Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a blood analysis method and a blood test kit, which are capable of performing measurement of a plurality of target components to be analyzed with high accuracies in a case where hemolysis occurs in a case of measuring an amount of target components to be analyzed in a small volume of a blood sample.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a blood analysis method and a blood test kit, which are for performing quantitative analysis of components by precisely obtaining a dilution factor.

Abstract: A piezoelectric device and method of manufacturing the same and an inkjet head are described. In one embodiment, the inkjet print head comprises a plurality of jets, wherein each of the plurality of jets comprises a nozzle, a pressure chamber connected with the nozzle, a piezoelectric body coupled to the pressure chamber, and an electrode coupled to the piezoelectric body to cause displacement of the piezoelectric body to apply pressure to the pressure chamber in response to a voltage applied to the electrode; and wherein electrodes of two or more of the plurality of jets have different sizes to cause their associated piezoelectric bodies to have a uniform displacement amount when the voltage is applied to the electrodes.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a reservoir and a printhead. The printhead includes a support structure including a deformable portion defining at least a top surface of a pumping chamber, a flow path extending from the reservoir to the pumping chamber to transfer fluid from the reservoir to the pumping chamber, and an actuator disposed on the deformable portion of the support structure. A trench is defined in a top surface of the actuator. Application of a voltage to the actuator causes the actuator to deform along the trench, thereby causing deformation of the deformable portion of the support structure to eject a drop of fluid from the pumping chamber.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cell culture medium with which serum-free long-term culture of an epithelial stem cell, an epithelial cancer cell, or a tissue containing at least one thereof can be achieved. The cell culture medium of the present invention includes: a Wnt agonist composed of a complex of Wnt protein and afamin, which is a substance capable of stabilizing the Wnt protein, and R-spondin; and at least one selected from the group consisting of a mitogenic growth factor, a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) inhibitor, a transforming growth factor-? (TGF-?) inhibitor, and a p38 inhibitor.

Abstract: A method for separating plasma in a minute amount of a blood sample diluted with a blood dilution buffer is provided. When a blood dilution buffer is added to a minute amount of blood (about 20 to 100 ?L) so as to assay the biological blood components in the resulting diluted plasma, it is necessary to separately store and transfer the diluted blood cell component and the diluted plasma component. The present inventors found that it is possible to separate diluted plasma from diluted blood cells using a polymer gelling agent for plasma separation by means of putting a polymer gel for plasma separation in the container with a blood dilution buffer. In such case, diluted blood cells are transferred to the lower portion of the polymer gelling agent and dilute plasma is transferred to the upper portion of the same. Assay of the biological blood components using a minute amount of blood can be utilized for early detection of health status, diseases, and presymptomatic states.

Abstract: A piezoelectric device and method of manufacturing the same and an inkjet head are described. In one embodiment, the inkjet print head comprises a plurality of jets, wherein each of the plurality of jets comprises a nozzle, a pressure chamber connected with the nozzle, a piezoelectric body coupled to the pressure chamber, and an electrode coupled to the piezoelectric body to cause displacement of the piezoelectric body to apply pressure to the pressure chamber in response to a voltage applied to the electrode; and wherein electrodes of two or more of the plurality of jets have different sizes to cause their associated piezoelectric bodies to have a uniform displacement amount when the voltage is applied to the electrodes.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a sheet accommodation unit, a paper sheet-feeding unit, an inclined surface portion, a resistance application member, and a transport unit. The sheet accommodation unit stacks sheets. The paper sheet-feeding unit feeds the sheets from the sheet accommodation unit. The inclined surface portion is provided in a paper sheet-feeding direction of the sheets. The resistance application member includes a protruding portion that protrudes more than the inclined surface portion. The transport unit is provided on a downstream side of the inclined surface portion in a transportation direction of the sheets. The transport unit transports the sheets.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a reservoir and a printhead. The printhead includes a support structure including a deformable portion defining at least a top surface of a pumping chamber, a flow path extending from the reservoir to the pumping chamber to transfer fluid from the reservoir to the pumping chamber, and an actuator disposed on the deformable portion of the support structure. A trench is defined in a top surface of the actuator. Application of a voltage to the actuator causes the actuator to deform along the trench, thereby causing deformation of the deformable portion of the support structure to eject a drop of fluid from the pumping chamber.

Abstract: An object is to provide a blood test kit and a blood analysis method capable of performing a blood test with a small amount of blood at high accuracy by visualizing a volume of blood collection and keeping the volume constant. Provided is a blood test kit for analyzing a concentration of a target component in a blood sample using a normal component homeostatically present in blood, the kit including: a blood collection instrument for collecting the blood sample; a diluent solution for diluting the collected blood sample; and a storing instrument for storing the diluted blood sample, in which the blood collection instrument is a capillary.

