Abstract: Using a thermal writing device, an image is drawn on an image-forming sheet that includes a base and a layer of microcapsules, coated over the base, containing microcapsules filled with a dye. The microcapsules are squashed under a predetermined pressure at a temperature falling in a predetermined temperature range. The device includes an elongated body, having a tip-end, designed to be grasped by a user's hand, a heater movably provided on the tip-end of the body, and a spring provided in the tip-end of the body. The spring is associated with the heater to be elastically biased such that, when the tip-end of the body is pressed against the sheet, the heater is depressed against an elastic-force of the spring, thereby exerting the predetermined pressure on the sheet. An electrical driver that electrically energizes the heater to heat to a temperature falling in the predetermined temperature range is also provided.

Abstract: A plurality of thermal line heads for different colors, extending perpendicularly to a conveyer path of an image-forming sheet, are aligned along the conveyer path. The thermal line heads are controlled to simultaneously generate image-pixels on printing lines shifted in the direction of the conveyer path, on the image-forming sheet. The printing speed is high due to a plurality of colors being simultaneously printed. The thermal line heads can be applied to high-speed printing of a monochrome image on a heat-sensitive paper.

Abstract: An image-forming liquid medium comprised of a solution containing a surface-active agent, and at least two types of microcapsule mixed with the solution. A first type of microcapsule is filled with a first dye, and a second type of microcapsule is filled with a second dye. A first shell of the first type microcapsule is formed of a first resin that exhibits a first characteristic such that, when the first type microcapsule is squashed and broken under simultaneous application of a first pressure at a first temperature, the first dye seeps from the squashed and broken microcapsule. A second shell of the second type of microcapsule is formed of a second resin that exhibits a second characteristic such that, when the second type microcapsule is squashed and broken under simultaneous application of a second pressure at a second temperature, the second dye seeps from the squashed and broken microcapsule.

Abstract: A rewriteable image-recording substrate has a base sheet, and an image-developing layer coated over a surface of the base sheet. The image-developing layer is composed of a plurality of split-tube elements formed of a shape memory resin exhibiting a predetermined glass-transition temperature. Each of the split-tube elements has a split formed along a central axis thereof, and is securely adhered to the surface of the base sheet such that the split of each split-tube element is oriented away from the surface of the base sheet. An outer peripheral surface of each split-tube element is colored with, for example, white, and an inner cylindrical surface thereof is colored with, for example, black.

Abstract: A temperature control apparatus for controlling a temperature of a heating resistor included on a thermal head of a printer. The temperature control apparatus includes a sensing circuit for sensing the temperature of the heating resistor from a current flowing through the heating resistor. The temperature control apparatus includes a switching device for switching the current activated by a status signal, and a holding circuit, which holds the status signal indicating whether each heating resister is to be heated. The holding circuit is cleared when the temperature exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: In an image-forming system, an image-forming substrate is used that includes a paper sheet, and a microcapsule layer, coated over the paper sheet, which contains at least one type of microcapsule filled with a dye. Each microcapsule exhibits a characteristic such that, when a microcapsule is compacted under a given pressure at a given temperature, the dye seeps from the compacted microcapsule. A pressure/temperature applicator includes a roller platen, a thermal head having at least one arcuate bimetal element associated with the platen such that the substrate can be interposed between the platen and the thermal head, and an electrical energization system that electrically heats the arcuate bimetal element in accordance with image-information data.

Abstract: An image-forming system has an image-forming substrate that includes a base sheet, and a layer of microcapsules, coated over the base sheet, containing a plurality of at least one type of microcapsules filled with an ink. When a dot area of the layer of microcapsules is subjected to a pressure in a predetermined pressure range at a temperature in a predetermined temperature range, at least a portion of the plurality of at least one type of microcapsules, included in the dot area, are squashed and broken, thereby causing discharge of the dye from the squashed and broken microcapsules. A thermal printer includes a roller platen for exerting the pressure on the dot area, a thermal head for applying a thermal energy to the dot area to heat the same to the predetermined temperature, and a regulator that regulates a degree of application of the thermal energy to the dot area, thereby enabling a variation in the density of the discharge of the dye at the dot area to be obtainable.

