Patents by Inventor Koji Murao

Koji Murao 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: 11485285
    Abstract: A vehicle body motion informing device includes a vehicular interior part that configures an interior surface of a vehicular compartment of a vehicle, a lighting device mounted on a vehicular exterior side of the vehicular interior part and exiting light to a vehicular compartment, a control unit that receives an information signal relating to the motion of the vehicle body and controls the lighting device to exit light according to the information to inform the vehicle occupant of the motion of the vehicle body, and a surface member having semi-transmissivity and disposed to cover at least a lighting portion included in the vehicular interior part and a surrounding portion of the vehicular interior part. The lighting portion overlaps the lighting device and the light from the lighting device passes through the lighting portion to the vehicular compartment and the surrounding portion is near the lighting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Murao, Richard Chung, Atsuhiko Ito, Hironori Matsubara
  • Publication number: 20210386767
    Abstract: To provide a brown and beige adipocyte activating agent and a brown and beige adipocyte activating food, each containing D-allulose as an active ingredient. Provided are a brown and beige adipocyte activating agent containing D-allulose as an active ingredient; a brown and beige adipocyte activating agent containing at least D-allulose and having a UCP-1 expression promoting action; a brown and beige adipocyte activating agent which enhances UCP-1 expression and thereby activates brown and beige adipocytes; an energy consumption promoting agent containing D-allulose as an active ingredient; an energy consumption promoting agent which activates brown and beige adipocytes and thereby promotes energy consumption; a UCP-1 expression enhancing agent containing D-allulose as an active ingredient; and a composition or food composition containing these agents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2019
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Applicant: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION KAGAWA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Koji Murao, Hitomi Imachi, Ken Izumori, Akihide Yoshihara
  • Publication number: 20210114520
    Abstract: A vehicle body motion informing device includes a vehicular interior part that configures an interior surface of a vehicular compartment of a vehicle, a lighting device mounted on a vehicular exterior side of the vehicular interior part and exiting light to a vehicular compartment, a control unit that receives an information signal relating to the motion of the vehicle body and controls the lighting device to exit light according to the information to inform the vehicle occupant of the motion of the vehicle body, and a surface member having semi-transmissivity and disposed to cover at least a lighting portion included in the vehicular interior part and a surrounding portion of the vehicular interior part. The lighting portion overlaps the lighting device and the light from the lighting device passes through the lighting portion to the vehicular compartment and the surrounding portion is near the lighting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji MURAO, Richard CHUNG, Atsuhiko ITO, Hironori MATSUBARA
  • Publication number: 20150320093
    Abstract: A processed konjac food having blood glucose increase suppressing effect is provided. The processed konjac food having blood glucose increase suppressing effect contains a konjac having a pH in a range of 2.5 to 7.4 and a rare sugar as active ingredients, is intended for ingestion of the rare sugar at a daily dose of 0.3 to 50 g/day for suppressing blood glucose increase, and is shaped into a rectangular, thread, round, grain, or plate form. The blood glucose increase effect can last for at least one day after one-time ingestion. For example, by making a konjac containing a rare sugar into a processed food, the product can be adapted to any consumer preferences without impediment upon eating or drinking, and therefore, a long-term ingestion is facilitated and the blood glucose increase suppressing effect can be sustained for a long period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Applicants: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION KAGAWA UNIVERSITY, HAISKY FOODS CORPORATION, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION KAGAWA UNIVERSITY, HAISKY FOODS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki Tokuda, Koji Murao, Noritsugu Hishitani
  • Patent number: 8420606
    Abstract: A method of utilizing the physiological activity of a rare saccharide, wherein physiological-activity sensitive cells are treated with the rare saccharide to modify the function of the cells. A composition containing, as an active ingredient, a rare saccharide which is introduced into physiological-activity sensitive cells and has an effect of modifying the function of the cells. The cells are human cells. The composition is a functional food, a drug, or a cosmetic. The rare saccharide is a rare saccharide belonging to aldose and/or ketose. The aldose is D-allose, and the cells are selected from the group consisting of cancer-cell proliferation inhibitory activity sensitive cells and active-oxygen production inhibitory activity sensitive cells. The ketose is D-psicose, and the cells are selected from the group consisting of chemokine secretion inhibitory activity sensitive cells, microglia migration inhibitory activity sensitive cells, and hypoglycemic activity sensitive cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignees: Fushimi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Teikoku Seiyaku Co., Ltd., National University Corporation Kagawa University, Kabushiki Kaisha Hayashibara Seibutsu Kagaku Kenkyujo
