Abstract: A blood pump apparatus comprises a housing, a centrifugal pump section including an impeller and rotating inside the housing to feed a fluid by a centrifugal force, an impeller rotational torque generation section for attracting thereto said impeller and rotating said impeller; and a plurality of grooves for hydrodynamic bearing provided on an inner surface of said housing at a side of said impeller rotational torque generation section, each of the grooves for hydrodynamic bearing having a first side and a second side both extending from a periphery of said portion in which a groove for hydrodynamic bearing is formed toward a central side thereof and opposed to each other, a third side connecting one end of said first side and one end of said second side to each other, and a fourth side connecting said other end of said first side and said other end of said second side to each other; said first side and said second side are formed as a circular arc respectively in such a way that centers of said circular arcs

Abstract: A blood pump apparatus comprises a housing, a centrifugal pump section including an impeller and rotating inside the housing to feed a fluid by a centrifugal force, an impeller rotational torque generation section for attracting thereto said impeller and rotating said impeller; and a plurality of grooves for hydrodynamic bearing provided on an inner surface of said housing at a side of said impeller rotational torque generation section, each of the grooves for hydrodynamic bearing having a first side and a second side both extending from a periphery of said portion in which a groove for hydrodynamic bearing is formed toward a central side thereof and opposed to each other, a third side connecting one end of said first side and one end of said second side to each other, and a fourth side connecting said other end of said first side and said other end of said second side to each other; said first side and said second side are formed as a circular arc respectively in such a way that centers of said circular arcs

Abstract: A centrifugal blood pump apparatus has a centrifugal pump section including an impeller having a first magnetic material therein and rotating inside the housing to feed a fluid by a centrifugal force generated during a rotation thereof; an impeller rotational torque generation section having a rotor having a magnet for attracting the first magnetic material of the impeller thereto, and a motor for rotating the rotor; and a dynamic pressure groove formed at a portion, of an inner surface of the housing, located at a rotor-disposed side thereof. The centrifugal blood pump apparatus further includes an electromagnet for attracting the impeller in a direction opposite to a direction in which the magnet of the rotor attracts the impeller and helping the impeller levitate.

Abstract: A centrifugal fluid pump apparatus includes a control mechanism including an emergency impeller rotation function. The emergency impeller rotation function includes a rotation termination function when the failure detection function detects a failure; impeller magnetic counterforce application function to apply a current to the electromagnet sufficient to overcome the magnetic attraction force of the rotor to the impeller caused by the magnet; hydrodynamic levitation control detection function to detect rotation of the impeller and the rotor by using a motor current monitored by the motor current monitoring function; motor speed control function for increasing the motor speed up to a predetermined value after the hydrodynamic levitation control detection function detects that the hydraulic bearing coupling between the impeller and the rotor has been made; and impeller magnetic counterforce termination function to terminate current to the electromagnet once the predetermined impeller rotation speed is reached.

Abstract: A blood pump apparatus comprises a housing, a centrifugal pump section including an impeller and rotating inside the housing to feed a fluid by a centrifugal force, an impeller rotational torque generation section for attracting thereto said impeller and rotating said impeller; and a plurality of grooves for hydrodynamic bearing provided on an inner surface of said housing at a side of said impeller rotational torque generation section, each of the grooves for hydrodynamic bearing having a first side and a second side both extending from a periphery of said portion in which a groove for hydrodynamic bearing is formed toward a central side thereof and opposed to each other, a third side connecting one end of said first side and one end of said second side to each other, and a fourth side connecting said other end of said first side and said other end of said second side to each other; said first side and said second side are formed as a circular arc respectively in such a way that centers of said circular arcs

Abstract: A centrifugal fluid pump apparatus includes a control mechanism; and a body including a pump section having an impeller rotating inside a housing; a rotor having an impeller attraction magnet; a motor for rotating the rotor; an impeller attraction electromagnet for attracting the impeller thereto; an impeller-position detection sensor; and hydrodynamic bearing means provided on an inner surface of the housing. The control mechanism has a position sensor output monitoring function or an electromagnet current monitoring function, a motor current monitoring function; and an emergency impeller rotation function.

