We studied that the fabrication of easy device to measure the characteristics of the permeable membrane. By this device, measurement the amount of water flowing out applying water pressure. Thereby, It makes to measure the filtration coefficient of membrane. In this device the membrane bind between rubber sheets, and a hydrostatic pressure is applied to the membrane. The filtration coefficient of a cellophane membrane measured by this device is almost the theoretical value. Therefore, it was shown that it can be used for measurement of the filtration coefficient of the permeable membrane. When a different kind of material membrane was measured using this device, the filtration coefficient was equivalent to that of a cellophane membrane.In addition, this measurement device has been improved to be shorten the preparation time, not to be and air bubbles easily occurred. So we improved this device to be easy and quick measurement.

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)is a neuroimaging technique to measure cortical hemodynamics related to functional activation. fNIRS was used to obtain time-averaged phase differences between spontaneous low-frequency oscillatory changes in oxygenated hemoglobin(oxy-Hb)and deoxygenated hemoglobin(deoxy-Hb). This phase difference was referred to as hemoglobin phase of oxygenation and deoxygenation(hPod). Recent study(Watanabe et.al, 2017)in infants demonstrated that hPod is sensitive to the development of the cortex in different behavioral states and stimulus. However, hPod in adults during resting and active state are still uncertain. Therefore, this study aims to validate dynamic changes of hPod in frontal and occipital cortex of adults during resting-state, presence of visual stimuli and verbal WM task by using NIRS. Results showed that hPod during resting-state were (3.57,3.12[rad]), visual stimuli (3.96,3.37[rad]) and verbal WM task (3.69,3.29[rad]) in frontal and occipital cortex, respectively. This study suggests that hPod in adults are in stable antiphase pattern in both resting and active state.

Japanese people often wear a Hachimaki on our heads in order to increase their concentration and work efficiency. In this paper, we investigate whether wearing a Hachimaki can improve concentration and the amount of work per unit time. We focus on a change in the performance in two types of tasks with or without a Hachimaki. The first task is Uchida-Kraepelin test. The purpose of this experiment is to determine whether wearing a Hachimaki has a relation to concentration. The second task is a pegboard test. The purpose of this experiment is to examine whether wearing a Hachimaki influences the amount of fingertip work. As a result, we could not find a significant difference by t-tests in the Uchida-Kraepelin test and a pegboard test with or without a Hachimaki. This result suggests that wearing a Hachimaki does not change concentration and work efficiency.

Japanese wear Hachimaki in athletic festival and entrance examination. We estimate wearing Hachimaki has a relation to the improvement of recognition and improvement of physical capabilities. In this paper, we focus on the improvement of recognition by wearing Hachimaki. We perform experiments to check whether a sign in the second term and a sign in the third term is the same. We focus on results on the correct answer rate and the response time. As a result, the correct answer rate without the Hachimaki was 97.08% and the correct answer rate with the Hachimaki was 98.98%. The correct answer rate with the Hachimaki was higher than the correct answer rate without the Hachimaki. We observed a significant difference between results with the Hachimaki and results without the Hachimaki by t-test. From these results, we estimate wearing the Hachimaki improves human recognition ability.

For titanium and its alloy removal implant devices, adhesion with bone might cause difficulty removing the implanted devices during removal operation. We thought that Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coated on titanium could be a material to inhibit adhesion to bone. The purpose of this study was to evaluation of osteoinhibition response of pre-osteoblast cells on the DLC coated titanium scaffolds.Commercially pure titanium grade 2 plate was coated with DLC by ionization deposition method. The MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast seeded on DLC coated and uncoated titanium plates for 4 days cultivation. Then, the number of cells was counted and the ALP activity was measured.The ALP activity normalized by cell number of DLC coated titanium showed a significantly lower value than the titanium. It was suggested that the DLC coated titanium devices could inhibit adhesion to bone.

In recent years, special attention has been paid to the artificial skeletal muscle. Its transplantation is expected to be useful for treatment of a variety of diseases. However, compared with living tissues, artificial skeletal muscle shows a smaller contraction force. One of the solutions for this problem is to insert magnetic nanoparticles into artificial skeletal muscle cells to support their contraction by utilizing magnetic field. Though encapsulating the magnetite in cationic liposome is previously considered necessary, the cationic liposomes possibly has an adverse effect on cells. For this purpose, we examined the amount of magnetite nanoparticles in the medium and the number of cells responding to the magnet field. Our results show that the number of cells responding to the magnet increases when the amount of magnetite increases, but it is not proportional.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate biocompatible characters of our hybrid-Ti scaffold, the micro-porous and the cell adhesive Ti, for bone substitute. Ti specimens were prepared as the paste by mixing with dental wax. Formed specimens were sintered as test specimens, and bulk Ti was also set as control. Both part of specimens was treated for surface modification as the treated group. 1) Cell adhesion were studied by fibroblast-like cell for 24 and 48 hours. Treated group showed 40% higher of cell adhesion compared to non-treated. And fine cell invasions were observed on porous specimens. 2) Animal implantation on cranium were conducted for 1 and 2 weeks and tested by the pull-out strength. Treated porous specimens showed highest connective strength than non-treated porous spesimens, though bulk specimens showed poor growth between specimens and tissues. Those results indicated the advantages of our hybrid-Ti scaffold as the earlier neointimal scaffold.

