JP2015013829A - Apparatus and method of dehydrating biological material - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and method of dehydrating a biological material which do not damage a biological material and do not cause remarkable deterioration of treatment efficiency.SOLUTION: An apparatus 2 for dehydrating a biological material is used which includes a closed container 3 which can store a biological material 1, vacuum suction means 41 which increases a degree of vacuum in the closed container 3, vacuum degree adjusting means which introduces gas into the closed container 3 to adjust the degree of vacuum, heat input means which inputs required heat to the biological material 1, mass measurement means 6, and control means 8 which is electrically connected to at least the mass measurement means 6 and the vacuum degree adjusting means. The control means 8 calculates a mass decrease speed per unit time from a measured value of the mass of the biological material 1, and adjusts the degree of vacuum in the closed container 3 by controlling at least one of the vacuum degree adjusting means and the vacuum suction means 41 so that the mass decrease speed per unit time is within a required range.

Description

  The present invention relates to a biological material dehydrating apparatus and dehydrating method.

  When freezing biological substances such as food and biological samples such as cells and eggs, a part of water in the object to be frozen is dehydrated as a pretreatment. As an appropriate dehydration method for maintaining the quality of an object, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a microwave vacuum dehydration technique.

  The dehydration method disclosed in Patent Document 1 performs a dehydration process at a constant microwave output (on / off irradiation) and a constant degree of vacuum. More specifically, dehydration is performed by irradiating microwaves on and off under vacuum conditions while maintaining the temperature of the object at a normal temperature that is higher than the freezing temperature and lower than the alteration temperature.

JP 2007-289157 A

  However, in the dehydration method disclosed in Patent Document 1, a biological material having a highly viscous liquid in a particle is formed by dehydration treatment, such as a gonad of a seafood such as a sea urchin gonad or an egg mass of a fish egg. In the case of the target, if the dehydration process is performed using a high vacuum condition of, for example, less than 1 kPa, the above-mentioned film of the biological material may be damaged.

  On the other hand, in the dehydration method disclosed in Patent Document 1, if the dehydration process is performed using a medium vacuum condition of, for example, 10 kPa to 1 kPa, it is possible to suppress damage to the coating of the biological material. There is a problem that time is required and the processing efficiency is remarkably lowered.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a biological material dehydrating apparatus and a dehydrating method that do not damage the biological material and do not significantly reduce the processing efficiency. And

The invention according to claim 1 is a sealed container capable of storing a biological material which is a dehydration target;
Vacuum suction means for increasing the degree of vacuum in the sealed container by sucking the sealed container;
A degree of vacuum adjusting means for adjusting the degree of vacuum by introducing gas into the sealed container;
A heat input means for inputting a required amount of heat to the biological material;
A mass measuring means for measuring the mass of the biological material;
At least a control means electrically connected to the mass measuring means and the vacuum degree adjusting means,
The control means calculates the mass reduction rate per unit time of the biological material from the measured value of the mass of the biological material, and the vacuum so that the mass reduction rate per unit time is within a required range. The biological material dehydrating apparatus controls the degree of vacuum in the sealed container by controlling at least one of the degree adjusting means and the vacuum suction means.

The invention according to claim 2 is a sealed container capable of storing a biological material that is an object to be dehydrated;
Vacuum suction means for increasing the degree of vacuum in the sealed container by sucking the sealed container;
A degree of vacuum adjusting means for adjusting the degree of vacuum by introducing gas into the sealed container;
A heat input means for inputting a required amount of heat to the biological material;
Temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature of the biological material;
And at least control means electrically connected to the temperature measuring means and the vacuum degree adjusting means,
The control means calculates the temperature decrease rate per unit time of the biological material from the measured value of the temperature of the biological material, and the vacuum so that the temperature decrease rate per unit time is within a required range. The biological material dehydrating apparatus controls the degree of vacuum in the sealed container by controlling at least one of the degree adjusting means and the vacuum suction means.

