Tohoku Techno Arch Co., Ltd. List of Products and Services

Toothbrush, pulsatile water jet, ultrasonic scaler, dental raser and oral rinse are used to wash bio-film or cavity accumulated on teeth or surface of implant. However, while they can remove macroscopic bio-film, they can not completely remove bio-film accumulated in narrow space on rough surface of tooth or dental implant. In the result, number of dental extraction from peri－implantitis or periodontal disease is not small. This invention provides the oral cleaning device which can remove bio-film by using cavitation jet.

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Since lithium-ion battery using liquid electrolyte has risk of ignition and rupture, practical application of safe solid electrolyte is expected. Among solid electrolytes, those using polymers have an excellent ability of forming and processing. This allows to use different shape of polyelectrolyte, but high stress is applied to the electrolyte.　 　This invention is about a polyelectrolyte with excellent elasticity and flexibility. Since this polyelectrolyte can be highly elongated with little force, the applied stress can be easily dispersed, and shows high durability.

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The problem of electromagnetic noise entering to analog circuit from digital circuit in RFICs (Radio Frequency ICs) for portable terminals (smartphone, tablet, etc.) which are capable of ultra high speed GHz class communication, is becoming a serious subject. 　In order to measure high frequency magnetic field on IC chip,methods with "high spatial resolution" and "GHz measurement frequency" are necessary, but none of the existing high-frequency magnetic field measurement-methods (shielded loop coil type magnetic field probe, magneto-optical probe, giant magnetic resistive sensor, etc.) satisfy these requirements. 　This invention is about a high-frequency magnetic field measurement-device using a magnetic force microscope (MFM) probe, and the beating field method which uses the field undulation. Specifically, a configuration that enables the separation (removal) of electric field that interferes with magnetic field measurement, and a configuration that modifies the cantilever drive and detection component are added in this invention.

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β-Ti and conventional CoCr alloys are widely used for artificial joints because of their superior mechanical properties. Some β-Ti alloys show superelasticity and low Young's modulus; however, they have low wear resistance. Conventional CoCr alloys show excellent wear resistance, but they have very high Young's modulus, which is about 10 times that of human bones. Since low Young's modulus and wear resistance are properties with a trade-off relation, there has not been a biomaterial that realizes both. 　This invention is about new CoCr alloys that have an even lower Young's modulus than β-Ti alloys, which also boast high wear and corrosion resistance, and superelasticity. This invention shows a fatigue life of more than 10 million cycles up to a strain of 1.65% and it is expected to be the next-generation biological material. 　These alloys are characterized by a large elastic anisotropy. In the <100> direction, they show a Young's modulus of 30 GPa, comparable to human bones, making it suitable to use for artificial joints and bone plates. In the <111> direction, they have extremely high Young's modulus of 300 GPa, making it suitable to use for stents.

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In recent years, wireless IoT has become widespread, and technologies for real-time spectrum monitoring in frequency bands have been developed to avoid interference between different wireless IoT systems. The signals received by this technology are converted from analog to digital signals by multiple analog-to-digital converters, after which the original spectrum is reproduced. However, due to the lack of tunable filters with low loss and low distortion in current technology, it is not possible to freely set the bandwidth with a single device. As a result, there is a challenge in achieving the Software Defined Radio functionality of receivers. With the present invention, it has become possible to realize spectrum reproduction processing using software. The frequency spectrum reproduction method of this invention does not use a band-pass filter for removing aliasing noise; instead, it samples the received frequency spectrum, generates a vector that combines each frequency spectrum element, and calculates a solution using a priority decision condition algorithm to extract a specified bandwidth. This enables the realization of spectrum reproduction processing using software.

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In the Internet of things (IoT) society, all kinds of objects will be connected to network such as internet. For an example of a factory, an access point equipped with multiple antenna elements installed at the base of a machine tool can track a sensor node on an object attached at the extremity of machine tool arm moving at relatively high speed. A known method of capturing the position of the sensor node is to use the backscatter wave of the signal transmitted by the access point. However, there is a problem that sidelobe is generated near the modulation frequency signal of backscatter.　 　This invention is able to suppress the sidelobe generated near the backscatter modulation frequency signal that appears in the demodulated signal spectrum. The access point is characterized by demodulating the modulation signal by multiplying the received modulation signal with the transmitted signal. This enables suppression of sidelobe generated near the modulation frequency of the backscatter in the demodulated signal spectrum.