Background: Renal nerves act to reduce urine excretion by constricting renal arteries. When the sympathetic system increases and actively increases arterial pressure (AP), however, the pressure diuresis predominates and increases urine excretion. Purpose: To examine the effect of renal denervation on pressure diuresis during active pressure change in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Methods: In 6 SHR, a baroreflex study was performed 4 to 7 days after unilateral renal denervation. Isolated carotid sinus pressure was changed between 60 and 220 mmHg, and responses in splanchnic sympathetic nerve activity, AP, and urine flow were examined. Results: When the relationship between AP and urine flow was analyzed by linear regression, the slope was not different between the intact and denervated sides [0.129±0.046 vs. 0.160±0.032 (μL/min/kg)/mmHg]. These values were smaller than those in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. Conclusion: The slope of pressure-diuresis relationship is gentle, and the sympathetic control is impaired in SHR.

The aim of this study is to investigate how soft footway reduce the risk of knee problems and encourage walking. Two vulcanized multilayer Mondo tracks were investigated as soft footways, compared with a concrete surface. The hardnesses of the soft footways were 58 (Red) and 55 (Blue) in shore A, and the thicknesses were 6mm and 13.5mm respectively. Vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) was analysed by an insole pressure sensing system (Tekscan Fscan). Three middle-aged participants joined a pilot experiment. The results showed low impact at heal strike as the 1st peak of the vGRF was dropped in all participants. A sedentary participant showed reduced first peak and raised second peak in vGRF on the Blue surface. This sedentary participant had better shock absorbing at heal strike and better kicking at toe off. We are now analysing extended number of participants cases.

Last winter, an intravenous fluid was attempted in a low-temperature environment with an outside temperature of -10 C or lower, and the infusion was frozen in a tube.In this study, we investigated how the intravenous fluid temperature decreased in a low temperature environment. In this report, we performed experiments in a laboratory kept at 0 C or less. intravenous fluid was performed for 10 minutes using saline and Ringer's acetate solution heated to 40 C, and the change of the intravenous fluid temperature was measured. Then, the temperature of the intravenous fluid flowing in the tube was measured every minute with a thermocouple inserted inside the tube.As a result, it was found that the intravenous fluid temperature decreased with time and approached the outside temperature 10 minutes later. The intravenous fluid was cooled in the tube so it was considered necessary to keep the intravenous fluid tube warm.

Measuring event-related potentials (ERPs) is a useful method to understand cognition in goal directed behavior. Recently, extracting ERPs from the events occur in the simulated and real environments has drawn attention. However, such a method is still not practical because it is difficult to record event markers with EEG. To measure ERPs elicited by task-related events in the simulated environment, the functions for generating event markers were implemented in the control program of the first-person shooter game with the immersive virtual reality. To test this, EEG was recorded while participants playing the game. As a result, error related negativity (ERN), correct related negativity (CRN) and N2-P3 elicited by shooting-related events were extracted. ERN and P3 amplitudes were correlated with the individual performance. The generators of ERPs were estimated in the regions consistent with the previous studies. Those results will contribute for evaluating cognitive function by ERPs in the simulated environment.

Recent years, chemical odor has been a problem in hospital. So we have studied that the reduce of these odor components by the oxidative decomposition reaction of titanium oxide as a photocatalyst.There are mainly two crystal types of titanium oxide classified anatase type and rutile type. In this study, we tried to evaluate the efficiency of oxidation between rutile type and anatase type.Vaporized ethanol was used as an odorous substance, and the vaporized ethanol was put in a closed container, and titanium oxide was irradiated with ultraviolet LED rays. Then, we measured ethanol concentration CO2 and H2O at that time.As a result, the ethanol concentration by the anatase type was lower than that of the rutile type, and the amount of water vapor as an oxide was increased. So, it was confirmed that the efficiency of oxidation by anatase type was higher than that of rutile type.

