Abstract: A method of manufacturing a polymer coated single ferromagnetic particle is provided. The method includes hydrophobizing one single hydrophilic ferromagnetic particle by absorbing an aliphatic acid having a hydrophobic aliphatic group and a hydrophilic acid group onto the single ferromagnetic particle to obtain a single hydrophobic ferromagnetic particle; emulsifying the one single hydrophobic ferromagnetic particle with a monomer liquid comprising a nonionic surface activating agent which re-hydrophilizes the one single hydrophobic ferromagnetic particle, to obtain an emulsified liquid; adding a radical addition initiator to the emulsified liquid; and emulsion polymerizing the monomer by radical addition polymerization.

Abstract: A urethral stricture treatment apparatus and treatment method are disclosed, which can easily inhibit the position of a medical material from deviating from a treatment site and can make the medical material selectively indwell different treatment sites. The urethral stricture treatment apparatus can have a dilation portion, which dilates in a state of holding a medical material providing an epithelial function so as to bring the medical material into contact with an inner wall of urethra, and a restriction portion which is provided in a position closer to a distal side than the dilation portion in an insertion direction such that a distance between the restriction portion and the dilation portion can be relative changed, and comes into contact with external urethral sphincter in a living body so as to restrict the movement of the medical material toward the distal side.

Abstract: A medical device is disclosed for delivering a medical member which is intended to indwell in a treatment site of a urethra includes a flexible main body that extends in an axial direction, a balloon that includes an effectively dilatable portion on which the medical member is mounted, that has a dilating space into which a pressurizing medium flows between an outer surface of the main body and the balloon, and that is capable of dilating deformation and deflating deformation, an elongated guide member that is arranged across the treatment site and the outside of a living body via the urethra, and an attachment portion to which at least a portion of the guide member is detachably attached at a position between both end portions in the axial direction of the main body.

Abstract: A balloon can be rather easily pressed against an inner wall inside a lumen using a proper pressing force. A balloon has a dilating/deflating section that forms a hollow internal space, and that deflates by the internal space being decompressed, and a support section that is arranged in the internal space so as to deflate in response to the deflation of the dilating/deflating section, and that supports the dilating/deflating section so as to dilate outward in a state where the internal space is under atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: A urethral stricture treatment apparatus and treatment method are disclosed, which can easily inhibit the position of a medical material from deviating from a treatment site and can make the medical material selectively indwell different treatment sites. The urethral stricture treatment apparatus can have a dilation portion, which dilates in a state of holding a medical material providing an epithelial function so as to bring the medical material into contact with an inner wall of urethra, and a restriction portion which is provided in a position closer to a distal side than the dilation portion in an insertion direction such that a distance between the restriction portion and the dilation portion can be relative changed, and comes into contact with external urethral sphincter in a living body so as to restrict the movement of the medical material toward the distal side.

Abstract: A balloon including an outer circumferential portion which dilates to form a hollow circular cross-section and deflates when the internal pressure is reduced, an inner circumferential portion positioned inside the outer circumferential portion, and support portions positioned between the outer circumferential portion and the inner circumferential portion to support deflating the outer circumferential portion while compressing the outer circumferential portion. The support portions form first compression portions, which have a high compressive strain, and second compression portions, which have a compressive strain lower than the first compression portions.

Abstract: A treatment device for treating a treatment area of a body lumen includes an elongated member insertable into the body lumen, a delivery member guidable along a longitudinal axis of the elongated member, and a treatment part for contacting the treatment area, wherein the delivery member is configured to deliver the treatment part to the treatment area.

Abstract: A treatment device for treating a treatment area of a body lumen includes a delivery member, and a treatment membrane wrapped around the delivery member, wherein opposite overlapped edges of the treatment membrane are attached together. A clip device for preparing the membrane includes a clip part configured to pinch opposite overlapped edges of the membrane together, and a cavity with an adjustable inner circumference configured to set a circumference of the membrane.

Abstract: A therapeutic device for treating a treatment area of a body lumen includes a delivery member possessing at least one attachment part, and a treatment membrane wrapped on the delivery member and detachably attached to the at least one attachment part of the delivery member

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a polymer coated single ferromagnetic particle is provided. The method includes hydrophobizing one single hydrophilic ferromagnetic particle by absorbing an aliphatic acid having a hydrophobic aliphatic group and a hydrophilic acid group onto the single ferromagnetic particle to obtain a single hydrophobic ferromagnetic particle; emulsifying the one single hydrophobic ferromagnetic particle with a monomer liquid comprising a nonionic surface activating agent which re-hydrophilizes the one single hydrophobic ferromagnetic particle, to obtain an emulsified liquid; adding a radical addition initiator to the emulsified liquid; and emulsion polymerizing the monomer by radical addition polymerization.

