Tohoku Techno Arch Co., Ltd. Product Lineup

Since the transportation network of goods is cut off when the road is cut off by the landslide disaster, it is indispensable to secure the passage of vehicles by improving the temporary road in the disaster site for quick recovery. The temporary road is constructed by the excavation operation of the backhoe, but the operation is accompanied by the risk of the secondary damage, so the automation technology of the backhoe is required. In the conventional research, the motion planning to change the level difference to the roadable slope was carried out, and the modification work using the simulator was successful. However, to move to the destination in the remote place, the route to the destination and the excavation work must be planned simultaneously, and the simultaneous planning has not been achieved. This invention proposes a method to simultaneously carry out the excavation planning of the rough ground and the route planning to the destination. The excavation is realized by fitting the roadable slope in the footprint of each point on the route, and adjusting the amount of cut soil and embankment of the slope to be equal. By adding the cost of excavation and movement to the planning problem by the A* method, and deriving the solution to minimize the cost, the modified terrain and the moving route are calculated simultaneously. It is also possible to flexibly adjust the guide of the route and the excavation plan by changing the weighting of each cost.

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The development of rechargeable batteries employing solid electrolytes has been actively pursued as a route toward safer and more reliable energy storage systems. Among the candidate materials, inorganic electrolytes such as sulfides, as well as polymer electrolytes, have attracted significant attention due to their high lithium-ion conductivity. Beyond ionic transport performance, extensive efforts have been devoted to improving safety, durability, and long-term stability for practical all-solid-state battery applications. Nevertheless, materials that fully satisfy industrial requirements have yet to be realized. Through sustained research efforts, we have developed a new solid electrolyte material that simultaneously addresses lithium-ion conductivity and safety. This advance was achieved by introducing targeted modifications into hydroxyapatite-based materials. While conventional hydroxyapatite exhibits negligible lithium-ion conductivity, the modified material demonstrates a conductivity of approximately 1 mS/cm at room temperature. This result establishes a new pathway toward safer and higher-performance all-solid-state batteries, with promising potential for applications in the automotive and robotics industries.

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Technology for reusing metal powder used in metal lamination process is attracting attention. One of the conventionally known methods is to mix unused metal powder with recovered metal powder, which is called powder refresh. However, although it is unmelted, some of the recovered metal powder has lost its original composition due to evaporation of highly volatile elements by repeated lamination process. Since powder refresh is not a process to recover the composition of individual particles, further improvement of the reuse method has been required. 　 The present invention devises an apparatus which enables the supply of a specific element more effectively than ever before, as a result of repeated research focusing on the motion of individual particles of metal powder. As a result of detailed observation and examination of the process of friction and collision, a means for supplying a specific element to the surface of individual particles was clarified, and the problem was solved. This enables the construction of a more effective powder regeneration process in laminated molding, and is expected to lead to cost reduction of molded products.

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The technology to suppress the smoke phenomenon in the metal lamination process of powder bed system is attracting attention. Since the smoke phenomenon inhibits the beam irradiation, the melting of the metal powder becomes insufficient, and the deterioration of the laminated product is caused. To solve this problem, countermeasures such as temporary sintering have been taken, but they are not sufficient, and research and development are continuously carried out. 　As a result of repeated research focusing on the fact that each metal powder is covered with a thin oxide film, the present invention devised an apparatus capable of suppressing the smoke phenomenon more effectively than ever before. Since the smoke phenomenon is mainly caused by the electrification of each metal powder by the irradiation beam, the problem was solved by pretreating the powder bed. As a result, development of a laminated molding apparatus capable of effectively suppressing the smoke phenomenon and development of an auxiliary apparatus mountable to an existing apparatus are expected.

