Patents by Inventor Tomonori Kawakami

Tomonori Kawakami 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: 8276539
    Abstract: An observation sample is prepared by immobilizing a nanomaterial on a substrate 10 by applying a voltage between a nanomaterial dispersion liquid 13, filled in an interior of an electrostatic spray nozzle 20, and the observation substrate 10 to electrostatically spray and dry the dispersion liquid 13 and electrostatically deposit the nanomaterial. With respect to the observation substrate 10, including a conductive grid portion 11 and a supporting film 12, a reference electrode 81 is disposed below the substrate 10 and a bias voltage of the same polarity as the electrostatic spraying voltage is applied to the grid portion 11 of the substrate 10 to adjust immobilization positions of the nanomaterial on the substrate 10. An observation sample, with which the nanomaterial is immobilized in a satisfactory state on the substrate, can thereby be prepared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Hamamatsu-Photonics K.K.
    Inventor: Tomonori Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20120003564
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing a polymer electrolyte membrane, which comprises the steps of: removing a part of a salt component produced during polycondensation from a polymerization solution of a polymer electrolyte having a density of an ionic group of 2 mmol/g or more directly by centrifugal separation, thereby preparing a coating solution; applying the coating solution on a substrate by casting; removing a part of a solvent from the coating solution to form a film-shaped material on the substrate; and bringing the film-shaped material on the substrate into contact with water and/or an aqueous acidic solution to remove the salt component produced during the polycondensation. According to the method for producing an electrolyte membrane, even an electrolyte having a high density of an ionic group can be purified. Also disclosed is an electrolyte membrane capable of being used in a fuel cell which is operated at a high temperature higher than 80° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Shinya Adachi, Mayumi Hara, Tomonori Kawakami, Masayuki Kidai
  • Patent number: 8051800
    Abstract: In an immobilization process of electrostatically spraying a nanomaterial dispersion liquid 13 from an electrostatic spray nozzle 20 and immobilizing a nanomaterial on a sample 10, a voltage is applied between the dispersion liquid 13 and the sample 10 to electrostatically spray the dispersion liquid 13 onto the sample 10 from a spray outlet 22 of the nozzle 20 under a condition where one or zero particles of the nanomaterial 18 are contained in each individual droplet 16 sprayed and electrostatically deposit the nanomaterial 18 onto a surface of the sample 10 after drying a solvent 17, contained in each individual droplet 16, in an atmosphere to immobilize the nanomaterial 18 on the sample 10. Aggregation of the nanomaterial in each droplet is thereby prevented and the nanomaterial can be immobilized favorably on the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventor: Tomonori Kawakami
  • Patent number: 7938344
    Abstract: A to-be-treated body, which contains raw material particles 5 of a substance and with which a solvent 4 of a to-be-treated liquid 2 is made solid, is used, and a laser light source 10, which supplies a laser light of a predetermined wavelength to a treatment chamber 3 that contains the to-be-treated body, is provided to arrange a production apparatus 1A. The laser light from the laser light source 10 is illuminated onto the to-be-treated body to microparticulate the substance in solvent 4. As the to-be-treated body of solid form, a solidified body 6, with which water 4 is solidified by a cooling device 50 and the solidified state is maintained by a thermally insulating layer 30, may be used. Or, as the to-be-treated body, a gel body, with which the solvent is gelled, may be used. The substance can thereby microparticulated efficiently by photo-pulverization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Tomonori Kawakami, Mitsuo Hiramatsu, Tokio Takagi
  • Patent number: 7922786
    Abstract: With this invention, in a nanoparticle production method, wherein nanoparticles are produced by irradiating a laser light irradiation portion 2a of a to-be-treated liquid 8 with a laser light, in which suspended particles are suspended, to pulverize the suspended particles in laser light irradiation portion 2a, laser light irradiation portion 2a of to-be-treated liquid 8 is cooled. In this case, by the cooling of to-be-treated liquid 8, the respective suspended particles are cooled in their entireties. When the portion 2a of this to-be-treated liquid 8 is irradiated with the laser light, the laser light is absorbed at the surfaces of the suspended particles at portion 2a. Since to-be-treated liquid 8 is cooled during this process, significant temperature differences arise between the interiors and surfaces of the suspended particles and between the surfaces of the suspended particles and the to-be-treated liquid at laser light irradiation portion 2a, and highly efficient nanoparticulation is realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Tomonori Kawakami, Bo Li, Mitsuo Hiramatsu
