Patents by Inventor Toshihiko Uto

Toshihiko Uto 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).

  • Publication number: 20230390576
    Abstract: A light irradiation medical device comprising: a shaft having a lumen extending in the longitudinal direction; and a light guiding device that is disposed in the lumen of the shaft and is movable in the longitudinal direction. The light guiding device extends in the longitudinal direction and has a light diffusion part at a distal part of the light guiding device. The shaft has: a first window in a peripheral wall of a distal part of the shaft; and a second window at a distal end face of the shaft. The shaft has a reflection surface inside the shaft and at a distal side with respect to the first window, and reflects light emitted from the light guiding device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicant: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hironori TAKATA, Toshihiko UTO
  • Publication number: 20230118963
    Abstract: A balloon catheter (1) comprising: a first shaft (10) having a first lumen (11) and a second lumen (12); a second shaft (20) located distal to the first shaft (10); a balloon (30) located distal to the second shaft (20); and an optical fiber (40) disposed inside the balloon (30); wherein: the first shaft (10) is made of a resin; a cross-sectional area of the resin forming the first shaft (10) is larger than a cross-sectional area of either the first lumen (11) or the second lumen (12), which has a larger cross-sectional area, in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction; the optical fiber (40) is joined to a distal end (11d) of the first lumen (11); a proximal end (30p) of the balloon (30) is joined to the second shaft (20); and a distal end (30d) of the balloon (30) is joined to the optical fiber (40).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Applicant: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko UTO, Shintaro OSUMI, Hironori TAKATA
  • Publication number: 20230097865
    Abstract: A balloon catheter comprising: a first shaft having a first lumen and a second lumen; a second shaft located distal to the first shaft; a balloon located distal to the second shaft; and a tubular member that is disposed inside the balloon and has a light transmittance of 90% or more; wherein: the first shaft is made of a resin; a cross-sectional area of the resin forming the first shaft is larger than a cross-sectional area of either the first lumen or the second lumen, which has a larger cross-sectional area, in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction; a proximal end of the tubular member is joined to a distal end of the first lumen; a proximal end of the balloon is joined to the second shaft; and a distal end of the balloon is joined to the tubular member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Applicant: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko UTO, Shintaro OSUMI, Hironori TAKATA
  • Publication number: 20220330829
    Abstract: A light therapy diagnostic device comprising a shaft, and an optical waveguide disposed in a lumen of the shaft and being movable forward and backward in a longitudinal direction, wherein: the optical waveguide guides a first light and a second light; the shaft has a lateral emission window which allows the first light and the second light to be emitted toward a lateral direction and a distal emission window which allows the first light to be emitted toward a distal direction; a first mirror is provided on a distal end part of the optical waveguide and reflects the first light toward a lateral direction of the shaft; and a second mirror is provided on an inner surface of the shaft, located distal to a distal end of the lateral emission window, and reflects the first light reflected by the first mirror toward a distal direction of the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshihiko UTO
  • Publication number: 20220226665
    Abstract: A light therapy diagnostic device comprising a shaft, an optical waveguide disposed in a lumen of the shaft and being movable forward and backward in a longitudinal direction of the shaft, and a transparent member disposed in the lumen and located distal to the optical waveguide, wherein: the optical waveguide guides a first light and a second light; the shaft has a lateral emission window which allows the first light and the second light to be emitted toward a lateral direction and a distal emission window which allows the first light to be emitted toward a distal direction; the optical waveguide includes a core and a clad, wherein a distal end surface of the core is inclined with respect to an optical axis of the optical waveguide; the first light passes through the transparent member in a state where the optical waveguide is in contact with the transparent member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshihiko UTO
  • Patent number: 11158748
    Abstract: A solar cell includes a crystal substrate which has a major surface on a light reception side provided with a first texture surface and a major surface on a non-light reception side provided with a second texture surface. The second texture surface occupies 20% or more of the area of the major surface on the non-light reception side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Uto, Daisuke Adachi
  • Patent number: 10658537
    Abstract: In manufacturing a crystalline silicon-based solar cell having an intrinsic silicon-based thin film and a conductive silicon-based thin film in this order on a conductive single-crystalline silicon substrate, plasma treatment is performed after the intrinsic silicon-based thin film is formed on the conductive single-crystalline silicon substrate. In the plasma treatment, a surface of the intrinsic silicon-based thin film is exposed to hydrogen plasma while a hydrogen gas and silicon-containing gases are being introduced into a CVD chamber. The amount of the hydrogen introduced into the CVD chamber during the plasma treatment is 150 to 2500 times the introduction amount of the silicon-containing gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Uto, Masashi Yoshimi
  • Publication number: 20200028003