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This invention presents a new platform for creating organic-CaCO₃ composite materials with pearl-like multilayer nanostructures using a bio-manufacturing process involving yeast and koji mold. 　Building on prior research into the bio-mineralization of Pteria penguin pearls, the inventors have successfully expressed the related proteins and enzymes in yeast to produce highly controlled multilayer CaCO₃ crystals. High-Performance Materials　：By optimizing the expression of matrix proteins and enzymes, the crystal structure and material properties can be precisely controlled. Sustainability　：The fermentation-based production process enables large-scale manufacturing with minimal environmental impact and low cost.

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Current Alzheimer’s disease therapies provide only limited cognitive benefit, and there is an unmet need for disease‑modifying drugs that directly reduce amyloid‑β (Aβ) accumulation.​ The inventors identified habu snake (Protobothrops flavoviridis) venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs), evolutionarily related to non‑amyloidogenic APP‑processing ADAM proteases, as potent Aβ‑degrading enzymes.​ In vitro, an SVMP cocktail cleaved secreted Aβ at the APP α‑cleavage–equivalent site, converted it to non‑toxic p3 fragments, and reduced Aβ levels in culture medium by about 90%.​ Among these, the flavoridin‑precursor–derived SVMP targets both monomeric and aggregated Aβ and shows higher substrate selectivity than neprilysin with minimal neuropeptide degradation, supporting its potential as a low‑toxicity, disease‑modifying AD drug lead.

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In recent years, concerns about animal welfare have accelerated efforts to reduce animal testing in pharmaceutical and cosmetic development, driving a global shift toward in vitro evaluation methods that better replicate the human body. Microphysiological systems (MPS), which combine microfluidic technology with human cells, are attracting significant attention as next‑generation in vitro evaluation methods capable of reproducing organ‑level physiological functions.​ 　The inventors have developed a device capable of independently controlling the two‑dimensional spatial distributions of both oxygen concentration and pH. This invention is expected to facilitate understanding of cellular dynamics in microenvironments with oxygen and pH gradients. For example, by reproducing the hypoxic and low‑pH environment of cancerous tissues, the device enables the evaluation of anticancer drug efficacy and toxicity under conditions that closely mimic the in vivo environment of cancer patients. Beyond these applications, the device is expected to support a broad range of uses as an organ‑on‑a‑chip platform. Since this patent has not yet been published, the specification can be disclosed after the intellectual property agreement is concluded.

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　Piezoelectric sensors made of piezoelectric ceramics and polymers have been developed. Among them, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a semicrystalline polymer composed of (CH2-CF2) repeating structures. It has attracted attention because of its low cost and excellent flexibility. While further improvement of piezoelectric properties is required, improvement of materials without compromising their flexibility has been studied. However, materials that meet the needs of the industry have not been developed. 　As a result of repeated research, we succeeded in developing a modified PVDF with significantly improved piezoelectric properties. The development of a new material was made possible by adding additives to the raw material PVDF. We confirmed that the piezoelectric properties of this material were increased without losing the excellent flexibility of the conventional material. This paves the way for the development of more sensitive sensors, which are expected to be applied in the medical device and robot industries.

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In factories, buildings, hospitals, commercial facilities, and water treatment plants, water is typically pumped to elevated storage tanks, which results in high electricity consumption. To address this issue, the proposed invention introduces a liquid lifting and power generation system that uses high-pressure fluid to increase the internal pressure of a storage chamber, enabling liquid to be transported to higher elevations without conventional pumps. ■Key Features of the Invention ・　Significant reduction in power consumption compared to conventional pumping systems ・　Superior safety and ease of handling compared to methods that use flammable gases

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The inventors have developed a subcritical separation technology, which, combined with a newly established method for estimating phase equilibria in a carbon dioxide–ethanol–water ternary solvent system near room temperature, enables the design of efficient extraction conditions for algal oils. 　This invention proposes a clean extraction technology that mixes subcritical fluids with a feed solution (alcohol–water solution containing algae) to separate a vapor phase enriched in oils and a liquid phase enriched in chlorophyll and pheophorbide. ◎ Enhanced Safety ◎ Suppression of Oxidation and Thermal Degradation ◎ Energy Savings ◎ Low Environmental Impact