  • Patent number: 7838843
    Abstract: An apparatus 1A for processing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) includes: a processing chamber 3 for housing to-be-processed liquid 2 with CNT raw material 5 to be fragmented being suspended in a solvent 4; and a pulse irradiation light source 10 for applying pulse light having a predetermined wavelength for fragmentation of the CNTs in the solvent 4 to the to-be-processed liquid 2 housed in the processing chamber 3. This achieves a method and apparatus for processing carbon nanotubes that can fragment CNTs efficiently, and carbon nanotube dispersion liquid and carbon nanotube powder produced by the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Tomonori Kawakami, Mitsuo Hiramatsu
  • Publication number: 20100254888
    Abstract: An apparatus 1A for processing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) includes: a processing chamber 3 for housing to-be-processed liquid 2 with CNT raw material 5 to be fragmented being suspended in a solvent 4; and a pulse irradiation light source 10 for applying pulse light having a predetermined wavelength for fragmentation of the CNTs in the solvent 4 to the to-be-processed liquid 2 housed in the processing chamber 3. This achieves a method and apparatus for processing carbon nanotubes that can fragment CNTs efficiently, and carbon nanotube dispersion liquid and carbon nanotube powder produced by the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Inventors: Tomonori Kawakami, Mitsuo Hiramatsu
  • Patent number: 7607753
    Abstract: A droplet forming method, for forming a droplet 27, constituted of a sample liquid 21, on a substrate 5 by applying a pulse voltage P between the sample liquid 21, retained in a nozzle 3, and the substrate 5, disposed opposite a tip of the nozzle 3, to discharge the sample liquid 21 from the tip of the nozzle 3, includes: a waveform measuring step S1 of measuring a temporal waveform of a current I that flows between the sample liquid 21 in the nozzle 3 and the substrate 5; and an application condition determining step S2 of determining, based on the temporal waveform of the current I, an application condition of the pulse voltage P during the forming of the droplet 27 on the substrate 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Osamu Yogi, Tomonori Kawakami
  • Patent number: 7597277
    Abstract: A production apparatus which includes: a treatment chamber, containing a to-be-treated liquid, made up of water, which is a solvent, and raw material particles of a substance; a laser light source, illuminating laser light for microparticulation onto the to-be-treated liquid; an ultrasonic transducer, irradiating ultrasonic waves for preventing aggregation of microparticles; and a controlling device, controlling the laser light illumination by the laser light source and the ultrasonic wave irradiation by the ultrasonic transducer. A vibration amplitude of the treatment chamber is monitored by means of a microphone and a vibration amplitude measuring device to set the frequency of the ultrasonic waves to a resonance vibration frequency. A microparticle production method and production apparatus that enable substances to be microparticulated efficiently by photo-pulverization, and microparticles are thus realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Tomonori Kawakami, Mitsuo Hiramatsu, Tokio Takagi
  • Patent number: 7588641
    Abstract: A droplet formation method of a mixed liquid is a method that the droplets 71, 72 and 73 are each delivered from each capillary tip to form the droplet 74 of the mixed liquid consisting of a raw material liquid on a substrate by applying a pulse voltage between the raw material liquids stored for each of a plurality of capillaries 1, 2 and 3 and the substrate disposed opposite to each capillary tip. In addition, a droplet formation device of the mixed liquid is provided with a plurality of capillaries for realizing formation of the droplet 74 of the aforementioned mixed liquid, a substrate, a voltage applying device for applying a pulse voltage and a controller for controlling the voltage applying device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Osamu Yogi, Tomonori Kawakami, Mitsuru Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20090197007
