Patents by Inventor Teruaki Itoh

Teruaki Itoh has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7504067
    Abstract: An automatic tube-type specimen container supply apparatus includes a container storing box a bottom of which has a tapered surface having a container collecting position in a lowest part thereof to collect a plurality of tube-type specimen containers in one spot, a container individually-sending mechanism which lifts up the collected specimen containers one by one along one-side wall located close to the position, an outlet which allows the specimen containers to be discharged outside the box, and a container carry-out mechanism including a conveyor to automatically carry out the discharged specimen containers. The container individually-sending mechanism includes a lifting plate driven up and down and having a top end with a tapered surface. The tapered surface has a space to place only one specimen container lying on a side thereof and descending toward an outside of the container storing box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Patent number: 7485264
    Abstract: A test tube holder includes a main body and an adapter. The main body includes a cylindrical hollow portion for accommodating a test tube. The adapter is provided in the cylindrical hollow portion to hold the test tube. The adapter includes bottom portions, holding portions and loop portions, which are U-shaped as a whole. The bottom portions are located to cross the center axis of the cylindrical hollow portion. The loop portions are provided at the ends of the bottom portions, and coiled at least one. The holding portions are continuous with the loop portions and the bottom portions. The bottom portions of first and second spring steel wires are provided in the cylindrical hollow portion to intersect with each other. The holding portions of the first and second spring steel wires are projected upwards from the cylindrical hollow portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: IDS Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Publication number: 20080292506
    Abstract: A test tube includes a barcode indicative of identification information. The barcode is printed directly on an outer peripheral surface of a barrel of a test tube body by an inkjet printer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Publication date: November 27, 2008
    Applicant: IDS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Publication number: 20080276758
    Abstract: A cap removal apparatus for a vacuum blood collection tube is configured to remove a cap from the collection tube of which an opening is closed by the cap so that the tube is kept under vacuum inside. The cap removal apparatus comprises, a tube clamping mechanism which clamps the collection tube upright in a cap removal position, a chuck mechanism which is disposed in the cap removal position and chucks the cap of the collection tube, seal pressure reduction unit which is disposed in the a chuck mechanism and configured to seal a region around the opening including the cap and reduce the pressure of the sealed region to substantially the same level as the internal pressure of the collection tube when the cap is chucked, and a lift mechanism which raises the chuck mechanism from a cap chucking position, thereby removing the cap from the collection tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: IDS Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Patent number: 7435387
    Abstract: A test tube cap removing apparatus includes a fixing unit that holds a test tube having an opening portion that is closed by a cap. A hold unit is situated above the cap in an axial direction of the test tube, has a position that is variable relative to the test tube in the axial direction, and is capable of contacting a top portion of the cap. A clamp unit is provided on the hold unit, supports the cap at side surfaces of the cap in a case where the hold unit is put in contact with the top portion of the cap, and removes the cap from the test tube in a case where the hold unit moves upwards relative to the test tube in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Patent number: 7425305
    Abstract: A specimen dispensing system includes a conveying mechanism for conveying a master specimen container containing a specimen and a required number of empty slave specimen containers on a conveyor lane, the master and slave specimen containers being aligned in a conveyance direction. A stopping mechanism temporarily stops the master and slave specimen containers when the master and slave specimen containers reach a position under a dispensing nozzle in a dispensing unit. The dispensing unit removes the specimen from the master specimen container by the dispensing nozzle when the master specimen container is temporarily stopped in the position under the dispensing nozzle and dispenses the specimen to the slave specimen containers when the slave specimen containers are temporarily stopped in the position under the dispensing nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Publication number: 20080170967
    Abstract: A automated test tube cap removal apparatus includes, a cap remover, a test tube rack which holds a plurality of capped test tubes upright in a row, a clamping mechanism which is disposed in the cap removing position and clamps the plurality of test tubes, and a cap removal unit disposed in the cap removing position and configured to move upward to remove caps from some of a plurality of test tubes and move upward to remove caps from the remaining test tubes. The cap removal unit includes engaging members which are capable of advance and retreat with respect to the caps and clamp each cap, a lift mechanism which raises the engaging members while alternately moving the engaging members upward, thereby removing the cap from each test tube, a cap guide member which separates the cap and guides the cap for dropping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Applicant: IDS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Patent number: 7392949
