Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a gradient information calculating unit that calculates gradient information of each of pixels, based on pixel values of an intraluminal image; a closed region creating unit that, based on the gradient information, creates a closed region satisfying a condition where the closed region does not include, on the inside thereof, any pixel of which the gradient strength is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and also, the boundary of the closed region does not curve toward the interior of the closed region, with a curvature equal to or larger than a predetermined value; and an abnormal part detecting unit that detects an abnormal part from the inside of the closed region.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a distance information calculator that calculates distance information corresponding to a distance to an imaging object at each of portions in an image; a feature data calculator that calculates feature data at each portion in the image; a feature data distribution calculator that calculates a distribution of the feature data in each of regions that are classified according to the distance information in the image; a reliability determining unit that determines the reliability of the distribution of the feature data in each of the regions; and a discrimination criterion generator that generates, for each of the regions, a discrimination criterion for discriminating a specific region in the image based on a determination result of the reliability and the distribution of the feature data in each of the regions.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus to detect a bubble region included in image includes: a bubble candidate region setting unit which sets, from the image, a region as a bubble candidate region, the region having shape corresponding to a bubble region shape model stored in a storage unit; and a bubble region determination unit which determines, on the basis of information belonging to the bubble candidate region, whether the bubble candidate region is a bubble region.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a candidate point extraction unit which extracts, from an image, candidate points which are candidates for points constituting a circular region that represents a bubble; and a circular-region detecting unit which detects a circular region in the image on the basis of information belonging to the candidate points.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an area extracting unit that extracts a candidate area of a classification target area in which a pixel value does not correspond to a three-dimensional shape of an imaging target based on pixel values of an intraluminal image acquired by imaging the inside of a lumen or information of a change in pixel values of peripheral pixels; and an area classifying unit that classifies the classification target area out of the candidate area based on the pixel values of the inside of the candidate area, a boundary portion of the candidate area, or a periphery portion of the candidate area.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an approximate-surface calculator that calculates multiple approximate surfaces that each approximate the pixel value of a pixel included in an examination-target region of an image; an approximate-surface selector that selects at least one approximate surface from the approximate surfaces on the basis of the relation between the pixel value of the pixel in the examination-target region and the approximate surfaces; an approximate-region setting unit that sets an approximate region that is approximated by at least the selected one approximate surface; and an abnormal-region detector that detects an abnormal region on the basis of the pixel value of a pixel in the approximate region and the value corresponding to the coordinates of that pixel on at least one approximate surface.

Abstract: In this flash memory, after first and second nodes are precharged to a power supply voltage, a sense amplifier is activated, and signals appearing at the first and second nodes are held in a register. With output signals of the register, a transistor is rendered conductive, so that a constant current source for offset compensation is connected to the first or second node. Accordingly, the offset voltage of the sense amplifier can be compensated for with a simple configuration.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a gradient magnitude calculating unit that calculates a gradient magnitude of each pixel on the basis of pixel values of a target image in which a predetermined target object is imaged; a candidate-edge detecting unit that detects contour-candidate edge positions on the basis of the gradient magnitude of each pixel; a reference-range setting unit that sets a reference range, which is to be referred to when a contour edge position is selected from among the contour-candidate edge positions, on the basis of the gradient magnitude of each pixel; and a contour-edge selecting unit that selects, as the contour edge position, one of the contour-candidate edge positions in the reference range.

Abstract: In production of electrode paste, powder and solvent are separately injected into a hollow exterior component, the powder and the solvent are transferred to a downstream side in a transfer direction by rotation of two rotary shafts supported by the exterior component in a state where the rotary shafts are located parallel to each other at a predetermined interval, a mixture is produced by mixing the powder and the solvent by rotation of the rotary shafts without applying a shearing force, which is higher than or equal to a predetermined shearing force, to the powder, and producing electrode paste by kneading the mixture through application of a shearing force, which is higher than the shearing force that is applied in the mixing step, to the mixture through rotation of the rotary shafts.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a mixture layer of a negative electrode. The mixture layer contains carboxymethyl cellulose. A product of a median diameter (?m) of a negative electrode active material contained in the negative electrode and a ratio of a weight (wt %) of the carboxymethyl cellulose adsorbed on the negative electrode active material to a weight of the negative electrode active material is not less than 2.2 and not larger than 4.2.