The invention according to claim 3 is a sealed container capable of storing a biological material which is an object to be dehydrated,
Vacuum suction means for increasing the degree of vacuum in the sealed container by sucking the sealed container;
A degree of vacuum adjusting means for adjusting the degree of vacuum by introducing gas into the sealed container;
A heat input means for inputting a required amount of heat to the biological material;
Temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature of the biological material;
A mass measuring means for measuring the mass of the biological material;
At least the temperature measuring means, the mass measuring means and the control means electrically connected to the vacuum degree adjusting means,
The control means calculates a mass decrease rate per unit time of the biological material from the measured value of the mass of the biological substance, and calculates a temperature decrease rate per unit time of the biological material from the measured value of the temperature of the biological material. In addition, when the value of the temperature decrease rate per unit time is within the required range, the vacuum degree adjusting means and the vacuum suction are adjusted so that the mass decrease rate per unit time is within the required range. It is a biological material dehydrating apparatus that controls at least one of the means to adjust the degree of vacuum in the sealed container.

  In the invention according to claim 4, the vacuum degree adjusting means includes an opening for allowing gas to flow into the sealed container, and an inflow amount adjusting means for adjusting an inflow amount of the gas flowing into the sealed container. The biological material dehydrating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the biological material dehydrating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a nitrogen gas introduction pipe is connected to the opening.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the biological material dewatering apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the inflow rate adjusting means is a flow rate adjusting valve provided in the nitrogen gas introduction pipe.

  The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that the control means is electrically connected to the heat input means and controls the heat input means so that the amount of heat input per unit time to the biological material is constant. Item 7. The biological material dewatering device according to any one of Items 1 to 6.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the biological material dehydrating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a vacuum degree measuring unit that measures the degree of vacuum in the sealed container.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the biological material dehydrating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the heat input means is a microwave irradiation apparatus.

  The invention according to claim 10 is the biological material dehydrating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the biological material is a gonad or egg mass of a seafood.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, a biological material that is an object to be dehydrated is stored in a sealed container, the inside of the sealed container is sucked to increase the degree of vacuum in the sealed container, and a necessary amount of heat is applied to the biological material. A first step of heat input;
The mass of the biological material is measured, and the mass decrease rate per unit time of the biological material is calculated from the obtained measurement value, and the mass decrease rate per unit time is within a required range. A second step of adjusting the degree of vacuum in the sealed container;
And a third step of raising the degree of vacuum in the sealed container as compared with the second step.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, a biological material that is an object to be dehydrated is stored in a sealed container, the inside of the sealed container is sucked to increase the degree of vacuum in the sealed container, and a necessary amount of heat is applied to the biological material. A first step of heat input;
The temperature of the biological material is measured, and the temperature reduction rate per unit time of the biological material is calculated from the obtained measurement value, and the temperature reduction rate per unit time is within a required range. A second step of adjusting the degree of vacuum in the sealed container;
And a third step of raising the degree of vacuum in the sealed container as compared with the second step.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, a biological material that is an object to be dehydrated is stored in a sealed container, the inside of the sealed container is sucked to increase the degree of vacuum in the sealed container, and a necessary amount of heat is given to the biological material. A first step of heat input;
The mass and temperature of the biological material are measured, and the mass decrease rate and temperature decrease rate per unit time of the biological material are calculated from the obtained measurement values, and the temperature decrease rate per unit time is within the required range. In this case, a second step of adjusting the degree of vacuum in the sealed container so that the rate of mass decrease per unit time is within a required range;
And a third step of raising the degree of vacuum in the sealed container as compared with the second step.

  The invention according to claim 14 is the biological material dehydration method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein in the second step, gas is introduced into the sealed container to adjust a degree of vacuum. .

  The invention according to claim 15 is the biological material dehydration method according to claim 14, wherein the gas is nitrogen.

  The invention according to claim 16 is the biological material dehydration method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the amount of heat input to the biological material per unit time is constant.

  The invention according to claim 17 is the biological material dehydration method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein a temperature range of the biological material is in a range of −5 to 40 degrees.