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　With the increase of IoT device and the spread of 5G, noise electromagnetic wave emitted from device integrated transmission circuit has become a serious problem. Since the frequency of these noise electromagnetic wave is around 3GHz, it is required to develop an electromagnetic wave absorber that is efficient in 100-101GHz range. Currently, electromagnetic wave absorber made by mixing flat powder of FeSiAl alloy with resin is in practical use, but the absorption band (resonance frequency) is limited to MHz order. 　This invention is about an electromagnetic wave absorber that achieves an absorption from 3 to 12GHz band, with excellent noise suppression above 10GHz, based on the approach of shape magnetic anisotropy improvement. The large shape magnetic anisotropy is achieved by using FeCoCr alloy with a large two phase separation structure. As shown in right figure, electromagnetic wave absorption capacity and transmission attenuation ratio are twice of noise suppression sheet for 5G which is commercially available. Moreover, this electromagnetic wave absorber is useful from economic security viewpoint because it does not contain rare earth element.

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　Recently, almost all combinatorial optimization problems are represented by constrained quadratic programming problems. However, in solving them, we further apply the penalty method, etc., transform them into unconstrained quadratic programming problems, and perform quantum annealing operations on the converted mathematical expressions. However, the conversion generated redundant variables that required a huge amount of computing resources, so that practical operations are impossible. 　We propose a method for solving all combinatorial optimization problems by quantum annealing, and it became possible to solve practically all optimization problem.

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In quantum annealer, the optimization problems are solved by finding the minimum value of the cost function with a form of quadratic function because the current quantum annealer uses interactions only between neighboring quantum bits.　 The technology in this invention is capable to handle equations containing 3rd order and higher terms, including nonlinear We propose a potential application to neural networks to find an optimal binary neural network, which has low power consumption in comparison to the ordinary neural network.

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　In the recovery of underground resources such as oil and geothermal energy, water flows from an injection well and fluids containing resources are pumped from a production well. There are multiple channel networks from an injection well to a production well, each having different fluidity. Since fluid preferentially flows through channel networks with high fluidity, there has been a problem that resources cannot be efficiently recovered from channel networks with low fluidity. Conventionally, in order to recover more resources from channel networks with low fluidity, it is necessary to drill additional wells, but each well costs several hundred million yen. 　The present invention has found a method to reverse the magnitude of the flow performance (flow velocity) of each channel with different fluidity. In other words, the present invention is expected to increase the fluidity of channel networks with low fluidity and contribute to efficient resource recovery.

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Submicron-sized magnetic particles are expected to be used as materials for high-frequency equipment operating at several GHz. Demand for submicron-sized magnetic particles is increasing amid the increasing use of 5G and the challenge of suppressing high-frequency noise. However, it is generally difficult to produce submicron-sized particles. For example, in a top-down method such as grinding raw materials, the production of micron-sized particles is limited, and even in a bottom-up method such as reducing and depositing metal ions, microparticles aggregate to form micron-sized secondary particles. In addition, it is difficult to control the composition when reducing multiple metal ions and depositing compound microparticles. The present invention relates to a method for producing submicron microparticles of Fe-Ni-B and Fe-Co-B soft magnetic materials. As shown in the upper right panel, it is characterized in that a true spherical primary particle without agglomeration is formed, and the composition can be easily controlled. The right panel shows the frequency characteristics of the complex permeability of the fine particle. Since the µ'' becomes near 0 up to 1 GHz and shows a peak in a few GHz band, the following applications can be expected.

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In recent years, attention has been focused on the development of technologies for effective utilization of sustainable energy from the viewpoint of global environmental protection. It is desirable to construct a heat recovery system that effectively utilizes low-grade waste heat of 100 to 200ºC, which accounts for most of the waste heat from factories. To realize this, various heat storage materials have been proposed. However, as the heat absorption/release reactions generally involve large changes in the crystal structure, the slow reaction rates and irreversibility of the reactions have been challenging issues, especially in the low temperature range. 　 The present invention makes it possible to provide a heat storage substance that can accommodate a large amount of heat even in a low temperature region of low-grade waste heat. The research revealed that the layered manganese dioxide, which has long been used as an electrode material in batteries, can repeatedly absorb and release heat by releasing and absorbing environmental water at a sufficiently rapid rate.

