to the working oil tank comprises a flat valve body having oil holes defined transversely therethrough and a valve housing assembly housing the flat valve body and having ports defined therein for communication with the oil holes, the ports being connected to the working oil tank and the hydraulic cylinder unit. The power steering device also includes a steering shaft for operating the rotary valve mechanism in response to a steering action. The hydraulic cylinder unit, the rotary valve mechanism, and the steering shaft are integrally joined to each other.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus for a semiconductor wafer includes a susceptor arranged in a vacuum process chamber. A groove for flowing a heat transfer gas is formed in the mounting surface of the susceptor. The groove includes an annular groove portion formed along the peripheral edge of the mounting surface, and a gas path vertically extending through the susceptor is connected to the annular groove portion. A sheet-like electrostatic chuck is airtightly adhered to the mounting surface of the susceptor to cover the groove. A plurality of through holes are formed in the electrostatic chuck, and these holes are arranged along an above the groove. The heat transfer gas is supplied between the electrostatic chuck and the semiconductor wafer through the gas path, the groove, and the through holes. The heat transfer gas contributes to transfer of cold from a liquid nitrogen source arranged under the susceptor to the wafer.

Abstract: A digital audio signal demodulation circuit comprises a synchronous detection circuit (18) and a muting circuit (17) for muting the output from an interpolation circuit (16) using a synchronization lock signal generated from the synchronous detection circuit (18) when synchronization has been lost. The differential signal output from the interpolation circuit (16) is muted by the muting circuit (17) and thereafter integrated by an integration circuit (19). Thus, an audio signal with high sound quality can be demodulated without producing interruption noise even when synchronization has been lost or forcible muting is done.

Abstract: An evacuated blood collecting device for collecting a blood sample of predetermined volume comprises: a cylindrical member having one open end and one closed end; a puncturable stopper member closing tightly the open end of the cylindrical member so as to seal the space within said cylindrical member; and a gas sealed in the space within the cylindrical member. The cylindrical member and the stopper member are made of materials having a characteristic such that the permeation coefficient of the gas sealed inside the space to at least one of the cylindrical member and stopper member is higher than that of the gas around the outside of the blood collecting device, whereby the interior of the space is retained under reduced pressure relative to the gas around the outside of the blood collecting device in proportion to the blood sampling volume.

Abstract: A stopper for a medical container which can tightly close an opening in said medical container and can be pierced with a syringe, which stopper is characterized by the fact that at least part of the portion thereof which possibly comes into contact with a piercing needle during the removal of said piercing needle therefrom is formed of a material containing a highly water absorbable macromolecular compound.

Abstract: A stopper for hermetically sealing an opening of a medical container. The stopper is made of a composition comprising 30 to 80% by weight of a partially cross-linked butyl rubber, 10 to 40% by weight of a thermoplastic resin, and 5 to 50% by weight of an inorganic powder.