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The inventors have developed a unique subcritical solvent separation method using three green solvents—CO₂, ethanol, and water—to enable safe, eco-friendly production of pharmaceutical and food ingredients. Conventional supercritical and subcritical processes often face slurry freezing and clogging due to adiabatic expansion, reducing productivity and increasing maintenance time and cost. The proposed system prevents these issues by creating a controlled pressure difference between gas and liquid phases in the separation column, enabling a safer and more efficient extraction and manufacturing process. ◎High productivity enabled by continuous separation and collection ◎Handles slurry without clogging, reducing pretreatment time 　　　　　　 　　and preventing degradation of target compounds ◎No harmful organic solvents, ensuring safer and cleaner operations

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Conventional microfluidic devices are typically fabricated on flat substrates using lithography—a standard semiconductor manufacturing technique. However, this approach is limited by its inability to create three-dimensional or non-planar channel structures, which restricts the functional complexity of the devices. To overcome these limitations, the research team developed a Rotary Thermal Drawing System. This breakthrough equipment enables the production of 3D helical channels and microcoil fibers. Beyond simple fluidics, this technology allows for the integration of electrical components, leading to novel applications such as advanced electrophoresis. Key features of this technology: ・Flexible design is possible: the fiber material (e.g. high‑strength material, elastic materials), diameter size, pitch, shape (liner or spiral), hollow or not, etc. ・Portable size of the equipment: Saving space and easy to handle.

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Conventional microfluidic devices are typically manufactured on flat substrates using lithography—a standard semiconductor fabrication technique. However, this traditional approach is largely limited to two-dimensional (planar) channel structures, making it difficult to create complex, three-dimensional fluid paths. To overcome these limitations, the inventors developed a Rotary Thermal Drawing System. This breakthrough device enables the production of hollow spiral microfibers with complex 3D structures. By leveraging this technology, the inventors have successfully designed a highly efficient Micromixer that uses internal helical channels to achieve uniform mixing of fluids, such as chemicals and reagents. Key Technical Advantages: ・Flexible design is possible: the fiber material (e.g. high‑strength material, elastic materials), diameter size, pitch, shape (liner or spiral), hollow or not, etc. ・Portable size of the equipment: Saving space and easy to handle.

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As semiconductor devices are highly integrated, metal wirings used in semiconductor circuits are becoming hotter and denser. Then, electromigration (EM) damage due to metal fatigue becomes a problem. Conventionally, measures to increase EM strength have been taken by devising wiring structures such as lamination and installation of reservoirs. On the other hand, these measures require many processes and are costly. 　The present invention has developed a method to suppress EM damage only by performing wiring processing which is simpler and less costly than conventional methods. The present invention is a technology to improve reliability against EM damage by reducing current density flowing through wiring. For applications that have not yet been published, information disclosure and other measures will be taken after a contract including a confidentiality clause is concluded. Please feel free to contact us.

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This database includes more than 10,000 motion capture entries from 97 performers, 54 from Japan and 43 from Taiwan. 　It features recordings of 12 emotions-joy, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, disgust, contempt, gratitude, guilt, jealousy, shame, pride, and neutral state. 　Each emotional category comprises 3 self-prepared personalized scenarios by the performers, at 3 intensity levels: low, middle, and high. 　Scenarios are provided in Japanese, English, and Chinese, offering detailed context information that illustrates the cultural nuances behind emotional triggers.