Abstract: A fluorescence diagnostic apparatus is provided in which a site to be subjected to spectrometry can be designated in an image of a diagnostic living tissue which is taken via an endoscope, and the designated site can be automatically subjected to spectrometry. Fluorescence from the inner wall of a body cavity of a patient is conveyed in an image guide fiber bundle (14) of an endoscope (10), and then emitted as parallel light from an eye lens (16a). A partial reflection mirror in a mirror box (50) allows most of the light to transmit therethrough, and reflects the other portion of the light. From the transmitted light, an image of the inner wall of the body cavity is formed by an imaging lens. The image is taken by a fluorescence-observation CCD (34), and displayed by a display of a video monitor device (60). On the other hand, from the light reflected by the partial reflection mirror, an aerial image of the inner wall of the body cavity is formed by an imaging lens.

Abstract: A microcapsule includes a shape memory resin shell wall formed with fissures that do not completely pass through the shell wall, and a dye encapsulated in the shell wall. The shell wall exhibits a temperature/pressure characteristic such that the fissures open, when the shell wall is squashed and compacted under a predetermined pressure at a predetermined temperature, whereby a seepage of the dye frog the squashed and compacted shell wall through the opened fissures is adjustable.

Abstract: A pressure-sensitive and heat-sensitive recording apparatus has a pre-coating container that pre-coats a recording sheet prior to a printing operation on the recording sheet. The pre-coating material container, ribbon cassette and an over-coating material container are provided in a recording head, while being movable in a printing direction lead by the pre-coating material container. The printed color-image is protected by an over-coating material dispensed from the trailing over-coating material container.

Abstract: A plurality of thermal heads for different colors, are disposed in parallel in a line-printing direction, being offset with respect to each other in a transport direction along which an image-forming sheet is moved via a conveyer path. The image forming sheet is a pressure/temperature-sensitive sheet or a temperature-sensitive sheet. The thermal heads are moved in the line-printing direction. Adjacent-opposing ends of adjacent thermal heads are separated in the line-printing direction, and overlap in the transport direction. The thermal heads are controlled so as to simultaneously generate image-pixels on the image-forming sheet. The printing speed is high due to a plurality of colors being simultaneously printed. The thermal heads are used as part of pressure applying unit. The pressure applying unit is provided for selectively applying predetermined pressure to the micro-capsules, when the image-forming sheet is a pressure/temperature-sensitive sheet.

Abstract: An endoscope system is provided with an endoscope unit which emits an excitation light to an object to be observed and receives a fluorescent light emitted by the object, a filtering optical element, which extracts a predetermined component of the fluorescent light received by the endoscope unit, an image capturing device, which receives an image formed by the predetermined component of the fluorescent light, an amplifier, which amplifies an output signal of the image capturing device, and a gain controller, which automatically controls a gain of the amplifier in accordance with the output signal of the image capturing element.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to produce a monitor which can correctly distinguish normal from abnormal vibration using automatically selected monitoring features and algorithms. The monitor can be used with a variety of devices with different vibration characteristics. The monitor according to this invention has a sensor that detects the vibration of an object. The monitor is operated in learning mode when the object is vibrating normally. The waveform of the vibration detected by this sensor is sampled over an appropriate period and analyzed. The data for each sampling feature are subjected to statistical processing, and the data which evince slight change are extracted as monitoring features. A monitoring algorithm is automatically made for these monitoring features. The algorithm selected in learning mode are used to evaluate the vibration of an object when the monitor is in operating mode.

Abstract: An endoscope system for examining organic tissue that uses a light source to generate persistent fluorescence (that is, fluorescence that remains after the generating source is turned off or removed) in organic tissue. Two shutter mechanisms are controlled such that only the persistent fluorescence is allowed to reach an image receiving device, such as a CCD area sensor. The two shutters are controlled such that the CCD area sensor is exposed to the persistent fluorescence either once or a plurality of times before the image data is output. If the CCD is only exposed once, a number of CCD outputs are accumulated in a picture memory. The image generated from either the CCD output (for the plurality of exposures case) or the picture memory (for the single exposure case) is displayed on a display device.