There are various odors in hospitals, and reducing unpleasant odors is preferable. Both the quality of medical care the hospital environment are preferable.For example, acetic acid is widely used in hospitals, and it is preferable to reduce the odor.In this study, the decrease of odor molecules and the increase of decomposed molecules were measured when the reduce of acetic acid and increase the decomposition by titanium oxide by measuring the acetic acid concentration, CO2 concentration and H2O concentration.The sensory measurement was conducted by diluting the odor gas to quantify the odor intensity by human nose.Then, a decrease in acetic acid odor was confirmed over time.From these quantitative measurement results, it was possible to quantitatively confirm the decomposition of acetic acid by titanium oxide.

The chemical substances of odors have been problem in hospitals. And removing those odors is improve the patient comfort and the quality of treatment. Therefore, we designed to make odors removal device with high odor removal ability using titanium oxide. Titanium oxide is a kind of photo catalyst, and the chemical substances are decomposed by irradiating ultraviolet light. The design requires that substances of odors are adsorbed on the surface of the titanium oxide. We improved the quantity of air inflow, the method of irradiating ultraviolet rays, the titanium oxide film with high decomposition efficiency. This could be change the titanium oxide from rutile type to anatase type, which is a different crystal structure. And we changed the distance between the titanium oxide file and the ultraviolet light source (LED Wavelength is 380nm), also changed optimized input power. Then this new device decomposed more effectively than previous one.

Athletic abilities are often evaluated quantitative items such as maximum voluntary muscle strength, repeat count, and best time, and do not directly evaluate the contraction ability of the target muscle. Mechanomyogram (MMG: mechanical activity) and electromyogram (EMG: electrical activity) are regarded as input / output signals of muscle contraction, and ratio of MMG and EMG (M / E ratio) can be interpreted as an indicator of muscle-specific performance. In this study, we examined whether M / E ratio could be a performance index of muscle contraction when pedaling load was gradually increased using an MMG / EMG hybrid transducer. As a result, M / E ratio tended to decrease as pedaling load increased. It was seemed that the contraction efficiency and reserve capacity of muscle are reduced. These results suggested that changes in M / E ratio at low to high pedaling loads reflected muscle performance during dynamic exercise.

Precise control of surgical equipment based on visual feedback from laparoscopic images is important for surgical tool maneuvers during automatic or laparoscopic surgery. However, the operation accuracy is limited, since it is difficult to estimate the surgical tool's 3D coordinates from 2D images. In recent years, studies on the estimation of 3D coordinates, using deep learning, based on tool joint position in images has been proposed. But such systems are unoptimized due to the limited estimation accuracy of the intermediate information. The goal of this research is to estimate the tool's 3D coordinates directly from simulated monocular laparoscopic images, using a deep learning algorithm. Using 3D rendered images of surgical tools, our deep regression architecture-based neural network was trained to estimate forceps position and orientation. As a result, the possibility of estimating the 3D coordinates of surgical tools from monocular images using a deep learning approach was demonstrated.

As a urine volume measurement without using a measuring cup, the estimation using image processing has been proposed. In this method, urination images are taken at the time urine discharged into the air, after that the multiple cylindrical model is applied to urination images in order to obtain a total flow. In the previous study, a measuring device was constructed imagining a urinal for men under satisfying the geometrical parallelism between the liquid motion plane and the image projection plane, which is one of the important assumptions for the multiple cylindrical model. Due to this, when installing the device that way into a western style toilet, the device is placed on the upper surface of the toilet seat but not practical. Therefore, in this study, we propose an applicable way of installing image sensors to measure the flow rate when urinating as usual with a western style toilet.

Due to measurement of cardio and respiration signals using Doppler radar enables non-contact and continuous operation, this technology shows great potential for clinical monitoring. Radar remotely detects tiny movements on body surface caused by heartbeat and respiration from a distance. There are challenges to denoise radar signal and separate cardiac/respiration signals, thereby further obtaining physiological information such as heart rate variability and respiratory sinus arrhythmia. In this work, we adapted independent component analysis (ICA) for separating the cardiac/respiration components from dual 10 and 24 GHz Doppler radar recordings. A mathematical modeling and simulation of ICA for separating the cardiac/respiration components was investigated. Moreover, a laboratory experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of ICA-based separation method.

With the objective of proposing ideal chamber configurations for prevention of blood coagulation during hemodialysis, we focused on quantitatively elucidating the effects of the three related factors of: (1) chamber length L_P, (2) inlet flow angle θ, and (3) filtration filter configuration. In the simulation by acid addition to milk, casein coagulates were formed and then captured by the filtration filter, effectively simulating blood coagulation and a steady rise in blood circuit pressure. When this simulation of coagulate growth by acid addition to milk was applied to investigate the time to coagulation completion (T_COAG) in the six constructed chamber types, it was found that, with mesh-type filtration filtering, T_COAG lengthened with shortening of the chamber length (L_P).