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Patients with severe respiratory failure or low oxygen saturation are currently supported by ECMO, but conventional systems are bulky, highly invasive, and require specialized expertise. This system integrates a miniature axial-flow blood pump and a hollow-fiber oxygenation unit within a dual-lumen cannula, allowing blood pumping, oxygenation, and CO₂ removal in a single device. ・　Integrated pump and oxygenator: No additional artificial lung needed ・　Single-port percutaneous insertion: Femoral or jugular access reaching the right atrium ・　Recirculation control: Flow rate and oxygenation optimized via pump speed ・　Low-flow gas exchange proven: Effective oxygenation and CO₂ removal demonstrated at 0.2 mL/min

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Microneedles deliver drugs by coating or loading therapeutic agents onto fine needles that penetrate tissues and release the drug in a minimally invasive manner. However, pharmacokinetic evaluations have so far relied on the assumption that sufficient drug amounts were successfully administered to achieve therapeutic effect. This has limited the quantitative assessment of safety and efficacy. Our system enables quantitative evaluation of microneedle penetration behavior—such as penetration depth, direction, and the range of affected tissue—within a simulated skin environment that can reproduce mechanical properties like pulsation and viscoelasticity. These features allow realistic replication of the dynamic interactions that occur during microneedle insertion. Using stereo camera–based measurements, the system captures both the physical penetration process and the dynamic deformation of the target with high precision.

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Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) and silver nanoparticle (AgNPs) composites serve as excellent dispersible carriers that maximize silver’s conductivity, catalytic activity, and antimicrobial performance. CNF, being plant-derived and environmentally friendly, also aligns with SDG goals. Conventional wet reduction methods, however, generate wastewater and require washing steps, leading to environmental issues and complex processing. 　This invention introduces an ultrasonication-based method that both disperses CNF uniformly and reduces silver oxide to form CNF/AgNPs composites without harmful reagents. The simple, waste-free process offers higher silver loading and better silver dispersion than conventional methods, enhancing silver’s inherent properties.

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For patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), first-line therapy usually involves pembrolizumab (an immune checkpoint inhibitor; ICI) with chemotherapy (5-FU plus cisplatin/carboplatin), or pembrolizumab alone for PD-L1–positive cases defined by the combined positive score (CPS). As a second-line option, cetuximab (anti-EGFR antibody) plus paclitaxel (CET+PTX) is commonly used. Our study revealed a mutually exclusive correlation between responses to first-line pembrolizumab and second-line CET+PTX. Comprehensive gene expression analyses identified key biomarkers linked to this correlation. This diagnostic approach allows prediction of each therapy’s efficacy in individual patients by measuring these biomarkers.

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In biotechnology and healthcare, it is crucial to detect small temperature changes and heat generation with high sensitivity. This invention achieves remarkable temperature sensitivity by using ionic liquids with a high Seebeck coefficient in thermocouples, far surpassing conventional solid-state materials. The device employs a microfluidic chip, allowing the liquids to be physically separated but electrically connected, enabling flexible sensor structures. This system makes it possible to conduct ultra-sensitive temperature measurements even on curved and irregular surfaces, expanding the practical utility of temperature sensing well beyond what is possible with traditional solid-state sensors.

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Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are regarded as promising materials for next-generation electronics owing to their unique optical, electronic, and mechanical properties. Conventional synthesis methods such as laser ablation and arc discharge create SWCNTs with a broad mixture of chiralities, resulting in inconsistent device performance. Polymer wrapping and density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU) are widely used for chirality separation, but polymer wrapping is limited to certain chiralities and DGU tends to shorten nanotube length, increasing resistance in electronic devices. We have developed a new dispersion and purification method that enables efficient separation of a wide variety of SWCNT chiralities—including enantiomers—while preserving tube length. The resulting high-purity, long SWCNTs allow the realization of advanced devices with high speed and sensitivity, expanding the possibilities for practical applications in electronics and sensing technologies.

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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major global health issue without any drugs that improve kidney function. Previous mouse experiments showed that lubiprostone, a constipation drug, reduces uremic toxin accumulation by improving the intestinal environment altered by kidney decline, thus inhibiting kidney damage progression 1. A phase II clinical trial was conducted to test lubiprostone's effects on kidney function in patients. Results revealed dose-dependent suppression of kidney function decline (eGFR) in lubiprostone-treated patients compared to placebo. Further analysis showed lubiprostone improves kidney mitochondrial function by modulating the gut microbiota and increasing spermidine production, which enhances mitochondrial activity and provides kidney protection.

