Patents by Inventor Tsutomu Okoba

Tsutomu Okoba 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: 11828737
    Abstract: In a preparative liquid chromatograph, a control device for controlling at least operation of a sample injection part includes a holding part for holding a chromatogram-for-setting created in advance for a sample to be analyzed, and an injection program creating part configured to create an injection program that defines timings at which injection operations are executed based on the chromatogram-for-setting, so that, in the case where the number of injections in a multiple injection mode is set, a peak of a chromatogram of the sample to be analyzed injected in each injection operation does not overlap a peak of a chromatogram of the sample to be analyzed injected in another injection operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Soichiro Tamaoki, Tsutomu Okoba, Takayuki Iriki, Shiori Ueda
  • Patent number: 11782034
    Abstract: A fraction collector control device includes a peak designation part that displays a chromatogram for setting and requires a user to select at least one peak in the chromatogram for setting, a parameter extraction part that extracts, as a parameter, a signal level and/or a slope at a start point and an end point of each peak designated by a user, and a threshold candidate generation part that generates, based on the parameter extracted by the parameter extraction part, a threshold candidate usable as a common threshold for detecting start points of all peaks designated by a user and a common threshold for detecting end points of all peaks designated by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Soichiro Tamaoki, Tsutomu Okoba, Takayuki Iriki, Shiori Ueda
  • Patent number: 11733215
    Abstract: In a preparative liquid chromatograph, a control device for controlling at least operation of a sample injection part includes a holding part for holding a chromatogram-for-setting created in advance for a sample to be analyzed, and an injection program creating part configured to create an injection program that defines timings at which injection operations are executed based on the chromatogram-for-setting, so that, in the case where the number of injections in a multiple injection mode is set, a peak of a chromatogram of the sample to be analyzed injected in each injection operation does not overlap a peak of a chromatogram of the sample to be analyzed injected in another injection operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Soichiro Tamaoki, Tsutomu Okoba, Takayuki Iriki, Shiori Ueda
  • Publication number: 20220128520
    Abstract: In a sucking operation, predetermined amount of a sample is sucked by using a needle from a sample container in which the sample to be analyzed is contained. A sensor circuit, which is electrically conducted to the needle, outputs different levels of signals when a tip of the needle is in contact with liquid and when the tip of the needle is not in contact with liquid. A liquid-contacting detector detects whether the tip of the needle is in air or in liquid by comparing a sensor signal value obtained from a signal output from the sensor circuit during the sucking operation with a preset threshold value. An empty container determiner determines that the sample container is empty when the liquid-contacting determiner detects a change during the sucking operation that the tip of the needle is changed from being in liquid to being in air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Tsutomu OKOBA, Shohei SATO
  • Publication number: 20200240966
    Abstract: A fraction collector control device includes a peak designation part that displays a chromatogram for setting and requires a user to select at least one peak in the chromatogram for setting, a parameter extraction part that extracts, as a parameter, a signal level and/or a slope at a start point and an end point of each peak designated by a user, and a threshold candidate generation part that generates, based on the parameter extracted by the parameter extraction part, a threshold candidate usable as a common threshold for detecting start points of all peaks designated by a user and a common threshold for detecting end points of all peaks designated by a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Soichiro TAMAOKI, Tsutomu OKOBA, Takayuki IRIKI, Shiori UEDA
  • Publication number: 20200064315
    Abstract: A fraction collector controller includes a threshold storing part, a peak detecting part, a number-of-points-of-data setting part, and a control part. The peak detecting part retrieves, at regular intervals, signals that are from a detector of a liquid chromatograph and are used as points of data, and detects a start point and an end point of a peak by comparing a signal strength and/or an inclination of each of the points of data with the threshold(s). The number-of-points-of-data setting part is configured to set a number of the points of data with which the peak detecting part compares the threshold(s) to detect a start point and an end point of a peak.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: Shimadzu Corporation
    Inventors: Soichiro TAMAOKI, Tsutomu OKOBA, Takayuki IRIKI, Shiori UEDA
  • Publication number: 20200033303
    Abstract: In a preparative liquid chromatograph, a control device for controlling at least operation of a sample injection part includes a holding part for holding a chromatogram-for-setting created in advance for a sample to be analyzed, and an injection program creating part configured to create an injection program that defines timings at which injection operations are executed based on the chromatogram-for-setting, so that, in the case where the number of injections in a multiple injection mode is set, a peak of a chromatogram of the sample to be analyzed injected in each injection operation does not overlap a peak of a chromatogram of the sample to be analyzed injected in another injection operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Soichiro TAMAOKI, Tsutomu OKOBA, Takayuki IRIKI, Shiori UEDA
  • Patent number: 10473633
