Abstract: A first drive unit, in a state where a top end of a tubular joint is interposed into a chest of a target person and is located at a lower heart part, pushes a diaphragm out from the top end of the tubular joint while pressing a gas into the diaphragm, and simultaneously causes the diaphragm to start flexing to cover and wrap the lower heart part, and then stops pressing the gas into the diaphragm at a time point where compression balloons are positioned at atriums and ventricles of a heart, respectively; and second drive units support a pumping function of the heart by alternately repeating an ejecting operation to fill each of the compression balloons with a fluid and cause each compression balloon to expand and an absorbing operation to cause each compression balloon to discharge the fluid and contract.

Abstract: Proposed are a functional improvement evaluation apparatus and a nerve cell culture apparatus of model animals capable of performing feedback control, even to mammalian model animals, based on biosignals in the same manner has humans based on a relatively simple configuration.

Abstract: An artificial leg motion assisting apparatus and an artificial leg motion assisting method which are capable of transmitting knee joint motive power to a commercially-available trans-femoral prosthesis without making a wearer feel a sense of discomfort. When the artificial leg motion assisting apparatus is attached to the commercially-available trans-femoral prosthesis, a control unit controls a drive unit by a specified control method on the basis of mechanical impedance adjusted by an impedance adjustment unit and transmits output of the drive unit to a knee joint coupling.

Abstract: A walking training system and walking training machine capable of remarkably enhancing the effect of improving an independent walking function are proposed. When a subject having a lower limb functional disorder performs walking training, the degree of dependency on upper limbs can be evaluated by enabling the subject to recognize transitional reductions of a load on a holding part(s) by feeding back the transitional reductions of the load as a sense to feel them.

Abstract: A wearable gait detection device, a walking ability improvement system and a wearable gait detection system detect manifestation in a brain based on the wearer's gait and preventive measures. A load measurement part measures a load of a sole of the wearer's feet, a foot movement detection part at the shoes detects acceleration and/or angular velocity during feet movement, a centroid position calculation part calculates a centroid position of the feet based on changes in measured load, a movement locus calculation part calculates a movement locus of the feet based on acceleration and/or angular velocity detected by the foot movement detection part, a manifestation recognition part recognizes manifestation in the brain according to a specificity of centroid fluctuation of the feet based on the calculated centroid position and movement locus of the feet, and a sensory output part feeds back a sensation to the wearer based on a recognition result.

Abstract: A physiological state evaluation apparatus contacts an external auditory pore when mounted in a subject's auricle. The evaluation apparatus: collects sound vibrations generated from a larynx and a pharynx via a cartilage region of the external auditory pore; optically detects a pulsatory motion of blood through blood vessels and measures pulse rate and blood oxygen saturation, on the basis of a change in optical intensity caused by the pulsatory motion; detects brain waves and eye movements using a pair of conductive electrodes for detecting electric potentials of right and left external auditory pore surfaces; detects, sound quality, number of times, tidal volume, and rhythm of the subject's breaths on the basis of the acoustic signal; and evaluates a health condition of the subject while sleeping on the basis of the respiratory condition, the pulse rate and the blood oxygen saturation, and the brain waves and the eye movements.

Abstract: A photoacoustic imaging apparatus comprises: a light emitting unit emitting pulsed light with a wavelength absorbed inside a subject; a thin, flexible film applied to a skin surface of the subject to make the pulsed light transmit it and reflects the light on its outer surface at the same time; a multi-directional light emitting unit emitting a plurality of visible light beams from multi-directions to the outer surface of the thin film; a micro-vibration detection unit detects, on the basis of diffraction and/or interference of a plurality of reflected light obtained from the outer surface of the thin film, a state of causing micro-vibrations of the thin film as the photoacoustic waves generated from the light absorber collide against an inner backside of the thin film; and a shape image transformation unit that produces the images of a shape of the light absorber as detected by the micro-vibration detection unit.

Abstract: Provided are a mobility and a mobility system which enable a person who requires nursing care with a deteriorated bodily function or cognitive function to lead a life with greater independence. The drive and travel of the mobility by the travel drive unit are controlled by adjusting the current travel state of the mobility to an optimal travel state for ensuring safety while reflecting the user's intention based on the current operation instruction detected by the operation unit, the command signal generated by the voluntary control unit, the travel environment sensed by the environment sensing unit, and the respective types of environmental information acquired by the information acquisition unit.

Abstract: Provided are an object identification device and an object identification method in which objects can be easily identified. The object identification device is provided with a pixel group extraction unit which scans, in units of the image area, an X-ray transferred image obtained from an imaging unit which performs X-ray imaging to an item to be inspected that is supplied, and extracts a plurality of pixel groups including characteristics of a shape of at least a part of the item to be inspected, and a determination unit which determines, with regard to the plurality of pixel groups extracted by the pixel group extraction unit, whether the item to be inspected corresponds to the object by executing all of the series of mappings related to an angle of an n direction by using each of the weight parameters based on the data group read from the memory unit.

Abstract: An upper limb motion support apparatus and an upper limb motion support system which are capable of significantly improving the enhancement of an operator's work efficiency and the reduction of their workload are proposed. A controller which causes an articulated arm and an end effector to perform three-dimensional motion according to the operator's intention based on a biological signal acquired by a biological signal detection unit causes the articulated arm and the end effector to perform cooperative motion in conjunction with the operator's upper limb motion by referring to content recognized by an upper limb motion recognition unit.

