Abstract: A hardness calculation device includes a distance measurement information acquisition unit configured to acquire distance measurement information indicating a distance to a reference position that is a part of a body of an animal, a pressure information acquisition unit configured to acquire pressure information indicating a pressure when a contact section is pressed against a target position that is a part of the body of the animal, the target position being a position different from the reference position, a calculation unit configured to calculate hardness information that is information about a hardness of a tissue existing in the body of the animal at the target position based on the distance measurement information acquired by the distance measurement information acquisition unit and the pressure information acquired by the pressure information acquisition unit, and an output unit configured to output the hardness information calculated by the calculation unit.

Abstract: A connection adapter comprises a hollow supply needle communicating with a liquid supply tube connection portion, a hollow discharge needle communicating with a chemical liquid injection tube connection portion, a holder portion supporting the supply needle and the discharge needle, and a protection cap removably fit on the polder portion, the supply needle and the discharge needle being accommodated by and hermetically sealed in the protection cap and the holder portion. By using the adapter, a liquid is supplied from the liquid supply tube to remove air in the liquid supply tube and the chemical liquid injection tube, and then the protection cap is removed, and then the needles are inserted into a chemical liquid container having an opening sealed with an elastic member, and a push-out liquid is supplied from the liquid supply needle into the chemical liquid container, whereby the chemical liquid is injected through the discharge needle and the chemical liquid injection tube into a patient.

Abstract: A chemical liquid injection system with which a chemical liquid in a chemical liquid container can be directly injected into a patient without using an intervening liquid syringe or the like. A trailing end of chemical liquid injection tube 120 that its leading end is connected to the patient is placed at a lower position within chemical liquid container 200. A leading end of liquid supply tube 110 is placed at a upper position within chemical liquid container 200 and a trailing end of liquid supply tube 110 is connected to liquid container 300. Since liquid pressure-feeding mechanism 131 feeds the liquid in liquid container 300 into chemical liquid container 200 from liquid supply tube 110 with pressure, the chemical liquid is directly injected into the patient from chemical liquid container 200 through chemical liquid tube 120.

Abstract: A tube connection apparatus enabling the connection of tube members to a chemical solution container for a radioactive contrast medium with exposure of a operator to the radiation minimized. When the container (400) is loaded to a container holding mechanism (315) located at a retreat position, the container (400) is moved to a needle insertion position by a container moving mechanism (310) and short/long needle members (341, 342) are moved to the insertion position by a holder moving mechanism (320). Since the short/long needle members (341, 342) are inserted into the elastic member (402) of the chemical liquid container (400) without requiring manual operation by a operator, a liquid supply tube (120) and a chemical solution injection tube (130) can be connected to the container (400) with the exposure of the operator to radiation minimized.

Abstract: This invention provides a cement dispersant of a lignosulfonic acid graft copolymer, obtained by a redox free radical reaction of lignosulfonic acid or its salts with one or more acrylic or vinylic monomers containing functional groups, in an aqueous solution in the presence of a radical initiator, e.g, redox catalyst. The lignosulfonic acid graft copolymer has a molecular weight distribution of from 5.times.10.sup.2 to 5.times.10.sup.6.