Patents by Inventor Masaaki Amikura

Masaaki Amikura 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: 8345512
    Abstract: A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) device, comprising: a cMUT formed on a semiconductor substrate; a DC high-voltage generation unit that is provided on the semiconductor substrate and that is for generating a DC high-voltage signal to be superposed on a driving signal for the cMUT; a driving signal generation unit that is provided on the semiconductor substrate and that is for generating the driving signal; and a superposition unit that is provided on the semiconductor substrate and that is for branching the DC high-voltage signal output from the DC high-voltage generation unit and for superposing one of the branched DC high-voltage signals on the other of the branched DC high-voltage signals via the driving signal generation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignees: Olympus Medical Systems Corp., Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Adachi, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Kosei Tamiya, Masaaki Amikura, Kazuya Matsumoto, Ryo Ohta, Mamoru Hasegawa, Hiroshi Ito
  • Patent number: 7589455
    Abstract: A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) is constituted by a plurality of transducer elements comprising plural transducer cells that are mutually connected in parallel and comprises: a silicon substrate; a bottom electrode placed on the top surface of the silicon substrate; an upper electrode placed opposite to the bottom electrode and apart therefrom by a prescribed air or vacuum; a membrane for supporting the bottom electrode; and a membrane supporting part for supporting the membrane, wherein the cMUT comprises a third electrode which has an electrical continuity to the bottom electrode and which corresponds to either one of the transducer cells of a prescribed number of the transducer subelement or of the transducer elements, and a fourth electrode which is a ground electrode electrically connected to the bottom electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Hideo Adachi, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Kazuya Matsumoto, Ryo Ota, Masaaki Amikura, Hiroshi Ito, Mamoru Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20080269614
    Abstract: A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) device, comprising: a cMUT formed on a semiconductor substrate; a DC high-voltage generation unit that is provided on the semiconductor substrate and that is for generating a DC high-voltage signal to be superposed on a driving signal for the cMUT; a driving signal generation unit that is provided on the semiconductor substrate and that is for generating the driving signal; and a superposition unit that is provided on the semiconductor substrate and that is for branching the DC high-voltage signal output from the DC high-voltage generation unit and for superposing one of the branched DC high-voltage signals on the other of the branched DC high-voltage signals via the driving signal generation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicants: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP., OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideo ADACHI, Katsuhiro WAKABAYASHI, Kosei TAMIYA, Masaaki AMIKURA, Kazuya MATSUMOTO, Ryo OHTA, Mamoru HASEGAWA, Hiroshi ITO
  • Publication number: 20080067895
    Abstract: A capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (cMUT) is constituted by a plurality of transducer elements comprising plural transducer cells that are mutually connected in parallel and comprises: a silicon substrate; a bottom electrode placed on the top surface of the silicon substrate; an upper electrode placed opposite to the bottom electrode and apart therefrom by a prescribed air or vacuum; a membrane for supporting the bottom electrode; and a membrane supporting part for supporting the membrane, wherein the cMUT comprises a third electrode which has an electrical continuity to the bottom electrode and which corresponds to either one of the transducer cells of a prescribed number of the transducer subelement or of the transducer elements, and a fourth electrode which is a ground electrode electrically connected to the bottom electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Hideo Adachi, Katsuhiro Wakabayashi, Kazuya Matsumoto, Ryo Ota, Masaaki Amikura, Hiroshi Ito, Mamoru Hasegawa