    Inventors: Ken Izumori, Masaaki Tokuda, Toshifumi Itano, Osamu Miyamoto, Toshihiko Ishida, Koji Murao, Taizo Tasaka, Gan Muneuchi, Fuminori Yamaguchi, Terukazu Tanaka, Masaaki Ueki, Kazuyuki Hirooka, Tomohiko Taminato, Mohammad A. Hossain, Keiji Tsusaki, Takeo Takahashi, Mitsuhiro Nagata, Yutaka Ishida
  • Publication number: 20110112043
    Abstract: A method of utilizing the physiological activity of a rare saccharide, wherein physiological-activity sensitive cells are treated with the rare saccharide to modify the function of the cells. A composition containing, as an active ingredient, a rare saccharide which is introduced into physiological-activity sensitive cells and has an effect of modifying the function of the cells. The cells are human cells. The composition is a functional food, a drug, or a cosmetic. The rare saccharide is a rare saccharide belonging to aldose and/or ketose. The aldose is D-allose, and the cells are selected from the group consisting of cancer-cell proliferation inhibitory activity sensitive cells and active-oxygen production inhibitory activity sensitive cells. The ketose is D-psicose, and the cells are selected from the group consisting of chemokine secretion inhibitory activity sensitive cells, microglia migration inhibitory activity sensitive cells, and hypoglycemic activity sensitive cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicants: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION KAGAWA UNIVERSITY, MATSUTANI CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ken Izumori, Masaaki Tokuda, Toshifumi Itano, Osamu Miyamoto, Toshihiko Ishida, Koji Murao, Taizo Tasaka, Gan Muneuchi, Fuminori Yamaguchi, Terukazu Tanaka, Masaaki Ueki, Kazuyuki Hirooka, Tomohiko Taminato, Mohammad Akram Hossain, Keiji Tsusaki, Takeo Takahashi, Mitsuhiro Nagata, Yutaka Ishida
  • Patent number: 7906487
    Abstract: A method of utilizing the physiological activity of a rare saccharide, wherein physiological-activity sensitive cells are treated with the rare saccharide to modify the function of the cells. A composition containing, as an active ingredient, a rare saccharide which is introduced into physiological-activity sensitive cells and has an effect of modifying the function of the cells. The cells are human cells. The composition is a functional food, a drug, or a cosmetic. The rare saccharide is a rare saccharide belonging to aldose and/or ketose. The aldose is D-allose, and the cells are selected from the group consisting of cancer-cell proliferation inhibitory activity sensitive cells and active-oxygen production inhibitory activity sensitive cells. The ketose is D-psicose, and the cells are selected from the group consisting of chemokine secretion inhibitory activity sensitive cells, microglia migration inhibitory activity sensitive cells, and hypoglycemic activity sensitive cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignees: Fushimi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Teikoku Seiyaku Co., Ltd., National University Corporation Kagawa University, Kabushiki Kaisha Hayashibara Seibutsu Kagaku Kenkyujo
    Inventors: Ken Izumori, Masaaki Tokuda, Toshifumi Itano, Osamu Miyamoto, Toshihiko Ishida, Koji Murao, Taizo Tasaka, Gan Muneuchi, Fuminori Yamaguchi, Terukazu Tanaka, Masaaki Ueki, Kazuyuki Hirooka, Tomohiko Taminato, Mohammad Akram Hossain, Keiji Tsusaki, Takeo Takahashi, Mitsuhiro Nagata, Yutaka Ishida
  • Publication number: 20050245459
    Abstract: A method of utilizing the physiological activity of a rare saccharide, wherein physiological-activity sensitive cells are treated with the rare saccharide to modify the function of the cells. A composition containing, as an active ingredient, a rare saccharide which is introduced into physiological-activity sensitive cells and has an effect of modifying the function of the cells. The cells are human cells. The composition is a functional food, a drug, or a cosmetic. The rare saccharide is a rare saccharide belonging to aldose and/or ketose. The aldose is D-allose, and the cells are selected from the group consisting of cancer-cell proliferation inhibitory activity sensitive cells and active-oxygen production inhibitory activity sensitive cells. The ketose is D-psicose, and the cells are selected from the group consisting of chemokine secretion inhibitory activity sensitive cells, microglia migration inhibitory activity sensitive cells, and hypoglycemic activity sensitive cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Publication date: November 3, 2005
    Applicants: Fushimi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Teikoku Seiyaku Co. Ltd., Kagawa University, Shikoku Research Institute Incorporated, Kabushiki Kaisha Hayashibara Seibutsu Kagaku Kenkyujo
    Inventors: Ken Izumori, Masaaki Tokuda, Toshifumi Itano, Osamu Miyamoto, Toshihiko Ishida, Koji Murao, Taizo Tasaka, Gan Muneuchi, Fuminori Yamaguchi, Terukazu Tanaka, Masaaki Ueki, Kazuyuki Hirooka, Tomohiko Taminato, Mohammad Hossain, Keiji Tsusaki, Takeo Takahashi, Mitsuhiro Nagata, Yutaka Ishida
  • Publication number: 20040053345
    Abstract: Although adjuvant, or additional, therapy after surgery (e.g., adjuvant, or additional, hormonal therapy after breast cancer surgery) is performed to prevent postoperative recurrence of malignant tumors such as breast cancer, the incidence of disease recurrence still remains even if a representative drug, tamoxifen, commonly used is given. Thus, if it is possible to predict whether malignant tumors are reliably curable with tamoxifen or whether therapeutic drugs other than tamoxifen should be selected or not against such malignant tumors, it will greatly assist in the therapeutic guideline for preventing postoperative recurrence. There is a possibility that menin regulates the ER transcription activity in breast cancer cells. The expression of menin is remarkably responsible for the efficacy of estrogen antagonists (e.g., tamoxifen) having an inhibitory activity on estrogen binding to the ER. Techniques utilizing the present findings are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: Akira Yamauchi, Koji Murao, Nozomu Nishi, Mitsuomi Hirashima