  The invention according to claim 18 is the biological material dehydration method according to any one of claims 11 to 17, wherein heat input to the biological material is performed by a microwave irradiation method.

  The invention according to claim 19 is the biological material dehydration method according to any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the biological material is a gonad or egg mass of a seafood.

  According to the dehydration apparatus and the dehydration method of the present invention, at least one of the mass and temperature of the biological material to be dehydrated is measured, and the degree of vacuum is adjusted so that the rate of decrease per unit time is within the required range. Since the dehydration treatment is performed while adjusting, the biological material can be dehydrated without damaging the biological material and without significantly reducing the treatment efficiency. Here, the degree of vacuum can be easily adjusted by introducing a gas into the sealed container for storing the biological material. Moreover, if nitrogen gas is used as the gas introduced into the sealed container, quality deterioration during the dehydration process can be further suppressed.

Further, if heat input to the biological material is performed by microwave irradiation, dehydration can be performed without damaging the biological material.
In particular, the present invention is more effective when the biological material is a granular material having a film and has a highly viscous liquid in the particles, such as the gonads or egg masses of seafood.

It is a block diagram of an example of the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus which is one Embodiment to which this invention is applied. It is a figure for demonstrating the temperature change of the process target object in the dehydration method of the conventional biological material.

Hereinafter, a biological material dehydrating apparatus and dehydrating method according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In addition, in the drawings used in the following description, in order to make the features easy to understand, there are cases where the portions that become the features are enlarged for the sake of convenience, and the dimensional ratios of the respective components are not always the same as the actual ones. Absent.

<Preliminary study>
First, the present inventors are subject to dehydration treatment of a biological substance having a highly viscous liquid in particles, such as a gonad of a seafood such as a sea urchin gonad or an egg mass of a fish egg, such as a sea urchin gonad. The problem was clarified by performing dehydration using the conventional dehydration apparatus and method described in Document 1. Here, the conventional dehydration method described in Patent Document 1 refers to a microwave using a constant microwave output (on-off irradiation) and a constant degree of vacuum after storing a sample (sea urchin) in a vacuum chamber. It is vacuum drying.

(Verification test 1)
Specific conditions for the dehydration treatment are as follows.
・ Vacuum degree in vacuum chamber: High vacuum (degree)
(Operating to the full capacity of the vacuum pump and not adjusting the degree of vacuum, for example, less than 1 kPa)
・ Microwave output: 100W
(However, microwave irradiation starts 1 minute after the start of vacuum pump operation)
・ Processing time: 15 minutes

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing changes in sample temperature when dehydration is performed using the conventional dehydration method described in Patent Document 1. In addition, the horizontal axis of FIG. 2 indicates the elapsed time from the start of processing, and the vertical axis indicates the sample temperature. As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature change of the sample (sea urchin) after the start of the conventional dehydration process is respectively performed in three time zones (1) to (3) from the start of the dehydration process (start of operation of the vacuum pump). Behave differently. The above three time zones are defined as follows.
(1) First division: time zone in which the moisture evaporation (that is, mass reduction) of the processing object is not affected at the initial stage of the pressure drop in the vacuum chamber (2) Second classification: the temperature of the processing object is compared Time zone in which the temperature drop of the processing object can be confirmed (3) Third category: time zone in which the temperature of the processing object is relatively low and the temperature of the processing object is substantially constant

  By the way, as described above, in the conventional dehydration method described in Patent Document 1, dehydration processing is performed with a constant microwave output (on / off irradiation) and a constant degree of vacuum. Therefore, the sample temperature during the dehydration process is determined by the balance between heating by microwave and cooling by moisture evaporation.

  Referring to FIG. 2, in the second section (time zone (2) shown in FIG. 2), the sample temperature decreases. That is, the second section is a state in which the cooling due to moisture evaporation exceeds the heat input by the microwave. On the other hand, in the third section (time zone (3) shown in FIG. 2), the sample temperature does not decrease and is constant. In other words, the third section is cooled by moisture evaporation and input by microwave. Here, the heat input by microwave is the same condition in the second section and the third section, so that the water content of the third section is higher than that in the second section. It can be confirmed that the evaporation rate is reduced.