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In order to realize the automation of the loading work of sediment from the backhoe to the dump truck, it is necessary not only to predict the stop position of the dump truck with respect to the backhoe, but also to predict the timing when the backhoe completes the preparation for loading. By moving the dump truck according to the loading timing, the unnecessary waiting time can be reduced, and the loading work can be realized smoothly. However, it is difficult to distinguish these work processes because the back hoe includes the same operation (For example, the action of scooping up soil and sand or the action of turning) when leveling sediment and loading.　 In the present invention, motion data are obtained from sensors attached to the back hoe at multiple locations, and a hidden Markov model (BP-HMM) can be used to extract patterns of primitive operation and predict loading timing.

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Magnetic sensors with wide dynamic range and high sensitivity have been developed. Various types of sensors, such as SQUID magnetometers and Hall sensors, have been used. Cantilever-type magnetic sensors using mechanical resonant frequency have especially attracted attention because of their low power consumption, small size, and potential for wide dynamic range. However, while they exhibit high sensitivity near the resonance frequency, there is an issue that sensitivity and resolution are not sufficient for magnetic fields below the resonance frequency including DC magnetic fields.　 The present invention relates to a cantilever-type magnetic sensor. The sensitivity and bandwidth can be adjusted electrically by introducing a magnetic excitation component. This enables high sensitivity and wide-band magnetic field detection. 【 For those who see this document 】 　Since it is a seed for unpublished patents, it is possible to disclose the description after the conclusion of the IP contract.

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In an apparatus for generating a plasma by a high frequency discharge and extracting an ion beam, a high frequency electric field leaks to a beam extraction interface being distant from the plasma generator; the oscillation of the interface leads to a divergence of the beam. The beam divergence has been a serious problem in thermonuclear fusion plasma reactors, since a part of high intensity beam cannot reach the core of the magnetically confined plasma.　 The present invention is an ion beam generator that uses a certain technique to compensate the oscillation of the beam extraction interface and provide a collimated high intensity ion beam extracted from an rf plasma source. Conversely, it is also possible to expand the divergence angle by superimposing the oscillation of the beam extraction interface to form a large diameter ion beam for material processing.

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　Silicon carbide materials and silicon carbide fiber-reinforced composites are expected to replace Zircaloy and other metals as structural materials for next-generation nuclear reactors. However, these materials require anticorrosion coatings when they are exposed to radiation, high temperatures, and high-pressure water. Although metal coatings have been used in the past, there has been a problem that they cannot fully exert their anticorrosion function due to delamination and cracking of the substrate caused by thermal expansion coefficient differences and swelling differences.　 　A silicon carbide layer, an intermediate layer and a coating layer are laminated on a substrate. As a result, it has become possible to provide a silicon carbide material or a silicon carbide fiber-reinforced composites composed of full ceramics with improved anticorrosion function by alleviating thermal expansion coefficient difference and swelling difference with a base material.

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"Percutaneous administration" which penetrates the drug from the skin surface is utilized for compresses, nicotine patches, etc.. "Iontophotolysis" which accelerates the penetration of the drug by a weak electric current is utilized for high-speed administration of local anesthetics and penetration enhancement of cosmetic ingredients, etc.. However, generation of iontophotolysis requires power and wiring, and is not suitable for personal use at home. Disposable patches that do not require an external power source by using an enzyme-loaded electrode are expected to have drug penetration and cosmetic effects by iontophoresis.　 [Effect] ・No need for an external power source for enzymatic bioelectricity generation ・Disposable because only organic materials are used ・High safety because the maximum current is less than 0.5 mA/cm2 ・Enhanced drug penetration confirmed by a study using pig skin

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Diabetic kidney disease(DKD) occurs in approximately 20-30% of all diabetic subjects. It is difficult to identify type 2 diabetes patients who are at risk of developing progressive DKD based only measurements of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and albuminuria. In this study, from animal experiments and the U-CARE cohort study, inventors showed that phenyl sulfate(PS) could be a predictor and a risk factor for developing progressive DKD.

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　Age-related hearing loss makes everyday communication, such as talking, difficult for older adults. Although support with devices such as hearing aids has become mainstream for older adults with hearing loss, it has not been possible for older adults to improve their own hearing. Conventional methods for improving hearing include listening to sounds with white noise, but the problem is that the training cannot be continued because it is monotonous and boring.　 　The present invention is a method for training hearing by gradually reducing the volume of auditory stimuli while playing a game (brain training). Because of the game format, older adults can continue training in a fun and motivating manner. In addition, it is expected that the hearing of older adults will be improved and they will be able to lead a comfortable life regardless of the equipment and environment.