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Traditionally, a specialist determines the epileptogenic area (EZ) to be removed during epilepsy surgery by comprehensively judging the results of EEG, CT and MRI, SPECT and PET. Conventional methods are challenged by (1) low accuracy, (2) the length of the examination period (which requires at least one week), and (3) the high burden on the patient (two surgeries, the installation of an electroencephalograph and the removal of EZ). 　The present invention can estimate the seizure origin (SOZ) and EZ with high accuracy and speed without waiting for an epileptic seizure by analyzing the high-frequency electroencephalogram during the interictal period. Specifically, since EZ can be precisely determined in about 30 minutes after the installation of the electroencephalograph (electrode), it is theoretically possible to determine and remove EZ in a single operation, greatly reducing the patient's burden. 　It is expected that real-time EEG analysis software based on the present invention will be developed and implemented in EEG equipped with the software.

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Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) offer lasting treatment efficacy and improved survival for cancer patients, but positive responses are limited to select individuals and treatment costs are high, highlighting the need to predict benefit before therapy. Current predictive methods like PD-L1 testing mainly measure local tumor tissue expression and fail to fully assess systemic immunity. Researchers examined blood lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) levels and clinical outcomes after ICI therapy in squamous cell carcinoma patients. They found that those with higher LPC had significantly prolonged survival post-ICI compared to those with lower levels. Because LPC is measurable in blood samples, it reflects systemic immune status and reduces patient burden by eliminating biopsies. This finding supports developing new clinical tests for predicting ICI effectiveness.​

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Chiral materials absorb right- and left-circularly polarized light differently (circular dichroism). Optical vortices, however, carry orbital angular momentum; their topological charge l can take unlimited integer values (±1, ±2, ±3, …). Using this richer degree of freedom enables material characterization, chirality discrimination, and a new measurement modality (“optical-vortex dichroism”) beyond conventional circular dichroism. Conventional vortex generators are limited to low-frequency modulation, leading to high noise and poor S/N. The invention engineers the optical system to achieve left–right vortex modulation at high frequency, reducing noise. We demonstrate detection of the “geometric twist” in twisted gold nanorod dimers (TND: paired, twisted nanoscale rods), suggesting defect detection in fine metallic wiring and applications in semiconductor, MEMS, and metamaterial inspection, as well as discovering new properties and enabling chirality identification.

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Cellulose nanofibril (CNF) is a highly crystalline microfibril derived from wood fiber. It is an environmentally friendly innovative material with excellent mechanical properties such as light weight, high strength, and low thermal expansion. Owing to these characteristics, it is expected to be applied to automotive components, electronic devices, gas barrier materials, and medical materials. A technology to fabricate single filaments composed of CNF has been also developed, and long filaments with high strength have been obtained. 　Based on the previously obtained knowledges and established methodology, functional materials using CNF have been developed in various fields, including the present invention relates to the fabrication of hydrogels. There are several hydrogel fabrication methods such as using electrophoresis and freeze-crosslinking, however, they were not suitable for mass production, and a new method was anticipated. 　As a result of intensive research, a method for precisely controlling the CNF orientation and the internal structure of hydrogels was developed, which realizes the contamination-free and high-strength hydrogels. It was found that the strength of gels can be designed from isotropic to anisotropic by tuning the fabrication conditions.