Table 1 below shows the behavior of operating conditions (degree of vacuum), temperature of sample (sea urchin) and weight in three time zones in the conventional dehydration method.

  As a result of performing the dehydration process using the conventional dehydration method and the above operating conditions, it was confirmed that the sea urchin film, which is the object to be processed, was damaged in the second section shown in FIG.

(Verification test 2)
Therefore, the present inventors also examined the case where the operating conditions (degree of vacuum) in the second and third sections were reviewed. Specifically, the revised operating conditions are as follows.
・ Vacuum degree in vacuum chamber: Medium vacuum (degrees)
(Gas is introduced into a high vacuum state due to operation with full capacity of the vacuum pump, and the degree of vacuum is adjusted, for example, 10 kPa to 1 kPa, etc.)

Table 2 below shows the behavior of the operating conditions (degree of vacuum), the temperature of the sample (sea urchin) and the weight in three time zones when the operating conditions are reviewed.

  As a result of reviewing the conventional dehydration method and the operating conditions of the second and third sections and performing the dehydration process, the vacuum degree in the vacuum chamber in the second section shown in Table 2 is reduced to about 5 kPa. The possibility of suppressing breakage of the sea urchin film as an object was found. However, it was confirmed that the dehydration rate in the third section was significantly reduced by reducing the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber to about 5 kPa in the third section.

Based on the results of the verification test, the present inventors have obtained the following knowledge and completed the present invention.
(1) When the object to be treated is a biological sample having a highly viscous liquid in the particles, such as sea urchins or fish eggs, and the film is damaged if the evaporation rate of water in the second category is high. There is a risk. In other words, the damage to the object is caused by the operating conditions of the second section.
(2) If the operating condition of the degree of vacuum in the second section is set to a medium degree of vacuum and the third section is also processed under the operating condition in order to suppress the damage of the film of the biological sample, the evaporation rate is significantly reduced. For this reason, a longer processing time is required, and the processing efficiency may be reduced. That is, the reduction in processing efficiency is caused by the operating conditions of the third section.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus which is an embodiment of the biological material dehydration apparatus of the present invention. Hereinafter, an embodiment of a dehydrating apparatus and dehydrating method for a biological material of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, with reference to FIG. 1, the structure of an example of the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 which is one Embodiment of the biological material dehydration apparatus of this invention is demonstrated.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus (biological substance dehydration apparatus) 2 is disposed in a vacuum chamber (sealed container) 3 and the vacuum chamber 3, and a biological sample (biological sample) as an object to be dehydrated. Material) 1 is placed on a tray 31, a vacuum pump (vacuum suction means) 41 for keeping the vacuum chamber 3 in a required vacuum state, and a vacuum state (pressure) in the vacuum chamber 3 is measured. A vacuum gauge (vacuum degree measuring means) 42, a microwave oscillator 51 for generating a microwave for irradiating the biological sample 1 in the vacuum chamber 3, and a microwave output for adjusting the output of the microwave oscillator 51 An adjuster 52, a temperature sensor (temperature measuring means) 53 such as a fluorescent optical fiber thermometer for measuring the surface and internal temperature of the biological sample 1, and the mass of the biological sample 1 For measurement, a mass meter (mass measuring means) 6 such as a load cell, an opening 71 provided in the vacuum chamber 3, a nitrogen gas introduction pipe 72 connected to the opening 71, and the introduction of the nitrogen gas A flow rate adjustment valve (inflow rate adjustment means) 73 provided in the pipe 72 is electrically connected to at least the vacuum gauge 42, the microwave output regulator 52, the temperature sensor 53, the mass meter 6, and the flow rate adjustment valve 73. And a control panel (control means) 8.

  The biological sample 1 can be a dehydrated subject such as a granular material having a film and a biological material having a highly viscous liquid in the particles, specifically, a gonad or egg mass of seafood, preferably a sea urchin gonad. Other foods may be dehydrated.

