Patents by Inventor Noriaki Kawaguchi

Noriaki Kawaguchi 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: 20130168561
    Abstract: [Problems to be Solved] A neutron scintillator excellent in detection efficiency for neutrons, an S/N ratio, and n/? discrimination ability, and a eutectic preferred for the neutron scintillator are provided. [Means to Solve the Problems] A metal fluoride eutectic, in which a lithium fluoride crystal phase and a crystal phase represented by the chemical formula Ca1-xSrxF2 (where x denotes a number greater than 0, but not larger than 1), such as SrF2 or Ca0.5Sr0.5F2, are present in a phase-separated state; a neutron scintillator comprising the eutectic; and a neutron imaging device comprising a combination of the neutron scintillator and a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicants: TOHOKU UNIVERSITY, TOKUYAMA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentaro Fukuda, Noriaki Kawaguchi, Akira Yoshikawa, Takayuki Yanagida, Yui Yokota, Yutaka Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20130161519
    Abstract: [Problems to be Solved] A colquiriite-type crystal preferred for a scintillator for neutron detection, which has high sensitivity to neutron and which is reduced in background noise attributed to ? rays; a scintillator for neutron detection which comprises this crystal; and a neutron detector are provided. [Means to Solve the Problems] A colquiriite-type crystal represented by the chemical formula LiM1M2X6, such as LiCaAlF6, containing Na and Ce, for example, the colquiriite-type crystal containing at least one alkali metal element selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Rb and Cs, and a lanthanoid element selected from the group consisting of Ce, Pr and Nd, and having an isotopic ratio of 6Li of 20 mol % or more, preferably 50 mol % or more; a scintillator for neutron detection comprising the colquiriite-type crystal; and a neutron detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicants: TOHOKU UNIVERSITY, TOKUYAMA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sumito Ishizu, Kentaro Fukuda, Noriaki Kawaguchi, Akira Yoshikawa, Takayuki Yanagida, Yui Yokota, Yutaka Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20130112885
    Abstract: [Problems to be Solved] A phoswich radiation detector, which can easily discriminate between detection signals on gamma rays and thermal neutrons, and which can selectively acquire signals on thermal neutrons, is provided. [Means to Solve the Problems] In a phoswich radiation detector having two scintillators and discriminating between thermal neutrons and gamma rays, the detector comprises a scintillator for detecting thermal neutrons, such as LiCaAlF6:Eu, which has a light yield of more than 1500 photons/neutron, and a scintillator for detecting gamma rays, which has a permeable end on a shorter wavelength than the light emission wavelength of the thermal neutron scintillator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicants: HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY, TOHOKU UNIVERSITY, TOKUYAMA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Takahashi, Mitsuo Yonetani, Masayuki Matsuoka, Yasushi Fukazawa, Noriaki Kawaguchi, Kentaro Fukuda, Toshihisa Suyama, Akira Yoshikawa, Takayuki Yanagida, Yui Yokota, Yutaka Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20130105707
    Abstract: [Problems to be Solved] A radiation detector, which is improved in the detection efficiency of a photodetector for light emitted by a scintillator, which has excellent long-term operational stability, and which is excellent in time resolution and count rate characteristics, is provided with the use of the scintillator with a short fluorescence lifetime. [Means to Solve the Problems] A radiation detector is constructed by installing an optical wavelength conversion layer, which is composed of, for example, an organic fluorescent substance using polyvinyltoluene as a base material, between a scintillator composed of a fluoride single crystal, such as a Ce-containing LiCaAlF6 crystal, and a photodetector having a light entrance window material composed of a transparent glass material such as borosilicate glass. In the radiation detector, the peak wavelength of light emitted by the scintillator is 360 nm or less, and the peak wavelength of light after conversion by the optical conversion layer is 400 nm or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicants: HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY, TOHOKU UNIVERSITY, TOKUYAMA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Takahashi, Mitsuo Yonetani, Masayuki Matsuoka, Yasushi Fukazawa, Noriaki Kawaguchi, Kentaro Fukuda, Toshihisa Suyama, Akira Yoshikawa, Takayuki Yanagida, Yui Yokota, Yutaka Fujimoto
  • Publication number: 20130043402