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Jaw and maxillofacial surgeries require precise alignment of the skull and jawbones, which demands highly accurate support tools. Existing surgical navigation systems (NS) are optical, and while they can display, for example, the name of the area being imaged by an endoscopic camera, they are not suitable for alignment during surgery. On the other hand, there is existing technology for magnetic NS for brain imaging, and it is applied on the premise of obtaining highly accurate CT images. However, in the dental field, issues arise, such as unclear CT images when metal prostheses are present, and difficulty in obtaining CT images during surgery. This invention provides a magnetic surgical NS that can overcome these limitations. 【 Key Features 】 ・Linked to preoperative planning: Target fixture position and orientation can be set on a 3D bone model generated from CT or digital scan data ・Outstanding usability: Real-time tracking, 3D coordinate axes for both target and actual positions, guidance for aligning multiple bone segments ・High accuracy: Overlap-based visualization allows intuitive alignment with submillimeter precision (within 1 mm) (Ref. 1) ・Clear surgical view: Magnetic system avoids light obstruction, with a compact design that doesn’t interfere with the procedure

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Currently, molybdenum alloys are formed by extrusion of powder sintered bodies due to their high melting point. Therefore, cutting is required in order to form complex shapes, which increases the manufacturing cost. In addition, if a body is formed by the powder sintering, the strength is decreased.　 　In this invention, light / high strength / high heat resistance molybdenum alloys can be easily fabricated by the melting and casting method, which can be applied for complex shapes. New molybdenum alloys with melting point below 2000℃.

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It has been reported that reduction or deletion of Langerhans β cells (hereafter β cells) in pancreatic islet occurs not only in type 1 diabetes but also in type 2 diabetes. Therefore, regeneration or promotion of β cells has been proposed as a promising treatment for diabetes. Recently, it has been shown that the transplantation of bone marrow cells promotes the proliferation of β cells. However, the mechanism is not clear.　 　The present invention relates to nucleic acid molecules that promote the proliferation of β cells. Said molecules increased insulin secretion and decreased blood glucose levels in animal model (right figure and related literature) in vivo. In combination with drug delivery systems, it is expected to establish a novel treatment for diabetes.

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It happens that some food are mistaken by elders and then drop into their lungs. Some times it leads to serious pneumonia and thus becomes to be problematic for home/facility medical care for elders. 　This invention provides a non-contact quantitative analysis device to evaluate the swallowing function of elders by monitoring the movement of neck surface. Also, the device is useful to evaluate objectively if the food is delicious and if elders can swallow the food smoothly.

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Liquid quenching method and atomization method are known as conventional methods of producing amorphous particles. However, the amorphous particle size obtained by these methods is relatively large and it has been difficult to obtain nanometer order amorphous nanoparticles, including amorphous tissue. Although chemical and arc plasma discharge methods are known to produce metal nanoparticles, the application of those methods are not easy due to the formation of secondary particles and segregation. Furthermore, it is also difficult to obtain large quantities of nanoparticles. 　This invention is able to provide amorphous nanoparticles, its production method with excellent dispersibility at relatively low temperatures, and amorphous nanoparticle dispersions. This invention includes the process of obtaining a dispersion with a solid-state metal comprising an alloy and a reducing dispersant, and the process of irradiating the dispersion with ultrasound in order to obtain amorphous nanoparticles containing an amorphous structure from the solid-state metal.

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As a acoustic speaker, a dynamic speaker using electromagnetic force (electrodynamic speaker) is used in many cases. In the dynamic speaker, as strong force is required, regarding a small speaker such as an earphone, in particular, the inertial force of the diaphragm is increased relatively, causing a problem of increased deviation between the electrical signal and the vibration. 　An electrostatic speaker has been used to solve the foregoing problem. However, in the conventional electrostatic speakers, one or a plurality of holes is required to be formed at each fixed electrode in order to transmit an acoustic wave generated by the vibration of the diaphragm to the outside.This causes a problem that dust, water, moisture, etc. are likely to come in. This invention solves mentioned problems by its new structure.

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Conventional Hall sensors (a type of magnetic-field sensors) rely on highly crystalline semiconductors such as GaAs and InSb that show the large ordinary Hall effect. However, the requirements for low carrier density and high mobility impose strong constraints on the fabrication processes and conditions. Also, their strong Tdependent electrical properties must be cancelled out with additional ICs to achieve Hall sensor operation over a wide practical T range. 　This invention describes a ferromagnetic Fe-Sn alloy, which can work as a superior Hall sensor material owing to the large anomalous Hall effect. This novel material offers many technological advantages including cheap and non-toxic ingredients, the roomtemperature growth on various substrates, and high sensitivity and thermal stability.

