Patents by Inventor Makoto Umeno

Makoto Umeno 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: 10980710
    Abstract: A method is for preparing a medical/chemical solution by mixing a medical/chemical substance housed in a sealed container with a solution housed in a bag. The method includes transferring, from the bag into a syringe, an amount of the solution that is to be injected into a plurality of the containers. With the container and the syringe being held, at least one of a robot and a syringe driver configured to drive a plunger of the syringe is controlled so as to inject the amount of the solution into the plurality of the containers from the syringe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Shigeji Tasaka, Seiki Ono, Makoto Umeno
  • Patent number: 10913150
    Abstract: A processing system includes a robot including at least one arm each including a hand at an end of the at least one arm; a first position measurement sensor, which is to be grasped by the hand and moved by the at least one arm, and is configured to measure a position of a device to be used when the robot processes a processing target; and a robot control device configured to: cause the hand to grasp the first position measurement sensor; and cause the first position measurement sensor to measure the position of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Takuya Fukuda, Yukio Hashiguchi, Kenji Matsukuma, Makoto Umeno
  • Patent number: 10837977
    Abstract: A rack includes a container holder that is fixed to a stage and holds a container that contains a liquid to be dispensed and a camera that is fixed to the stage and located in a position where the camera is capable of capturing an image of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Noriko Abe, Yukio Hashiguchi, Makoto Umeno, Hiroshi Kumagai, Yukiko Sawada, Motohisa Kamei
  • Patent number: 10661267
    Abstract: Provided is an electric pipette system, including: an operating condition receiving milt configured to receive an operating condition of a manipulation operation to foe occur next; a suction/discharge operating unit configured to perform at least any one of a suction operation and a discharge operation of a liquid by an electric pipette based cm the operating condition; an information collecting unit configured to collect various types of information during the suction operation or the discharge operation of the liquid; and an information recording unit configured to record the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignees: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI, ROBOTIC BIOLOGY INSTITUTE INC.
    Inventors: Toru Natsume, Naoyuki Sasaki, Kenji Matsukuma, Makoto Umeno, Tatsuro Ipposhi
  • Patent number: 10409269
    Abstract: Provided is an operation command generation device, which is configured to generate an operation command, which is a collection of jobs to be performed by a process system of at least a robot, based on a protocol chart of at least a plurality of process symbols, the operation command generation device circuitry includes: a job generation unit configured to generate, based on the protocol chart, a job; a priority instruction unit configured to instruct a priority condition for determining a job execution order; and an execution order determination unit configured to determine an execution order of the jobs based on the priority instructed by the priority instruction unit by using a first condition about repeatedly execution of the jobs according to the number of the containers and a second condition about execution order of the jobs according to the arrangement of the process symbols in the protocol chart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Tetsuro Izumi, Hirokazu Kariyazaki, Makoto Umeno, Tatsuro Ipposhi
  • Patent number: 10168343
    Abstract: A processing system for processing experiment of biochemistry, biology and/or biotechnology includes a manual pipette which includes a piston and suctions and discharges liquid when the piston of the manual pipette is moved by external drive force, an automatic pipette which includes a piston and a built-in actuator and suctions and discharges liquid when the piston of the automatic pipette is moved by the actuator, a robot including a robotic arm which selects and grasps the manual or automatic pipette based on an operation command, and a robotic arm control device including circuitry which controls the robot such that the robotic arm selects and grasps the manual or automatic pipette based on the operation command. The operation command includes a collection of jobs that controls processes for processing a processing target in an experiment of biochemistry, biology and/or biotechnology and a container containing the processing target in a processing order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Kohei Miyauchi, Makoto Umeno, Jiro Muraoka
  • Patent number: 10155311
    Abstract: A method for processing a specimen includes controlling a robot to open a lid of a composite container. The composite container includes a first container and a second container. The first container includes a first opening. The second container includes an insertion portion, a protrusion portion, and a second opening. The insertion portion is insertable into the first container through the first opening. The protrusion portion is protrudable through the first opening. The second opening is disposed on the protrusion portion and coverable by the lid. After the lid has been opened, the robot is controlled to take the second container out of the first container. After the second container has been taken out of the first container, the robot is controlled to cover the first opening using the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Miki Nakamura, Yoshikazu Matsuzaki, Makoto Umeno
  • Publication number: 20180194004
    Abstract: A processing system includes a robot including at least one arm each including a hand at an end of the at least one arm; a first position measurement sensor, which is to be grasped by the hand and moved by the at least one arm, and is configured to measure a position of a device to be used when the robot processes a processing target; and a robot control device configured to: cause the hand to grasp the first position measurement sensor; and cause the first position measurement sensor to measure the position of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventors: Takuya FUKUDA, Yukio HASHIGUCHI, Kenji MATSUKUMA, Makoto UMENO