    Abstract: Provided is a preparative separation chromatograph including: a chromatograph 10 having a detector 15; a fraction collector 20; a controller 34 for commanding the fraction collector to initiate a component-collecting operation with reference to a point when the rate of change in an output signal from the detector 15 exceeds a positive reference value and to discontinue the operation with reference to a point when the absolute value of the rate of change becomes smaller than that of a negative reference value after the rate of change turns negative; a storage section 31 for storing sampling-rate information which relates the value of the output signal to the time interval at which the controller determines the rate of change; and a sampling rate determiner 33 for determining the time interval for calculating the rate of change based on the sampling-rate information and actual values of the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsutomu Okoba, Takayuki Iriki
  • Patent number: 10391424
    Abstract: A moving section that moves in the horizontal plane direction at above a collection container section where collection containers are set is provided with a nozzle holding section for holding a nozzle, and a waste port holding section for holding a waste port. The moving section is capable of moving the nozzle holding section or the waste port holding section. Accordingly, one of a state where the waste port is at a position immediately below the tip of the nozzle and a state where the waste port is not at the position immediately below the tip of the nozzle may be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsutomu Okoba, Takayuki Iriki
  • Patent number: 9638674
    Abstract: An autosampler includes a flow path switching valve to which a sample push unit and an analysis flow path are connected, a sample loop connected to the flow path switching valve, a sampling needle connected to the flow path switching valve, a metering pump connected to the flow path switching valve, and a control unit for controlling operations of the flow path switching valve and the metering pump. The control unit includes an injection volume addition unit for adding up injection volume of a same sample component injected into the sample loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Morikawa, Tsutomu Okoba
  • Publication number: 20160288016
    Abstract: A moving section that moves in the horizontal plane direction at above a collection container section where collection containers are set is provided with a nozzle holding section for holding a nozzle, and a waste port holding section for holding a waste port. The moving section is capable of moving the nozzle holding section or the waste port holding section. Accordingly, one of a state where the waste port is at a position immediately below the tip of the nozzle and a state where the waste port is not at the position immediately below the tip of the nozzle may be achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsutomu Okoba, Takayuki Iriki
  • Publication number: 20160290976
    Abstract: Provided is a preparative separation chromatograph including: a chromatograph 10 having a detector 15; a fraction collector 20; a controller 34 for commanding the fraction collector to initiate a component-collecting operation with reference to a point when the rate of change in an output signal from the detector 15 exceeds a positive reference value and to discontinue the operation with reference to a point when the absolute value of the rate of change becomes smaller than that of a negative reference value after the rate of change turns negative; a storage section 31 for storing sampling-rate information which relates the value of the output signal to the time interval at which the controller determines the rate of change; and a sampling rate determiner 33 for determining the time interval for calculating the rate of change based on the sampling-rate information and actual values of the output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Applicant: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsutomu OKOBA, Takayuki IRIKI
  • Publication number: 20150377843
    Abstract: An autosampler includes a flow path switching valve to which a sample push unit and an analysis flow path are connected, a sample loop connected to the flow path switching valve, a sampling needle connected to the flow path switching valve, a metering pump connected to the flow path switching valve, and a control unit for controlling operations of the flow path switching valve and the metering pump. The control unit includes an injection volume addition unit for adding up injection volume of a same sample component injected into the sample loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Applicant: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Morikawa, Tsutomu Okoba
  • Patent number: 9086397
    Abstract: A weight sensor for measuring the weight of a sample container is fixed to a sample container placing portion. The amount of sample contained in the sample container placed in the sample container placing portion is determined based on a measurement value by the weight sensor. A change in amount of sample contained in the sample container is determined before and after sample suction by a sample suction mechanism. The amount of sample actually suctioned from the sample container is determined based on the change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsutomu Okoba
  • Publication number: 20140182396
    Abstract: A weight sensor for measuring the weight of a sample container is fixed to a sample container placing portion. The amount of sample contained in the sample container placed in the sample container placing portion is determined based on a measurement value by the weight sensor. A change in amount of sample contained in the sample container is determined before and after sample suction by a sample suction mechanism. The amount of sample actually suctioned from the sample container is determined based on the change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsutomu Okoba