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Ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) have attracted attention as an industrially acceptable nanofabrication technology from views of cost and throughput; However, the use of spincoated films of photo-curable resin on substrates causes the problems of burr generation arising from mold edges and unleveled residual layers arising from site-selective differences in pattern densities of mold surfaces. The problems make subsequent lithography processes impossible. This optical nanoimprinting method consists of micro-scale laser-drilled screen printing and nano-scale molding. High-viscosity photo-curable resins with 1-300 Pa･s can be placed by screen printing using a polyimide sheet having through poles which are fabricated by laser drilling using a picosecond pulsed laser. The minimum volume of a printed droplet is 5 fL (10-15L). The resist patterns and resultant silicon patterns with 45-nm-linewidths are fabricated.

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PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) particles are industrially important particles used for many purposes. 　They are often used with their surfaces coated with dispersants and dispersed in water. Fluorinated dispersants are used as dispersant, but there is a strong concern about its bioaccumulation and environmental persistence, and it is necessary to find an alternative agent that doesn’t use fluorine. 　This invention is about a non-fluorinated dispersant that can disperse PTFE in water.

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Burkholderia gulmae and B. plantarii are pathogenic bacteria and cause rice seedling rot which is one of the most serious problems in the process of raising seedlings for rice cultivation. The main method for controlling plant diseases is application of chemical pesticides. However, risks for emergence of the drug-resistant bacteria and negative impact of chemicals on the environment should be minimized. The present invention proposes an environmentally friendly method, without chemical pesticides, of plant disease control using novel jumbo phage which is isolated from organically farmed soil.

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Thin-film solar cells using SnS (tin sulfide) offer the following advantages: ・Free of toxic elements such as Cd and Te. ・Composed of abundant and inexpensive elements (Sn and S). ・Efficient light absorption at a thickness of just 2–3 μm (compared to ~500 μm for silicon). ・A conversion efficiency of 25.3% has been reported for homo p-n junctions. However, achieving high-efficiency SnS solar cells with a homo p-n junction requires n-type SnS thin films, which have been technically challenging to fabricate. In this invention, inventor successfully synthesized n-type SnS thin films for the first time using a novel sulfurization technique based on sulfur plasma. This breakthrough is expected to enable the realization of homojunction SnS solar cells in the future.

• Public Testing/Laboratory

The CO2 fixation technologies so far typically employ alkaline earth metals to fix CO2 by converting it into chemically stable carbonate minerals. However, the conventional technologies are difficult to apply on a large scale because of its slow reaction rate, high cost and potential environmental concerns due to the use of a large amount of pH adjusters. 　This invention discloses a novel CO2 fixation process that enables to run under 100°C and ambient pressure without using large amounts of pH adjusters. It can run continuously at low cost by regenerating and recycling of the chelating agent (e.g., GLDA) solution within the process. This invention also enables the production of high-purity carbonates, such as CaCO3, and oxides, such as silica, by using Ca/Mg-containing wastes, including combustion ash, waste concrete, and slag, as Ca/Mg sources. The chemicals obtained in this sustainable CO2 fixation technology, such as CaCO3, are expected to be used in industries such as pigments, rubber, and desiccants.

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Carbon nanotube (CNT) is a graphene cylindrical sheet consisting of six-membered ring of carbon. It is known that the CNT axial winding of graphene (chirality) determines the electronic state, such as metallicity, semiconductivity and band gap (BG). 　The production of CNT with high chiral purity requires a complex process that includes the wet process such as separation and impurity removal. 　This invention is about a simple method for synthesizing semiconductor type (BG>1eV) single layer CNT with extremely high chiral purity (over 90%), which does not require a process to increase chiral purity and which has low production cost.