    Abstract: [Problems to be Solved] A neutron scintillator excellent in neutron detection efficiency and n/? discrimination ability, and a neutron detector using the neutron scintillator are provided. [Means to Solve the Problems] A neutron scintillator comprising a eutectic body composed of laminar lithium fluoride crystals and laminar calcium fluoride crystals alternately arranged in layers, the thickness of the lithium fluoride crystal layers in the eutectic body being 0.1 to 5 ?m; or a neutron scintillator comprising a eutectic body composed of laminar lithium fluoride crystals and laminar calcium fluoride crystals alternately arranged in layers, the calcium fluoride crystal layers in the eutectic body being linearly continuous in at least one direction; and a neutron detector basically constructed from any of the neutron scintillators and a photodetector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicants: TOHOKU UNIVERSITY, TOKUYAMA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentaro Fukuda, Sumito Ishizu, Noriaki Kawaguchi, Toshihisa Suyama, Akira Yoshikawa, Takayuki Yanagida, Yui Yokota
  • Publication number: 20120286204
    Abstract: [Problems to be Solved] A fluoride which emits light with high brightness in a vacuum ultraviolet region is provided. Also provided are a novel vacuum ultraviolet light emitting element which comprises the fluoride and which can be suitably used in photolithography, cleaning of a semiconductor or liquid crystal substrate, sterilization, next-generation large-capacity optical disks, medical care (ophthalmologic treatment, DNA cleavage), etc.; and a vacuum ultraviolet light emitting scintillator which is composed of the fluoride and can be suitably used in a small-sized radiation detector incorporating a diamond light receiving element or AlGaN light receiving element with a low background noise as an alternative to a conventional photomultiplier tube. [Means to Solve the Problems] A metal fluoride crystal represented by a chemical formula K3-XNaXTmYZLuY(1-Z)F3+3Y where 0.7<X<1.3, 0.85<Y<1.1 and 0.001?Z<1.0, such as K2NaTm0.4Lu0.6F6, K2.1Na0.9TmF6, K2NaTmF6, or K2NaTm0.9F5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Inventors: Noriaki Kawaguchi, Sumito Ishizu, Kentaro Fukuda, Toshihisa Suyama, Akira Yoshikawa, Takayuki Yanagida, Yui Yokota, Naoto Abe
  • Publication number: 20120161609
    Abstract: A vacuum ultraviolet light emitting device comprising: a luminescence substrate which is composed of a transparent substrate of lithium fluoride, magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, barium fluoride or the like, and a metal fluoride thin-film layer formed on the transparent substrate and being a thin-film layer of a metal fluoride such as LuLiF4, LaF3, BaF2 or CaF2, the metal fluoride being doped with atoms of neodymium (Nd), thulium (Tm), erbium (Er) or the like; and an electron beam source such as a thermionic emission gun or a field emission gun, wherein the luminescence substrate and the electron beam source are disposed in a vacuum atmosphere, and the metal fluoride thin-film layer is irradiated with electron beams from the electron beam source to emit light including wavelength components of vacuum ultraviolet light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2010
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Shingo Ono, Toshihisa Suyama, Kentaro Fukuda, Sumito Ishizu, Noriaki Kawaguchi, Tomohito Nagami, Akira Yoshikawa, Takayuki Yanagida, Yui Yokota
  • Publication number: 20120074356
    Abstract: [Problems to be Solved] The present invention aims to provide a scintillator which can detect photons of high energy, such as hard X-rays or ?-rays, with high sensitivity. [Means to Solve the Problems] A scintillator comprises lithium lutetium fluoride containing neodymium as a luminescence center, the lithium lutetium fluoride being represented by the chemical formula LiLu1-xNdxF4 where x is in the range of 0.00001 to 0.2, preferably, 0.0001 to 0.05. Preferably, the scintillator comprises a single crystal of the lithium lutetium fluoride containing neodymium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Inventors: Kentaro Fukuda, Sumito Ishizu, Toshihisa Suyama, Akira Yoshikawa, Takayuki Yanagida, Yui Yokota, Noriaki Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20120018642
    Abstract: [Problems to be Solved] It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel radiographic image detector which can detect radiation, such as hard X-rays or ?-rays, with high sensitivity and which is excellent in position resolution and count rate characteristic. [Means to Solve the Problems] A radiographic image detector comprises a combination of a scintillator, such as a lanthanum fluoride crystal containing neodymium, for converting incident radiation into ultraviolet rays; and a gas multiplication ultraviolet image detector for converting ultraviolet rays into electrons, amplifying such electrons by use of a gas electron avalanche phenomenon, and detecting the electrons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Inventors: Kentaro Fukuda, Sumito Ishizu, Noriaki Kawaguchi, Toshihisa Suyama, Akira Yoshikawa, Takayuki Yanagida, Yui Yokota, Hidetoshi Kubo, Toru Tanimori, Hiroyuki Sekiya
