Patents by Inventor Yukihiro Higuchi

Yukihiro Higuchi 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: 20220386864
    Abstract: An OCT apparatus processes an OCT signal based on reference light and measurement light with which a subject eye is irradiated to capture a tomographic image of a tissue of the subject eye. The OCT apparatus includes a controller. The controller captures a three-dimensional tomographic image of the tissue by irradiating a two-dimensional measurement region, which expands in a direction intersecting an optical axis of the measurement light, with the measurement light. The controller extracts a two-dimensional tomographic image from the three-dimensional tomographic image to display the two-dimensional tomographic image on a display unit. The controller sets an additional imaging position of a tomographic image in a state where the two-dimensional tomographic image is displayed on the display unit. The controller performs additional capturing of a tomographic image by irradiating the set additional imaging position with the measurement light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yukihiro HIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 11510568
    Abstract: A fundus imaging apparatus includes an imaging optical system that irradiates a fundus of a subject eye with light through an objective lens system, and enables to capture a fundus image of the subject eye based on return light from the subject eye, and a diopter correction unit that includes an optical element disposed on an optical path of the imaging optical system and a drive unit driving the optical element, and performs a diopter correction with a diopter value corresponding to a drive amount of the optical element. A drive range of the optical element in the diopter correction unit is set to avoid a specific range being a range in which an artifact caused by reflection light in the objective lens system is maximized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinya Iwata, Megumi Tsuchiya, Yukihiro Higuchi
  • Patent number: 11478147
    Abstract: An optometry system for examining a subject eye of an examinee includes an optometry device for examining the subject eye, an imaging unit that captures an image of an examination room including the examinee and the optometry device, and a remote operation unit that includes a display unit which displays an operation screen for operating the optometry device and an captured image captured by the imaging unit, and a display control unit which controls display of the display unit to display the operation screen and the captured image on the display unit. The remote operation unit enables an examiner to observe the captured image displayed on the display unit to guide the examinee to an examination position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yukihiro Higuchi
  • Publication number: 20220322932
    Abstract: An OCT device includes an OCT optical system and a controller that also serves as an image processor. The controller acquires the OCT data of the fundus by processing the spectral interference signal output from the OCT optical system. In addition, the controller adjusts the position of the high accuracy region, which is the depth region where relatively high accuracy OCT data is obtained, by controlling the OCT optical system in accordance with the curvature level of the fundus image in the photographing range of the OCT data. This makes it possible to acquire good OCT data regardless of the curvature level of the fundus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ai TAKAYA, Norimasa SATAKE, Yukihiro HIGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220319052
    Abstract: This invention stores necessary OCT data and reduces unnecessary OCT data. The OCT device includes: an OCT optical system that captures an image of a subject eye in accordance with a measurement action; a data obtaining section that obtains OCT data; a subject data determining section that determines non-reduction-subject data or reducing process section; a reducing process section that reduces a data amount of the reduction subject data or delete the reduction subject data; and a storage executing section that stores the non-reduction-subject data and after-reduction data in a storage section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Hisanari TORII, Kenshiro FUJIU, Ryosuke SHIBA, Yukihiro HIGUCHI, Tetsuya KANO, Junpei NISHIYAMA, Kenji NAKAMURA, Norimasa SATAKE
  • Publication number: 20220000361
    Abstract: There are provided an ophthalmologic information analysis apparatus and an ophthalmologic information analysis program capable of efficiently performing follow-up observation of a subject eye. There is provided: a central processing unit configured to: acquire first analysis data obtained by analyzing an analysis region of the subject eye in first OCT data including the analysis region; acquire second OCT data captured on a day different from that of the first OCT data; perform an analysis comprising: specifying the analysis region corresponding to the first analysis data from the second OCT data; and acquiring second analysis data obtained by analyzing the analysis region in the second OCT data; and control a display to display the first analysis data and the second analysis data in a comparable manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryosuke SHIBA, Tetsuya KANO, Yukihiro HIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 11071452