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Many drugs have been developed from natural products produced by filamentous fungi. On the other hand, it has been reported that many biosynthetic genes of unexplored natural products that can be candidates for drugs are dormant on the genome of filamentous fungi. Using a large-scale genome rearrangement technology "TAQing system (A technique in which the restriction enzyme TAQI is introduced into a cell to simultaneously and multiply break DNA double strands, followed by recombination repair to produce a variety of genomic rearrangements)," the inventors generated a number of mutant strains of filamentous fungi in which dormant biosynthetic genes were activated, and succeeded in remarkably inducing the production of natural products not produced by wild strains. 　The development of a secondary metabolic activation method using the TAQing system has been investigated using the model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans.

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　Traditionally, porous metals have been used in the field of exhaust gas purification catalysts. As this porous metal, porous metal thin films containing pores in which one or more holes are formed are known. Also disclosed are porous metal particles having a pore size of 1 μm or less formed by fusing a contact part with a plurality of metal fine particles having a primary particle size of 200 nm or less. However, there is a problem that the conventional porous metal does not have sufficient catalytic activity when used as a catalyst for exhaust gas purification. 　The present invention has made it possible to provide an exhaust gas purification catalyst having excellent oxidation performance of CO and sufficiently high catalytic activity, and a method for producing the catalyst. In the present invention, after obtaining an alloy containing a specific metal and Al, Al is eluted from the alloy to obtain a porous metal having pores having a small central pore diameter. The diameter of the central pore of the present invention is 1~15 nm. It has been confirmed that a catalyst for exhaust gas purification equipped with a porous metal having such a central pore diameter has high catalytic activity.

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Invention of drive mechanism for all-directional movement suitable in a small area All-directional movement with simple mechanism 　Conventional : Complex & large drive mechanism Need to control many inputs by synchronization 　Invention : Simple & small with only 5 components All-directional movement by simply changing the rotation speed ratio of 2 inputs Excellent step traversability & runnability 　Traversability: Experimental confirmation of traversing a step having the same height as the wheel radius 　　　　　⇒ Able to climb over indoor thresholds and carpets 　Runnability: 1 Even 1 wheel spins out, the other wheels will move 　　　　　⇒ Runs even on uneven flooring and outdoor surfaces 2 Magnetic cog-wheel with non-contact gear is used for power transmission 　　　　　⇒ Runs in dusty and large temperature gap environments 　　　　　⇒ Able to operate in sanitary environment where machine oil is not appropriated

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Since two characteristics of high permeability and high magnetostriction are required for the magnetic material constituting the magnetostrictive part of the rotating shaft of the conventional torque sensor, an amorphous alloy is suitable. However, when a amorphous alloy foil is fixed to the surface of the rotating shaft with an adhesive, there is a problem that sufficient detection characteristics cannot be obtained because adhesion to the rotating shaft is poor. In addition, even when a metallic spray coating is formed on the surface of the rotating shaft by a high-speed spraying process, there is a problem that a fine amorphous metal powder must be used, which increases the manufacturing cost.　 The invention has made it possible to provide a torque sensor and its manufacturing method with improved torque detection characteristics and manufacturing cost. The invention has a magnetostrictive part including a metallic glass coating on the surface of a rotating shaft. The metallic glass coating is characterized in that a flame including the metallic powder is jetted to melt the metallic powder, and the metallic glass coating is formed using a cooling method before the flame reaches the surface of the rotating shaft. Thus, a magnetostrictive part is formed easily and quickly. It also exhibits excellent characteristics for torque detection.

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In the method for measuring/simulating the radio wave propagation characteristics in the space, the simulation is carried out by reflecting the interference to the measurement value derived from the cable caused by the wired connection between the measurement equipment, the specification of the radio communication adopted when the measurement equipment is connected wirelessly, the effect of the shape of the space and the existence of the obstacle in the space, but there was a problem in the accuracy of the simulation result.　 In the radio wave measurement technology introduced this time, the above-mentioned problem was solved by carrying out the radio wave measurement using the radio communication between the measurement equipment (base station and mobile terminal). In this technology, the time, frequency and phase are synchronized with each other between the base station and the mobile terminal, and the propagation characteristics of the radio wave which carries out radio communication between the mobile terminal and the base station moving in the measurement object space are continuously measured in time series in association with each position information of the mobile terminal. Currently, some principle verification has been carried out on the radio wave measurement result/visualization in the case of propagation failure, etc.

