Abstract: An erythrocyte differentiation monitoring apparatus includes a laser light source that radiates a pulsed laser beam in a hemoglobin absorption wavelength range onto a cell within a culture container, a probe that receives a photoacoustic wave emitted from the cell within the culture container as a result of the cell being irradiated with the pulsed laser beam emitted from the laser light source, and a processor that evaluates the progress of differentiation of the cell into an erythrocyte based on the intensity of the photoacoustic wave received by the probe.

Abstract: A photoacoustic microscope includes an objective lens that irradiates a specimen with excitation light, a light scanning unit that deflects the excitation light to scan the specimen, an acoustic lens that converts a wavefront of a photoacoustic wave generated by the specimen due to irradiation with the excitation light, a photoacoustic wave detection unit that detects the photoacoustic wave from the acoustic lens, a drive unit that displaces at least one of the acoustic lens and the photoacoustic wave detection unit, and a control unit that controls the drive unit, in synchronization with scanning of the excitation light by the light scanning unit, so that the photoacoustic wave is incident on the photoacoustic wave detection unit perpendicularly.

Abstract: An observation apparatus is equipped with a housing including a top plate that is a stage on which a container that accommodates a sample is placed; an optical system accommodated in the housing; an imaging device configured to capture an image of the sample with light from the sample that has entered through the stage and the optical system; and a motor that is a power source of a moving mechanism configured to make the optical system move in a direction along the stage. At least one of the imaging device or the motor is placed outside the housing.

Abstract: A photoacoustic microscope includes an objective lens that irradiates a specimen with excitation light, a light scanning unit that deflects the excitation light to scan the specimen, an acoustic lens that converts a wavefront of a photoacoustic wave generated by the specimen due to irradiation with the excitation light, a photoacoustic wave detection unit that detects the photoacoustic wave from the acoustic lens, a drive unit that displaces at least one of the acoustic lens and the photoacoustic wave detection unit, and a control unit that controls the drive unit, in synchronization with scanning of the excitation light by the light scanning unit, so that the photoacoustic wave is incident on the photoacoustic wave detection unit perpendicularly.

Abstract: In a pattern formation member adopted to a sectioning image observation apparatus which selectively irradiates a light from a light source to a sample, scans the sample, and acquires a light from the sample as a sectioning image, the pattern formation member comprises an irradiation section and a cutoff section, each of the irradiation section and the cutoff section is in a straight pattern, and these straight patterns are disposed alternatively.

Abstract: In a pattern formation member adopted to a sectioning image observation apparatus which selectively irradiates a light from a light source to a sample, scans the sample, and acquires a light from the sample as a sectioning image, the pattern formation member comprises an irradiation section and a cutoff section, each of the irradiation section and the cutoff section is in a straight pattern, and these straight patterns are disposed alternatively.

Abstract: In a confocal microscope, a beam of light from a light source is lead to a rotary disk by way of an optical lens and a half mirror, and made to strike specimen by way of an objective lens. The rotary disk has random pin hole pattern sections where pin holes are randomly bored through a light blocking mask, and an aperture section having an area k2 times greater than the area of the random pin hole pattern sections and allowing any light to pass therethrough. The beam of light reflected by the specimen is made to enter a CCD camera by way of the objective lens, the rotary disk, the half mirror and a condenser lens. The CCD camera is adapted to selectively pick up a composite image containing a confocal image component and a non-confocal image component of the specimen obtained through the random pin hole pattern sections and a conventional image of the specimen obtained through the aperture section.

Abstract: In a pattern formation member adopted to a sectioning image observation apparatus which selectively irradiates a light from a light source to a sample, scans the sample, and acquires a light from the sample as a sectioning image, the pattern formation member comprises an irradiation section and a cutoff section, each of the irradiation section and the cutoff section is in a straight pattern, and these straight patterns are disposed alternatively.

Abstract: A living body function measurement method comprises separating a light from a low coherence light source into a signal light and a reference light, modulating a frequency of at least one of the signal light and the reference light, irradiating the signal light to an observation area of a living body sample, giving a stimulation to the living body sample from an outside of the living body sample, synthesizing the signal light via the observation area and the reference light and detecting a heterodyne interference signal, and measuring a living body function of the observation area by measuring a change in the heterodyne interference signal when the stimulation is changed.

