Patents by Inventor Tooru INABA

Tooru INABA 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: 11761972
    Abstract: The objective of the present disclosure is to provide a technique for reducing a quantity of magnetic particles remaining on a reaction vessel wall surface in a cleaning step for reducing, in a stepwise manner, an amount of a magnetic particle solution in the reaction vessel. The automated analysis device according to the present disclosure causes an agitating mechanism to operate in such a way that a magnetic substance remaining on the wall surface of the vessel in the previous cleaning step is captured by a cleaning solution in the next cleaning step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Tooru Inaba, Ruochi Hsu, Shinya Matsuoka, Takeshi Yokokawa, Daisuke Ebihara
  • Patent number: 11624752
    Abstract: When the automatic analyzer is installed in an environment with a high altitude and different external atmospheric pressures, there is a problem that an amount of vacuum suction decreases due to a decrease in suction performance of a vacuum pump and it is difficult to perform vacuum suction of an analyzed reaction liquid. In view of the above, by newly providing a pressure adjustment mechanism within a flow path connecting a vacuum tank to vacuum pump, it possible to control the pressure difference between a pressure in the vacuum tank and an external atmospheric pressure where the analyzer is installed to be constant regardless of the installation environment. Additionally, by providing a hole in communication with the outside in the vacuum tank or a vacuum bin, it possible to control the pressure difference between the pressure in the vacuum tank and the external atmospheric pressure where the analyzer is installed to be constant regardless of the installation environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Tooru Inaba, Takamichi Mori, Tetsuji Kawahara
  • Publication number: 20210063424
    Abstract: The objective of the present disclosure is to provide a technique for reducing a quantity of magnetic particles remaining on a reaction vessel wall surface in a cleaning step for reducing, in a stepwise manner, an amount of a magnetic particle solution in the reaction vessel. The automated analysis device according to the present disclosure causes an agitating mechanism to operate in such a way that a magnetic substance remaining on the wall surface of the vessel in the previous cleaning step is captured by a cleaning solution in the next cleaning step (see FIG. 10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Tooru INABA, Ruochi HSU, Shinya MATSUOKA, Takeshi YOKOKAWA, Daisuke EBIHARA
  • Publication number: 20200386779
    Abstract: When the automatic analyzer is installed in an environment with a high altitude and different external atmospheric pressures, there is a problem that an amount of vacuum suction decreases due to a decrease in suction performance of a vacuum pump and it is difficult to perform vacuum suction of an analyzed reaction liquid. In view of the above, by newly providing a pressure adjustment mechanism within a flow path connecting a vacuum tank to vacuum pump, it possible to control the pressure difference between a pressure in the vacuum tank and an external atmospheric pressure where the analyzer is installed to be constant regardless of the installation environment. Additionally, by providing a hole in communication with the outside in the vacuum tank or a vacuum bin, it possible to control the pressure difference between the pressure in the vacuum tank and the external atmospheric pressure where the analyzer is installed to be constant regardless of the installation environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Tooru INABA, Takamichi MORI, Tetsuji KAWAHARA
  • Publication number: 20200298251
    Abstract: A single device carries out a plurality of washing processes for gradually reducing the amount of a magnetic particle solution in a reaction vessel. A first washing process includes a step for inserting a reaction vessel into a recess provided in the magnetic separation device to capture the magnetic substance using a plurality of magnets disposed along the peripheral direction of the recess such that the same pole faces the reaction vessel, a step for solution aspiration, a step for discharging liquid such that the surface of the liquid goes to a position higher than the upper edges of the magnets, and stirring the liquid. A second washing process includes a step for inserting the reaction vessel into the magnetic separation device and aspirating the liquid, discharging the liquid such that the surface of the liquid goes to a position lower than the upper edges of the magnets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Ruochi HSU, Tooru INABA, Shinya MATSUOKA, Daisuke EBIHARA, Takeshi YOKOKAWA
  • Patent number: 10604393
    Abstract: A device for unstopping a stopped specimen vessel that contains a liquid specimen such as blood is equipped with a mechanism which sucks and captures particles floating around the opening of the specimen vessel and prevents contamination of the specimen. The unstopping device grips a vessel and the stopper of the opening of the vessel, and removes the stopper from the opening of the vessel by changing the relative distance between the vessel-gripping mechanism and the unstopping mechanism. The unstopping device is equipped with: suction holes for sucking therethrough the gas which is present around the opening and contains liquid or solid particles; a pipeline which is connected to the suction holes and through which the sucked gas and particles are led downstream; a suction device connected to the pipeline; and a spirally flexed pipeline part disposed between the pipeline and the suction device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Enoki, Shigeki Yamaguchi, Takahiro Sasaki, Tooru Inaba
  • Publication number: 20170166428
    Abstract: A device for unstopping a stopped specimen vessel that contains a liquid specimen such as blood is equipped with a mechanism which sucks and captures particles floating around the opening of the specimen vessel and prevents contamination of the specimen. The unstopping device grips a vessel and the stopper of the opening of the vessel, and removes the stopper from the opening of the vessel by changing the relative distance between the vessel-gripping mechanism and the unstopping mechanism. The unstopping device is equipped with: suction holes for sucking therethrough the gas which is present around the opening and contains liquid or solid particles; a pipeline which is connected to the suction holes and through which the sucked gas and particles are led downstream; a suction device connected to the pipeline; and a spirally flexed pipeline part disposed between the pipeline and the suction device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Inventors: Hideo ENOKI, Shigeki YAMAGUCHI, Takahiro SASAKI, Tooru INABA