Abstract: To prevent a medical apparatus such as an endoscope or an electrophysiological catheter that includes an insertion portion to be inserted into the body of a patient from breaking at any unexpected positions. A medical apparatus includes a bendably deformable portion, a deforming-force-transmitting mechanism that is connected to a part of the bendably deformable portion, and an operation portion that applies a deforming force or a shape retaining force to the bendably deformable portion by controlling a tension applied to the deforming-force-transmitting mechanism. The deforming-force-transmitting mechanism includes a tension reducing mechanism.

Abstract: When a bendable medical instrument is used, the present invention reduces a risk that a body of the medical instrument is damaged. The present invention provides a medical instrument which includes: a deformable portion; a wire configured to deform the deformable portion; and a driving unit configured to transmit driving force to the wire, wherein: the medical instrument includes a load detecting unit configured to detect load applied to the deformable portion; and when the load detected by the load detecting unit exceeds a threshold value, the driving unit breaks connection between the wire and the driving force.

Abstract: An apparatus including a tendon-driven device such as an endoscope comprising a bendable body, a tendon attached to and extending a length of said body, and an actuator that will actuate said tendon based on a control signal from a controller. The controller is configured to send said control signal to said actuator and comprises a forward-kinematic-mapping unit that estimates an angular displacement, wherein the kinematic-mapping unit is configured for: providing a tension value of the tendon to obtain a desired angular displacement wherein the tension has a nonlinear relationship with the desired angular displacement based on information of friction where the tension is greater that would be calculated without including the effect of friction. The friction coefficient may be determined as it changes over time.

Abstract: An electrostatic charged particle beam lens includes an electrode including a flat plate having a first surface having a normal line extending in a direction of an optical axis and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the electrode having a through-hole extending from the first surface to the second surface. When an opening cross section is defined as a cross section of the through-hole taken along a plane perpendicular to the normal line and a representative diameter is defined as a diameter of a circle obtained by performing regression analysis of the opening cross section, a representative diameter of the opening cross section in a first region that is on the first surface side and a representative diameter of the opening cross section in a second region that is on the second surface side are smaller than a representative diameter of the opening cross section in a third region that is a region in the electrode disposed between the first surface and the second surface.

Abstract: A microstructure includes a substrate, and a grating provided in the substrate and made of metal. The grating is provided with a plurality of holes. The plurality of holes are arranged in a first direction. In a plane containing the first direction, the maximum value of the distance between the center of gravity of a grating region composed of the grating and the plurality of holes and the outer edge of the grating region is less than 1.39 times the minimum value of the distance between the center of gravity of the grating region and the outer edge of the grating region.

Abstract: An optical system for a charged particle includes a first member though which a charged particle beam is transmitted and a second member to control optically the charged particle beam transmitted through the first member. The second member has a fixing portion fixed to the first member. A slit is arranged between a part of the second member and the fixing portion to separate the part of the second member from the fixing portion, such that the part of the second member is a cantilever beam structure pivotal in relation to the fixing portion.

Abstract: There is provided an antioxidant agent capable of preventing scale from being produced on the surface of a heated metallic starting material more effectively than the conventional antioxidant agent. The antioxidant agent according to the present invention contains a plurality of glass frits having different softening points and an inorganic compound having a melting point not higher than 600° C. The inorganic compound mainly softens in the low-temperature range of about 600° C. The plurality of glass frits mainly soften in the low-temperature range of about 600 to 1300° C. Therefore, the antioxidant agent covers the surface of metallic starting material in a broad temperature range, oxidizes the surface of metallic starting material, and prevents the production of scale.

Abstract: A microstructure includes a substrate, a fixed supporting portion fixed to the substrate, a first movable portion, a second movable portion enhancing the rigidity of the first movable portion, and an elastic supporting portion elastically interconnecting the first movable portion and the fixed supporting portion. The second movable portion is secured to the first movable portion with a gap interposed therebetween and in such a manner as to cover the elastic supporting portion and the fixed supporting portion. The first movable portion and the second movable portion are elastically supported by the elastic supporting portion in such a manner as to be displaceable together relative to the fixed supporting portion.

Abstract: A sheath apparatus includes, a plurality of node rings configured to be tilted with respect to each other, each node ring defining a substantially cylindrical wall and having at least one hole passing through said cylindrical wall, the plurality of node rings being arranged next to each other along a linear axis such that consecutive node rings contact each other at a contact plane; a manipulating wire going through the holes in said stacked node rings; and a position restoring component configured to restore said stacked node rings from a tilted position to an original position, wherein said position restoring component is located inside or outside of the stacked node rings.