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an optical coherence tomography (OCT) including: an OCT device, an OCT calculation method, and an OCT calculation program, enabling correlation between images to be easily performed; more specifically it relates to a case where a functional OCT image such as a motion contrast is acquired by using the OCT; acquiring the functional OCT image through a calculation process of an OCT signal is a time-consuming process, for this reason, a long time elapses until the point that a functional OCT image can be observed after OCT imaging is completed, and thus this causes stress to a subject and an examiner; the present disclosure provides an OCT device, an OCT calculation method, and an OCT calculation program, enabling a functional OCT image to be rapidly acquired and enables an examiner to easily perform diagnosis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norimasa Satake, Yukihiro Higuchi, Yuji Murase, Yasuhiro Furuuchi, Hajime Namiki, Naoki Isogai, Masaaki Hanebuchi, Naoki Takeno
  • Patent number: 11019993
    Abstract: An OCT data processing device includes a processor that performs acquiring three-dimensional OCT data. The three-dimensional OCT data is OCT data of a tissue of a subject's eye acquired by an OCT device and is obtained by irradiating measurement light on a two-dimensional measurement region. The two-dimensional measurement region extends in a direction intersecting an optical axis of the measurement light. The processor further preforms setting a line pattern, from among a plurality of types of line pattern, with respect to the two-dimensional measurement region for which the three-dimensional OCT data is obtained, at least one of an arrangement, a number, or a shape of one or more lines being different for the plurality of types of line pattern, and extracting, from the three-dimensional OCT data, a two-dimensional tomographic image of a cross section intersecting each of the one or more lines of the set line pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yukihiro Higuchi, Tetsuya Kano, Ryosuke Shiba
  • Publication number: 20210093186
    Abstract: Provided are ophthalmologic image processing method, including an acquisition step of acquiring OCT data of an eye to be examined based on a spectral interference signal output from an OCT optical system, a setting step of setting a depth region including an image position of a tissue as an extraction region for data on one-direction side from a zero delay position in the OCT data, and a display control step of extracting extracted OCT data corresponding to the extraction region from the OCT data and displaying the extracted OCT data in a display region set in advance on a monitor, and an OCT apparatus that executes the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Shiba, Yukihiro Higuchi, Shinya Iwata, Junpei Nishiyama, Hideki Aono, Hirofumi Yogo
  • Publication number: 20200288974
    Abstract: A fundus imaging apparatus includes an imaging optical system that irradiates a fundus of a subject eye with light through an objective lens system, and enables to capture a fundus image of the subject eye based on return light from the subject eye, and a diopter correction unit that includes an optical element disposed on an optical path of the imaging optical system and a drive unit driving the optical element, and performs a diopter correction with a diopter value corresponding to a drive amount of the optical element. A drive range of the optical element in the diopter correction unit is set to avoid a specific range being a range in which an artifact caused by reflection light in the objective lens system is maximized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Applicant: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinya Iwata, Megumi Tsuchiya, Yukihiro Higuchi
  • Patent number: 10674909
    Abstract: An ophthalmic analysis apparatus for analyzing OCT motion contrast (MC) image data of a subject's eye acquired using an OCT apparatus for ophthalmology includes analysis process means for analyzing the OCT MC image data, in which the analysis process means generates OCT blood vessel change data including temporal change information in relation to a blood vessel region of the subject's eye based on first OCT MC image data and second OCT MC image data acquired at mutually different times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kano, Norimasa Satake, Yukihiro Higuchi, Yasuhiro Furuuchi
  • Publication number: 20200170506
    Abstract: An optometry system for examining a subject eye of an examinee includes an optometry device for examining the subject eye, an imaging unit that captures an image of an examination room including the examinee and the optometry device, and a remote operation unit that includes a display unit which displays an operation screen for operating the optometry device and an captured image captured by the imaging unit, and a display control unit which controls display of the display unit to display the operation screen and the captured image on the display unit. The remote operation unit enables an examiner to observe the captured image displayed on the display unit to guide the examinee to an examination position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicant: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yukihiro HIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 10634162
    Abstract: An axial fan comprises an impeller. The impeller comprises a hub and a plurality of blades disposed on an outer circumference of the hub. A pressure surface of each of the blades is at least partially a convex surface bulging from a suction surface side to a pressure surface side. The convex surface is provided within a predetermined region of the pressure surface of the blade on a hub side. The predetermined region is arranged as part of a radial width of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
    Inventors: Tomoyoshi Sasajima, Yukihiro Higuchi, Naoya Murakami, Koichi Takeda
  • Patent number: 10582850