    Abstract: In an immobilization process of electrostatically spraying a nanomaterial dispersion liquid 13 from an electrostatic spray nozzle 20 and immobilizing a nanomaterial on a sample 10, a voltage is applied between the dispersion liquid 13 and the sample 10 to electrostatically spray the dispersion liquid 13 onto the sample 10 from a spray outlet 22 of the nozzle 20 under a condition where one or zero particles of the nanomaterial 18 are contained in each individual droplet 16 sprayed and electrostatically deposit the nanomaterial 18 onto a surface of the sample 10 after drying a solvent 17, contained in each individual droplet 16, in an atmosphere to immobilize the nanomaterial 18 on the sample 10. Aggregation of the nanomaterial in each droplet is thereby prevented and the nanomaterial can be immobilized favorably on the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventor: Tomonori Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20090197008
    Abstract: In regard to a nozzle 20, used for electrostatic spraying of a nanomaterial dispersion liquid 13, in which a nanomaterial is dispersed in a solvent, the nozzle 20 includes: a nozzle body 21, having a tubular structure capable of storing the nanomaterial dispersion liquid 13 in an interior thereof and having a dispersion liquid spray outlet 22 disposed at a tip thereof; and a rod-like core structure 24, disposed in an interior of the nozzle body 21. The core structure 24 extends in a predetermined range, including the spray outlet 22, along a longitudinal direction of the nozzle body 21 in a state of contacting an inner wall of the nozzle body 21. By using such an electrostatic spray nozzle 20, immobilization on a sample can be performed favorably while suppressing aggregation of the nanomaterial.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventor: Tomonori KAWAKAMI
  • Publication number: 20090194418
    Abstract: An observation sample is prepared by immobilizing a nanomaterial on a substrate 10 by applying a voltage between a nanomaterial dispersion liquid 13, filled in an interior of an electrostatic spray nozzle 20, and the observation substrate 10 to electrostatically spray and dry the dispersion liquid 13 and electrostatically deposit the nanomaterial. With respect to the observation substrate 10, including a conductive grid portion 11 and a supporting film 12, a reference electrode 81 is disposed below the substrate 10 and a bias voltage of the same polarity as the electrostatic spraying voltage is applied to the grid portion 11 of the substrate 10 to adjust immobilization positions of the nanomaterial on the substrate 10. An observation sample, with which the nanomaterial is immobilized in a satisfactory state on the substrate, can thereby be prepared.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventor: Tomonori KAWAKAMI
  • Publication number: 20090142402
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus enabling manufacture of a microparticle dispersion liquid at high efficiency in a short time while suppressing drug degradation, etc., are provided. In a dissolving step, a poorly soluble drug and a dispersion stabilizer are dissolved in a volatile organic solvent in a container 13. In a fixing step following the dissolving step, the organic solvent, contained in a solution, is eliminated by evaporation, a pellet-form residue 1 is obtained by the organic solvent elimination, and the residue 1 is fixed on an inner wall of the container 13. In a water injecting step following the fixing step, water 2 is injected into an interior of the container 13.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Inventors: Gen Takebe, Tomonori Kawakami, Tokio Takagi, Mitsuo Hiramatsu
  • Publication number: 20080265070
    Abstract: With this invention, in a nanoparticle production method, wherein nanoparticles are produced by irradiating a laser light irradiation portion 2a of a to-be-treated liquid 8 with a laser light, in which suspended particles are suspended, to pulverize the suspended particles in laser light irradiation portion 2a, laser light irradiation portion 2a of to-be-treated liquid 8 is cooled. In this case, by the cooling of to-be-treated liquid 8, the respective suspended particles are cooled in their entireties. When the portion 2a of this to-be-treated liquid 8 is irradiated with the laser light, the laser light is absorbed at the surfaces of the suspended particles at portion 2a. Since to-be-treated liquid 8 is cooled during this process, significant temperature differences arise between the interiors and surfaces of the suspended particles and between the surfaces of the suspended particles and the to-be-treated liquid at laser light irradiation portion 2a, and highly efficient nanoparticulation is realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Tomonori Kawakami, Bo Li, Mitsuo Hiramatsu
  • Patent number: 7422307