    Abstract: A barcode reading apparatus provided in a transfer mechanism to transfer intermittently a test tube holder holding a test tube with a barcode on periphery, comprises a barcode reader which reads a barcode of the test tube during halt of intermittent transfer by the transfer mechanism, and a rotating mechanism which holds sides of the test tube, and rotates the test tube to face the barcode to the barcode reader during the halt of intermittent transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Publication number: 20080138249
    Abstract: A tip mounting position, an aliquoting position, a dispensing position, and a tip casting position are circumferentially arranged around a rotating shaft, and a plurality of aliquoting/dispensing mechanisms are circumferentially arranged corresponding to the plurality of operating positions around the rotating shaft. Each aliquoting/dispensing mechanism is provided with a nozzle lift mechanism and a nozzle mechanism that includes a nozzle lift mechanism and a nozzle portion. The rotating shaft is intermittently rotated to locate the aliquoting/dispensing mechanisms individually in the positions whereupon tip mounting, aliquoting, dispensing, and tip casting operations are performed continuously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Applicant: IDS CO., LTD
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Publication number: 20080069730
    Abstract: A specimen preprocessing/transport apparatus includes a test tube transport path on which test tubes filled with specimens are held in test tube holders and transported, a rack transport path on which sample cups are held in a sample cup rack and the rack is transported, a filled-tube loading section which loads the test tubes into the test tube transport path, a rack loading section which loads the sample cup rack into the rack transport path, an aliquoting/dispensing device which is located in the middle of the test tube transport path and configured to simultaneously aliquot the specimens in the test tubes, and simultaneously dispense the sample cups on the rack transport path, and an analyzer which is located on the downstream side of the rack transport path and configured to receive the sample cup rack stored with the specimens and analyze the specimens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Applicant: IDS Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Publication number: 20080053790
    Abstract: A specimen transport system for transporting a specimen, includes, a preceding section, a succeeding section located apart from the preceding section, a conveyor-type rack transport mechanism attached to the preceding section and/or the succeeding section and configured to transport a rack capable of holding a plurality of specimen containers which contain the specimen, and a car configured to travel between the preceding section and the succeeding section and provided with a conveyor-type rack transport mechanism configured to transport the rack capable of holding a plurality of specimen containers which contain the specimen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: IDS CO., LTD.,
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Patent number: 7322525
    Abstract: A bar-code reading device includes a container, a holder and a bar-code reader. The container has an outer circumferential surface on which a bar code is provided. The holder holds the container in an upright position. The bar-code reader reads the bar code from the container. A pulling mechanism pulls up the container from the holder until the bar code is completely exposed, when the bar code reader reads the bar code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: IDS Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Patent number: 7314596
    Abstract: A blood sample sensing apparatus includes a moving device which moves a sample container containing a blood sample to a sensing position, a turning mechanism which is connected to the moving device and tilts the sample container such that a bottom of the sample container is directed upward when the sample container is located in the sensing position, and an optical sensor which is located in the sensing position and determines whether the blood sample in the sample container is coagulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: IDS Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Patent number: 7299943
    Abstract: An automatic dispensing tip supply apparatus includes a tip storing box whose bottom has a tapered surface having a tip collecting position in a lowermost part thereof to collect a plurality of inserted dispensing tips in one spot, a tip individually-sending mechanism which lifts up the collected dispensing tips one by one, an outlet to discharge the lifted dispensing tips from the tip storing box, a door mechanism including a door which is turnably supported to close the tip storing box from outside and a tip holding section which is provided on the inside of the door to horizontally hold one of the lifted dispensing tips, and a tip carry-out mechanism including a carry-out conveyor to automatically carry the dispensing tips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Patent number: 7227622