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In recent years, there has been a demand for mass culture of cells in fields such as pharmaceutical manufacturing. In order to grow cells stably in culture, lactic acid (a cellular waste product that adversely affects cells) that accumulates in the culture medium must be removed. Until now, lactic acid was removed from the culture medium using the principle of dialysis. However, in order to remove lactic acid sufficiently, the volume of the component preparation liquid tank was set to be more than 10 times the volume of the cell culture tank, so there was a problem that the required volume of liquid was enormous and costly.　 The present invention has made it possible to provide a new lactic acid removal technology that reduces the negative effects of lactic acid and lactic acid removal treatment on the growth of cells and microorganisms while increasing the lactic acid removal efficiency. An embodiment of the present invention is a lactic acid adsorbent, characterized in that it comprises a layered double hydroxide having anions and water molecules retained between layers of a plurality of metal hydroxide layers. When the present invention comes into contact with a solution containing lactic acid, lactic acid in the solution is adsorbed. Thus, the removal efficiency of lactic acid can be enhanced.

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Although the knocking phenomenon is a hindrance to the improvement of the thermal efficiency of the engine, the detailed mechanism of the occurrence of knocking has been difficult to fully understand due to the complex interaction of hydrodynamics and chemical reactions. 　The inventors performed DNS (Direct Numerical Simulation) to calculate the basic equations of a reactive fluid, and confirmed the agreement with experimental data of knocking for the first time in the world [1]. Further, by analyzing the mechanism of the occurrence of knocking in detail, it was found that there was a "critical condition" in which a flame, which is a combustion chemical reaction wave, could not exist as a flame and had to transition to severe overall ignition under extreme conditions. From this, an equivalent theory of ignition and flame was constructed, and the conditions for the occurrence of knocking were successfully derived [2]. 　The present invention makes it possible to predict the occurrence of knocking accurately and relatively simply, which has been impossible until now.

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By analyzing the status of the biological clock of living cells, it is expected to be useful for one's own physical condition, disease diagnosis and prevention. Conventional methods for collecting cells include skin biopsy, liposuction, hair collection, and oral mucosa collection with a cotton swab, but all of these methods are highly invasive. The present invention relates to a device capable of collecting cells from the mucosa minimally invasively using ultrasound.　 　To repeatedly collect cells from the mucosal tissue, a minimally invasive cell collection device was fabricated using a Langevin type vibrator, a metal rod, and a jig with a flow path. In a cell collection experiment from porcine esophageal mucosal tissue, approximately 3,000 cells were collected per minute.

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　Oxygen flowmeters are widely used in medical settings, including respiratory therapy, and in life-support devices such as heart-lung machines for serious cases. Currently, medical professionals monitor the flow rate every few hours. When it is used for a heart-lung machine for a child, it is necessary to adjust the flow rate in small amounts every few weeks, and if the flow rate stops, the result will be fatal every minute.　 　The monitoring device developed in this study can monitor the flow rate change from the outside by visual display, auditory display or both display without touching the inside of the flowmeter. [Practicality]　 ・Notice that the cylinder is empty 　The device constantly monitors that the floater is within lower to upper limit of the flow rate, and instantly notifies you when the cylinder is empty as well as when the flow rate changes. 　・Malfunction prevention 　By setting two pairs of light-emitting part and light receiving sensors up and down, it can be seen which sensor caught the floater first, so it can be seen whether the floater came from above or below. If it is judged that the floater deviated from the monitoring measurement range, an alarm is activated.

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　The refinement of internal therapeutic devices, including the diminution and canalization of catheters, is crucial in mitigating patient discomfort. Further alleviation is achievable by amalgamating multiple functions into a single device, which enables one-time internal insertion, thus streamlining the process. Notably, there has been significant progress in engineering multifunctional catheters capable of directing optical fibers and an array of sensors to the target site via actuators with precise tip control. However, the typical diameter of these advanced catheters ranges between 2 to 6 mm, which unfortunately still imposes a considerable burden on patients. 　This innovation introduces a multifunctional fiber with a sub-millimeter diameter, less than 1 mm, designed to minimize patient discomfort significantly. This slender, multifunctional fiber boasts the capability for active actuation and encompasses diverse functionalities, including an assortment of sensors—like electrochemical and temperature sensors—as well as the ability to emit light via an optical fiber and dispense substances through a hollow channel. Remarkably, the production method of this fiber is notably straightforward. 　The accompanying illustration on the right delineates the utility of this novel fiber in the detection of dopamine, demonstrating that the fiber can successfully detect dopamine concentrations as low as 10 nM, substantiating its efficacy and potential in medical applications.