  The vacuum chamber 3 is a container (sealed container) that can store the biological sample 1 as an object to be dehydrated in an internal space and can be sealed. The vacuum chamber 3 can store and remove the biological sample 1 and can maintain the degree of vacuum (pressure) in the vacuum chamber 3 at 5 kPa or less, preferably 1 kPa or less. The material of the vacuum chamber 3 is not particularly limited as long as it does not transmit and absorb microwaves, and a metal or the like can be used.

  If the tray 31 can be disposed in the vacuum chamber 3 and the biological sample 1 can be placed, a material that reflects microwaves, such as metal, or a material that absorbs microwaves, such as a water-containing material, is used. Except for this, there is no particular limitation.

  The vacuum pump 41 is a device that raises the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber 3 by sucking the gas in the vacuum chamber 3. The vacuum pump 41 is not particularly limited as long as the inside of the vacuum chamber 3 can be maintained in a required vacuum state. For example, a rotary pump or the like can be used. Further, as the vacuum pump 41, a main pump and an auxiliary pump may be used in combination. Here, as the required vacuum state, the degree of vacuum (pressure) in the vacuum chamber 3 is 5 kPa or less, preferably 1 kPa or less. Moreover, it is preferable that the vacuum pump 41 can keep the operating conditions near the maximum value of the suction capacity constant. Further, the vacuum pump 41 may be capable of changing the operating condition during operation within the range of the suction capacity.

  The vacuum gauge 42 is not particularly limited as long as the vacuum state (vacuum degree and pressure) in the vacuum chamber 3 can be measured. The vacuum gauge 42 is electrically connected to a control panel 8 described later, and the measurement value of the vacuum gauge 42 can be transmitted to the control panel 8 as an electrical signal.

  The microwave oscillator 51 is a device that irradiates the biological sample 1 in the vacuum chamber 3 with microwaves and heats the biological sample 1 with a required amount of heat. The microwave output adjuster 52 is a device that adjusts the output of the microwave oscillator 51. The microwave output adjuster 52 is electrically connected to the microwave output adjuster 52 and a control panel 8 described later, and is output to the microwave oscillator 51 based on an output adjustment signal transmitted from the control panel 8. Send a signal.

  For example, by controlling the microwave oscillator 51 with the microwave output regulator 52 and irradiating the biological sample 1 with microwaves on and off, the amount of heat input by the microwave to the biological sample 1 can be made constant. As described above, since the heat input to the biological sample 1 is performed by microwave irradiation, the dehydration process can be performed without damaging the biological sample 1.

  Note that the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 of this embodiment includes a microwave irradiation device (heat input means) 5 having the microwave oscillator 51 and the microwave output regulator 52. However, the structure of the microwave irradiation apparatus 5 shows an example, and is not limited to this.

  The temperature sensor 53 is not particularly limited as long as it can measure the temperature of the surface and the inside of the biological sample 1 in the chamber 3. Further, the temperature sensor 53 is electrically connected to a control panel 8 described later, and a measurement value of the temperature sensor 53 can be transmitted to the control panel 8 as an electric signal.

  The mass meter 6 is not particularly limited as long as it can measure the mass of the biological sample 1 stored in the vacuum chamber 3 before and after the dehydration process and during the dehydration process. Specifically, A load cell type mass meter with an error accuracy within 5% is preferable. In the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a mass meter 6 that is installed in a vacuum chamber 3 and integrated with a tray 31 on which a biological sample 1 is placed. ing. According to the mass meter 3, the total mass of the biological sample 1 placed on the tray 31 before and after the dehydration process and during the dehydration process can be measured. Although FIG. 1 shows a mass meter of the type placed on the bottom surface of the vacuum chamber 3, it may be of a type suspended from the ceiling surface.

  In addition, the measurement of the mass of the biological sample 1 by the mass meter 6 during the dehydration process may be performed continuously (continuous measurement) or may be performed at a predetermined interval (intermittent measurement). Further, the mass meter 6 is electrically connected to a control panel 8 described later, and the measurement value of the mass meter 6 can be transmitted to the control panel 8 as an electrical signal.

