Abstract: A high-frequency circuit includes a first dielectric layer, a circuit layer, a second dielectric layer arranged in this order, the circuit layer includes a transmission line of a high-frequency signal and a ground pattern disposed around the transmission line. An electromagnetic wave shield is disposed in the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer around the transmission line. The electromagnetic wave shield includes a first ground electric conductor formed on an inner surface of at least one first hole formed to extend through the first dielectric layer without extending through the ground pattern, and a second ground electric conductor formed on an inner surface of at least one second hole formed to extend through the second dielectric layer without extending through the ground pattern. The first ground electric conductor and the second ground electric conductor are each electrically connected to the ground pattern.

Abstract: A high-frequency circuit includes a first electric conductor layer, a first dielectric layer, a circuit layer, a second dielectric layer, a second electric conductor layer arranged in this order, and the circuit layer includes a ground pattern and a transmission line of a high-frequency signal. An electromagnetic wave shield is disposed around the transmission line. The electromagnetic wave shield includes a ground electric conductor on inner surfaces of a plurality of holes extending through the first dielectric layer, the ground pattern, the second dielectric layer, the first electric conductor layer, and the second electric conductor layer. The plurality of holes are a plurality of elongated holes provided at an interval in a direction in which the transmission line is surrounded. In each of the plurality of elongated holes, a longitudinal dimension in the direction in which the transmission line is surrounded is larger than a width dimension.

Abstract: A high-frequency circuit includes a first dielectric layer, a circuit layer, a second dielectric layer arranged in this order, the circuit layer includes a transmission line of a high-frequency signal and a ground pattern disposed around the transmission line. An electromagnetic wave shield is disposed in the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer around the transmission line. The electromagnetic wave shield includes a first ground electric conductor formed on an inner surface of at least one first hole formed to extend through the first dielectric layer without extending through the ground pattern, and a second ground electric conductor formed on an inner surface of at least one second hole formed to extend through the second dielectric layer without extending through the ground pattern. The first ground electric conductor and the second ground electric conductor are each electrically connected to the ground pattern.

Abstract: A membrane switch comprising a pair of electrode plates and a spacer separating the plates, wherein the operating force required to operate the membrane switch by pressing it with a rod having a hemispherical tip with a radius of curvature of 5 mm is within the range of 0.03 to 0.2 kg. The spacer is in the form of a film, the film has through holes, and the aperture ratio of the through holes is 50% or above. The effect is that a membrane switch exhibiting no malfunction, negligible variation in the operating force, and excellent in durability can be obtained.

Abstract: A separator film for a battery is formed as a hydrophilized porous biaxially oriented film. The porous biaxially oriented film has a porosity of at least about 70%, a thickness in the range of about 10 to about 500 .mu.m, and a pore size in the range of about 0.01 to about 20 .mu.m. The porous film is made of hydrophobic resin, and a hydrophilic high polymer which is fixed in the pores of the film. The hydrophilic high polymer may be heterogeneously distributed in the porous film, so that the separator film has a hydrophilic portion and a hydrophobic portion. The porosity and/or the pore size of the porous film can be varied in the direction of film thickness. The separator film is applied in an alkaline storage battery or a nonaqueous electrolyte battery such as a lithium battery.

Abstract: A process for preparing a porous metallic body comprising the steps of: rendering a porous resin body electrically conductive, electroplating the conductive resin, and heating the electroplated resin to remove the resin, wherein the step of rendering the resin electrically conductive is conducted by coating the resin with a coating composition containing amorphous carbon particles as a conductive material. In the process, substantially spherical carbon particles may be used as the conductive material. The substantially spherical carbon particles are still preferably amorphous carbon. The thus obtained porous metallic body has reduced defect and more smooth skeleton in the porous body, is less likely to cause stress concentration upon application of bending and tensile force, has lower carbon content, and superior mechanical strength, and, therefore, the substrate is suitable as an electrode substrate for batteries.

Abstract: An improved electrode for an alkaline storage battery can suppress the reduction of the battery capacity when the battery is used in a high-temperature environment. The electrode is formed by charging or filling a collector, which consists of a porous body of a nickel-boron alloy containing 0.001 to 3 percent by weight of boron, with an active material. The porous body of the nickel-boron alloy can be formed by depositing nickel on a surface of a substrate consisting of a porous polymer by electroless plating with a boron compound serving as a reductant.

Abstract: A method for producing an organic crystal is disclosed. One embodiment comprises maintaining a capillary tube containing a fused liquid of an organic crystal material and having a fused liquid reservoir at one end thereof at a temperature not less than the fusion point of the organic crystal material together with the fused liquid reservoir, reducing the temperature of the fused liquid in the fused liquid reservoir to precipitate seed crystals, and then slowly cooling the capillary tube successively from the end toward the other end to allow a single crystal to grow from the seed crystal in the capillary tube. Because of the large quantity of the fused liquid, a seed crystal can be formed and allowed to grow even from a fused liquid of an organic crystal material which hardly crystallizes in the form of a fused liquid.