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Spectroscopic imaging has been applied to analyze and identify substances, but conventional spectroscopic imaging system has problems such as miniaturization of system and high resolution analysis.　 The invention relates to a spectroscopic imaging system combining a highly sensitive image sensor and a high-speed tunable bandpass filter, and has the following features. ・Non-destructive, non-contact, rapid spectroscopic imaging are possible. ・To provide a compact, portable, low-cost spectroscopic imaging system. ・It is possible to obtain a high-resolution spectroscopic video image. ・The transmission wavelength can be controlled by applying a voltage to the liquid crystal. The invention can be applied to component analysis of food production and processing, contamination inspection, growth and yield investigation in agriculture, component analysis in the medical field, etc.

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Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) is known as a means to improve wireless communication networks. IRS is a device with integrated metamaterial elements. By controlling the metamaterial elements, electromagnetic waves incident on the device can be reflected in any direction. As a result, it is possible to provide an effective communication environment even in places where radio waves are difficult to reach, such as behind a shield, and to expand the area where ultra-high-speed communication can be used.　 　However, if each carrier deploys its own IRS, problems such as landscape destruction due to an increase in communication facilities and wiring, an increase in resource and energy consumption, and redundancy of systems are expected. Therefore, there has been a need to establish a method for sharing the IRS among carriers. 　The present invention relates to a method for sharing the IRS among multiple carriers using a machine learning algorithm.

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Metal-air batteries composed of a metal electrode (negative electrode), an electrolyte, and an air electrode(positive electrode) have the advantage of being lighter than other batteries and have been used practically as power sources for hearing aids. On the other hand, the degradation of the metal electrode caused by contact with the electrolyte and the low voltage compared with other batteries have been pointed out as problems.The present invention relates to a new form of metal-air battery which solves the above problems. The present battery is a "foldable metal-air battery" in which a plurality of metal electrodes, electrolytes, and air electrodes are arranged on a sheet, and a plurality of laminates of metal electrodes/electrolytes/air lectrodes are formed by folding the sheet. Since the sheet is folded to function as a battery, the electrolyte and metal electrodes do not come into contact with each other when not in use, and deterioration can be prevented. The figure on the right shows the measured voltage when the number of cells in the laminate is increased. By stacking multiple cells as in origami, the problem of low voltage of metal-air batteries can also be solved. Since this battery solves the conventional problem and has a new foldable type, it is expected to be put into practical use in the following applications.

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In order to improve the fuel efficiency of aircraft and automobiles, it is effective to reduce the air drag, especially the friction drag, on the surface of airframes and bodies. Riblet is known as a conventional technique for reducing friction drag, but when the direction of stream line deviates from the riblet direction by more than a predetermined angle, the friction drag increases. On the other hand, there are few research examples of sandy rough surfaces (i.e. distributed micro roughness (DMR)) for reducing friction drag.　 In addition, there are many simulations focusing on turbulent flow (with high friction drag) over a rough surface, but there are few simulations focusing on the transition from laminar flow to turbulent flow. The present invention focused on the transition from laminar flow to turbulent flow, and it was clarified that the DMR can delay the transition by suppressing turbulence energy growth and reduce friction drag. Therefore, it is expected that the DMR of the present invention can be applied to the surface of transportation, thereby reducing friction drag and improving fuel consumption. The device may propose a new standard for product surface finishes.

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Optical circuits (e.g., Mach-Zehnder interferometers) based on optical interferometers important as hardware for next-generation information processing technologies using optical technology, such as optical quantum computers, optical AI accelerators, and spatial multiplexing transmission communications. Large-scale optical circuits are required for large-scale information processing, and the circuit size is limited by the area of optical tables and wafers.　 　By using the optical interferometer of the present invention, the area limitation can be alleviated and the scale of optical circuits can be further expanded.

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　Pulmonary fistula is a frequent complication after pneumonectomy, and the classic water seal test is still the main method of identification and evaluation. However, in the conventional method, it is necessary to remove the fistula by filling it with saline many times for evaluation of the repair, and the saline decreases the adhesion during the repair using the sheet. In recent years, another method has been reported to identify the aerosol of indocyanine green by inhaling it and using a near-infrared camera. However, since the work is complicated and the safety is unknown, a simpler method is required.　　 　Dr. Yui Watanabe of the Department of Respiratory Surgery, Institute of Aging Medicine, Tohoku University, found that monitoring the local oxygen concentration in the thoracic cavity can easily and accurately evaluate a pulmonary fistula in a short time. The present invention relates to a pulmonary fistula evaluation system and a medical device equipped with the system. If the development and implementation of the air leak detection device according to the present invention is realized, the identification and evaluation of a pulmonary fistula can be performed more easily than the conventional method.

