Abstract: The electricity storage device control circuit includes a voltage detector and a voltage controller. The voltage detector is configured to detect voltages of a plurality of electricity storage devices. The voltage controller is configured to individually control the voltages of the plurality of electricity storage devices by performing, based on a detection result by the voltage detector, at least one of discharging or charging of electrostatic energy stored in the plurality of electricity storage devices.

Abstract: A guide tube includes: a tube that includes a first opening arranged at a distal end; a first lumen configured to communicate with the first opening; a second opening that is arranged on an outer circumference on a proximal end side relative to the first opening; and a second lumen configured to communicate with the second opening; and a cover that is arranged on a distal end side relative to the first opening and that is arranged in a first direction when viewed from the first opening, the first direction being a direction that goes from the first lumen to the second lumen in a cross section perpendicular to a central axis of the tube.

Abstract: A keyboard switch includes a key top movable vertically on receiving a depressing force, a plunger engaged with a lower portion of the key top and movable vertically with the key top, a cup rubber disposed under the plunger and supporting the plunger from below, a housing arranged on an outer peripheral side of the plunger and cup rubber, a plate supported on the housing and extending laterally, and a spacer interposed between the plate and key top. The spacer is removably mounted onto the keyboard.

Abstract: An endoscope includes: a rigid insertion portion inserted into a subject; an image sensor provided at a distal end of the insertion portion and configured to acquire an image of the subject; a rigid channel provided in the insertion portion, extended to be inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of the insertion portion, and having a tubular shape into which a long member is inserted; and a signal cable including signal lines extended from the image sensor to transmit a signal acquired by the image sensor, and formed by winding a portion around an outer circumference of the channel at least one turn, wherein an arrangement of the channel and the signal cable at a first end side of the insertion portion is different from an arrangement of the channel and the signal cable at a second end side of the insertion portion.

Abstract: An endoscope includes: an insertion portion configured to be inserted into a subject; an image sensor configured to acquire an image of the subject; a distal end constituting portion that includes a mounting portion having a hole shape and used for mounting the image sensor, and two communication portions for allowing the mounting portion to communicate with outside of the distal end constituting portion; a signal cable that includes two signal line groups, the signal line groups including a plurality of signal lines configured to transmit signals acquired by the image sensor; a channel that is inserted into a space formed by the two signal line groups of the signal cable, and that allows an elongated member to be inserted in the channel; and a tubular portion that has a tubular shape and allows the signal cable and the channel to be inserted in the tubular portion.

Abstract: A biopsy needle includes: an outer needle including a first needle tip; an inner needle including a second needle tip, an inclined surface, and a notch portion; and a moving mechanism configured such that a maximum distance by which the outer needle is slidable in a distal end direction is set to be longer than a maximum distance by which the inner needle is slidable in the distal end direction such that the outer needle and the inner needle switch between a first state, in which the second needle tip is positioned closer to a distal end than the first needle tip, and a second state, in which a position of the first needle tip is located closer to the distal end than a proximal end of the inclined surface and a distance between the first needle tip and the second needle tip is shorter than a distance between the first needle tip and the second needle tip in the first state.

Abstract: A biopsy needle includes an outer needle being tubular and having a first needle tip at one end of the outer needle in a longitudinal direction, and an inner needle having a pillar shape and configured to be inserted into and movable in the outer needle in the longitudinal direction of the outer needle. The inner needle includes: a distal end portion having a second needle tip at a distal end of the inner needle and having an inclined surface inclined toward the second needle tip at the distal end; a notch portion having a notch on a side surface closer to a proximal end side of the inner needle than the inclined surface to collect body tissues; and a guide portion leading from the distal end portion to the notch portion.

Abstract: A biopsy needle includes: a tubular outer needle including a first needle tip at one end in a longitudinal direction of the outer needle; and an inner needle having a columnar shape and configured to be inserted into the outer needle and movable along the longitudinal direction. The inner needle includes: a second needle tip at a distal end of the inner needle; an inclined surface that is inclined toward the second needle tip; and concave portions provided on first and second side surfaces of the inner needle, the first side surface facing a first direction perpendicular to a cross section parallel to the longitudinal direction, the second side surface facing a second direction opposite to the first direction, a part of the inclined surface being included in an area obtained by projecting the concave portions in a direction parallel to a transverse direction of the inner needle.

Abstract: Power supply stand output to the portable device is adjusted according to the power adjustment signals. Maximum power supply stand output is limited to a power output threshold value. The portable device compares the power received from the power supply stand to the required power. When the received power is lower than the required power, the portable device sends a power adjustment signal to the power supply stand, which is an increase-power-request signal. When the received power is greater than the required power, the portable device sends a decrease-power-request signal to the power supply stand. The power supply stand adjusts output and limits it to the power output threshold value. When continuous output of increase-power-request signals from the portable device is detected over a preset time period, a foreign object is determined to be on the power supply stand.

Abstract: A non-contact charging method, in which a battery-powered device is set down on a charging platform, a power receiving coil in the battery-powered device is electromagnetically coupled to a power transmission coil in the charging platform, power is transmitted from the power transmission coil to the power receiving coil by electromagnetic induction, and a battery (52) in the battery-powered device is charged. The charging current of the battery is detected on the battery-powered device side, the transmission efficiency is detected from the detected charging current, the detected transmission efficiency is compared to an efficiency threshold value, it is determined that a foreign object is on the charging platform when the detected charging efficiency is less than the efficiency threshold value and it is determined that a foreign object is not on the charging platform when the detected charging efficiency is greater than the efficiency threshold value.