  • Patent number: 8044367
    Abstract: A scintillator for neutron detection, comprising a metal fluoride crystal containing, as constituent elements, a metal having a valence of 2 or higher, such as calcium, aluminum or yttrium; lithium; and fluorine, the metal fluoride crystal containing 1.1 to 20 atoms per unit volume (atoms/nm3) of 6Li, having an effective atomic number of 10 to 40, containing a lanthanoid such as cerium, praseodymium or europium, and being represented by, for instance, LiCaAlF6, LiSrAlF6 and LiYF4. The scintillator for neutron detection has high sensitivity to neutron rays, and is reduced in a background noise attributed to ? rays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignees: Tokuyams Corporation, Tohoku University
    Inventors: Akira Yoshikawa, Takayuki Yanagida, Kentaro Fukuda, Sumito Ishizu, Noriaki Kawaguchi, Toshihisa Suyama
  • Publication number: 20110122400
    Abstract: [Problems to be Solved] To provide a novel ultraviolet light receiving element which is selectively sensitive to ultraviolet radiation, and a method for measuring the dose of ultraviolet radiation using the ultraviolet light receiving element. [Means to Solve the Problems] An ultraviolet detecting layer composed of a thin film of a metal fluoride, such as cerium fluoride, lithium fluoride, magnesium fluoride or calcium fluoride, is formed on a substrate of silica glass, sapphire or the like. Further, at least a pair of an anode and a cathode are formed on the ultraviolet detecting layer to prepare an ultraviolet light receiving element. This ultraviolet light receiving element changes in electric resistivity in accordance with the dose of incident ultraviolet radiation. Thus, the dose of ultraviolet radiation can be measured by taking out and measuring the change as an electric signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Inventors: Shingo Ono, Noriaki Kawaguchi, Kentaro Fukuda, Toshihisa Suyama
  • Publication number: 20110013813
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a sensor for acquiring data which is input while a relative position of the living body with respect to the sensor is changed, a first authentication portion for obtaining a first detection pattern based on a group of data acquired by the sensor during a period from the start of the acquisition of the data to detection of a stopped state of the change, and for executing a first authentication process by using the first detection pattern, and a second authentication portion for obtaining a second detection pattern different from the first detection pattern, based on a group of data acquired by the sensor during a period from the start of the acquisition of the data to the end of the acquisition of the data after the detection of the stopped state, and for executing a second authentication process by using the second detection pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroyuki YAMAMOTO, Kenji Watanabe, Noriaki Kawaguchi, Katsuaki Akama
  • Publication number: 20100314550
    Abstract: To provide a scintillator for neutron detection which has high sensitivity to neutron rays, and is reduced in a background noise attributed to ? rays. [Means to Solve the Problems] A scintillator for neutron detection, comprising a metal fluoride crystal containing, as constituent elements, a metal having a valence of 2 or higher, such as calcium, aluminum or yttrium; lithium; and fluorine, the metal fluoride crystal containing 1.1 to 20 atoms per unit volume (atoms/nm3) of 6Li, having an effective atomic number of 10 to 40, containing a lanthanoid such as cerium, praseodymium or europium, and being represented by LiCaAlF6, LiSrAlF6, LiYF4 etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Inventors: Akira Yoshikawa, Takayuki Yanagida, Kentaro Fukuda, Sumito Ishizu, Noriaki Kawaguchi, Toshihisa Suyama
  • Publication number: 20100200758
    Abstract: A radiation detecting apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus comprising a scintillator for converting incident radiation into ultraviolet radiation having a wavelength of 220 nm or less, the scintillator being composed of, for example, Nd-doped LaF3 crystals; and a diamond thin film sensor for guiding the resulting ultraviolet radiation and converting it into an electrical signal, the radiation detecting apparatus being adapted to transform the incident radiation to the electrical signal. The radiation detecting apparatus can detect radiation, such as X-rays, ? rays, ? rays, ? rays, or neutron rays, with high sensitivity. The radiation detecting apparatus also has a fast response, is very easy to downsize, has high resistance to radiation, and can be preferably used in the medical field, the industrial field, or the security field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Inventors: Kentaro Fukuda, Noriaki Kawaguchi, Toshihisa Suyama, Akira Yoshikawa, Takayuki Yanagida, Yuui Yokota, Yoshihiro Yokota, Takeshi Tachibana