Abstract: A method for producing a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes: subjecting a mixture of a negative-electrode active material on which oil has been adsorbed, CMC and water to hard kneading to prepare a primary kneaded mixture; diluting the primary kneaded mixture with water to prepare a slurry; and adding a binder to the slurry. The method further includes defining an amount of the oil to a value equal to or more than 50 ml/100 g and equal to or less than 62 ml/100 g, wherein the amount of the oil is an amount at the time when the viscosity characteristics of the negative-electrode active material exhibits 70% of the maximum torque that is generated when the oil is titrated onto the negative-electrode active material. The 1% aqueous solution viscosity of the CMC is defined to a value equal to or more than 6000 mPa·s and equal to or less than 8000 mPa·s.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a calculating unit that calculates gradient strength of respective pixel values based on an intraluminal image, an extracting unit that extracts a closed region from the image, and a detecting unit that detects an abnormal portion of the closed region. The closed region satisfies conditions that the pixel of which gradient strength is a predetermined value or more is not included in the closed region and a boundary of the closed region does not bend with predetermined curvature or higher toward an inner side of the closed region. The extracting unit includes a setting unit that sets an initial closed region based on the gradient strength, an energy calculating unit that calculates values of types of energies based on an outer shape of the closed region and the gradient strength, and an energy weighted-sum calculating unit that calculates a weighted sum of the types of energy.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a gradient strength calculating unit that calculates a gradient strength of respective pixel values based on an intraluminal image; an extracting unit that extracts a closed region satisfying conditions that the pixel of which gradient strength is a predetermined value or more is not included in the region and a boundary of the region does not bend with a predetermined curvature or higher toward an inner side of the region; and a detecting unit that detects an abnormal portion inside the region. The extracting unit includes a setting unit that sets an initial shape of the region; an energy calculating unit that calculates values of types of energy including at least energies determined respectively by an outer shape of the region and the gradient strength; and an energy-weighted sum calculating unit that calculates a weighted sum of the types of energy.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an identification criterion creating unit that creates an identification criterion so as to enable identification of specific regions in a target image to be processed that is selected in chronological order from among images constituting a set of time-series images; includes a feature data calculating unit that calculates the feature data of each segmented region in the target image to be processed; and includes a specific region identifying unit that, based on the feature data of each segmented region, identifies the specific regions in the target image to be processed by using the identification criterion. Moreover, the identification criterion creating unit creates the identification criterion based on the pieces of feature data of the specific regions identified in the images that have been already processed.

Abstract: An image processing device includes: a candidate abnormal region determining unit that determines a candidate abnormal region from an image using a first determination criterion; a bubble region determining unit that determines a bubble region from the image; a bubble inside determining unit that determines whether the candidate abnormal region is present inside the bubble region based on a determination result of the bubble region; and an abnormal region determining unit that determines whether the candidate abnormal region is an abnormal region using a second determination criterion different from the first determination criterion when the candidate abnormal region is determined to be present inside the bubble region.

Abstract: An image processing device includes: a non-target region detecting unit that detects a region that is not to be examined as a non-target region from an image; a pixel-of-interest region setting unit that sets a pixel-of-interest region in a predetermined area including a pixel-of-interest position in the image; a surrounding region determining unit that determines a surrounding region, which is an area for acquiring information for use in forming a reference plane with respect to the pixel-of-interest position, based on the non-target region; a reference plane forming unit that forms the reference plane based on the information in the surrounding region; and an outlier pixel detecting unit that detects an outlier pixel having a pixel value numerically distant from circumferential values based on a difference between corresponding quantities of the reference plane at each pixel position and of the original image.

Abstract: An image processing device includes: a feature data calculator configured to calculate the feature data of each pixel in an image; an approximate shape calculator configured to calculate an approximate shape approximating a profile of a distribution area in which the feature data is distributed in a feature space having the feature data as an element; and an abnormal area detector configured to detect an abnormal area in the image based on the approximate shape and the profile of the distribution area.

Abstract: An image processing device classifies a region of interest included in an image into multiple classification items. The image processing device has: an initial region detector that detects at least part of the region of interest and sets the part as an initial region; an expansion region detector that detects an expansion region by expanding the initial region; and a region determining unit that calculates feature data of the initial region and the expansion region, and determines, based on the feature data, to which of the multiple classification items the region of interest belongs.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a distance information calculator that calculates distance information corresponding to a distance to an imaging object at each of portions in an image; a feature data calculator that calculates feature data at each portion in the image; a feature data distribution calculator that calculates a distribution of the feature data in each of regions that are classified according to the distance information in the image; a reliability determining unit that determines the reliability of the distribution of the feature data in each of the regions; and a discrimination criterion generator that generates, for each of the regions, a discrimination criterion for discriminating a specific region in the image based on a determination result of the reliability and the distribution of the feature data in each of the regions.