Abstract: A method of delivering a therapeutic device to a treatment area of a body lumen, the therapeutic device including a) a delivery member possessing at least one attachment part and b) a treatment membrane, includes wrapping the treatment membrane on the delivery member, attaching the treatment membrane to the attachment part of the delivery member, and moving the delivery member toward the treatment area, detaching the treatment membrane from the delivery member, and withdrawing the delivery member from the body lumen.

Abstract: A mounting a treatment membrane to a delivery member includes wrapping the treatment membrane around the delivery member, pinching opposite overlapped edges of the treatment membrane together, and attaching the opposite overlapped edges of the treatment membrane together.

Abstract: A method of treating a treatment area of a body lumen includes inserting an elongated member into the body lumen, wherein the elongated member is configured to guide a delivery member, the delivery member possessing an outer portion on which is mounted a treatment membrane, moving the delivery member to the treatment area, contacting the treatment membrane mounted on the delivery member with the treatment area for a predetermined period of time, and withdrawing the delivery member from the treatment area after the predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A method of treating a treatment area of a body lumen includes inserting an elongated member into the body lumen, wherein the elongated member is configured to guide a delivery member, the delivery member possessing an outer portion with a treatment part, moving the delivery member to the treatment area, applying the treatment part to the treatment area, and withdrawing the delivery member from the treatment area.

Abstract: A urethral stricture treatment method is disclosed for inhibiting recurrence of urethral stricture by imparting an epithelial function to a treatment portion formed by treating scar tissue. The urethral stricture treatment method can include an insertion step of transurethrally inserting a predetermined protective tool into urethra and disposing the protective tool in a treatment portion formed by treating scar tissue, and a maintenance step of maintaining a state in which at least a portion of the protective tool comes into contact with the treatment portion and imparting an epithelial function to the treatment portion.

Abstract: A urethral stricture treatment method is disclosed that inhibits recurrence of urethral stricture by imparting an epithelial function to a treatment portion formed by treating scar tissue. The urethral stricture treatment method can include a treatment step of treating scar tissue by using a treatment tool transurethrally inserted into a urethra and forming a treatment portion to which an epithelial function can be imparted, a confirmation step of confirming whether or not the treatment portion has been formed by using a diagnostic tool transurethrally inserted into the urethra, and an assisting step of imparting the epithelial function to the treatment portion by using an assisting means transurethrally inserted into the urethra.

Abstract: A device (100) for measuring the amount of water in a subject's body includes a main body part (110) formed in a linear shape and an insertion part (120) extending in a curved shape from one end of the main body part (100). The insertion part (120) includes a tip side insertion part (120-2) having a tip surface (122) to which a sensor unit (121) is fixed and a base end side insertion part (120-1), wherein the sensor unit (121) is brought into contact with a body surface of a subject through a slide mechanism. A protective member (651) liquid-tightly covers the slide mechanism between the tip side insertion part (120-2) and a base end side insertion part (120-1). The protective member (651) smoothly connects the outer peripheral surface of the tip side insertion part (120-2) and the outer peripheral surface of the base end side insertion part (120-1).

Abstract: Nano-sized inorganic particles having uniform particle sizes and precisely controlled particle diameters have already been produced by synthesis in an organic solvent, but these nano-sized inorganic particles are hindered from dispersing in a polar solvent because of the adsorption of a long-chain fatty acid on the surfaces of the particles. Further, it was difficult to form nano-sized inorganic particles dispersible in a polar solvent by replacing the long-chain fatty acid coats.

Abstract: A communication terminal includes a decoder which decodes an input bitstream received from another communication terminal, to generate an output audio signal and outputs the generated output audio signal to a speaker; and an echo canceller which obtains an input audio signal representing sound captured by a microphone placed in a space to which the speaker outputs the sound, and removes, for respective subbands, an echo component included in the obtained input audio signal and corresponding to the output audio signal, to generate an audio signal for transmission. An encoder codes the audio signal for transmission to generate an output bitstream and transmits the generated output bitstream to another communication terminal; and a control unit controls, for the respective subbands, echo cancellation processing according to a reproduction band of at least one of the output audio signal and the audio signal for transmission.

Abstract: An encoding device (200) includes an MDCT unit (202) that transforms an input signal in a time domain into a frequency spectrum including a lower frequency spectrum, a BWE encoding unit (204) that generates extension data which specifies a higher frequency spectrum at a higher frequency than the lower frequency spectrum, and an encoded data stream generating unit (205) that encodes to output the lower frequency spectrum obtained by the MDCT unit (202) and the extension data obtained by the BWE encoding unit (204). The BWE encoding unit (204) generates as the extension data (i) a first parameter which specifies a lower subband which is to be copied as the higher frequency spectrum from among a plurality of the lower subbands which form the lower frequency spectrum obtained by the MDCT unit (202) and (ii) a second parameter which specifies a gain of the lower subband after being copied.