Patents by Inventor Makoto Hirama

Makoto Hirama 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: 20140212974
    Abstract: Provided is: a cell culture membrane, which is free from materials derived from living organisms, can easily be industrially mass-produced, exhibits superior long-term storage properties and chemical resistance, has excellent cell adhesion properties and long-term culture properties and is capable of replicating a cell adhesion morphology that is similar to that of collagen derived from living organisms and being used for conventional cell cultivation. Also provided are a cell culture substrate, and a method for manufacturing the cell culture substrate. In the present invention, as a cell adhesion layer, a polymer membrane represented by formula (I) is formed on the base of a cell culture substrate so as to have a membrane thickness equal to or greater than 0.2 ?m (in the formula, R1 and R2 represent a —(CH2)n—NH2 moiety (n is an integer of 1-10 inclusive.) or H, with at least one of R1 and R2 being a —(CH2)n—NH2 moiety. Moreover, l and m are positive integers expressing polymerization degree).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicants: KISCO LTD., THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, DAISANKASEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuo Yoshimoto, Kentaro Kamimae, Yuki Tanabe, Taku Oguni, Takashi Inoue, Tsutomu Mochizuki, Makoto Hirama, Teruo Fujii, Hiroshi Kimura, Hideto Tozawa
  • Patent number: 8485977
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus that can acquire ultrasound image data having excellent spatial resolution and contrast resolution by electrically controlling focusing points of transmission/reception waves so as to form transmitting beams and receiving beams having substantially uniform thin beam width along an elevation direction. Ultrasounds emitted from a prescribed number of transducers are focused at a hypothetical point sound source. Wave-fronts reflect at a plurality of observing points. Ultrasounds reflected at the observing points are received through a prescribed number of transducers generating a plurality of channels of receiving signals, which are focused by performing phase compensation and summation so that the observing point becomes a reception focusing point. The receiving signals are focused to correct transmitting delays due to propagation distances between the transmitting focusing point and the observing points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Hirama
  • Patent number: 8310212
    Abstract: This invention provides a control device for automobile battery-charging generators, adapted to supply a plurality of sets of specifications in a highly reliable and stable form by simple switching between electrical characteristics assigning and limiting functions so as to meet various needs of users. In accordance with a voltage of a battery B, a voltage control IC regulator 120 controls a field current flowing through a field winding FL. The voltage control IC regulator 120 has a plurality of functions for assigning electrical characteristics limits or electrical characteristics beforehand. The voltage control IC regulator 120 also has switch terminals SW1 and SW2 that switch the plurality of functions that assign the electrical characteristics limits or the electrical characteristics. Electric potential levels of the switch terminals SW1 and SW2 can be changed by cutting cutoff portions CP1 and CP2 of an intermediate terminal 150 or leaving these cutoff portions connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoju Masumoto, Hiroshi Yoneda, Makoto Hirama, Shuichi Kokubun
  • Patent number: 8241218
    Abstract: A probe includes a transducer unit including a plurality of transducers which are arrayed in the first direction, transmit ultrasonic waves and receive echo signals, and a moving mechanism for continuously moving the transducer unit in the second direction crossing the first direction. A movement control unit controls the moving mechanism to continuously move the transducer unit in the second direction. A transmission unit causes the transducer unit to generate ultrasonic waves. A scan line signal generation unit generates a plurality of actual measurement scan line signals by delaying and adding a plurality of echo signals from the transducer unit. A scan line signal calculation unit calculates a plurality of mathematical scan line signals constituting a plurality of mathematical electronic scan planes from the plurality of actual measurement scan line signals. An image generation unit generates multislice tomograms on the basis of the plurality of calculated mathematical scan line signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Hirama
  • Patent number: 8152728
    Abstract: A probe includes a transducer unit including a plurality of transducers which are arrayed in the first direction, transmit ultrasonic waves and receive echo signals, and a moving mechanism for continuously moving the transducer unit in the second direction crossing the first direction. A movement control unit controls the moving mechanism to continuously move the transducer unit in the second direction. A transmission unit causes the transducer unit to generate ultrasonic waves. A scan line signal generation unit generates a plurality of actual measurement scan line signals by delaying and adding a plurality of echo signals from the transducer unit. A scan line signal calculation unit calculates a plurality of mathematical scan line signals constituting a plurality of mathematical electronic scan planes from the plurality of actual measurement scan line signals. An image generation unit generates multislice tomograms on the basis of the plurality of calculated mathematical scan line signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Hirama
  • Patent number: 7951084
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising an ultrasonic transmitting unit, an image signal generating unit and a signal addition unit. The ultrasonic transmitting unit transmits an ultrasonic wave having a wave surface except a plane wave surface and a focused focal wave surface to a subject so that shapes of wave surface portions change mutually in time on a same scanning line. The image signal generating unit receives reflected waves produced by the wave surface portions and generating image signals according to the reflected waves received. The signal addition unit obtains an image signal of which a speckle noise is reduced by adding the image signals mutually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Makoto Hirama
