▁an ▁electric - p ulse ▁oscill ator , ▁used ▁in ▁brain ▁surg ery . ▁When ▁an ▁oscill ator ▁stopped ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁an ▁operation , ▁Mas ao ▁Hor iba ▁was ▁called ▁upon ▁to ▁make ▁emer gency ▁rep airs . ▁He ▁got ▁the ▁instrument ▁working ▁so ▁the ▁sur ge ons ▁could ▁finish ▁the ▁operation , ▁and ▁then ▁took ▁the ▁instrument ▁home ▁to ▁examine ▁it ▁in ▁more ▁detail . ▁ ▁Ex am ination ▁of ▁the ▁components ▁showed ▁that ▁an ▁electro ly t ic ▁capac itor ▁had ▁failed . ▁When ▁it ▁proved ▁difficult ▁to ▁buy ▁low - cost ▁reliable ▁rep lac ements , ▁Hor iba ▁started ▁producing ▁electro ly t ic ▁capac itors . ▁By ▁integr ating ▁quality ▁control ▁into ▁the ▁production ▁process , ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁produce ▁high - quality ▁products . ▁He ▁partner ed ▁with ▁an ▁invest or ▁but ▁their ▁plans ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁capac itor ▁plant ▁fell ▁through ▁when ▁the ▁Korean ▁war ▁caused ▁Japanese ▁metal ▁prices ▁to ▁rise . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁instruments ▁needed ▁for ▁the ▁capac itor ▁manufact uring ▁processes ▁was ▁the ▁p H ▁meter . ▁Import ed ▁p H ▁meters ▁t ended ▁to ▁be ▁un re li able , ▁possibly ▁because ▁of ▁Japan ' s ▁hot ▁and ▁hum id ▁climate . ▁They ▁were ▁also ▁expensive . ▁ ▁R ather ▁than ▁buy ▁imported ▁p H ▁meters , ▁Hor iba ▁had ▁built ▁his ▁own ▁p H ▁meters ▁for ▁capac itor ▁testing . ▁He ▁saw ▁a ▁potential ▁market ▁for ▁reliable , ▁low - cost ▁p H ▁meters ▁in ▁Japan '