Abstract: A motion assisting apparatus comprises a multijoint structure having links in series rotatably connected in a relative manner, the links being integrally deformed in a bendable manner, a linear member inserted through each of the links, wherein one end is fixed to the link in front and another end is elongated via the link in rear, a sliding/holding part which fixes an elongated portion of the linear member, and slidably guides the rear link in a connecting direction between each of the links, a drive unit which drives the rear link to slide toward the sliding/holding part and causes the multijoint structure, through which the linear member has been inserted, to engage in an extending or flexing motion, and a control unit which drive-controls the drive unit so that a sliding direction, a sliding speed and a sliding position of the rear link will become an intended state.

Abstract: A walking training system and walking training machine capable of remarkably enhancing the effect of improving an independent walking function are proposed. When a subject having a lower limb functional disorder performs walking training, the degree of dependency on upper limbs can be evaluated by enabling the subject to recognize transitional reductions of a load on a holding part(s) by feeding back the transitional reductions of the load as a sense to feel them.

Abstract: Provided is a walking aid device capable of easily offering walking training by aiding the oscillation of the user's pelvis. The walking aid device comprises a drive part which supports each of at least two or more locations of the user's lumbar region, and applies external force independently to each of the supported locations; a gait recognition unit which recognizes the user's gait; and a control unit which sets the user's ideal walking motion pattern based on a recognition result of the gait recognition unit, and controls the external force applied by the drive part to each of the locations of the lumbar region so that the user's pelvis position within the lumbar region will oscillate to match the walking motion pattern.

Abstract: A gait disorder support apparatus and gait disorder support method capable of detecting an onset sign of a gait disorder associated with motor symptoms in advance and performing motion assist are proposed. The onset sign of the gait disorder associated with the motor symptoms of a wearer is detected based on the correlation between a gait cycle and a reduction ratio of the gait cycle as compared to immediately preceding gait; and when the onset sign of the gait disorder is detected, a drive unit is controlled so that the drive unit applies assist power to a knee joint of the wearer; and on the other hand, when the onset sign of the gait disorder is not detected, the drive unit is controlled so that driving torque by the drive unit does not hinder the wearer's gait motion.

Abstract: An artificial leg motion assisting apparatus and an artificial leg motion assisting method which are capable of transmitting knee joint motive power to a commercially-available trans-femoral prosthesis without making a wearer feel a sense of discomfort. When the artificial leg motion assisting apparatus is attached to the commercially-available trans-femoral prosthesis, a control unit controls a drive unit by a specified control method on the basis of mechanical impedance adjusted by an impedance adjustment unit and transmits output of the drive unit to a knee joint coupling.

Abstract: There is provided a motion reproducing system and a motion reproducing apparatus that store human motions and reproduce them. The motion reproducing system includes a data acquiring apparatus acquiring body motion data representing a motion of a subject during the motion, and transmitting the body motion data, a data managing apparatus receiving the body motion data from the data acquiring apparatus, the data managing apparatus including a memory storing the body motion data, and a motion reproducing apparatus receiving the body motion data stored in the memory from the data managing apparatus, and allowing a reproducer to reproduce the motion of the subject using the body motion data, the motion being performed at the time of acquisition of the body motion data.

Abstract: Noninvasive natural healing in daily life or regenerative cell treatment can be promoted. A knee joint model is constructed by three-dimensionally analyzing measurement data obtained by measuring an outline shape and internal space shape of a knee joint part of a subject; a transition state towards an orthotic direction for a symptom improvement of the knee joint part is simulated continuously or stepwisely with reference to the knee joint model; and an exoskeleton mold capable of continuously or stepwisely finely adjusting the knee joint part towards the orthotic direction is designed based on the transition state.

Abstract: Provided are a mobility and a mobility system which enable a person who requires nursing care with a deteriorated bodily function or cognitive function to lead a life with greater independence. The drive and travel of the mobility by the travel drive unit are controlled by adjusting the current travel state of the mobility to an optimal travel state for ensuring safety while reflecting the user's intention based on the current operation instruction detected by the operation unit, the command signal generated by the voluntary control unit, the travel environment sensed by the environment sensing unit, and the respective types of environmental information acquired by the information acquisition unit.

Abstract: A biological activity detection apparatus includes: a drive unit that actively or passively drives in conjunction with a limb motion of a subject; a periarticular detection unit that detects a periarticular physical quantity around a joint in association with the limb motion of the subject based on an output signal from the drive unit; a biological signal detection unit located at a body surface site of the subject with reference to the joint and includes an electrode group for detecting a biological signal of the subject, wherein an activity status of a musculoskeletal system and/or a transmission status of a peripheral nervous system around the joint are converted into quantitative musculoskeletal system data and/or nervous system data on the basis of the physical quantity acquired from the periarticular detection unit and a myogenic potential signal and a neural transmission signal which are acquired from the biological signal processing unit.

Abstract: Proposed are a three-dimensional structuring method of cells and a three-dimensional structuring system of cells capable of efficiently bonding multiple cell clusters in a three-dimensional direction, pursuant to their growth, while ensuring safety. A plurality of fibers, in which one end of each of the fibers is held by a flat plate, are inserted together with the flat plate into a flow path through which a culture solution is supplied, a plurality of cell clusters are placed in the flow path upon causing the cell clusters to run with a liquid flow of the culture solution, and each of the cell clusters is cultured by being stacked on an outer surface of each of the fibers with the flat plate as a growth origin.