Maki Endo

Dentistry Support Ultrasonic System for Root Canal Treatment Aided by Fuzzy Logic

This paper describes a dentistry support system for root canal treatment using ultrasonic. Presently, no complete method of root canal treatment has proposed. Dentist empirically removes the dental pulp using measures of length of root canal. Therefore, the support system for root canal treatment is required to precisely remove the dental pulp. This paper solves the problem in root canal treatment by our ultrasonic device and fuzzy logic techniques. We determine the dentin-dental pulp junction by calculating two fuzzy degrees of amplitude of the echo and approximate distance of the surface and the junction. As the result, our system can determine the thickness of dental pulp within error of 0.289 mm

Ultrasonography System Aided by Fuzzy Logic for Identifying Implant Position in Bone

We describe a new ultrasonography system, which can identify an implant position in bone. Although conventional X-ray fluoroscopy can visualize implants, it has the serious disadvantage of X-ray exposure. Therefore, we developed a system for orthopedic surgery that involves no X-ray exposure. Barriers to the development of the system were overcome using an ultrasonic instrument and fuzzy logic techniques. We located distal transverse screw holes in an intramedullary nail during surgery for femur fracture. The screw hole positions are identified by calculating two fuzzy degrees of intensity and the variance. Results allow this system to identify the screw hole positions within an error of 1.43 mm, an error ratio adequate for clinical surgical practice.

Simplified Factory Energy Management System based on operational condition estimation by sensor data

This paper describes a visualization technique to analyze causalities among the productivity indices and energy for improving energy efficiency of factory equipment. Recently, energy-saving has been important worldwide. Especially, energy-saving for factories is very important in manufacturing. Meanwhile, productivity indices must be kept in manufacturing process. Thus, we realize the improvement of energy efficiency on factory equipment by adding our visualization technique to conventional Factory Energy Management System. Our visualization technique quantifies the operational condition of equipment by the energy consumption and the equipment behavior. As the result of the visualization in our factory, our proposed technique could successfully improve the energy efficiency on a molding machine, a press machine and compressors without a negative effect to the productivity that means production volume and supply pressure.

A study of cause-effect structure acquisition for anomaly diagnosis in discrete manufacturing processes

In a factory setting, the zero-breakdown concept of manufacturing processes has been eagerly anticipated. In this article, the notion of machine health management technology is introduced in response to this requirement. The technology employs a cyclical and evolutional problem-solving approach using cause-effect structures. This paper will utilize an automatic acquisition method by using sensing data of machine behaviors. The problem to be solved here is to diagnose an anomaly using tact time delays of manufacturing lines. The cause-effect structure will illustrate the relationship between tact time delay anomalies and machine behaviors that lead to the anomalous conditions. The cause of the tact time delay can be identified by applying the cause-effect structure acquired through adopting a novel statistical processing approach using I/O signals of programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Experiments were conducted using an experimental manufacturing line to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Toward an optimal QCDE in manufacturing by health monitoring of equipment energy consumption

Japanese government has limited CO2 emissions and energy consumption for enterprises for these years. Especially, Japanese manufacturing industry have to fight to reduce energy consumption because they consumes a large amount of energy. Meanwhile, productivity must be kept when reducing energy consumption in manufacturing. The paper proposes the method of health monitoring with considering transparent productivity for QCDE optimization in manufacturing process. QCDE stand for Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Energy. he proposed method aims to reduce energy consumption without any QCD reduction by monitoring precise energy consumption of manufacturing equipment. Our proposed method quantifies operational condition of equipments by the energy consumption of equipments. The experimental results yielded that wasted energy consumption by the target equipment was extracted via monitoring its condition and energy consumption.

Eddy Current System for Finding Distal Transverse Screw Holes of an Intramedullary Nail

This report describes an eddy current system for finding distal transverse screw holes of an intramedullary nail. Although conventional X-ray methods can visualize screw holes in the bone, they pose a danger due to X-ray exposure. Therefore, a system to find screw holes without X-ray exposure is required. This problem was solved using an eddy current system and applying a method that calculates local maximum values of the searching signal obtained by the eddy current system. Characteristics of screw holes were revealed in the waveform and amplitude of the searching signal. As a result, the screw hole positions could be identified within an error of 1.3 mm when the distance between the probe and the intramedullary nail was 4 mm.

Human care system for heart-rate and human-movement trajectory in home and its application to detect mental disease

This paper proposes a heart rate monitoring system for detecting autonomic nervous system by the heart rate variability using an air pressure sensor to diagnose mental disease. Moreover, we propose a human behavior monitoring system for detecting the human trajectory in home by an infrared camera. In day and night times, the human behavior monitoring system detects the human movement in home. The heart rate monitoring system detects the heart rate in bed in night time. The air pressure sensor consists of a rubber tube, cushion cover and pressure sensor, and it detects the heart rate by setting it to bed. It unconstraintly detects the RR-intervals; thereby the autonomic nervous system can be assessed. The autonomic nervous system analysis can examine the mental disease. While, the human behavior monitoring system obtains distance distribution image by an infrared camera. It classifies adult, child and the other object from distance distribution obtained by the camera, and records their trajectories. This behavior, i.e., trajectory in home, strongly corresponds to cognitive disorders. Thus, the total system can detect mental disease and cognitive disorders by uncontacted sensors to human body.

Fracture surgery support system with robustness for bones by using eddy current

This report describes a fracture surgery support system by using an eddy current. In fracture surgery, screw holes on an intramedullary nail are in invisible situation. Although conventional X-ray methods can visualize screw holes in bone, they pose a danger due to X-ray exposure. Therefore, a system to find screw holes without X-ray exposure is required. We solved this problem using a concept of soft computing and searching signals obtained by the eddy current. The screw hole position is lactated by using knowledge on the shape of an intramedullary nail, which means the size of the screw holes and the position of the not flat, after extracting information of the intramedullary nail from the searching signals. By using this knowledge, we can select only needful information. As a result, the screw hole positions could be identified with the smallest error of 0.99 mm when the distance between the probe and the intramedullary nail was 8. 00 mm The screw was successfully inserted to the screw holes in this accuracy.

Fuzzy Ultrasonic System Design in Medicine

This paper describes a design method for fuzzy ultrasonic medical system and its applications. First, we describe a design method for manipulating features of ultrasonic data. Second we apply this design method to the system identifying a surface roughness. A fuzzy inference system is designed with the average of amplitudes and the standard derivation of the echo duration for the learning waves. The system identifies the degree of roughness: one of smooth, medium and rough. In the experiments on phantoms, it has successfully identified their surface roughness. Third, we apply this design method to an location system for the screw hole position of the intramedullary nail in a bone. The screw hole position is determined by applying the fuzzy inference system. As the results, the accuracy can guarantee the clinical practice usage.