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As represented by the microphone, the industrial application of the equipment using the sound wave for the information acquisition of the surrounding environment is carried out. In recent years, various sensing technologies have been studied for the purpose of realizing the autonomous driving in the transportation field (automobile, etc.). Among them, the technology that utilizes sound wave measurement as a sensing device is attracting attention. Traditionally, lasers and cameras have been considered as detection means, but the loss of detection sensitivity during stormy weather such as rain is a major obstacle to the realization of autonomous driving, and technological innovation has been desired. 　The present invention enables the realization of a detection device that is resistant to disturbances in the surrounding environment. In reviewing the process of converting sound waves into electrical signals, the inventors devised a new signal conversion method and successfully demonstrated a new device.

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　In recent years, for viral infectious diseases that cause significant damage to society, wastewater-based epidemiological methods that use epidemiological information contained in municipal wastewater to detect the occurrence of infectious disease patients and infectious epidemics at an early stage have attracted attention. Currently, wastewater-based epidemiological studies on infectious diseases are mainly performed by detecting viral genes using PCR. However, some problems remain, such as the time required to detect and quantify viral genes from collected wastewater samples, the necessity of sample concentration due to the low virus concentration, and the high cost and labor for analysis.　　 　In this study, we aimed to construct a sensor that can detect infectious disease-related biomarkers in wastewater quickly and simply. Biomarkers are emitted from patients with infectious diseases at higher concentrations than the virus itself. In this study, we used antiviral human immunoglobulin (Ig) A as a test substance. We attempted to construct a measurement system in which IgA in a sample is captured by antigen-antibody reaction with proteins immobilized on the electrode surface, and changes in the electrode surface state associated with the reaction are detected by electrochemical measurement.

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In today's clinical medicine, blood sampling is frequently used to diagnose and treat diseases, and the problem of shortage of medical workers has been pointed out. In addition, it is difficult for clinicians to find blood vessels with the naked eye in some patients, and there is a risk of failure in the procedure, as well as serious problems such as needlestick injuries and infections caused by blood contact. To solve these problems, automated robotic blood sampling may be effective.　 　Various types of blood sampling robots have been studied, but many automated puncturing robots use ultrasonic diagnostic imaging equipment. In order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, it is ideal to estimate the position of blood vessels and achieve automated puncturing without contact with patients. 　The present invention relates to a method for identifying the position of three-dimensional blood vessels using two infrared cameras without complete contact. By considering the difference in refraction depending on the viewing direction of the cameras, it became possible to identify the position of blood vessels with high accuracy.

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The relationship between motor function and dementia has been pointed out, and walking speed has been investigated as one of the indicators. In addition, gait parameters that are considered to be effective for the diagnosis and evaluation of gait disorders are collected in gait measurement performed in medical settings, and by analyzing these parameters, it is possible to effectively diagnose gait disorders and determine the effects of treatment.　 　Conventional gait evaluation methods include measurement methods using stopwatches, pedometers, video cameras, etc., but it has been difficult to evaluate the characteristics of each step without being restricted by the location and walking distance. Another conventional method is to evaluate gait characteristics by integrating toe acceleration using inertial sensors. However, this method has a problem that it can only be applied to forward walking. 　The present invention relates to a method for generating three-dimensional foot-toe trajectories for each step using a small and lightweight sensor that can be attached to a subject's foot. From the three-dimensional trajectories, three-dimensional gait characteristics such as step number, step length, cadence, walking speed, distance between the foot-toe and the walking surface, and swinging angle of the foot-toe can be evaluated.

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　Helium is difficult to obtain and expensive, so cooling systems that use helium are expected to be difficult to continue using. 　 The invention enables rapid cooling without helium by continuously spraying a two-phase flow of cryogenic gaseous N2 and solid N2 (SN2 ). Specifically, it is characterized by continuously generating slush N2 by spraying at transonic speed using a Laval nozzle. 　In an example of cell freezing, a 23% improvement in cell survival rate during thawing was achieved compared to liquid nitrogen immersion. This invention has the potential for application in various cooling systems beyond this specific example. Additionally, its application for resist removal in semiconductor cleaning without harmful chemicals is also under consideration.