Abstract: In a confocal microscope, a beam of light from a light source is lead to a rotary disk by way of an optical lens and a half mirror, and made to strike specimen by way of an objective lens. The rotary disk has random pin hole pattern sections where pin holes are randomly bored through a light blocking mask, and an aperture section having an area k2 times greater than the area of the random pin hole pattern sections and allowing any light to pass therethrough. The beam of light reflected by the specimen is made to enter a CCD camera by way of the objective lens, the rotary disk, the half mirror and a condenser lens. The CCD camera is adapted to selectively pick up a composite image containing a confocal image component and a non-confocal image component of the specimen obtained through the random pin hole pattern sections and a conventional image of the specimen obtained through the aperture section.

Abstract: In a confocal microscope according to the invention, the beam of light from light source is lead to rotary disk by way of optical lens and half mirror and made to strike specimen by way of objective lens. The rotary disk has random pin hole pattern sections where pin holes are randomly bored through a light blocking mask and an aperture section having an area k2 times greater than the area of the random pin hole pattern sections and allowing any light to pass therethrough. The beam of light reflected by the specimen is made to enter CCD camera by way of the objective lens, the rotary disk, the half mirror and condenser lens. The CCD camera is adapted to selectively pick up a composite image containing a confocal image component and a non-confocal image component of the specimen obtained through the random pin hole pattern sections and a conventional image of the specimen obtained through the aperture section.

Abstract: In a pattern formation member adopted to a sectioning image observation apparatus which selectively irradiates a light from a light source to a sample, scans the sample, and acquires a light from the sample as a sectioning image, the pattern formation member comprises an irradiation section and a cutoff section, each of the irradiation section and the cutoff section is in a straight pattern, and these straight patterns are disposed alternatively.

Abstract: A phase interference microscope, comprising a light source for emitting coherent light with a constant wavelength, an interference optical system for splitting the light emitted from the light source into two light beams, irradiating one of the split light beams onto a sample and the other split light beam onto a reference mirror, and making the light beam reflected from the sample interfere with the light beam reflected from the reference mirror, a focusing device for recognizing a position of a middle point in a phase anomaly of interference light generated in the vicinity of a focusing point as a focusing point for the sample, and moving the sample to the focusing position, and a size measurement device for measuring a size of the sample on the basis of the interference light.

Abstract: A remedy for myotonic dystrophy, containing dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof, being efficacious for myotonia, adynamia and amyotrophy, and having a high safety.

Abstract: Ultrasonic wave converged by an acoustic lens is made incident onto a sample and wave reflected from the sample is received and converted into received electric signal by a transducer. A part of this electric signal is picked up by a gate section and the signal thus picked up is applied to an attenuator where it is converted into a variable ratio of input to output. The strength of the signal thus gain-adjusted is compared with a threshold value by a comparator. Responsive to the comparison result thus obtained, the gain of the attenuator is adjusted to make the input/output ratio of the attenuator a desired value. A computer calculates the focus position of the acoustic lens from a gain curve of the attenuator changing when the acoustic lens is moved from a position, remote enough from its focus position, to the sample. Drivel signal responsive to the result thus calculated is applied to a Z-drive control section.

Abstract: A measuring apparatus using an ultrasonic wave according to the invention transmits an ultrasonic wave pulse into a specimen, receives the echo reflected by the specimen and converts it into an electric signal. The components of the electric signal that represent the wave reflected by the specimen and contain data on the state of the specimen are extracted by a gate circuit. The components obtained by the gate circuit are converted into a power spectrum by a circuit for performing a Fourier transformation. The thickness of the specimen and/or the flaking state of the specimen can be determined from this power spectrum.

Abstract: An aqueous foam fire extinguisher comprising (A) a surface-active agent having an anionic hydrophilic group, (B) a cationic water-soluble polymeric substance, and, optionally, (C) a polybasic acid compound.

Abstract: A new use of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate or its salt as a parturient canal conditioning agent is disclosed.The maturity of the parturient canal and the sensitivity of uterine musculature to oxytocin are improved resulting in normal parturition by administering to a pregnant human subject at the 37th to 39th week of pregnancy a therapeutically effective amount of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts such as the sodium salt.