Abstract: An imaging device includes an axial-direction moving member which moves between an operating position and a retracted position in an optical axis direction, an in-plane moving optical element movable in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis, a controller which moves the in-plane moving optical element in the orthogonal plane to a reference position when the image device changes from the operating state to the retracted state, and a mechanical guide device, provided between the axial-direction moving member and the in-plane moving optical element. In a state where the in-plane moving optical element is deviated from the reference position, the mechanical guide device guides the in-plane moving optical element to the reference position by using a moving force of the axial-direction moving member when the axial-direction moving member moves from the operating position to the retracted position.

Abstract: Disclosed are: an agent, an apparatus and a method for the diagnosis of a disease associated with the abnormality in ?-secretase; a method for providing information for the diagnosis of a disease associated with the abnormality in ?-secretase; a method for monitoring the condition or the degree of progression of a disease associated with the abnormality in ?-secretase; and a method for determining the therapeutic effect of a therapeutic agent on a disease associated with the abnormality in ?-secretase. More specifically disclosed are: a diagnostic agent for a disease associated with the abnormality in ?-secretase, which comprises an antibody capable of recognizing a digestion product of an alcadein with ?-secretase or ?-secretase or a fragment of the antibody; and others.

Abstract: To provide a peptide obtainable by cleaving an N-terminal region and a C-terminal region of Alcadein ?, Alcadein ?, or Alcadein ?; and capable of being a diagnostic marker for Alzheimer's disease. It is possible to detect Alzheimer's disease at an early stage without burdening subjects to be tested by using the peptide as a diagnostic marker.

Abstract: A cam mechanism includes a cam ring having front and rear cam grooves which have a common reference cam diagram and are formed so that a front part of the front cam groove and a rear part of the rear cam groove are omitted from the reference cam diagram. A normal-width section and a wide-width section are provided in each of the front and rear cam grooves. In a zoom range, an associated cam follower of a driven member is engaged in the normal-width section of one of the front and rear cam grooves, and another associated cam follower of the driven member is positioned out of the other of the front and rear cam grooves. In a transition state between the zoom range and an accommodated position, both of the associated cam followers are positioned out of the normal-width sections of the respective front and rear cam grooves.

Abstract: A lens barrel movable between a first state, in which optical elements of a photographing optical system are all aligned on an optical axis, and a second state in which at least one of the optical elements is retracted to a radially-retracted position and moved rearward, the lens barrel includes a support ring; a radially-retractable optical element holding frame which supports the radially-retractable optical element, and is supported by the support ring to be movable between a first position corresponding to the first state and a second position corresponding to the second state; and an optical-axis-direction-movement limit device which limits movement of the radially-retractable optical element holding frame in the optical axis direction relative to the support ring when the radially-retractable optical element holding frame is at the first position.

Abstract: A storage structure including: a storage space provided in a luggage floor at a rear part of a vehicle interior; front and rear lid members which cover an upper opening of the storage space, the front lid member being disposed at a front part of the upper opening and having a structure to be opened at a rear end with a front end thereof rotatably connected to a component of a vehicle body, the rear lid member being disposed at the rear of the front lid member; a rotational force generator which generates a rotational force to rotate the front lid member when a forward external force is applied to a rear part of the vehicle body; and a rotation restrictor which restricts a rotation amount of the front lid member rotated by the rotational force generator within a predetermined angular range.

Abstract: An imaging device includes an axial-direction moving member which moves between an operating position and a retracted position in an optical axis direction, an in-plane moving optical element movable in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis, a controller which moves the in-plane moving optical element in the orthogonal plane to a reference position when the image device changes from the operating state to the retracted state, and a mechanical guide device, provided between the axial-direction moving member and the in-plane moving optical element. In a state where the in-plane moving optical element is deviated from the reference position, the mechanical guide device guides the in-plane moving optical element to the reference position by using a moving force of the axial-direction moving member when the axial-direction moving member moves from the operating position to the retracted position.

Abstract: A cam mechanism includes a cam ring having front and rear cam grooves which have a common reference cam diagram and are formed so that a front part of the front cam groove and a rear part of the rear cam groove are omitted from the reference cam diagram. A normal-width section and a wide-width section are provided in each of the front and rear cam grooves. In a zoom range, an associated cam follower of a driven member is engaged in the normal-width section of one of the front and rear cam grooves, and another associated cam follower of the driven member is positioned out of the other of the front and rear cam grooves. In a transition state between the zoom range and an accommodated position, both of the associated cam followers are positioned out of the normal-width sections of the respective front and rear cam grooves.

Abstract: A retractable lens system includes a linearly movable ring; a radially-retractable optical element supported by the linearly movable ring; an exposure control unit supported by the linearly movable ring and adjacent to the radially-retractable optical element; an exposure control unit recess formed on the exposure control unit to face the radially-retractable optical element when the radially-retractable optical element is in the radially-retracted position; a retracting device which retracts the radially-retractable optical element to the radially-retracted position and brings at least a part of a frame of the radially-retractable optical element to enter the exposure control unit recess when the linearly movable ring retracts from a ready-to-photograph position to a retracted position.

Abstract: A retractable lens system including a radially-retractable optical element movable to a position outside of a common optical axis; a linearly movable frame which supports the radially-retractable optical element; a rotatable member for moving optical element support frames including the linearly movable frame which support the plurality of optical elements, respectively, between a ready-to-photograph position and a retracted position on the common optical axis; a retracting member which retracts the radially-retractable optical element; and an accommodating portion formed on the rotatable member. At least a portion of the radially-retractable optical element enters into the accommodating portion of the rotatable member when the radially-retractable optical element is moved to the radially-retracted position.