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Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) are highly crystalline nanofibers obtained from wood pulp. CNFs are environmentally compatible new materials with excellent mechanical properties such as light weight, high strength, and low thermal expansion. Because of these outstanding mechanical characteristics, CNFs are expected to be applied to automotive components, electronic devices, gas barrier materials, and medical materials. On the other hand, chemical fibers made of cellulose, known as rayon, are also used in clothing and tire materials as regenerated fibers made from wood pulp and cotton cellulose. Regenerated fibers using CNF as a raw material have been researched and developed, however the mechanical properties of the fabricated single cellulose filaments have not been sufficient. By developing an innovated CNF orientation control method using flow and electric fields, we have successfully fabricated high-strength cellulose single filament.

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In the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been raging since 2020, the health care crisis and economic stagnation have become major problems. We must solve these challenges and prepare for other pandemics by emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases in the future. 　 　Although neutralizing antibodies are protective against viral challenge, the adaptive T cell immune response is a major determinant of the clinical outcome after viral infection. 　In this study, the inventor aims the establishment of the technique that predicts disease severity by means of specific or cross-reactive mobilization of T cell immunity to four subtypes of human common cold coronavirus (HCoVs-229E, -OC43, -NL63, and -HKU1) and SARS-CoV-2 from convalescent COVID-19 patients and SARS-CoV-2–unexposed donors. Using ELISPOT technology, this study succeeded in developing a prediction equation for severe disease, thus establishing a prediction method (see figure). 　In addition, the data accumulated and the knowledge obtained in this study are very useful for the countermeasures against emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases of concern in the future. We believe this novel technique is able to release many people from excess behavioral restrictions or a deterioration in the economy.

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Conventional immune checkpoint (CP) inhibitors (e.g. PD-1 and CTLA-4 inhibitors) have revolutionized cancer immunotherapy, but are ineffective in approximately 40-80% of patients and have side effects such as autoimmune inflammation. The myeloid CP molecule LILRB4 (B4) has the unique property of being involved in immune evasion of cancer while also being involved in the exacerbation of autoimmune diseases, and is expected to be a new drug target, but its ligand was unknown. The present invention identifies fibronectin (FN) as the only physiological ligand for B4 and finds that immune control is possible by inhibiting the binding of B4 to FN, and relates to a novel CP inhibitor based on this finding. Following patterns can be considered for immunoregulation by blocking the binding between B4 and its ligand FN : (1) FN analog (competitively binds to B4-FN) (2) Anti-B4 antibody (acts on B4 and inhibits B4-FN binding) *Company X has Phase 1b data for its in-house anti-B4 antibody in cancer immunotherapy. Data disclosure may be possible through negotiation (terms to be determined). (3) Anti-FN antibody (acts on FN and inhibits B4-FN binding) Further, B4 as a biomarker for lung cancer patients’ prognosis prediction was verified by our original B4 monoclonal antibody that inhibits B4-FN binding (data not shown).​

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The deep ultraviolet light emitting device (DUV-LED) is fabricated from AlGaN-based nitride semiconductor. As the substrate material of the AlGaN-based DUV-LED, high lattice consistency with AlGaN, wider band gap than AlGaN, and high thermal conductivity are required, and aluminum nitride (AlN) which satisfies these conditions is noticed.　 　Since AlN shows high dissociation pressure at high temperature, it is difficult to grow AlN crystal by crystal growth technique from melt such as CZ method. Therefore, single crystal growth using sublimation method is mainly carried out. However, the sublimation method requires extremely high temperature to sublimate AlN, which makes it difficult to increase the size of crystal, reduce impurities such as carbon, and reduce the cost. 　The present invention has made it possible to grow high-quality AlN single crystal at a higher growth rate than the conventional liquid phase growth technique by the liquid phase growth method using Fe-based flux.

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　Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a disorder that affects young and old people and significantly reduces their quality of life. It has been thought to be caused by a decrease in estrogen, but estrogen replacement therapy has not been sufficiently effective, and there is currently no effective oral treatment that is the first choice, so the development of new therapeutic agents is expected. Because of the poor prognosis of SUI in patients with high serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels before radical prostatectomy, the inventors considered LH to play an important role in urinary function.　 　To test this hypothesis, they found that the gonadotropin-releasing hormone GnRH antagonists degarellirex or cetrorellix suppressed LH and improved urethral pressure in model rats that reproduced the menopausal state by removing the bilateral ovaries and had elevated LH. The results showed that there is a relationship between SUI and elevated LH, and that GnRH antagonists that suppress LH may be novel therapeutic agents.　

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