    Abstract: An OCT motion contrast data acquisition method using an optical coherence tomography device includes: controlling an optical scanner for scanning measurement light on a test subject; performing a first scanning control for obtaining a first OCT signal group including at least four temporally different OCT signals at a same scanning position; performing a second scanning control for obtaining a second OCT signal group including at least four temporally different OCT signals at the same scanning position; obtaining first motion contrast data based on the first OCT signal group obtained in the first scanning control; obtaining second motion contrast data based on the second OCT signal group obtained in the second scanning control; and obtaining third motion contrast data based on the first motion contrast data and the second motion contrast data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norimasa Satake, Yukihiro Higuchi
  • Patent number: 10492682
    Abstract: An ophthalmic analysis device for analyzing OCT motion contrast data including blood vessel information of a subject eye acquired by an ophthalmic OCT, includes: a processor; and memory storing computer readable program, when executed by the processor, causing the ophthalmic analysis device to execute: an analysis process of analyzing the OCT motion contrast data to acquire a measurement result related to a capillary area of the subject eye. The analysis process executes an alleviating process for alleviating the influence of great blood vessels having blood vessel diameters larger than those of capillaries on the measurement result to acquire the measurement result related to the capillary area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Shiba, Norimasa Satake, Tetsuya Kano, Yasuhiro Furuuchi, Yuki Kuno, Ai Takaya, Naoki Takeno, Yukihiro Higuchi, Hajime Namiki
  • Patent number: 10458423
    Abstract: An impeller of this disclosure includes a hub having a ring shape; and a plurality of blades that are provided on an outer periphery of the hub, wherein the blade has a trailing edge formed such that an inner side of a radial width of the blade is curved in a direction opposite to a rotation direction, in a plan view as viewed in a direction of a rotation axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Minebea Mitsumi Inc.
    Inventors: Naoya Murakami, Yukihiro Higuchi, Haruomi Morohashi, Toshiaki Seima, Koichi Tamai
  • Publication number: 20190274541
    Abstract: An OCT data processing device includes a processor that performs acquiring three-dimensional OCT data. The three-dimensional OCT data is OCT data of a tissue of a subject's eye acquired by an OCT device and is obtained by irradiating measurement light on a two-dimensional measurement region. The two-dimensional measurement region extends in a direction intersecting an optical axis of the measurement light. The processor further preforms setting a line pattern, from among a plurality of types of line pattern, with respect to the two-dimensional measurement region for which the three-dimensional OCT data is obtained, at least one of an arrangement, a number, or a shape of one or more lines being different for the plurality of types of line pattern, and extracting, from the three-dimensional OCT data, a two-dimensional tomographic image of a cross section intersecting each of the one or more lines of the set line pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yukihiro HIGUCHI, Tetsuya KANO, Ryosuke SHIBA
  • Patent number: 10378547
    Abstract: An axial flow fan includes an impeller having a hub and vanes disposed at equal intervals on an outer peripheral portion of the hub; a rotor shaft located at the center of the impeller; a motor portion rotating the impeller around the rotor shaft as an axis; a casing surrounding an outer periphery of the impeller; a base portion supporting the motor portion; and a stationary blade located in a blowout opening side of air flow, the stationary blade connecting the base portion and the casing, wherein the stationary blade has on its surface a guide portion allowing air flow flowing along the surface to be rectified and guided from a direction of the blowout opening to an outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Taroda, Yukihiro Higuchi, Tomoyoshi Sasajima
  • Patent number: 10238281
    Abstract: An optical coherence tomography device includes an OCT optical system that irradiates a tissue of the subject's eye with measurement light from a light source, and detects interference between reference light and the measurement light reflected from the tissue by using a detector, and a processor, in which the processor performs a generation process of acquiring A-scan data based on a signal output from the detector in a cycle of 300 kilohertz or more and generating three-dimensional OCT data at any time based on the acquired A-scan data, and performs an analysis process on each piece of the three-dimensional OCT data generated at any time through the generation process, so as to output a real-time analysis result of the three-dimensional OCT data which is generated at any time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Isogai, Hideki Aono, Yukihiro Higuchi, Yuji Murase, Norimasa Satake, Keiji Murata
  • Patent number: 10125774
    Abstract: A centrifugal fan includes: a casing; and an impeller that is attached to a rotation shaft of a motor, wherein the casing has an upper suction port and a lower suction port, wherein the impeller has a rotor hub, a plurality of blades arranged around the rotor hub in a circumferential direction, and a main plate coupled to the rotor hub and connects the blades in the circumferential direction, and wherein an inclination of an outer edge of the blades at an upper blade portion that is located above the main plate with respect to a plane parallel to the rotation shaft and an inclination of the outer edge of the blades at a lower blade portion that is located below the main plate with respect to the plane parallel to the rotation shaft are set to be in the same direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukihiro Higuchi, Naoya Murakami