Patents by Inventor Yasuhiko Yokoi

Yasuhiko Yokoi 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: 20140205507
    Abstract: A sterilizer is connectable to an external chamber. A sterilization gas generator is configured to generate sterilization gas. A gas supply system including a first gas supply system which is configured to supply the sterilization gas from the sterilization gas generator to a sterilization chamber; and a second gas supply system which is different from the first gas supply system and configured to supply the sterilization gas from the sterilization gas generator to the external chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: PANASONIC HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko YOKOI, Hiroshi YAMAMOTO, Atsushi NAKAO, Jiro OHNISHI, Shinji FUKUI, Akifumi IWAMA, Masaki HARADA, Yoshiaki SUGIMURA, Katsuya HIRAI
  • Patent number: 8765064
    Abstract: A sterile-substance-supplying apparatus comprising: an atomization unit including a reservoir unit to reserve hydrogen peroxide, and an ultrasound vibrator to impart ultrasound vibration to the reserved hydrogen peroxide to be atomized; an evaporation unit, provided above the reservoir unit, that heats the atomized hydrogen peroxide to be evaporated; a connecting member connecting the evaporation unit and the atomization unit to each other; a hydrogen-peroxide-supply port to allow the hydrogen peroxide to be supplied to the reservoir unit; a carrier-gas-supply port, provided at the connecting member, that allows carrier gas for allowing the atomized hydrogen peroxide to flow to the evaporation unit to be supplied; and a container portion to reserve a substance for transmitting the ultrasound vibration generated by the ultrasound vibrator, and a metal vibrating plate, provided at a bottom portion of the reservoir unit, that transmits to the hydrogen peroxide the ultrasound vibration transmitted through the sub
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Yokoi, Jiro Ohnishi, Shinji Fukui, Akifumi Iwama, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Masaki Harada, Tatsuya Hirose
  • Patent number: 8753877
    Abstract: An incubator including a cultivating chamber for cultivating cultures, a water supply control unit for supplying water into the cultivating chamber through a water supply passage and adjusting the humidity of the inside of the cultivating chamber, and a filter provided in the water supply passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Fukui, Yasuhiko Yokoi, Akifumi Iwama, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Jirou Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 8741227
    Abstract: An isolator includes a workroom having a first sterilizing material supply port, a first sterilizing material discharge port, a first gas supply port and a first gas discharge port, a sterilization chamber having a second sterilizing material supply port, a second sterilizing material discharge port, a second gas supply port and a second gas discharge port, a sterilizing material supply unit, a first sterilizing material supply path connecting the sterilizing material supply unit to the first sterilizing material supply port, a second sterilizing material supply path connecting the sterilizing material supply unit to the second sterilizing material supply port, a first circulating path connecting the first sterilizing material discharge port to the sterilizing material supply unit, a second circulating path connecting the second sterilizing material discharge port to the sterilizing material supply unit, a first gas supply path, a second gas supply path, a first gas discharge path, a second gas discharge path
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Yokoi, Jiro Ohnishi, Shinji Fukui, Akifumi Iwama
  • Patent number: 8721983
    Abstract: A sterilizer is connectable to an external chamber. A sterilization gas generator is configured to generate sterilization gas. A gas supply system including a first gas supply system which is configured to supply the sterilization gas from the sterilization gas generator to a sterilization chamber; and a second gas supply system which is different from the first gas supply system and configured to supply the sterilization gas from the sterilization gas generator to the external chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Yokoi, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Atsushi Nakao, Jiro Ohnishi, Shinji Fukui, Akifumi Iwama, Masaki Harada, Yoshiaki Sugimura, Katsuya Hirai
  • Publication number: 20140120009
    Abstract: An isolator includes a work chamber, a sterilizing substance supply unit, a gas flow channel pressure adjustment unit, a work chamber barometer, and a controller. The controller is configured to control execution of a gas flow channel leak test for checking a gas leak in a gas flow channel based on a detection result by the work chamber barometer after making the gas flow channel pressure adjustment unit increase or decrease the pressure in the gas flow channel, and is configured to control supply of the sterilizing substance by the sterilizing substance supply unit. The controller performs heating of a heater, which accompanies the supply of the sterilizing substance, in parallel with the gas flow channel leak test.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: PANASONIC HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Yokoi, Jiro Ohnishi, Akifumi Iwama, Masaki Harada, Yoshiaki Noguchi
  • Patent number: 8658107
    Abstract: An isolator includes a work chamber, a sterilizing substance supply unit, a gas flow channel pressure adjustment unit, a work chamber barometer, and a controller. The controller is configured to control execution of a gas flow channel leak test for checking a gas leak in a gas flow channel based on a detection result by the work chamber barometer after making the gas flow channel pressure adjustment unit increase or decrease the pressure in the gas flow channel, and is configured to control supply of the sterilizing substance by the sterilizing substance supply unit. The controller performs heating of a heater, which accompanies the supply of the sterilizing substance, in parallel with the gas flow channel leak test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Healthcare Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Yokoi, Jiro Ohnishi, Akifumi Iwama, Masaki Harada, Yoshiaki Noguchi