Abstract: A cam mechanism of a zoom lens which includes a front optical element and a rear optical element positioned behind the front optical element in an optical axis direction, the front optical element and the rear optical element being guided linearly in the optical axis direction, the cam mechanism including a cam ring having a first cam groove, for moving the front optical element in the optical axis direction, and a second cam groove, for moving the rear optical element in the optical axis direction, both the first cam groove and the second cam groove being formed on one of an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface of the cam ring. The first cam groove is positioned behind the second cam groove in the optical axis direction.

Abstract: A lens system having at least one front movable lens group and a rear movable lens group which are movable in an optical axis direction. The lens system includes a position detector for determining whether the rear movable lens group is positioned in a predetermined normal moving range thereof; and a lens control device which stops the front movable lens group and moves the rear movable lens group rearward into the predetermined normal moving range if the rear movable lens group is in an abnormal moving range thereof in front of the normal moving range during a forward movement of the front movable lens group from a predetermined initial position thereof.

Abstract: A storage structure including: a storage space provided in a luggage floor at a rear part of a vehicle interior; front and rear lid members which cover an upper opening of the storage space, the front lid member being disposed at a front part of the upper opening and having a structure to be opened at a rear end with a front end thereof rotatably connected to a component of a vehicle body, the rear lid member being disposed at the rear of the front lid member; a rotational force generator which generates a rotational force to rotate the front lid member when a forward external force is applied to a rear part of the vehicle body; and a rotation restrictor which restricts a rotation amount of the front lid member rotated by the rotational force generator within a predetermined angular range.

Abstract: An illumination system uses rotatable, polarized illumination optics to detect the direction of highly efficient excitation of fluorescent dyes coupled to a sample, or the absorption transition moment, using information on the direction of maximal fluorescence intensity, in which it is possible to detect individual dynamic changes in the internal structure or orientation of an entire protein molecule by coupling a single fluorescent dye molecule to the protein molecule. The polarized total internal reflection illumination optical system by rotary annulus light is also an illumination optical system in which laser beams are introduced into the objective lens of a microscope at the peripheral region by means of the rotatable illumination direction of the laser beams, and is designed to illuminate by the evanescent field that contains only transverse components that are perpendicular to the direction of radiation from the optical axis of the objective lens.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes a helicoid ring provided with a helicoid; a retractable rotational ring which is guided by the helicoid to move along an optical axis while rotating, wherein the retractable rotational ring includes a pair of split retractable rotational rings which are supported so as to integrally rotate and to be relatively movable in the optical axis direction with respect to each other; first and second slide-engaging portions provided on one and the other of the pair of split retractable rotational rings, wherein the first and second slide-engaging portions are slidably engaged with the helicoid; and a biasing device which biases the pair of split retractable rotational rings in opposite directions in the optical axis direction so that the first and second slide-engaging portions are pressed in opposite directions against an opposing pair of first and second guide surfaces, respectively, of the helicoid of the helicoid ring.

Abstract: A cam mechanism of a zoom lens, includes a cam ring including cam grooves having different reference cam diagrams on at least one of inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the cam ring; and movable frames which include cam followers respectively engaged in the cam grooves, the movable frames being guided linearly in an optical axis direction. Each of the cam grooves includes a zooming section for moving an associated one of the movable frames between a wide-angle extremity position and a telephoto extremity position in the optical axis direction in accordance with rotation of the cam ring, and a zooming-range-extremity stop section, communicatively connected to one end of the zooming section, for preventing the associated one of the movable frames from moving in the optical axis direction from one of the wide-angle extremity position and the telephoto extremity position even when the cam ring rotates.

Abstract: An assembly-stage focus adjustment mechanism of a zoom lens barrel including a plurality of lens groups which are moved while distances therebetween are changed to perform a zooming operation, the assembly-stage focus adjustment mechanism including two lens fixing frames to which two of the plurality of lens groups are fixed, respectively; two moving frames which linearly move in an optical axis direction during the zooming operation, the two moving frames being respectively screw-engaged with the two lens fixing frames; and a rotational-direction integrating device which makes the two lens fixing frames rotate as one integral body in a direction of rotation relative to the two moving frames when an assembly-stage focus adjustment operation is performed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an illumination system that use rotatable, polarized illumination optics to detect the direction of highly efficient excitation of fluorescent dyes coupled to a sample, or the absorption transition moment, using information on the direction of maximal fluorescence intensity. The present invention also makes it possible to detect individual dynamic changes in the internal structure or orientation of an entire protein molecule by coupling a single fluorescent dye molecule to the protein molecule.

Abstract: A lens barrel movable between a first state, in which optical elements of a photographing optical system are all aligned on an optical axis, and a second state in which at least one of the optical elements is retracted to a radially-retracted position and moved rearward, the lens barrel includes a support ring; a radially-retractable optical element holding frame which supports the radially-retractable optical element, and is supported by the support ring to be movable between a first position corresponding to the first state and a second position corresponding to the second state; and an optical-axis-direction-movement limit device which limits movement of the radially-retractable optical element holding frame in the optical axis direction relative to the support ring when the radially-retractable optical element holding frame is at the first position.

Abstract: A lens barrel includes a helicoid ring provided with a helicoid; a retractable rotational ring which is guided by the helicoid to move along an optical axis while rotating, wherein the retractable rotational ring includes a pair of split retractable rotational rings which are supported so as to integrally rotate and to be relatively movable in the optical axis direction with respect to each other; first and second slide-engaging portions provided on one and the other of the pair of split retractable rotational rings, wherein the first and second slide-engaging portions are slidably engaged with the helicoid; and a biasing device which biases the pair of split retractable rotational rings in opposite directions in the optical axis direction so that the first and second slide-engaging portions are pressed in opposite directions against an opposing pair of first and second guide surfaces, respectively, of the helicoid of the helicoid ring.