We propose a new structure for spatial in-parallel actuated mechanisms with six degrees of freedom in which the output link’s position and orientation are decoupled. Number synthesis of the position submechanism, a partial mechanism for the position-orientation decoupled mechanism, was conducted, and fifteen mechanisms were clarified. Basic equations for kinematic analysis were derived for four of the obtained mechanisms, and procedures to analyze their forward/inverse displacement were investigated. Their workspaces and swing angles were numerically evaluated based on these equations. Experimental results using an experimental position-orientation decoupled mechanism were presented to support these theoretical results.

We propose a twisted S-shaped light pipe for coupling between an LED and a light guide to realize a thin light guide. This light pipe suppresses optical loss, while thinning down the light guide. The light guide using the light pipe in this work improves optical efficiency by 15% higher than that of a conventional light guide with the light guide profile thinning down from 0.60mm to 0.30mm.

To determine the clinical significance of serum bile acid measurements, changes in the serum bile acid composition in liver diseases and endogenous bile acid clearance due to test meal loads were investigated. In the case of changes in the serum bile acid composition, a characteristic pattern of a remarkable increase of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) was found in fulminant hepatitis. In patients with acute hepatitis, increases in CDCA were somewhat greater than those of cholic acid (CA) and there was tendency for these changes to precede changes in other liver function tests. In cases of extrahepatic obstructive jaundice, the CA/CDCA ratio was a large value exceeding 1.0. In investigations of endogenous bile acid clearance, serum bile acid concentration two hours after the text meal load clearly reflected the hepatic disorder and it was useful in differentiating between active and inactive form in chronic hepatitis and compensation and decompensation in liver cirrhosis.

This paper proposes a walking assist machine for people with walking difficulties. It has crutches operated by the user and a wearable mechanism generates motion of the leg and foot relative to the upper body. First, a healthy person's swing-through walking using axillary crutches was measured and kinematically analyzed. Based on the results, a composition of a walking assist machine using crutches (WAMC) was proposed. An Experimental apparatus of WAMC was designed and built. It realized walking with desired constant step length. And it was clarified that error of the step length decreases its walking stability. Then we investigated the relationship between walking stability and parameters of walking motion by dynamic simulations. The desired parameters were determined through the simulations Sensors and switches which convey user's intentions to WAMC were also designed and attached to the WAMC.

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