Electrochemiluminescence (ECL), a light-emitting phenomenon induced by electrochemical redox reactions, has potential applications in lightweight and flexible light-emitting devices. Previously, an ultrafast ECL response of <100 μs was successfully achieved under application of alternating current voltage by using a DNA-modified electrode including Ru(bpy)₃²⁺, an orange ECL material. Furthermore, we introduced blue-luminescent 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA) into an ECL device consisting of DNA/Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ hybrid film electrodes. Consequently, a significant decrease in the driving voltage and an ultrafast response of the blue ECL were observed for the DNA/Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ hybrid film due to electrochemically triggered upconversion. In this study, we investigated the lifetime and efficiency of the upconverted ECL from the DNA/Ru(bpy)₃²⁺-DPA device for improvement in the device performance. As a result, the durability of the blue ECL from DPA was significantly improved using the DNA/Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ hybrid film, and the efficiency of the upconverted ECL from the DNA/Ru(bpy)₃²⁺-DPA device was ca. 0.2%.

We took photoelastic image of the edge of the cleaning blade at high speed. By tracking the fringes showing the internal stress in the obtained high-speed photoelastic video, the vibration of the internal stress was captured as numerical data. It was also confirmed that the vibration value of the internal stress changed when the contact conditions of the cleaning blade were changed. We devised a model equation for fatigue wear which was assumed that at locations where internal stress was locally concentrated, wear progresses due to the accumulation of minute fatigue fractures caused by repeated stress changes, and the linear cumulative damage rule was applied to repeated stress changes. We analyzed several combinations of the amplitude distribution of internal stresses and the amount of wear in the actual machine. A good correlation was obtained between them, confirming the certainty of the model.

For inkjet printing system using the water-based ink, paper deformation is a highly difficult problem. In particular, this problem greatly affect the performance of paper conveyance in high-speed cutsheet inkjet system. We understood the paper deformation behavior of water-based ink and designed ink prescribed that adjust for higher speed printing. In this paper, the paper deformation behavior focusing on I/O (inorganic/organic ratio) of ink solvent is clarified and the content developed in ink design are described. TASKalfa Pro 15000 c has been equipped with this water-based ink and has been highly evaluated by customer.

Imaging has been recognized as an important technique for analyzing platelets since their multifunctional characters cannot be completely understood by conventional analysis technology that builds on measuring the biochemical properties of platelets. As reported in recent studies of employing imaging flow cytometry which combines high-speed optical imaging, microfluidics, and artificial intelligence, the unexplored domain of platelet biology can be studied by intelligently analyzing the morphology of platelets on a statistical scale. In this review, we discuss the morphological analysis of platelets using high-throughput label-free imaging flow cytometry. Also, we introduce the applications of this technique in analyzing COVID-19-associated microvascular thrombosis and long-term effects of COVID-19 vaccination on platelets.

Terahertz (THz) imaging is a proposed non-invasive/non-staining visualization tool for cancer. However, THz investigation of early-stage cancer has hardly been conducted because of the spatial resolution of the THz measurement system, typically limited to several millimeters. Therefore, the use of point THz sources created by optical rectification in a nonlinear optical crystal excited by femtosecond pulse lasers has been proposed to overcome this problem. Our investigations revealed that the resolution was not limited by the wavelength of the THz waves but that of the laser source. Based on this finding, we have also developed a unique THz near-field microscope, named the SPoTS (scanning point THz source) microscope, with which early-stage breast cancer of less than 500μm can be visualized without staining but with a spatial resolution of ∼9μm. This review presented an overview of the SPoTS microscope and its application to cancer diagnosis, showing recent research findings in breast cancer evaluation.

Traditional histologic methods are hindered by glass slide creation through tissue sectioning, staining, and additional scanning. Traditional whole slide Imaging scanner also only provides two-dimensional (2D) image representations of three-dimensional structures. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) opens a disruptive imaging opportunity, not only in obviating the need for sectioning and tissue staining but also in rendering three-dimensional (3D) images useful for new morphologic insights. Whole Block Imaging/Whole Tissue Imaging using micro-CT allows for deeper analysis than originally anticipated. Now, the tumor/tissue volume and location through Whole Block Imaging (WBI)/Whole Tissue Imaging (WTI) can be identified, then request diagnostic areas for slide preparation. This development reduces cost and the potential risk of losing tissue that may arise through traditional method. Therefore, we have evaluated micro-CT technology and feasible clinical utilities in pathology. AI and computational technology must play the important roles to accelerate interpretation and to improve the quality in further development.

Electrophysiological testing is used to diagnose neurological disorders. However, false-negative results are not infrequent and detailed identification of the lesion site is difficult. Magnetoneurography is a novel method of evaluating nerve function through visualization of action current distribution in the body with morphological information. The action current distribution is calculated from magnetic field data recorded noninvasively from the body surface by an ultra-sensitive magnetic sensor. Clinical studies have demonstrated that neural activity can be visualized and evaluated in many parts of the body. This technique is expected to make a significant contribution to the medical treatment of neurological diseases and the elucidation of their pathophysiology.

8K UHD (ultra-high-definition), also known as Super Hi-Vision, is an ultra-high-resolution television system created by NHK. Its video format comprises 7,680×4,320 pixels. 8K features four times the number of pixels as 4K, but that does not mean to say that 8K specifications are decided based on a competition in pixel count. They are determined, rather, on human science research that aims to determine the conditions under which video can provide “high presence” that makes the viewer feel as if he or she is actually present in the scene shown. Medical Imaging Consortium (MIC) has studied endoscopic surgeries using 8K imaging technologies since 2013. It was confirmed that an 8K endoscope clearly depicts details that are difficult to see using conventional HDTV (high-definition television) endoscopes, including thin blood vessels, nerves and the borders of body organs. Based on the fundamental research at MIC, we developed the world's first 8K endoscope commercial camera.

Radiation plays a significant role in the field of medicine, for example, in radiation therapy and diagnostics. In both applications, accurate radiological imaging techniques are important, and at the same time, a sufficient field of view and high spatial resolution are required, sometimes with high timing resolution. In this paper, we review the development of gaseous detectors for dose-distribution imaging systems in hadron therapies and flat-panel detectors for diagnostic X-ray imaging techniques.

Antibodies have high specificity and high affinity for their target antigen, and thus they are useful for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer. For targeted therapy, armed antibodies such as antibody-drug conjugates have been approved. As a new type of targeted therapy against cancer cells, we recently developed near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) that utilizes NIR light and an antibody-photosensitizer conjugate. In addition to cancer-cell selective antibodies, antibodies that bind to anti-cancer immune cells (immune checkpoint blockade;ICB) have been developed worldwide. ICBs are widely used in current clinical situations. To maximize the therapeutic outcomes of these antibody-based cancer therapies, it is important to precisely monitor and/or predict their therapeutic effects in patients. In this article, we provide an overview of NIR-PIT and its utility for in vivo imaging. We also review our recent investigations on physiological changes during ICB therapy using in vivo imaging methods.