  • Publication number: 20100085023
    Abstract: This invention provides a control device for automobile battery-charging generators, adapted to supply a plurality of sets of specifications in a highly reliable and stable form by simple switching between electrical characteristics assigning and limiting functions so as to meet various needs of users. In accordance with a voltage of a battery B, a voltage control IC regulator 120 controls a field current flowing through a field winding FL. The voltage control IC regulator 120 has a plurality of functions for assigning electrical characteristics limits or electrical characteristics beforehand. The voltage control IC regulator 120 also has switch terminals SW1 and SW2 that switch the plurality of functions that assign the electrical characteristics limits or the electrical characteristics. Electric potential levels of the switch terminals SW1 and SW2 can be changed by cutting cutoff portions CP1 and CP2 of an intermediate terminal 150 or leaving these cutoff portions connected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2009
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoju MASUMOTO, Hiroshi Yoneda, Makoto Hirama, Shuichi Kokubun
  • Patent number: 7666139
    Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging apparatus, including an ultrasonic probe including an ultrasonic vibration element configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave in a scanning direction in an object in which a contrast media has been injected; a transmission unit configured to apply successive drive pulses to the probe so as to transmit respective ultrasonic signals in respective rate sections; a reception unit configured to receive reflected ultrasonic signals, including first reflected ultrasonic signals produced by a first drive pulse in a first rate section and reflected back to the probe in the first rate section and in a second rate section subsequent to the first rate section; an operation unit configured to perform an operation including at least one of addition and subtraction of at least two of the first ultrasonic signals received during different rate sections; and a signal processor configured to produce image data based on the result of the operation performed by the operation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akihiro Kakee, Makoto Hirama, Tetsuya Kawagishi, Tomohisa Imamura
  • Publication number: 20090326377
    Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus that can acquire ultrasound image data of an excellent spatial resolution and contrast resolution by electrically controlling focusing points of transmission/reception waves so as to form transmitting beams and receiving beams having a substantially uniform thin beam width along an elevation direction in an object. Transmission ultrasounds emitted from a prescribed number of transducers are focused at a hypothetical point sound source. Transmitting wave-fronts propagated from the point sound source reflect at a plurality of observing points in the propagation area. Reception ultrasounds reflected at the observing points are received through a prescribed number of receiving transducers so as to generate a plurality of channels of receiving signals. The receiving signals are focused by performing receiving phase compensation and summation so that the observing point becomes a reception focusing point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Makoto HIRAMA
  • Publication number: 20090043209
    Abstract: A probe includes a transducer unit including a plurality of transducers which are arrayed in the first direction, transmit ultrasonic waves and receive echo signals, and a moving mechanism for continuously moving the transducer unit in the second direction crossing the first direction. A movement control unit controls the moving mechanism to continuously move the transducer unit in the second direction. A transmission unit causes the transducer unit to generate ultrasonic waves. A scan line signal generation unit generates a plurality of actual measurement scan line signals by delaying and adding a plurality of echo signals from the transducer unit. A scan line signal calculation unit calculates a plurality of mathematical scan line signals constituting a plurality of mathematical electronic scan planes from the plurality of actual measurement scan line signals. An image generation unit generates multislice tomograms on the basis of the plurality of calculated mathematical scan line signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventor: Makoto HIRAMA
  • Publication number: 20070259150
    Abstract: An optical storage medium has a substrate having a first surface and a second surface on both sides. Formed on the first substrate is a layer of at least a dielectric film, a recording film and a reflected film. Formed on the second surface is a hard coat layer that includes a hardened antistatic hard coat agent containing a hard coat agent and an ionic liquid as an antistatic agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Applicant: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd., a corporation of Japan
    Inventor: Makoto Hirama
  • Publication number: 20070197916
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprises a first reception echo obtaining unit, a second reception echo obtaining unit, a reception echo combining unit, and an image generating unit. The first reception echo obtaining unit transmits a plurality of ultrasonic pulses having frequency spectra different from one another to an object, and obtains each of reception echoes corresponding to the plurality of ultrasonic pulses. The second reception echo obtaining unit transmits an ultrasonic pulse having the same frequency component characteristics as an combined pulse obtained by combining the plurality of ultrasonic pulses, and to obtain an reception echo. The reception echo combining unit combines the reception echoes obtained by the first reception echo obtaining unit and the reception echo obtained by the second reception echo obtaining unit to generate a combined signal. The image generating unit generates an image of echoes reflected from the object on the basis of the combined signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kawagishi, Hiroyuki Ohuchi, Takeshi Sato, Makoto Hirama, Tomohisa Imamura
  • Publication number: 20060058661
    Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising an ultrasonic transmitting unit, an image signal generating unit and a signal addition unit. The ultrasonic transmitting unit transmits an ultrasonic wave having a wave surface except a plane wave surface and a focused focal wave surface to a subject so that shapes of wave surface portions change mutually in time on a same scanning line. The image signal generating unit receives reflected waves produced by the wave surface portions and generating image signals according to the reflected waves received. The signal addition unit obtains an image signal of which a speckle noise is reduced by adding the image signals mutually.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Makoto Hirama
  • Patent number: 6917134
    Abstract: To reduce noise, there is provided an alternator for motor vehicles having a rotor and a stator which is mounted between a pair of brackets. In the alternator a stator core forming the stator is made up of laminations of thin sheets. And at least a part of the thin sheets making up the stator core are split into four divisions or more in the circumferential direction; the thin sheets of each layer being laid with splits thereof arranged alternately in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Car Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Hirama, Eiji Naito, Sakae Ishida, Susumu Sasaki, Kenichiro Matsubara, Shinji Yamazaki, Susumu Tajima, Yoshiaki Honda
  • Publication number: 20040133106
    Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging apparatus, including an ultrasonic probe including an ultrasonic vibration element configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave in a scanning direction in an object in which a contrast media has been injected; a transmission unit configured to apply successive drive pulses to the probe so as to transmit respective ultrasonic signals in respective rate sections; a reception unit configured to receive reflected ultrasonic signals, including first reflected ultrasonic signals produced by a first drive pulse in a first rate section and reflected back to the probe in the first rate section and in a second rate section subsequent to the first rate section; an operation unit configured to perform an operation including at least one of addition and subtraction of at least two of the first ultrasonic signals received during different rate sections; and a signal processor configured to produce image data based on the result of the operation performed by the operation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Akihiro Kakee, Makoto Hirama, Tetsuya Kawagishi, Tomohisa Imamura
  • Publication number: 20010017500
    Abstract: To reduce noise, there is provided an alternator for motor vehicles having a rotor and a stator which is mounted between a pair of brackets. In the alternator a stator core forming the stator is made up of laminations of thin sheets. And at least a part of the thin sheets making up the stator core are split into four divisions or more in the circumferential direction; the thin sheets of each layer being laid with splits thereof arranged alternately in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2001
    Publication date: August 30, 2001
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Hirama, Eiji Naito, Sakae Ishida, Susumu Sasaki, Kenichiro Matsubara, Shinji Yamazaki, Susumu Tajima, Yoshiaki Honda
  • Patent number: 6258030
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a three-dimensional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that makes it possible to reduce the cost of the apparatus and reduce power consumption by decreasing the number of delay circuits to be used for forming reception beams from reflection waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Makoto Hirama
  • Patent number: 5724976
    Abstract: Provided is a diagnostic ultrasound system producing an image whose brightness is enhanced by a contrast medium by implementing contrast echography based on intravenous injection. A diagnostic ultrasound system comprises a probe for converting an electrical driving signal into a corresponding transmission ultrasound wave and converting an echoed ultrasound wave into a corresponding electrical echo signal. The system still comprises a unit for transmitting the transmission ultrasonic wave to a subject by providing the probe the electrical driving signal substantially consisting of a fundamental component of a given driving frequency. The non-fundamental component is typically a second harmonic. A non-fundamental component of the driving frequency is intentionally lowered in power relative to the fundamental component by a suppressing element in the transmitting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Mine, Makoto Hirama, Hiroyuki Tsujino, Shiroh Saitoh
  • Patent number: 5671744
    Abstract: A reception signal containing phase information and amplitude information is obtained by scanning a cross section of a subject with an ultrasonic wave. An ultrasonic image is formed on the basis of the reception signal and displayed. A noise component is filtered from reception signals at respective points in the cross section. The reception signals, which have not been non-linear processed, i.e., have not been subjected to an image forming process, are filtered. Therefore, the suppression effect of suppressing an image of a portion which moves at a relatively low speed and the emphasis effect of emphasizing an image a portion which moves at a relatively high speed can be improved as compared to the conventional art in which an ultrasonic image after non-linear process is filtered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1997
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Abe, Ryoichi Kanda, Makoto Hirama
  • Patent number: 5604028
    Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic recording medium having excellent durability, high abrasive resistance and smoothness capable of suppressing development of uneven wear on a tape contact surface of a magnetic head at minimum. The magnetic recording medium has a base film and a magnetic layer provided on the base film. The magnetic layer includes metal magnetic powder of particles having an average long axis length of not more than 0.13 .mu.m, alumina powder of particles which have an average diameter of not more than 0.13 .mu.m, an .alpha.-rate of not more than 30% and pH of not more than 7.0, and a binder resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Hirama, Shigeru Ishikawa