Patent Litigation in Japan

This article will explore how patent litigation in Japan has changed and will also compare and contrast aspects of patent litigation in the U.S. and Japan. In Part II, we show recent statistical data on Japanese patent infringement litigation. Parts III and IV briefly review the Japanese judicial system and legal professionals in the area of intellectual property. Part V addresses patent-infringement actions in Japan and the recent amendments of the Code of Civil Procedure and the Patent Law. Next, Parts VI and VII discuss infringement analysis and possible defenses in patent-infringement litigation. Part VIII reviews how to calculate the amount of damages in patent litigation in Japan. Finally, Part IX discusses provisional injunctions in Japan

Correlation between morphology and transport properties of quasi-free-standing monolayer graphene

We investigate the morphology of quasi-free-standing monolayer graphene (QFMLG) formed at several temperatures by hydrogen intercalation and discuss its relationship with transport properties. Features corresponding to incomplete hydrogen intercalation at the graphene-substrate interface are observed by scanning tunneling microscopy on QFMLG formed at 600 and 800{\deg}C. They contribute to carrier scattering as charged impurities. Voids in the SiC substrate and wrinkling of graphene appear at 1000{\deg}C, and they decrease the carrier mobility significantly

Transcatheter retrieval of an Amplatzer Vascular Plug

Introduction: An Amplatzer Vascular Plug (AVP), which was designed as a permanent occluding device derived from the Amplatzer Septal Occluder and Amplatzer Duct Occluder, is a useful embolic device that can be precisely deployed in medium to large vessels with high resistance to migration. However, migration of these Amplatzer devices has been reported as a relatively rare but major complication. Case report: A 59-year-old woman was referred for the treatment of advanced pancreatic body cancer; after systemic chemotherapy, distal pancreatectomy with en bloc celiac axis resection (DP-CAR) was planned as curative treatment. Therefore, preoperative embolisation of the common hepatic artery (CHA) for arterial redistribution was performed. Although a 6-mm AVP II was deployed at the mid-portion of the CHA, the AVP migrated to the proper hepatic artery. Although migrated AVP retrieval using a goose neck snare was attempted, it was impossible to retrieve it into the 5-F guiding sheath. Therefore, the AVP was delivered to the splenic artery, which was planned to be resected in DP-CAR. Finally, a 10-mm AVP II was redeployed at the proximal portion of the CHA, and complete occlusion was achieved. Conclusions: When AVP retrieval is not possible, delivery to the other arteries having lesser influence might be an alternate technique

Evaluation of atherosclerotic lesions using dextran- and mannan–dextran-coated USPIO: MRI analysis and pathological findings

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can detect atherosclerotic lesions containing accumulations of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxides (USPIO). Positing that improved USPIO with a higher affinity for atherosclerotic plaques would yield better plaque images, we performed MRI and histologic studies to compare the uptake of dextran- and mannan–dextran-coated USPIO (D-USPIO and DM-USPIO, respectively) by the atherosclerotic walls of rabbits. We intravenously injected atherosclerotic rabbits with DM-USPIO (n = 5) or D-USPIO (n = 5). Two rabbits were the controls. The doses delivered were 0.08 (dose 1) (n = 1), 0.4 (dose 2) (n = 1), or 0.8 (dose 3) (n = 3) mmol iron/Kg. The dose 3 rabbits underwent in vivo contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) before and 5 days after USPIO administration. Afterwards, all animals were euthanized, the aortae were removed and subjected to in vitro MRI study. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the aortic wall in the same region of interest (ROI) was calculated in both in vivo and in vitro studies. Histological assessment through measurement of iron-positive regions in Prussian blue-stained specimens showed that iron-positive regions were significantly larger in rabbits injected with DM- rather than D-USPIO (P < 0.05) for all doses. In vivo MRA showed that the SNR-reducing effect of DM- was greater than that of D-USPIO (P < 0.05). With in vitro MRI scans, SNR was significantly lower in rabbits treated with dose 2 of DM-USPIO compared with D-USPIO treatment (P < 0.05), and it tended to be lower at dose 3 (P < 0.1). In conclusion, we suggest that DM-USPIO is superior to D-USPIO for the study of atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits

Demolition of Reinforced Concrete by Steam Pressure Cracking System

The authors developed an environment-friendly demolition mechanical system for a large reinforced concrete structure for an actual site. The steam pressure cracking agent (SPC, non-explosive) is a method that can safely and quickly separate concrete because it produces lesser vibration and sound than the blasting method, which uses explosives. The authors showed that the direction of cracking can be controlled by an induction hole. The principle of control is that the elastic wave of the compression stress generated from the SPC reaction changes to a tensile elastic wave at the induction hole, which initiates a crack. Furthermore, in the SPC method, a large amount of concrete powder generated by the explosion method was not produced, and there was no risk of secondary contamination by fine concrete powder. The area over which the crack propagated depends on the energy generated from the SPC. The relationship between the two is linear. For reinforced concrete, the energy of the SPC is used for both the destructive energy of the concrete and the energy of the cutting of the reinforcing steel bar, which quickly breaks with low energy. By applying an SPC to dismantle large reinforced concrete structures, controlled cracking can be achieved safely and quickly without any environmental pollution. A fracturing method using a SPC is an effective method for the decommissioning of nuclear power plants and the dismantling of concrete structures. In this report, we report a remote drilling system that can be used to remotely install loading holes and guiding holes for the SPC and perform effective controlled fracturing

Elastic Wave Property of Concrete Decomposed by Steam Pressure Cracking Agent

A steam pressure cracking (SPC) agent is a method that can dismantle concrete safely and quickly. In previous studies, the authors showed that the direction of the crack could be controlled by the tensile stress at the induction holes and not by the compressive stress at the SPC hole. We demonstrate that the compression elastic wave changes to a tensile wave when the wave is reflected at the free surface of the induction hole. We also examined the properties of the concrete by developing an elastic wave measuring system that is difficult to break down even in high-temperature, wet, and radiation environment. The elastic wave velocity change in the four concrete types was less than 4%. It was found that the standard deviation value, σ, changed four times. Therefore, it is possible to determine the deterioration of the internal structure of concrete using the standard deviation value σ, which indicates the dispersion of the elastic wave velocity

Controlled Cracking of Large Size Concrete Structures by a Steam Pressure Cracking Agent

The dismantling of large concrete structures causes environmental pollution due to the dispersion of polluted micro-particles. The purpose of this study is to develop an environmentally friendly demolition method. Steam pressure cracking (SPC) is a method that can safely and quickly separate concrete because there is less vibration compared to the explosion method. To date, the authors have shown that the direction of cracking in a small sample can be controlled by an induction hole. The principle of control is that the elastic wave of compression stress generated from the SPC reaction changes to a tensile elastic wave at the induction hole, and a crack is initiated. In this study, it was shown that the direction of crack propagation can be controlled by using induction holes in large concrete structures that are 1m on each side. Further, in the SPC method, the large amount of concrete powder generated by the explosion method is not produced, and there is no risk of secondary contamination by fine concrete powder. It was also possible to separate small pieces from the end face of the large concrete by SPC and induction holes. The area over which the crack propagated depends on the energy generated from the SPC agent, and the relationship was linear. By applying an SPC agent to dismantling large concrete structures, we can achieve controlled cracking safely and quickly without any environmental pollution.&nbsp