  • Publication number: 20130336844
    Abstract: An isolator includes: a contamination-target chamber including an inlet and outlet having intake and discharge filters, respectively; and a decontaminating-gas-supply unit to supply decontaminating gas into the chamber without flowing through the filters, the unit including: an atomizer including first and second ports and a nozzle; a first pipe having one and the other ends connected to a compressor and the first port, respectively; a second pipe having one end connected to the second port and the other end open; a reservoir; a pump to take in decontamination solution from the reservoir; and a third pipe, having one end connected to the pump, thorough which the solution flows, the atomizer configured to, when injecting from the nozzle intake air from the first port, suction the solution, via the second pipe, by negative pressure produced in the second port; and inject the solution in an atomized state, mixing it with air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: PANASONIC HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Yokoi, Koichi Kobayashi, Hiroshi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20120273047
    Abstract: An isolator capable of having a culture apparatus demountably mounted thereto, the isolator includes: a working chamber; a storage chamber; a first opening configured to allow a culture chamber of the culture apparatus and the working chamber to communicate with each other, when the culture apparatus has been mounted; a second opening configured to allow the working chamber and the storage chamber to communicate with each other; a first door configured to close the second opening so as to hermetically seal the storage chamber; and a temperature adjusting device configured to, when culture taken out of the culture chamber has been stored in the storage chamber, and the storage chamber has been hermetically sealed, and thereafter the culture apparatus has been demounted, adjust temperature of the culture stored in the storage chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Yokoi, Koichi Kobayashi, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Hiroki Busujima
  • Publication number: 20120275967
    Abstract: An isolator includes: a chamber to be decontaminated including an inlet and an outlet provided with intake and discharge filters, respectively; first and second flow paths through which outside air is taken into the chamber and gas in the chamber is discharged via the intake and discharge filters, respectively; a first blower to take in the outside air to the chamber through the first flow path, and produce an air current to discharge the gas through the second flow path; a decontaminating-gas-supply unit to supply decontaminating gas into the chamber without flowing through the intake and discharge filters; a third flow path to connect the intake and discharge filters at an exterior of the chamber; and a second blower to produce an air current to circulate the gas through the intake and discharge filters and third flow path, when the decontaminating gas is supplied to the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Yokoi, Koichi Kobayashi, Hiroshi Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20120275965
    Abstract: An isolator includes: a chamber to be decontaminated including an inlet provided with an intake filter and an outlet provided with a discharge filter; a first flow path through which outside air is taken into the chamber via the intake filter; a second flow path through which gas in the chamber is discharged via the discharge filter; a blower configured to take in the outside air to the chamber through the first flow path, as well as produce an air current to discharge the gas in the chamber through the second flow path; a decontaminating gas supply unit configured to supply decontaminating gas into the chamber without flowing through the intake filter and the discharge filter; and a third flow path through which the gas in the chamber is discharged via the intake filter when the decontaminating gas is supplied into the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Yokoi, Koichi Kobayashi, Hiroshi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8147771
    Abstract: A sterilizing material supply apparatus has a sterilizing material gas generator including a mist generation unit and a vaporizing unit. In the mist generation unit, hydrogen peroxide solution in a cup is converted into a mist by ultrasonic vibration generated by an ultrasonic vibrator. The hydrogen peroxide solution which has been turned into the mist is heated by a heater in the vaporizing unit so as to be gasified. The gasified hydrogen peroxide solution is supplied to a workroom of an isolator as a sterilizing gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Yokoi, Jiro Ohnishi, Akifumi Iwama, Masaki Harada, Yoshiaki Noguchi
  • Publication number: 20110212513
    Abstract: An isolator for cultivating cells including a working chamber having a plurality of gloves arranged side by side into which operator's hands are inserted to operate cells, the working chamber being sectioned into at least an operation area for operating the cells, and an auxiliary working area for opening a packaged auxiliary instrument used to operate the cells, a gas supply unit that supplies gas into the working chamber so that the gas flows downwardly from an upper side in the working chamber, and a gas flow control unit for controlling the flow of the downwardly flowing gas so that the gas flows from the operation area to the auxiliary working area around the gloves, wherein the gas flow control unit has an exhaust hole portion that has an opened area for passing the gas therethrough and is provided at a lower portion of at least the auxiliary working area, and through which the gas in the auxiliary working area is exhausted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Yasuhiko YOKOI, Akifumi Iwama, Shinji Fukui, Atsushi Nakao, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Jirou Ohnishi, Hironobu Sunayama, Kanjun Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20110189765