In previous studies, we measured swallowing sounds using acceleration sensors attached to the neck, and performed time-frequency analysis on the swallowing sounds obtained. We also quantitatively assessed swallowing function by finding the envelope of the swallowing sound signals via cubic spline interpolation and calculating a parameter, Swallowing Function Parameter (SFP), that indicates the subject's swallowing function. In this report, after examining methods for measuring swallowing sounds surely, we investigated the effects of water jelly at different temperatures on swallowing function. As a result, we came to be able to measure swallowing sounds surely in both men and women. In addition, from the results of the texture test and the measurement of the swallowing sound of the water jelly, it was found that the SFP value decreased most at 20°C.

Shunt murmurs are believed to be generated when turbulent flow, which is generated as a large amount of blood passes quickly through the anastomosis site of the VA, causes the vascular wall to vibrate. In this report, the pseudo shunt murmurs generated in the AVF models with different diameter stenosis rates was measured, and the flow in these models were visualized using particle image velocimetry (PIV). As a result, in the several model with a low diameter stenosis rate, the flows were laminar, and the frequency component of the pseudo shunt murmurs were mainly composed of low frequency components. As a result, it was considered that the change in the flow in the blood vessels by stenosis may have an effect on the acoustic characteristics of the shunt murmurs.

The double-lumen catheter (DLC) for hemodialysis is widely used as a means of vascular access (VA) for blood purification in emergency and acute medical care. In the clinical use of DLCs, however, blood removal failure tends to occur and may impede therapy continuation. In such cases, continuation of therapy may be possible by reversing the DLC connection in the blood circuit from the normal connection. Despite the resolution of sticking phenomenon to the vessel wall, however, this interchange between the blood removal port and the retransfusion port gives rise to recirculation and markedly reduces dialysis efficiency. In the present study, to decrease sticking phenomenon by optimizing DLC tip shape, we focused on pressure change in blood removal and construction of a system that can quantitatively assess the effect of various DLC tip shape parameters on sticking phenomenon.

Cavitation occurring in an artificial cardio-pulmonary device blood circuit is reported with a cause of hemolysis. In this study, it is intended to visualize cavitation occurring in an artificial cardio-pulmonary device blood circuit. Visualize cavitation by observing luminescence of the luminol by cavitation. After having circulated luminol solution in a blood circuit, we let a blood circuit occlude using some forceps. Occurring air and luminescence were recorded by using a digital single-lens reflex camera. As a result, we were able to observe the bubbles, but was not able to observe the luminescence. However, it was the experiment using the sonoreactor and was able to observe luminescence in flow. Because luminescence was not observed as for the bubbles occurred in the blood circuit, it was suggested that we did not have energy like acoustic cavitation.

Foundational investigation was performed to achieve use of electric impedance measurement, as an evaluation method of cell viability for a noninvasive and real-time in cold-storage. Rat heart striated myocyte (ECACC Cell Line H9c2 (2-1)) was selected as an experimental cell. Sample of monolayer cell cultured in a chamber with electrodes (37°C, 24 h) was preserved at 4°C for 0-48 h. Then evaluation of cell viability and measurement (10-100 kHz) of the electric impedance frequency characteristic of cells were performed in arbitrary time. The cell viability was evaluated with water-soluble tetrazolium salts. As a result, the cell viability greatly decreased between 0 and 6 h in the time of cold-storage, and electric impedance fell similarly. Both of the results were considered to reflect loss of the cell membrane integrity. Therefore, evaluation of cell viability in cold-storage of a monolayer culture cell in real-time by electric impedance measurement was suggested.

A ship handling simulator is a system that simulates ship and maritime environments for navigation training on land. Many trainees feel motions of floor even though floor does not oscillate on a training. The purpose of this study is to analyze the human standing postural motions that are response to images with different wave directions. Standing posture motion was evaluated by linear and angular accelerations at the head and hip, energy expenditure, and the motion of the center of gravity (COG). Eight participants looked at four types of wave images: without waves, 180 degrees wave direction, 135 degrees wave direction, and 90 degrees wave direction. There was no significant difference on the data of linear and angular accelerations at the head and hip, and energy expenditure. The COG motions of participants were observed in response to the wave directions projected by the simulator.

Most recent methods of blood purification therapy prioritize blood purification efficiency. However, it has been reported that a disparity arises between the set blood removal flow rate and the actual flow rate when thinner indwelling needles are used, reducing blood purification efficiency. Therefore, With the aim of developing indwelling needles that can achieve a sufficient blood removal flow rate even with a thin needle, we have used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to perform theoretical examinations. In the present study, we compared straight type with high flow type indwelling needle, investigated the optimum shape of the flow path. Comparing the actual flow rates, we found that the high flow type had superior blood removal properties, and that the difference between the set flow rate and the actual flow rate was small. Based on the results, we plan to perform further investigations of the optimal shape of indwelling needles.