Abstract: An object is to perform analysis of a target component contained in a small volume of blood sample at high accuracy using a normal component homeostatically present in blood. Provided is a blood test kit for analyzing a concentration of a target component in a blood sample by using a normal component homeostatically present in blood, the kit including: a diluent solution for diluting a blood sample; and a member selected from the group consisting of a first storing instrument in which the diluent solution is stored, a separating instrument for separating and recovering blood plasma from the blood sample diluted with the diluent solution, a holding instrument for holding the separating instrument, a second storing instrument for storing the recovered blood plasma, and a sealing instrument for keeping the stored blood plasma in the second storing instrument, in which an amount of the normal component which is derived from the member and may be contained in the diluent solution is defined.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a blood test kit and a blood analysis method capable of performing a blood test with a small amount of blood at high accuracy by visualizing a volume of blood collection and keeping the volume constant. According to the present invention, a blood test kit including a diluent solution for diluting components of a blood sample; and at least one transparent container for storing the components of the blood sample and the diluent solution, in which at least one constituent component included in the blood test kit is marked with a graduation for measuring the components of the blood sample and a liquid volume of the diluent solution, is provided.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a blood analysis method in which a high level of repeatability and reproducibility is achieved with respect to measurement values in a blood sample of 50 ?L or less, and a blood test kit which is used for the blood analysis method. According to the present invention, a blood analysis method including a step of diluting a collected blood sample with a diluent solution; a step of determining a dilution factor by using a normal value of a normal component which is homeostatically present in the blood; and a step of analyzing a concentration of a target component in the blood sample, in which a volume of the blood sample is 50 ?L or less, a dilution factor of blood plasma components in the blood sample is 14 or higher, and the diluent solution is a diluent solution which does not contain the normal component which is homeostatically present in the blood, is provided.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a blood analysis method in which a high level of repeatability and reproducibility is achieved with respect to measurement values in a blood sample, and a blood test kit which is used for the blood analysis method.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a blood test kit of which a component in a small volume of blood can be mailed in a safe state by controlling the influence of the outside temperature during the mailing, and a highly accurate blood analysis method in which coefficient of variation of a measurement value is reduced. According to the present invention, a blood test kit including a diluent solution for diluting a blood sample; a separating means for recovering blood plasma components from the diluted blood sample; a container for storing the blood plasma components recovered from the diluted blood sample; and a cold insulation means for cold-insulating the container, is provided.

Abstract: There is provided a method of analyzing a biological sample component that allows easy and accurate quantification and counting of any of a plasma component and a blood cell component in a trace and unknown amount of a whole blood sample collected from a finger, for example. The method of the present invention is a method of analyzing a biological sample component in a trace amount of blood, comprising analyzing a diluent buffer into which the blood has been mixed and an internal standard substance and/or an external standard substance contained in the diluent buffer, calculating a dilution ratio, and analyzing a biological component in a plasma or serum component in the blood.

Abstract: A method for separating plasma in a minute amount of a blood sample diluted with a blood dilution buffer is provided. When a blood dilution buffer is added to a minute amount of blood (about 20 to 100 ?L) so as to assay the biological blood components in the resulting diluted plasma, it is necessary to separately store and transfer the diluted blood cell component and the diluted plasma component. The present inventors found that it is possible to separate diluted plasma from diluted blood cells using a polymer gelling agent for plasma separation by means of putting a polymer gel for plasma separation in the container with a blood dilution buffer. In such case, diluted blood cells are transferred to the lower portion of the polymer gelling agent and dilute plasma is transferred to the upper portion of the same. Assay of the biological blood components using a minute amount of blood can be utilized for early detection of health status, diseases, and presymptomatic states.

Abstract: Processes for forming an actuator having a curved piezoelectric membrane are disclosed. The processes utilize a profile-transferring substrate having a curved surface surrounded by a planar surface to form the curved piezoelectric membrane. The piezoelectric material used for the piezoelectric actuator is deposited on at least the curved surface of the profile-transferring substrate before the profile-transferring substrate is removed from the underside of the curved piezoelectric membrane. The resulting curved piezoelectric membrane includes grain structures that are columnar and aligned, and all or substantially all of the columnar grains are locally perpendicular to the curved surface of the piezoelectric membrane.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a conveyance roller and a register roller configured to convey an image receiving medium taken out from a paper feed cassette; a rotation detection device configured to detect the backward rotation of the conveyance roller; and a control section configured to stop the rotation of the conveyance roller to align the image receiving medium after the image receiving medium abuts against the register roller that is in a stopped state, restart the rotation of the register roller and the conveyance roller after the aligning process, and control to restart, when the conveyance roller rotates backward during the aligning process, the rotation of the register roller after the conveyance roller is rotated ahead.

Abstract: Processes for forming an actuator having a curved piezoelectric membrane are disclosed. The processes utilize a profile-transferring substrate having a curved surface surrounded by a planar surface to form the curved piezoelectric membrane. The piezoelectric material used for the piezoelectric actuator is deposited on at least the curved surface of the profile-transferring substrate before the profile-transferring substrate is removed from the underside of the curved piezoelectric membrane. The resulting curved piezoelectric membrane includes grain structures that are columnar and aligned, and all or substantially all of the columnar grains are locally perpendicular to the curved surface of the piezoelectric membrane.