    Abstract: A solar cell includes a crystal substrate which has a major surface on a light reception side provided with a first texture surface and a major surface on a non-light reception side provided with a second texture surface. The second texture surface occupies 20% or more of the area of the major surface on the non-light reception side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Applicant: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Uto, Daisuke Adachi
  • Patent number: 10505065
    Abstract: In manufacturing a crystalline silicon-based solar cell, a first intrinsic thin-film is formed on a conductive single-crystalline silicon substrate, and then a hydrogen plasma etching is performed. A second intrinsic thin-film is formed on the first intrinsic thin-film after the hydrogen plasma etching, and a conductive silicon-based thin-film is formed on the second intrinsic thin-film. The second intrinsic thin-film is formed by plasma-enhanced CVD with a silicon-containing gas and hydrogen being introduced into a CVD chamber. The amount of the hydrogen introduced into the CVD chamber during formation of the second intrinsic thin-film is 50 to 500 times an introduction amount of the silicon-containing gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Uto, Daisuke Adachi
  • Patent number: 10388821
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a crystalline silicon-based solar cell includes forming a first intrinsic silicon-based thin-film on a first principal surface and a lateral surface of an n-type crystalline silicon substrate, forming a p-type silicon-based thin-film on the first intrinsic silicon-based thin-film, forming a first transparent electrode layer on an entire region of the first principal surface except for a peripheral portion, forming a second intrinsic silicon-based thin-film on a second principal surface and the lateral surface of the n-type crystalline silicon substrate, forming an n-type silicon-based thin-film on the second intrinsic silicon-based thin-film, forming a second transparent electrode layer on an entire region of the second principal surface and the lateral surface of the n-type crystalline silicon substrate, forming a patterned collecting electrode on the first transparent electrode layer, and forming a plated metal electrode on the second transparent electrode layer by an electroplati
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Adachi, Toru Terashita, Toshihiko Uto
  • Patent number: 10333012
    Abstract: The method for manufacturing a crystalline silicon substrate for a solar cell includes: forming a texture on the surface of a single-crystalline silicon substrate by bringing an alkali solution and the surface of the single-crystalline silicon substrate into contact with each other; bringing an acidic solution and the surface of the single-crystalline silicon substrate into contact with each other to perform an acid treatment thereon; and then by bringing ozone water and the surface of the single-crystalline silicon substrate into contact with each other to perform an ozone treatment thereon. One aspect of embodiment is that the acidic solution used for the acid treatment is hydrochloric acid. Another aspect of embodiment is that the ozone treatment is performed by immersing the single-crystalline silicon substrate into the ozone water bath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Uto, Takashi Suezaki, Wataru Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10217887
    Abstract: The crystalline silicon-based solar cell includes a first intrinsic silicon-based thin-film, a p-type silicon-based thin-film, a first transparent electrode layer, and a patterned collecting electrode on a first principal surface of an n-type crystalline silicon substrate; and a second intrinsic silicon-based thin-film, an n-type silicon-based thin-film, a second transparent electrode layer, and a plated metal electrode on a second principal surface of the n-type crystalline-silicon substrate. On a peripheral edge of the first principal surface, an insulating region freed of a short-circuit between the first transparent electrode layer and the second transparent electrode layer is provided. The plated metal electrode is formed on an entire region of the second transparent electrode layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Uto, Daisuke Adachi, Hisashi Uzu
  • Publication number: 20180301582
    Abstract: In manufacturing a crystalline silicon-based solar cell having an intrinsic silicon-based thin film and a conductive silicon-based thin film in this order on a conductive single-crystalline silicon substrate, plasma treatment is performed after the intrinsic silicon-based thin film is formed on the conductive single-crystalline silicon substrate. In the plasma treatment, a surface of the intrinsic silicon-based thin film is exposed to hydrogen plasma while a hydrogen gas and silicon-containing gases are being introduced into a CVD chamber. The amount of the hydrogen introduced into the CVD chamber during the plasma treatment is 150 to 2500 times the introduction amount of the silicon-containing gases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Applicant: Kaneka Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Uto, Masashi Yoshimi
  • Publication number: 20180301581
    Abstract: In manufacturing a crystalline silicon-based solar cell, a first intrinsic thin-film is formed on a conductive single-crystalline silicon substrate, and then a hydrogen plasma etching is performed. A second intrinsic thin-film is formed on the first intrinsic thin-film after the hydrogen plasma etching, and a conductive silicon-based thin-film is formed on the second intrinsic thin-film. The second intrinsic thin-film is formed by plasma-enhanced CVD with a silicon-containing gas and hydrogen being introduced into a CVD chamber. The amount of the hydrogen introduced into the CVD chamber during formation of the second intrinsic thin-film is 50 to 500 times an introduction amount of the silicon-containing gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Applicant: Kaneka Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Uto, Daisuke Adachi
  • Publication number: 20180254375