  • Publication number: 20180032549
    Abstract: Provided is an experimental data recording device, configured to record experimental data, which is a record of an experiment based on a protocol in at least one of a biochemistry field or a biotechnology field, the experimental data recording device including: a reception unit configured to receive operation records of pieces of experiment equipment; an experiment ID recording unit configured to record, an experiment ID, which is an ID unique to an experiment, in association with a protocol ID unique to a protocol; and an operation record recording unit configured to record each of the received operation records in association with a corresponding procedure out of a plurality of procedures included in the protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: Toru NATSUME, Kenji MATSUKUMA, Makoto UMENO, Tatsuro IPPOSHI
  • Patent number: 9868553
    Abstract: A fluid transfer system includes a multi-jointed robot, a syringe actuator configured to pull and push a plunger of a syringe, and a controller. The controller performs control of the multi-jointed robot so as to reverse a vertical relation between the vial and the syringe in a state where a vial containing a liquid is disposed on a lower side of the syringe and a needle of the syringe punctures the vial, and control of the syringe actuator so as to absorb a liquid in the vial into the syringe by pulling the plunger in a state where the vial is disposed on an upper side of the syringe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Kenji Matsukuma, Kenichi Tachibana, Fumiaki Furusawa, Makoto Umeno
  • Patent number: 9868552
    Abstract: A fluid transfer system includes a multi-jointed robot which is capable of transferring a vial and a syringe, and a syringe driving apparatus. The syringe driving apparatus includes a cylinder body holder which holds a cylinder body of the syringe, an actuator which pulls and pushes a plunger of the syringe, and a rotation mechanism configured to make the cylinder body holder and the actuator freely rotatable about an axial line intersecting with a center axial line of the syringe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Kenji Matsukuma, Kenichi Tachibana, Fumiaki Furusawa, Makoto Umeno
  • Patent number: 9849587
    Abstract: Provided is an operation command generation device including: an execution order determination unit configured to determine, based on respective arrangement positions of a plurality of process symbols each representing a process for a process subject on a protocol chart including the plurality of process symbols, an execution order of the plurality of process symbols; and a process symbol conversion unit configured to respectively convert the plurality of process symbols into jobs for a process system including at least a robot so that processes represented by the plurality of process symbols are executed in the execution order determined by the execution order determination unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignees: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI, ROBOTIC BIOLOGY INSTITUTE INC.
    Inventors: Toru Natsume, Takashi Nagasaki, Makoto Umeno, Tatsuro Ipposhi, Hirokazu Kariyazaki
  • Patent number: 9840343
    Abstract: A robot system includes a multi-jointed robot, a syringe actuator which pulls and pushes a plunger of a syringe having a needle; and a controller which controls the multi jointed robot to handle a vessel storing a liquid and the syringe and controls the syringe actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Kenichi Tachibana, Fumiaki Furusawa, Makoto Umeno
  • Publication number: 20170329313
    Abstract: Provided is an operation command generation device, which is configured to generate an operation command, which is a collection of jobs to fee performed by a process system of at least a robot, based on a protocol chart of at least a plurality of process symbols, the operation command generation device circuitry includes: a job generation unit configured to generate, based on the protocol chart, a job; apriority instruction unit configured to instruct a priority condition for determining a job execution order; and an execution order determination unit configured to determine an execution order of the jobs based on the priority instructed by the priority instruction unit by using a first condition about repeatedly execution of the jobs according to the number of the containers and a second condition about execution order of the jobs according to the arrangement of the process symbols in the protocol chart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Tetsuro IZUMI, Hirokazu KARIYAZAKI, Makoto UMENO, Tatsuro IPPOSHI
  • Patent number: 9808402
    Abstract: A liquid medicine preparation system that prepares a liquid medicine includes: a preparing zone in which preparation work of the liquid medicine is performed by a robot; and a storing zone which has a plurality of first spaces each of which is capable of storing a container housing the liquid medicine prepared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Hiroaki Murakami, Makoto Umeno, Shigeji Tasaka
  • Patent number: 9802312
    Abstract: Provided is an operation command generation device configured to generate an operation command, which is a collection of jobs to be carried out by a process system including a robot based on a protocol chart including a process symbol representing a process to be carried out on a container containing a process subject, the operation command generation device including: a process job generation unit configured to generate, based on the process symbol, a job for causing the process system to carry out the process on the container at a work area; and a transfer job generation unit configured to generate, when the process represented by the process symbol is not a process to be carried out on the same container, a job to transfer the container from the work area to a retreat area after the process represented by the process symbol has been carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignees: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI, ROBOTIC BIOLOGY INSTITUTE INC.