Abstract: An IBAD apparatus includes, a target, a sputter ion source irradiating the target with sputter ions to sputter some of constituent particles of the target, a film formation region in which a base material for depositing thereon the particles sputtered from the target is disposed, and an assist ion beam irradiation device irradiating assist ion beams from a direction oblique to the direction of a normal of the film formation surface of the base material disposed in the film formation region, where the sputter ion source includes a plurality of ion guns arranged so as to be able to irradiate the target from an end portion on one side to an end portion on the other side with sputter ion beams, and current values for generating the sputter ion beams of the plurality of ion guns are set respectively.

Abstract: Power supply stand output to the portable device is adjusted according to the power adjustment signals. Maximum power supply stand output is limited to a power output threshold value. The portable device compares the power received from the power supply stand to the required power. When the received power is lower than the required power, the portable device sends a power adjustment signal to the power supply stand, which is an increase-power-request signal. When the received power is greater than the required power, the portable device sends a decrease-power-request signal to the power supply stand. The power supply stand adjusts output and limits it to the power output threshold value. When continuous output of increase-power-request signals from the portable device is detected over a preset time period, a foreign object is determined to be on the power supply stand.

Abstract: A method of forming an underlying layer of an alignment film for an oxide superconducting conductor, includes arranging two or more kinds of targets along a lengthwise direction of a base material so as to face a surface of the base material; simultaneously irradiating an ion beam on surfaces of the two or more kinds of targets to deposit constituent particles of the targets on the surface of the base material in the order of the arrangement of the two or more kinds of targets; and forming a laminate in which two or more kinds of thin films are repeatedly laminated on the surface of the base material by passing the base material through a deposition region of the constituent particles a plurality of times so that the constituent particles of the targets are repeatedly deposited on the surface of the base material at each passage.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus outputs an output image by synthesizing a first image obtained by shooting, a second image obtained by shooting with an exposure time longer than the exposure time of the first image, and a third image obtained by reducing noise in the first image. The image processing apparatus has a noise reduction processing control portion which controls the contents of image processing for obtaining the third image from the first image according to the noise level in the first image.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a polycrystalline thin film which includes an intermediate layer that is made thinner while keeping high crystal orientation so as to prevent warpage of a substrate resulting from internal stress of the film. A polycrystalline thin film according to the invention includes an intermediate layer formed by a first layer and a second layer laminated in this order and provided on a metal substrate. The first layer has a rock-salt crystal structure and the second layer has a fluorite crystal structure.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus that includes an image sensing portion outputting the image data of an image by shooting and that generates an output image based on the output data of the image sensing portion obtained in response to a predetermined shooting command has: a first correction portion which, based on the image data of a first image shot by the image sensing portion and the image data of a second image shot by the image sensing portion with an exposure time longer than the exposure time of the first image, performs position adjustment between the first and second images and then synthesizes the first and second images to generate the output image; a second correction portion which generates the output image by reducing noise in the first image without using the second image; and a correction control portion which executes selection processing to alternatively select one of the first and second correction portions based on a shooting condition set for shooting of the second image or based on the output

Abstract: An IBAD apparatus includes, a target, a sputter ion source irradiating the target with sputter ions to sputter some of constituent particles of the target, a film formation region in which a base material for depositing thereon the particles sputtered from the target is disposed, and an assist ion beam irradiation device irradiating assist ion beams from a direction oblique to the direction of a normal of the film formation surface of the base material disposed in the film formation region, where the sputter ion source includes a plurality of ion guns arranged so as to be able to irradiate the target from an end portion on one side to an end portion on the other side with sputter ion beams, and current values for generating the sputter ion beams of the plurality of ion guns are set respectively.

Abstract: A method of forming an underlying layer of an alignment film for an oxide superconducting conductor, includes arranging two or more kinds of targets along a lengthwise direction of a base material so as to face a surface of the base material; simultaneously irradiating an ion beam on surfaces of the two or more kinds of targets to deposit constituent particles of the targets on the surface of the base material in the order of the arrangement of the two or more kinds of targets; and forming a laminate in which two or more kinds of thin films are repeatedly laminated on the surface of the base material by passing the base material through a deposition region of the constituent particles a plurality of times so that the constituent particles of the targets are repeatedly deposited on the surface of the base material at each passage.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus senses first and second images, and produces a merged image by merging the first and second images together. An exposure time for the second image is longer than an exposure time for the first image. By sensing the first image before the second image, the first image is prevented from being sensed during a camera-shake-increase period starting a long time after the input of a image-sensing-start instruction. Also, by waiting for an image-sensing standby time to elapse before sensing the first image, the first image can be sensed during a period of a particularly small camera shake.

Abstract: An image reproducing apparatus includes a reproduction control unit which selects n out of given m input images as n output images by evaluating similarity among different input images of the m input images, and outputs the n output images onto a reproduction medium (m is an integer of two or larger, n is an integer of one or larger, and m>n holds).