    Abstract: An incubator including a cultivating chamber for cultivating cultures, a water supply control unit for supplying water into the cultivating chamber through a water supply passage and adjusting the humidity of the inside of the cultivating chamber, and a filter provided in the water supply passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Fukui, Yasuhiko Yokoi, Akifumi Iwama, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Jirou Ohnishi
  • Patent number: 7923242
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a simple microorganism detection apparatus that reduces detection time and that provides improved detection sensitivity, especially for gram-negative bacteria. The microorganism detection apparatus of the present invention includes: a detection target introduction portion, into which a sample and reagents are to be introduced; a detector, for detecting the color tone of the reagent introduced into the detection target introduction portion; a sample holder, for holding the sample to be introduced into the detection target introduction portion; a culture solution holder, for holding a culture solution used for microorganism culturing; and reagent holders, for holding the reagents to be introduced into the detection target introduction portion, wherein the presence/absence of microorganisms in the sample is determined based on the detected color tone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eiji Kono, Hironobu Sekine, Yasuhiko Yokoi, Akihumi Iwama
  • Publication number: 20110058986
    Abstract: An isolator includes a work chamber, a sterilizing substance supply unit, a gas flow channel pressure adjustment unit, a work chamber barometer, and a controller. The controller is configured to control execution of a gas flow channel leak test for checking a gas leak in a gas flow channel based on a detection result by the work chamber barometer after making the gas flow channel pressure adjustment unit increase or decrease the pressure in the gas flow channel, and is configured to control supply of the sterilizing substance by the sterilizing substance supply unit. The controller performs heating of a heater, which accompanies the supply of the sterilizing substance, in parallel with the gas flow channel leak test.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Yokoi, Jiro Ohnishi, Akifumi Iwama, Masaki Harada, Yoshiaki Noguchi
  • Publication number: 20110027131
    Abstract: A sterile-substance-supplying apparatus comprising: an atomization unit including a reservoir unit to reserve hydrogen peroxide, and an ultrasound vibrator to impart ultrasound vibration to the reserved hydrogen peroxide to be atomized; an evaporation unit, provided above the reservoir unit, that heats the atomized hydrogen peroxide to be evaporated; a connecting member connecting the evaporation unit and the atomization unit to each other; a hydrogen-peroxide-supply port to allow the hydrogen peroxide to be supplied to the reservoir unit; a carrier-gas-supply port, provided at the connecting member, that allows carrier gas for allowing the atomized hydrogen peroxide to flow to the evaporation unit to be supplied; and a container portion to reserve a substance for transmitting the ultrasound vibration generated by the ultrasound vibrator, and a metal vibrating plate, provided at a bottom portion of the reservoir unit, that transmits to the hydrogen peroxide the ultrasound vibration transmitted through the sub
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Yokoi, Jiro Ohnishi, Shinji Fukui, Akifumi Iwama, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Masaki Harada, Tatsuya Hirose
  • Publication number: 20110027146
    Abstract: A sterilizer is connectable to an external chamber. A sterilization gas generator is configured to generate sterilization gas. A gas supply system including a first gas supply system which is configured to supply the sterilization gas from the sterilization gas generator to a sterilization chamber; and a second gas supply system which is different from the first gas supply system and configured to supply the sterilization gas from the sterilization gas generator to the external chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventors: Yasuhiko YOKOI, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Atsushi Nakao, Jiro Ohnishi, Shinji Fukui, Akifumi Iwama, Masaki Harada, Yoshiaki Sugimura, Katsuya Hirai
  • Publication number: 20100196216
    Abstract: A sterilizing material supply apparatus has a sterilizing material gas generator including a mist generation unit and a vaporizing unit. In the mist generation unit, hydrogen peroxide solution in a cup is converted into a mist by ultrasonic vibration generated by an ultrasonic vibrator. The hydrogen peroxide solution which has been turned into the mist is heated by a heater in the vaporizing unit so as to be gasified. The gasified hydrogen peroxide solution is supplied to a workroom of an isolator as a sterilizing gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Inventors: Yasuhiko YOKOI, Jiro Ohnishi, Akifumi Iwama, Masaki Harada, Yoshiaki Noguchi
  • Publication number: 20100189607
    Abstract: An isolator includes a workroom having a first sterilizing material supply port, a first sterilizing material discharge port, a first gas supply port and a first gas discharge port, a sterilization chamber having a second sterilizing material supply port, a second sterilizing material discharge port, a second gas supply port and a second gas discharge port, a sterilizing material supply unit, a first sterilizing material supply path connecting the sterilizing material supply unit to the first sterilizing material supply port, a second sterilizing material supply path connecting the sterilizing material supply unit to the second sterilizing material supply port, a first circulating path connecting the first sterilizing material discharge port to the sterilizing material supply unit, a second circulating path connecting the second sterilizing material discharge port to the sterilizing material supply unit, a first gas supply path, a second gas supply path, a first gas discharge path, a second gas discharge path
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Yokoi, Jiro Ohnishi, Shinji Fukui, Akifumi Iwama