    Inventors: Toru Natsume, Takashi Nagasaki, Makoto Umeno, Tatsuro Ipposhi, Hirokazu Kariyazaki
  • Patent number: 9744666
    Abstract: Provided is an operation command generation device configured to generate an operation command, which is a collection of jobs to be carried out by a process system including a robot based on a protocol chart including a process symbol representing a process to be carried out on a container containing a process subject, the operation command generation device including: a process job generation unit configured to generate, based on the process symbol, a job for causing the process system to carry out the process on the container at a work area; and a transfer job generation unit configured to generate, when the process represented by the process symbol is not a process to be carried out on the same container, a job to transfer the container from the work area to a retreat area after the process represented by the process symbol has been carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignees: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI, ROBOTIC BIOLOGY INSTITUTE INC.
    Inventors: Toru Natsume, Takashi Nagasaki, Makoto Umeno, Tatsuro Ipposhi, Hirokazu Kariyazaki
  • Publication number: 20170173576
    Abstract: Provided is an electric pipette system, including: an operating condition receiving milt configured to receive an operating condition of a manipulation operation to foe occur next; a suction/discharge operating unit configured to perform at least any one of a suction operation and a discharge operation of a liquid by an electric pipette based cm the operating condition; an information collecting unit configured to collect various types of information during the suction operation or the discharge operation of the liquid; and an information recording unit configured to record the information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Toru NATSUME, Naoyuki SASAKI, Kenji MATSUKUMA, Makoto UMENO, Tatsuro IPPOSHI
  • Patent number: 9631223
    Abstract: A method of processing liquid biological material includes providing a liquid processing system. The liquid processing system includes a trunk, a first arm, a second arm, a driving mechanism, and physiochemical equipment. The first arm includes a first robot hand. The second arm includes a second robot hand. A process is performed on a cell suspension in which periphytic cultured cells are suspended as a liquid biological material. In the process, a culture vessel is held with the first robot hand in a state with an open top of the culture vessel facing upwards. The culture vessel has a culture face where the cultured cells are cultured on a base thereof. A cell scraper is held with the second robot hand. The cell scraper is provided with a blade to scrape the cultured cells from the culture face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Makoto Umeno, Teruyasu Arai
  • Publication number: 20170061078
    Abstract: Provided is a protocol chart creation device, including: an initial symbol arrangement unit configured to arrange an initial symbol representing an initial state of a container for containing a specimen; a procedure line arrangement unit configured to arrange a procedure line representing a process order for the container in a direction along a first axis from the initial symbol; a process symbol arrangement unit configured to arrange a process symbol representing a process to be carried out on the container along the procedure line, and to arrange, when there are a plurality of processes to be carried out on one container, the process symbols representing the processes along the procedure line; and a separation unit configured to separate arrangements of the initial symbols, the procedure lines, and the process symbols for different containers in a direction along a second axis intersecting the first axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Toru NATSUME, Kenji MATSUKUMA, Takashi NAGASAKI, Makoto UMENO, Tatsuro IPPOSHI, Hirokazu KARIYAZAKI