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a crystalline silicon-based solar cell includes forming a first intrinsic silicon-based thin-film on a first principal surface and a lateral surface of an n-type crystalline silicon substrate, forming a p-type silicon-based thin-film on the first intrinsic silicon-based thin-film, forming a first transparent electrode layer on an entire region of the first principal surface except for a peripheral portion, forming a second intrinsic silicon-based thin-film on a second principal surface and the lateral surface of the n-type crystalline silicon substrate, forming an n-type silicon-based thin-film on the second intrinsic silicon-based thin-film, forming a second transparent electrode layer on an entire region of the second principal surface and the lateral surface of the n-type crystalline silicon substrate, forming a patterned collecting electrode on the first transparent electrode layer, and forming a plated metal electrode on the second transparent electrode layer by an electroplati
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Applicant: Kaneka Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Adachi, Toru Terashita, Toshihiko Uto
  • Publication number: 20180062005
    Abstract: The method for manufacturing a crystalline silicon substrate for a solar cell includes: forming a texture on the surface of a single-crystalline silicon substrate by bringing an alkali solution and the surface of the single-crystalline silicon substrate into contact with each other; bringing an acidic solution and the surface of the single-crystalline silicon substrate into contact with each other to perform an acid treatment thereon; and then by bringing ozone water and the surface of the single-crystalline silicon substrate into contact with each other to perform an ozone treatment thereon. One aspect of embodiment is that the acidic solution used for the acid treatment is hydrochloric acid. Another aspect of embodiment is that the ozone treatment is performed by immersing the single-crystalline silicon substrate into the ozone water bath.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Toshihiko UTO, Takashi SUEZAKI, Wataru YOSHIDA
  • Patent number: 9871161
    Abstract: A manufacturing method includes steps of forming a texture on a surface of a single-crystalline silicon substrate, cleaning the surface of the single-crystalline silicon substrate using ozone, depositing an intrinsic silicon-based layer on the texture on the single-crystalline silicon substrate, and depositing a conductive silicon-based layer on the intrinsic silicon-based layer, in this order. The single-crystalline silicon substrate before deposition of the intrinsic silicon-based layer has a texture size of less than 5 ?m. A recess portion of the texture has a curvature radius of less than 5 nm. After deposition of at least a part of the intrinsic silicon-based layer and before deposition of the conductive silicon-based layer, the intrinsic silicon-based layer is subjected to a plasma treatment in an atmosphere of a gas mainly composed of hydrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Kaneka Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Uto, Daisuke Adachi
  • Publication number: 20170200852
    Abstract: A manufacturing method includes steps of forming a texture on a surface of a single-crystalline silicon substrate, cleaning the surface of the single-crystalline silicon substrate using ozone, depositing an intrinsic silicon-based layer on the texture on the single-crystalline silicon substrate, and depositing a conductive silicon-based layer on the intrinsic silicon-based layer, in this order. The single-crystalline silicon substrate before deposition of the intrinsic silicon-based layer has a texture size of less than 5 ?m. A recess portion of the texture has a curvature radius of less than 5 nm. After deposition of at least a part of the intrinsic silicon-based layer and before deposition of the conductive silicon-based layer, the intrinsic silicon-based layer is subjected to a plasma treatment in an atmosphere of a gas mainly composed of hydrogen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Applicant: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Uto, Daisuke Adachi
  • Patent number: 9680037
    Abstract: A solar cell of the present invention includes a collecting electrode on one main surface of a photoelectric conversion section. The collecting electrode includes first and second electroconductive layers in this order from the photoelectric conversion section side, and an insulating layer between the first and second electroconductive layers, the insulating layer having an opening section formed therein. The first electroconductive layer is covered with the insulating layer, contains a low-melting-point material, and is conductively connected with a part of the second electroconductive layer via the opening section. The surface roughness of the second electroconductive layer is preferably 1.0 ?m to 10.0 ?m. The second electroconductive layer is preferably formed by a plating method. In order to conductively connect the first and second electroconductive layers, annealing of the first electroconductive layer by heating is preferably performed prior to forming the second electroconductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: KANEKA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshihiko Uto, Daisuke Adachi
  • Publication number: 20170084772
    Abstract: The crystalline silicon-based solar cell according to the present invention includes a first intrinsic silicon-based thin-film, a p-type silicon-based thin-film, a first transparent electrode layer, and a patterned collecting electrode on a first principal surface of an n-type crystalline silicon substrate; and a second intrinsic silicon-based thin-film, an n-type silicon-based thin-film, a second transparent electrode layer, and a plated metal electrode on a second principal surface of the n-type crystalline-silicon substrate. On a peripheral edge of the first principal surface, an insulating region freed of a short-circuit between the first transparent electrode layer and the second transparent electrode layer is provided. The plated metal electrode is formed on an entire region of the second transparent electrode layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Toshihiko Uto, Daisuke Adachi, Hisashi Uzu