Abstract: There is provided an antioxidant agent excellent in anti-dripping property and anti-peeling property. The antioxidant agent in accordance with the present invention contains a plurality of glass frits having different softening points, potter's clay, and bentonite and/or sepiolite. On account of the potter's clay, the antioxidant agent applied to the surface of a metallic starting material is less liable to drip down. Further, on account of the bentonite and/or sepiolite, the antioxidant agent is less liable to peel off the surface of the metallic starting material.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a structure includes a first step of forming, on a monocrystal silicon substrate having a (100) surface as a principal surface, a basic etching mask corresponding to a target shape and having at least a first structure with a projecting corner and a second structure adjoining the first structure with an opening intervening therebetween, and a correction etching mask extending from the projecting corner of an etching mask of the first structure and connected to an etching mask of the second structure, and a second step of performing anisotropic etching of the monocrystal silicon substrate having the basic etching mask and the correction etching mask to form the target shape.

Abstract: An electrostatic charged particle beam lens includes an electrode including a flat plate having a first surface having a normal line extending in a direction of an optical axis and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the electrode having a through-hole extending from the first surface to the second surface. When an opening cross section is defined as a cross section of the through-hole taken along a plane perpendicular to the normal line and a representative diameter is defined as a diameter of a circle obtained by performing regression analysis of the opening cross section, a representative diameter of the opening cross section in a first region that is on the first surface side and a representative diameter of the opening cross section in a second region that is on the second surface side are each larger than a representative diameter of the opening cross section in a third region that is a region in the electrode disposed between the first surface and the second surface.

Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a charged particle beam lens having a bonded electrode obtained by bonding at least a first conductive substrate having a first through-hole and a second conductive substrate having a second through-hole. The above method includes: forming the first through-hole in the first conductive substrate; forming the second through-hole in the second conductive substrate; and bonding the first conductive substrate and the second conductive substrate so that the first through-hole and the second through-hole communicate with each other.

Abstract: An electrostatic charged particle beam lens includes an electrode including a flat plate having a first surface having a normal line extending in a direction of an optical axis and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the electrode having a through-hole extending from the first surface to the second surface. A circularity in a first region that is on the first surface side and a circularity in a second region that is on the second surface side are each better than a circularity in a third region that is a region in the electrode disposed between the first surface and the second surface.

Abstract: An electrostatic charged particle beam lens includes an electrode including a flat plate having a first surface having a normal line extending in a direction of an optical axis and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the electrode having a through-hole extending from the first surface to the second surface. When an opening cross section is defined as a cross section of the through-hole taken along a plane perpendicular to the normal line and a representative diameter is defined as a diameter of a circle obtained by performing regression analysis of the opening cross section, a representative diameter of the opening cross section in a first region that is on the first surface side and a representative diameter of the opening cross section in a second region that is on the second surface side are smaller than a representative diameter of the opening cross section in a third region that is a region in the electrode disposed between the first surface and the second surface.

Abstract: In a charged particle beam lens according to the present invention, the orientations of through-holes formed in electrodes and precision of forming the through-holes are determined in accordance with the degree of influences of the surfaces of the electrodes on the aberration of the lens.

Abstract: There is provided an antioxidant agent excellent in anti-dripping property and anti-peeling property. The antioxidant agent in accordance with the present invention contains a plurality of glass frits having different softening points, potter's clay, and bentonite and/or sepiolite. On account of the potter's clay, the antioxidant agent applied to the surface of a metallic starting material is less liable to drip down. Further, on account of the bentonite and/or sepiolite, the antioxidant agent is less liable to peel off the surface of the metallic starting material.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an oscillator device having first and second oscillators being driven at first and second driving resonance frequencies gf1 and gf2, the method including a first step for processing the two oscillators, wherein, when the two oscillators are going to be processed as oscillators having first and second resonance frequencies different from the two driving resonance frequencies with a certain dispersion range, the two oscillators are so processed that the first and second resonance frequencies different from the two driving resonance frequencies become equal to first and second resonance frequencies f1 and f2, respectively, which are included in adjustable resonance frequency ranges, respectively, and a second step for adjusting the first and second resonance frequencies f1 and f2 so that they become equal to the first and second driving resonance frequencies gf1 and gf2, respectively.

Abstract: There is provided an antioxidant agent capable of preventing scale from being produced on the surface of a heated metallic starting material more effectively than the conventional antioxidant agent. The antioxidant agent according to the present invention contains a plurality of glass frits having different softening points and an inorganic compound having a melting point not higher than 600° C. The inorganic compound mainly softens in the low-temperature range of about 600° C. The plurality of glass frits mainly soften in the low-temperature range of about 600 to 1300° C. Therefore, the antioxidant agent covers the surface of metallic starting material in a broad temperature range, oxidizes the surface of metallic starting material, and prevents the production of scale.

Abstract: A microstructural body includes a substrate such as an electrode substrate, a support portion, one post that fixes the support portion to the substrate, a frame-shaped movable portion provided around outer periphery of the support portion, and an elastic support portion that elastically connects the movable portion and the support portion. The elastic support portion supports the frame-shaped movable portion such that the movable portion is movable relative to the support portion. The elastic support portion includes torsion springs and an elastically deformable connecting portion.