Abstract: An optical wavelength conversion module having a laser light source, a lens system for managing the laser beam, and a conversion element. The laser light source generates a beam of laser light of a substantially circular cross-section having an aspect ratio of 1.3 or less. The substantially circular beam is collimated and condensed by the lenses and directed into the core of the conversion element which then emits converted light. The optical wavelength conversion module is small in size and produces converted light with high efficiency.

Abstract: An optical fiber device comprising an optical fiber comprising a core made of an organic crystal and a cladding made of glass, the device generating second harmonics of a laser light that has been launched into the core, the device further comprising a buffer layer on at least one end faces of the optical fiber, and a water barrier layer on the surface of the buffer layer, the buffer layer being such that the organic crystal of the core is not dissolved therein.

Abstract: A fiber-type wavelength converting device comprises a nonlinear optical crystal core; and a glass cladding surrounding the core that produces a second harmonic utilizing Cherenkov radiation. An exit end face of the cladding is flat, and an exit end face of the core has asperities. The exit end face of the core is formed inside with respect to the exit end face of the cladding, and particles may be filled in a recess portion composed of a bottom surface of the exit end face of the core and side surface of an inner wall of the cladding. The cladding has an outer diameter of at least 1 mm to prevent breakage of device upon polishing and grinding. A thin film may be formed on an input end face of the device.

Abstract: A catheter provided on the tip with a balloon of the type which can be inflated by being filled with a fluid, and particularly a catheter provided with a balloon around the inside circumference of which are formed multiple compartments. The direction of said catheter can be controlled at bifurcations in the blood vessel by supplying fluid through a fluid supply channel to at least one compartment so as to inflate the compartment corresponding to said channel.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of manufacturing a wavelength converter of an optical fiber type, having a core and a clad covering the core. At least one of the core and clad is made of a nonlinear optical material such that copious amounts of second harmonic light are emitted form a light emitting end face of the optical fiber. Grooves and/or flanges are formed in or on the clad or a transparent layer covering the clad. The transparent layer also covers the light emitting end face of the optical fiber. A collimating surface is formed on the transparent layer at the light emitting end face for collimating the second harmonic light emitted. Various molds are used to form different collimating surfaces, grooves, and flanges in and on the transparent layer.

Abstract: An optical wavelength conversion module includes a semiconductor laser light source; a lens for focusing semiconductor laser light; and a fiber-type optical wavelength converter with a core and a clad having a refractive index lower than the core. At least one of the core and clad is formed of a non-linear optical material. The number of longitudinal modes of oscillation of the semiconductor laser light source is not less than three.

Abstract: A laser beam guiding fiber comprising, in a tip portion of an optical fiber, an oscillating member which oscillates the tip of the optical fiber along a direction which intersects an axis of the optical fiber can irradiate a wide range with laser beam, since the tip of the optical fiber oscillates by means of the oscillating member along the direction which intersects the axis of the optical fiber and the irradiated position with the laser beam reciprocates periodically with the oscillation.

Abstract: A light source unit for receiving and transmitting information to and from an optical disk or the like, which reshapes an elliptical in cross-section beam of laser light into a circular in cross-section beam of laser light by a beam shaping assembly composed of at least one lens having a cylindrical surface and an optical axis, the cylindrical surface having generatrix lines that are perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens, where the circularly shaped beam of laser light then enters a wavelength converter for generation of a second harmonic (half wavelength of the fundamental).

Abstract: In a wavelength converter, nonlinear medium layers containing material having an increased second order susceptibility, and linear medium layers, not containing material having a nonlinear optical characteristic of the second degree, are alternatively layered. A fundamental wave (of which the angular frequency is .omega.) is incident on the multi-layered structure in a direction normal to the major surfaces of the nonlinear medium layers and the linear medium layers, thereby generating the second harmonic of the fundamental wave (of which the angular frequency is 2.omega.). The thickness of each of the linear and nonlinear medium layers is selected to be an odd-number times as long as the coherence length. The wavelength can be converted utilizing the diagonal element d.sub.ii of the second degree, nonlinear optical tensor.

Abstract: An optical fiber for laser beam guiding comprising a secondary non-linear optical element at one tip thereof can irradiate a lesion portion with a short wavelength beam useful for cure, since the non-linear optical element converts a long wavelength beam transmitted through the optical fiber to the short wavelength laser beam.

Abstract: A single crystal non-linear optical transmission line is manufactured by using a cladding made of a glass material that eliminates or reduces the formation of an uneven inner wall of an optical fiber cladding made of a glass mother material. The improved glass material suppresses the elution of metal mono-oxides on the inner wall and results in a high yield of non-defective fiber manufacturing. A glass mother material, such as SF1, having a low concentration of lead oxide does not contribute to the elution problem common to higher concentration glass mother materials. A glass mother material having no metal oxides also overcomes the problem of elusion since substitute molecules, such as TaC6, do not elute in water or in acid solutions. These glass materials can be used to successfully form a non-defective core having a low refractive index layer of the inner wall and make possible single mode propagation of a laser light in a single crystal non-linear optical transmission line.

Abstract: A diagnostic and therapeutic catheter accommodating a plurality of optical fibers and tubes, including a small diameter portion formed at a distal end portion of the catheter, the small diameter portion having at least one duct, the optical fibers and the tubes confronting an inlet of the small diameter portion so as to be retractably inserted into the small diameter portion selectively.