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Various 3D imaging methods including X-ray CT, ultrasonography,and confocal laser scanning microscopy are employed in industrial applications, depending on its usage. However, X-ray CT requires the rotation of a light source or the irradiation area to acquire 3D images, which makes rapid imaging difficult. Ultrasonographyenables 3D measurement using 2D array elements but suffers from limited spatial resolution. In addition, confocal laser scanning microscopy requires the sequential acquisition of 2D images while moving the observation plane, which makes 3D observation at video rate impossible. 　In recent years, 3D cameras and OCT are known as emerging 3D image acquisition techniques. However, the camera-based technique exploiting patterned- or line-illuminations provides limited spatial resolution, and it cannot visualize the internal information of samples. Besides, OCT is, in principle, applicable to reflected light signals only and impossible to measure fluorescence signals.A series of inventions solves the above issues and provides an imaging method with a simple implementation that enables the acquisition of precise 3D images in real-time.

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Fuel cells are attracting attention as an environmentally friendly energy, and various forms are being researched and developed. Solid oxide fuel cells are focused from the energy efficiency perspective. 　For a solid oxide fuel cell containing multi-cells, fuel and air are supplied separately from the same direction to the anode and cathode of each cell, which requires a fuel and an air supply unit, respectively. In addition, since the solid oxide fuel cells have a structure in which a solid electrolyte is sandwiched between an anode and a cathode, the fuel and air supply system becomes complicated in order to supply them separately to the anode and cathode which are close to each other. This is the reason why the full cell miniaturization was difficult. 　This invention is based on the structure of the electrode layer. By separating the fuel and air input & output respectively, a smooth flow can be achieved and the power generation efficiency can be improved.

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Filamentous fungi have an advantage to produce a wide variety of useful substances in industry. However, it is well-known that hyphal aggregation during the liquid culture often prevents fungi to grow with high density, resulting in low productivity of useful substances. 　This invention discloses a mutant strain of a filamentous fungi, in which α-1,3-glucan synthase (AGS) gene is deficient, for high productivity of substances. 　The α-1,3-glucan in the cell wall in AGS deficient mutant (AGΔ) is significantly reduced. The AGΔ cells are dispersed well in a liquid medium and cultured with higher density compared with that of wild type. Such phenotype of AGΔ results in an increasing productivity of useful substances per unit.

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　Precious metals are used as catalysts in various reaction systems, but their high price and scarcity have reduced their usage. Therefore, catalysts loaded with precious metals are generally prepared by dispersing and carrying noble metal particles in a nanoparticulate state on a support such as an oxide to maximize the surface area per amount of precious metal used. Conventional methods for producing noble metal catalysts have a problem that the dispersion of noble metal particles is poor and the particle size is uneven because the noble metal particles agglomerate during the heating process during metallization. Even if a method for producing a metal catalyst that can obtain highly dispersed particles is used, there is also a problem that the support is limited.　 　The present invention has made it possible to provide a method for producing a metal catalyst that can uniformly and highly disperse metal particles on various supports.

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Transition metal dichalcogenide (hereinafter “TMD”) is an atomic material layer with thickness of an atom, which has a bandgap in the visible range and behaves as a semiconductor. The conventional synthesis method is the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) where TMD is synthesized at random position on the circuit board. The position control of the synthesis is essential in order to apply TMD on different devices but the conventional synthesis method doesn’t allow that. The synthesis method with controlled position is also proposed but a polycrystalline TMD is synthesized and it is not convenient to apply to different devices. 　This invention solves above issues and can provide a synthesis method of monocrystalline TMD or heterojunction TMD by controlling its position using micro dots as a growing core while limiting the size dispersion.

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This technology realizes a wide dynamic range CMOS image sensor by employing Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor (LOFIC) in a pixel. The LOFIC technology can solve the tradeoff between high sensitivity and high saturation signal. This technology has been ready to the market.

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