In this study, we developed a detachable self-heated-stage suitable for high speed processing of titanium by thermally assisted reactive ion etching (TRIE). The detachable self-heated stage was designed based on simulation results. The temperature of the stage increases rapidly within 10 minutes with low radio frequency (RF) power, because of the low thermal capacitance. The etch rates of titanium and titanium alloy by the TRIE improved compared with those of titanium and titanium alloy by a regular RIE. In addition, the replacement of the developed stage with another stage became easier than the previous stage.

We show the structure and matching theory of MUT-type acoustic matching device. A simulation model of the finite element method was constructed and the following evaluations were made: (1) analysis of the stress distribution inside the proposed device in order to find the mechanism of ultrasound propagation, (2) comparison of the performance as a acousitc matiching device with the conventional matching layer method in ultrasound frequency, and (3) dependence of acoustic matching performance on design parameters. The MUT-type acoustic matching device based on the proposed design guidance showed higher acoustic transmittance and wider bandwidth than the conventional 1/4 wavelength acoustic matching system.

We have developed a new ink technology that is able to detect individual deviations of manufactured products such as biologics, foods, and beverages in the temperature control under distribution by changes in the ink color. With the combined use of this ink and IoT technologies, we will create a consistent quality control system for logistics service from production to consumption.

Biocompatible microbatteries, where the gastric fluid acts as an electrolyte, have shown promise as energy sources for ingestible electronic devices. Because gastic fluid is the electrolyte, encapsulation of the microbatteries is not necessary, enabling smaller, easier-to-swallow systems, and also longer shelf lives. However, when the pH of the electrolyte increases, which occurs when the device passes from the stomach into the small intestine, the cell voltage decreases, leading to lower output power and limiting the performance of the devices.

To address this problem, we propose microfluidic reservoirs that contain pH-sensitive hydrogel valves, to stabilize the pH of the electrolyte inside such microbatteries. Microstructured pH-sensitive hydrogel valves were realized using a photopatternable hydrogel and integrated in Si microreservoirs. The evolution of the valves when placed inside simulated gastric fluid (pH1.21) and then being exposed to simulated intestinal fluid (pH6.8), was observed by time-lapse optical microscopy. The pH-variation inside the microreservoirs was estimated from micro-Raman spectroscopy using methyl orange as a molecular probe. In the absence of hydrogel valves, the pH in the microreservoirs increased almost linearly, reaching a value of approximately 4.8 ± 0.3 after 26min, whereas in the case with integrated hydrogel valves, the same value was reached after 85min. Integrating of pH-sensitive hydrogel valves as diffusion barriers in microfluidic reservoirs is expected to allow more stable and longer operation of microbatteries that are activated by absorption of a biofluid such as gastric acid.

A heartbeat contact-less monitor system with a less burden on the human body is an effective solution to support the safety car with monitoring driver's condition. This paper shows the smart low power heartbeat monitor system with a UWB sensor. We have adopted the noise filtering for breath and body movement to get the accurate heart rate. We take place an experiment where our system is used to monitor a driver's heartbeat in a driving vehicle.