Abstract: An X-ray CT apparatus including an X-ray source for applying X-rays to an object, an X-ray detector arranged to face the X-ray source for determining the amount of transmitted X-rays of the object as projection data, basic-data acquisition means for acquiring response data of the projection data as basic data with no object present in advance every time the image of the object is acquired, analyzing means for analyzing an afterglow component of the acquired basic data into a plurality of time constants and their component ratios, storage means for storing the analyzed time constants and component ratios, correcting means for extracting an afterglow component of the projection data on the basis of the stored time constants and component ratios during radiography of the object and removing the extracted afterglow component of the projection data from the projection data to produce corrected projection data, reconstructing means for reconstructing an image using the produced corrected projection data, and displa

Abstract: The present invention includes a plurality of lead terminals made of a conductive material having spring elasticity; and insulative housing that buries a part of the region of lead terminal and fixedly retains a plurality of lead terminals in an arrangement having been set in advance. Lead terminal is composed of a buried part that is a part of lead terminal buried in housing; bottom end joint that is extended from one end of the buried part, is exposed through bottom end surface of housing, and extracted in width direction of bottom end surface; and flexibly changing part that is exposed from another end of the buried part through one wall surface orthogonal to bottom end surface, and is extended along this wall surface to top end surface facing to bottom end surface, being spaced from wall surface and top end surface.

Abstract: An optical pickup converts a laser beam from a semiconductor laser (1) into a parallel ray with a collimator lens (2), and divides it into a main beam (30), a sub-beam (+1st order component) (31), and a sub-beam (?1st order component) (32) with a gradient multiple-division type phase difference grating (3). After passing through a beam splitter (4), an objective lens (5) condenses the light beams on a track (61) of an optical disc (6), and the reflected light that has passed through the objective lens 5 is reflected at the beam splitter (4) and is guided into optical detectors (8A, 8B, and 8C) by a condensing lens (7). Accordingly, in a tracking error signal detecting method using the push-pull signals of the main beam and sub-beams, an offset produced by an objective lens shift or a disc tilt can be cancelled at low cost without lowering the efficiency of using light.

Abstract: Three pairs of X-ray tubes (21A-21C) and single- or multiple-row detectors (31A-31C) are mounted on a rotary disc (49) installed in a scanner unit (12) at a rotational phase difference of 120°, and a deviation (offset) ?Z is set between the three pairs in a rotation axis direction of a subject (16) in accordance with ?Z=d×N, where d is the thickness of the row of the single- or multiple-row detectors (31A-31C), and N is an offset coefficient. Slice collimators (48A-48C) are provided to X-ray tubes (21A-21C) in the three pairs, and are rotated relative to the subject (16) to provide a high-quality tomographic image with high temporal resolution, less motion artifact and high space resolution.

Abstract: To reduce an amount of artifacts of a tomographic image of a heart in an X-ray CT apparatus for generating a tomographic image by reconstructing projection data acquired by scanning a predetermined slice of a subject by providing the X-ray CT apparatus with a detecting means for detecting a static cardiac time phase with a small amount of motion artifacts in a predetermined portion of the subject based on heartbeat information acquired in association with the projection data, and an image reconstructing means for generating the tomographic image by reconstructing projection data corresponding to the static cardiac time phase detected by the detecting means.

Abstract: In an X-ray CT apparatus having a multi-slice detector, the retrospective ECG (Electrocardiography) gating imaging is applied to helical scans. Discontinuity of projection data generated in the scans is interpolated using data at a heartbeat time phase in 180-degree opposite relation to reduce motion artifacts. Further, projection data at an arbitrary slicing position and in at arbitrary heartbeat time phase are formed utilizing continuous divided projection data obtained above, and by properly combining or gathering them, a tomogram of whole heart, a three-dimensional image thereof, and further, a three-dimensional cardiac moving image in heartbeat time phases with an arbitrary time interval can be continuously and smoothly created.

Abstract: An X-ray CT apparatus including an X-ray source for applying X-rays to an object, an X-ray detector arranged to face the X-ray source for determining the amount of transmitted X-rays of the object as projection data, basic-data acquisition means for acquiring response data of the projection data as basic data with no object present in advance every time the image of the object is acquired, analyzing means for analyzing an afterglow component of the acquired basic data into a plurality of time constants and their component ratios, storage means for storing the analyzed time constants and component ratios, correcting means for extracting an afterglow component of the projection data on the basis of the stored time constants and component ratios during radiography of the object and removing the extracted afterglow component of the projection data from the projection data to produce corrected projection data, reconstructing means for reconstructing an image using the produced corrected projection data, and displa

Abstract: An optical pickup device includes a detection-use condenser lens for focusing a reflected light from a disk of a light emitted from a light source; a hologram element for dividing a light passed through the detection-use condenser lens into a light passed through a high numerical aperture region and a light passed through a low numerical aperture region; and a photodetector including at least a first light receiving element for detecting the laser beam which passed through the high numerical aperture region and a second light receiving element for detecting the laser beam which passes through the low numerical aperture region. Based on output signals from the first light receiving element and the second light receiving element, a focus error signal FE1 and a focus error signal FE2 are prepared respectively. According to an output value of the photodetector, a focus control is performed based on the error signal FE1 or the focus error signal FE2.