    Abstract: The invention provides an ink jet printing method for printing a color image on a printing object by using a plurality of inks, wherein ink nozzles 9a through 9d which house the plurality of inks, respectively, and a dilution nozzle 8 which houses a dilute solution that can dilute the inks are used, the ink is discharged from the ink nozzle 9a by an electrostatic sucking force to form a droplet L on a printing object 4, and then the ink is discharged from the ink nozzle 9b by an electrostatic sucking force and the inks are mixed within the droplet L to form a droplet in an arbitrary additive color. In this case, primary color inks can be accurately mixed within the droplet L.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
    Inventors: Osamu Yogi, Tomonori Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20070273718
    Abstract: A droplet forming method, for forming a droplet 27, constituted of a sample liquid 21, on a substrate 5 by applying a pulse voltage P between the sample liquid 21, retained in a nozzle 3, and the substrate 5, disposed opposite a tip of the nozzle 3, to discharge the sample liquid 21 from the tip of the nozzle 3, includes: a waveform measuring step S1 of measuring a temporal waveform of a current I that flows between the sample liquid 21 in the nozzle 3 and the substrate 5; and an application condition determining step S2 of determining, based on the temporal waveform of the current I, an application condition of the pulse voltage P during the forming of the droplet 27 on the substrate 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Inventors: Osamu Yogi, Tomonori Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20070152360
    Abstract: A to-be-treated body, which contains raw material particles 5 of a substance and with which a solvent 4 of a to-be-treated liquid 2 is made solid, is used, and a laser light source 10, which supplies a laser light of a predetermined wavelength to a treatment chamber 3 that contains the to-be-treated body, is provided to arrange a production apparatus 1A. The laser light from the laser light source 10 is illuminated onto the to-be-treated body to microparticulate the substance in solvent 4. As the to-be-treated body of solid form, a solidified body 6, with which water 4 is solidified by a cooling device 50 and the solidified state is maintained by a thermally insulating layer 30, may be used. Or, as the to-be-treated body, a gel body, with which the solvent is gelled, may be used. The substance can thereby microparticulated efficiently by photo-pulverization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Inventors: Tomonori Kawakami, Mitsuo Hiramatsu, Tokio Takagi
  • Publication number: 20070114306
    Abstract: A production apparatus 1A includes: a treatment chamber 3, containing a to-be-treated liquid 2, made up of water 4, which is a solvent, and raw material particles 5 of a substance; a laser light source 10, illuminating laser light for microparticulation onto the to-be-treated liquid 2; an ultrasonic transducer 20, irradiating ultrasonic waves for preventing aggregation of microparticles; and a controlling device 15, controlling the laser light illumination by the laser light source 10 and the ultrasonic wave irradiation by the ultrasonic transducer 20. A vibration amplitude of the treatment chamber 3 is monitored by means of a microphone 30 and a vibration amplitude measuring device 35 to set the frequency of the ultrasonic waves to a resonance vibration frequency. A microparticle production method and production apparatus that enable substances to be microparticulated efficiently by photo-pulverization, and microparticles are thereby realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2004
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Applicant: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K.
    Inventors: Tomonori Kawakami, Mitsuo Hiramatsu, Tokio Takagi
  • Publication number: 20060257489
    Abstract: In a method for finely pulverizing an organic compound 5 in treatment target liquid 2 to manufacture fine particles of the organic compound 5, a laser beam having a wavelength which is longer than the light absorption band of the organic compound 5 or corresponds to an absorption wavelength of solvent is irradiated to the treatment target liquid 2 to finely pulverize the organic compound 5, thereby manufacturing fine particles of the organic compound 5. According to this manufacturing method, the fine particles can be manufactured with sufficiently preventing photochemical reactions of the organic compound 5 in the treatment target liquid 2. Accordingly, a fine particle manufacturing method and apparatus that can manufacture fine particles while sufficiently preventing photochemical reactions in the organic compound, fine particles, and injectable agent and a manufacturing method for the injectable agent can be implemented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2004
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Inventors: Tomonori Kawakami, Mitsuo Hiramatsu, Hiroshi Satozono, Tokio Takagi