Abstract: A centrifugal blood pump apparatus has a centrifugal pump section including an impeller having a first magnetic material therein and rotating inside the housing to feed a fluid by a centrifugal force generated during a rotation thereof; an impeller rotational torque generation section having a rotor having a magnet for attracting the first magnetic material of the impeller thereto, and a motor for rotating the rotor; and a dynamic pressure groove formed at a portion, of an inner surface of the housing, located at a rotor-disposed side thereof. The centrifugal blood pump apparatus further includes an electromagnet for attracting the impeller in a direction opposite to a direction in which the magnet of the rotor attracts the impeller and helping the impeller levitate.

Abstract: The disclosed infrared sensor comprises a substrate provided with a bridging part and a sensing part made of an infrared temperature-sensitive film formed on the bridging part. A first lid member covers the sensing part and bridging part and a second lid member covers the reverse surface of the substrate and tightly seals a cavity formed between the substrate and the bridging part. The invention preferably comprises an electrode pad electrically connected to the infrared temperature sensitive film and formed of a laminate film including an etchant-resistant electrically conductive film. The invention provides an infrared sensor with a small stable bridging structure which allows easy formation of a contact hole on an electrode pad without causing a breakage of the bridging part. A method for the production of an infrared sensor is also disclosed.

Abstract: An infrared sensor comprising a sensor substrate formed of a semiconducting material and at least one set of infrared sensing portions formed one each on the opposite surfaces of said sensor substrate, wherein said infrared sensing portions are superposed one each on bride portions formed on cavities formed one each on the opposite surfaces of said sensor substrate.

Abstract: An infrared sensor including a substrate provided with a bridging part; a detecting part composed of an infrared temperature-sensitive film formed in the bridging part; an electrode pad formed of a laminate film and an etchant-resistant electrically conductive film electrically connected to the infrared temperature-sensitive film; a first lid covering the detecting part and the bridging part; and a second lid covering another surface of the substrate and tightly closing a cavity formed between the substrate and the bridging part.

Abstract: A photoelectric transducer advantageously usable as an electrical energy source for driving units of work modules and sensors of a micromachine is provided. This photoelectric transducer is characterized by having a photoelectric transducing element, a self-exciting oscillating circuit, and voltage transformer and optionally further a storage mechanism formed on one substrate. It is further characterized by producing electrical power by the exposure of the photoelectric transducing element to a continuous light.

Abstract: A contraction-extension mechanism type actuator is provided which operates with a small and simple mechanism, offers no hindrance to other work units, adopts a construction capable of fine adjustment, and enables only the leading end of a module to be freely moved while producing virtually no motion of the module itself. These objects are accomplished by a contraction-extension mechanism type actuator which is a joint array formed of a shape-memorizing alloy and provided with a contraction-extension mechanism having shape-controlling heaters integrally attached to the component joints of the array and having the joint array itself serving as its own a drive source.

Abstract: An infrared radiation sensor has a bridge portion which bridges a cave portion formed in a sensor substrate. The bridge portion includes an infrared radiation receiving portion and support portions for supporting the infrared radiation receiving portion. The plane shape of the infrared radiation receiving portion is a square or a circle which has a greater side length or a greater diameter than the width of the supporting portions to increase the amount of infrared radiation received by the infrared receiving portion.

Abstract: A reference electrode according to the present invention includes a silver layer (2) and an insulating hydrophobic material layer (5) which is formed by atomic beam sputtering and containing silver halide dispersed therein, on the surface of a conductive substrate (1).The resulting reference electrode is of a solid type, is almost free from outflow of silver halide, can be miniaturized easily, is not affected by ion concentration, provides a stable potential and has high durability.The conductive substrate (1) may be a field effect transistor having a gate insulator film and the layer (5) may be a laminate film obtained by laminating alternately a thin layer or layers of silver halide and a thin layer or layers of insulating hydrophobic material.

Abstract: Disclosed is an infrared ray sensor and a method of manufacturing the same. The infrared ray sensor includes a sensor substrate formed of an infrared ray transmitting material and having a first surface and a second surface which is in opposed relation to the first surface, an infrared ray reflecting film provided on the first surface of the sensor substrate, infrared ray detecting elements provided on the second surface of the sensor substrate, and an infrared ray transmitting window formed in the infrared ray reflecting film in relation to the infrared ray detecting elements. The infrared ray which enters the infrared ray transmitting window portion passes through the sensor substrate and is then made incident on the infrared ray detecting elements. Bridges are formed on the second surface of the sensor substrate. Each of the bridges is a silicon oxynitride film having a single layer configuration.