Abstract: An X-ray CT apparatus comprising a scanner that includes an X-ray source and an X-ray detector having two-dimensionally arranged X-ray detector elements, disposed on the opposite side of the subject to the X-ray source and carries out helical scanning around the revolving axis and an image processor for creating a tomogram of the subject from the data collected by helical scanning using the X-ray detector, wherein the image processor creates a tomogram by reconstructing an image from data on the subject including a plurality of sets of projection data of different phases of helical scanning at the same point on the revolving axis and adding the reconstructed images of different phases, whereby a good image is created while suppressing aritifacts.

Abstract: The present invention is drawn to a monoclonal antibody reacting specfically with (1) apoA-I occurring in HDL containing no apoA-II and having a molecular weight of 150,000 or less; and (2) apoA-I not binding to a lipid; a hybridoma producing this antibody; a method of immunologically assaying apoA-I characterized by reacting the antibody with a specimen; and an assay reagent for apoA-I which contains the antibody. The invention realizes measurement of a specific apoA-I, which provides a novel index of lipid metabolism disorder, etc.

Abstract: A multi-slice x-ray CT apparatus has detectors arranged in rows, and projection data on a cross section of an object can be simultaneously measured, wherein the spiral pitch can be arbitrarily determined. A virtual detector row is virtually defined to compensate for lack of lines if the spiral pitch is larger than the number of pitches, so as to always create a high-quality image even if the relationship between the number of rows of detectors and the spiral pitches changes. The weight determined for the virtual detector row is distributed to the weights of projection data on the actual detectors used when the projection data on the virtual detector row is determined.

Abstract: An objective lens, an optical element in the form of a quarter wave plate, and an optical element having a polarizing diffraction grating including a phantom parting line in a track direction of a disk formed in a portion thereof, are configured to be driven integrally. The reflected light from the disk having traveled straight through the optical element without being diffracted is made incident on two sections provided at the hologram element, to thereby detect a tracking error signal. This ensures stable tracking servo performance, while suppressing degradation in luminous energy of the main beam and preventing occurrence of an offset with shift of the objective lens or tilt of the disk.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to attain stable tracking servo performance by suppressing an offset caused by a shift of an object lens or a tilt of a disk, despite the one-beam method which does not cause reduction in light quantity of the main beam. A diffraction grating is provided between a hologram and a light receiving section, and a diffraction efficiency of the diffraction grating is varied in a grating longitudinal direction. For example, if an incident light beam on the diffraction grating is shifted in the grating longitudinal direction, the quantity of received light in each light receiving section varies to cause offset. By performing tracking servo so as to cancel the change, it is possible to correct the offset, thereby attaining stable tracking servo performance.

Abstract: In an X-ray CT device, the scan conditions of the device are set, a three-dimensional X-ray passage length model of the body being examined is generated from a scanogram image of the body, the control pattern of the tube current is automatically set on the basis of the scan conditions and the three-dimensional passage length model, and the dose which will be given will be calculated and displayed on the basis of the control pattern of the tube current, and three-dimensional CT value model data of the body generated on the basis of a standard human body. The scanogram image of the body and the control pattern of the tube current are displayed next to each other or overlap to allow an operator to edit the control pattern while viewing the body, so that a suitable tube current can be set.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to prevent a rice grain from sticking to a scooping portion of a rice scoop. More specifically, in the invention, a large projection (13) and a small projection (14) are provided on a surface, a side surface and a rear surface of a scooping portion (12) of the rice scoop. Consequently, a contact area with a rice grain can be reduced, a separating property can be enhanced and rice can be prevented from sticking.

Abstract: A casing accommodates therein a movable valve adapted to be moved away from a valve seat by a hydraulic oil flowing through an oil-hydraulic circuit from a hydraulic cylinder to an oil-hydraulic pump. In an event of oscillatory hydraulic pressures in the hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic oil is returned through the oil-hydraulic circuit from the hydraulic cylinder to the oil-hydraulic pump via a second port, a communication path, a minor gap between the movable valve and the valve seat, and a first port. In this process, the communication path allows for a smooth flow of the hydraulic oil from the second port into the movable valve.

Abstract: Before a CT scan for a patient, a model that shows transmission lengths of the patient at rotation angles of an X-ray source is stored in a memory. At the CT scan, X-ray tube currents are controlled according to the transmission lengths at the rotation angles in order to apply X-rays to the patient. The three-dimensional model is homogenous and its material is similar to that of the patient's body, and transmission lengths of the three-dimensional model are converted into those of the patient. The model is acquired by a scannography in a single direction or a CT helical scanning with a small X-ray dose. This reduces the X-ray dose applied to the patient.

Abstract: Disclosed is use of nonsteroidal anti-estrogen compounds such as toremifene citrate as active ingredient for treating autoimmune diseases.

Abstract: An X-ray CT apparatus including a collimator that restricts an irradiation range of an X-ray fan beam, in which first projection data is obtained with no restriction placed onto the X-ray irradiation range through the collimator, then, second projection data is obtained with the X-ray irradiation range restricted in accordance with a concerned region set on a tomographic image, and when reconstructing an image with the use of the second projection data, the image is reconstructed using, as data outside of the concerned region, data of a corresponding portion of the first projection data.

Abstract: Disclosed is use of nonsteroidal anti-estrogen compounds such as toremifene citrate as active ingredient for treating autoimmune diseases.