    Abstract: A blood sample contained in a sample container is separated into a serum and a clot by a separating medium. An apparatus for sensing the blood sample includes a first sensing unit which senses the separating medium using an infrared sensor and outputs a first sensing signal, a second sensing unit which senses the serum and the clot using an infrared sensor and outputs a second sensing signal, a driving unit which moves the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit relative to the sample container, a position sensing unit which outputs a position sensing signal indicating a position of the first sensing unit and a position of the second sensing unit, and a controller which calculates positions of the separating medium, the serum and the clot in response to the first sensing signal, the second sensing signal and the position sensing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: IDS Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Publication number: 20070110630
    Abstract: A nozzle device, comprising a nozzle body, a ball provided in the nozzle body and elastically deformable by compression, an aliquoting/dispensing tip having a barrel portion in which the nozzle body including the ball is inserted, and a ball compressing mechanism which is provided in the nozzle body, configured elastically to deform the ball by compression so that the diameter of the ball increases with the nozzle body including the ball inserted in the barrel portion of the aliquoting/dispensing tip, thereby pressing the ball airtightly against an inner peripheral surface of the barrel portion of the tip, when the tip is attached to the nozzle body, and configured to remove a compressive force from the ball so that the diameter of the ball is reduced, thereby separating the ball from the inner peripheral surface of the barrel portion of the tip, when the tip is detached from the nozzle body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Applicant: IDS Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Patent number: 7207241
    Abstract: A cap removing apparatus includes a transfer path through which a container closed by a cap is transferred, a rotary driving mechanism provided in a first position and rotates the container, a correcting mechanism which corrects the posture of a knob of the cap, and a cap-removing mechanism which is provided in a second position, pinches the knob and removes the cap. A movable body, configured to move forward and backward between the first position and the second position, is provided on the transfer path. The movable body has a clamping mechanism. The clamping mechanism clamps the container with the cap whose knob has been posture-corrected in the first position, and moves the container from the first position to the second position. The clamping mechanism releases the clamping state at a time when the removal of the cap is completed, and returns to the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: IDS Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Patent number: 7195737
    Abstract: A specimen centrifuge system includes a centrifuge unit including a plurality of specimen centrifuges which are stacked in a plurality of layers in a vertical direction, a rack conveyor which is provided along a horizontal conveyance line, and a rack elevator which is provided along a vertical conveyance line. The rack elevator has a robot arm device which moves the specimen-container rack from the rack conveyor to the rack elevator and from the rack elevator to the rack conveyor and moves the specimen-container rack from the rack elevator to one of the specimen centrifuges and from one of the specimen centrifuges to the rack elevator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Patent number: 7159489
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises a holder which holds a container blocked by a cap, and a transport path which has a correcting position. A rotation mechanism is provided at the correcting position. When the container is rotated by the rotation mechanism, a posture of a knob portion of the cap is corrected by a correction mechanism. The corrected knob portion is grasped by a removing mechanism. The removing mechanism removes the cap from the container. The correction mechanism can be moved between a first position at which the correction mechanism advances to the correcting position and a second position at which the correction mechanism retreats from the correcting position. The removing mechanism can be moved between a third position at which the removing mechanism advances to the correcting position and a fourth position. The removing mechanism is moved to the third position when the correction mechanism retreats to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: IDS Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh
  • Publication number: 20070000352
    Abstract: A cap removing apparatus includes a transfer path through which a container closed by a cap is transferred, a rotary driving mechanism provided in a first position and rotates the container, a correcting mechanism which corrects the posture of a knob of the cap, and a cap-removing mechanism which is provided in a second position, pinches the knob and removes the cap. A movable body, configured to move forward and backward between the first position and the second position, is provided on the transfer path. The movable body has a clamping mechanism. The clamping mechanism clamps the container with the cap whose knob has been posture-corrected in the first position, and moves the container from the first position to the second position. The clamping mechanism releases the clamping state at a time when the removal of the cap is completed, and returns to the first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Applicant: IDS Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Teruaki Itoh