The opening 71 is a gas inlet (gas inlet) provided in a part of the peripheral wall of the vacuum chamber 3 in order to allow gas to flow into the vacuum chamber 3. In the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, one end of a nitrogen gas introduction pipe 72 is connected to the opening 71 so that nitrogen gas can be introduced into the vacuum chamber 3. Yes. The other end of the nitrogen gas introduction pipe 72 is connected to a nitrogen gas supply source (not shown).

  The inflow adjusting valve 73 is provided in the middle of the route of the nitrogen gas introduction pipe 72 in order to adjust the inflow amount of the nitrogen gas that flows into the vacuum chamber 3. The inflow adjusting valve 73 is electrically connected to a control panel 8 described later, and controls the opening degree of the adjusting valve based on a control signal transmitted from the control panel 8.

  In the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the opening 71 and the inflow adjusting valve 73 constitute a vacuum degree adjusting mechanism (vacuum degree adjusting means). Specifically, when it is necessary to reduce the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber 3, a control signal is transmitted from the control panel 8 to the inflow adjusting valve 73 constituting the degree of vacuum adjusting mechanism. The inflow regulating valve 73 opens the regulating valve based on the transmitted control signal. Thereby, since nitrogen gas flows in into the vacuum chamber 3 through the opening part 71, it becomes possible to reduce the vacuum degree in the vacuum chamber 3 to a required value.

  According to the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the vacuum degree adjustment mechanism uses nitrogen gas as a gas that flows into the vacuum chamber 3 in order to adjust the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber 3. The quality deterioration of the biological sample 1 during the dehydration process can be further suppressed.

  Note that the configuration of the vacuum degree adjusting mechanism is an example, and is not limited to this. For example, nitrogen gas is preferably used as the gas that flows into the vacuum chamber 3 to adjust the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber 3 from the viewpoints of dew point management, prevention of oxidation of the object, and hygiene management. On the other hand, when air may be used, the vacuum degree adjusting mechanism closes the opening 71 shown in FIG. 1 and the opening 71 and transmits a control signal from the control panel 8. It is good also as a simple structure which has an on-off valve which controls the opening degree of the opening part 71 in this.

  The control panel 8 is, for example, a calculation unit having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) connected with a ROM, a RAM, an external input interface, and the like, and includes a vacuum gauge 42, a temperature sensor 53, and a mass meter provided in the vacuum chamber 3. 6 and a microwave output regulator 52 constituting the microwave irradiation device 5 and an inflow regulating valve 73 constituting the vacuum degree adjusting mechanism are also electrically connected. The control panel 8 also includes a program for calculating a rate of temperature decrease per unit time from the measured value of the temperature of the biological sample 1 by the temperature sensor 53 and a measured value of the weight of the biological sample 1 by the mass meter 6 per unit time. A program for calculating the mass decrease rate of the microwave output regulator 52 for controlling the magnitude of the output adjustment signal to the microwave oscillator 51 of the microwave output regulator 52 so that the amount of heat input to the biological sample 1 per unit time is constant. Data (table), control data of the inflow adjusting valve 73, which is an inflow amount of nitrogen gas necessary for making the inside of the vacuum chamber 3 have a required degree of vacuum, and the like are stored. Further, the control panel 8 is provided with input means (not shown) such as an input unit or operation buttons.

  Next, the dehydration method of this embodiment using the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

(First step)
In the first step, the biological sample 1 that is the object to be dehydrated is housed in the vacuum chamber 3, the vacuum inside the vacuum chamber 3 is sucked to increase the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber 3, and the amount of heat required for the biological sample 1 is increased. Is a process (step) for heat input.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, first, the biological sample 1 is placed on the tray 31 in the vacuum chamber 3 (that is, stored in the vacuum chamber 3). Next, the vacuum pump 41 is operated to reduce the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3. At this time, without adjusting the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3 (in other words, adjusting the degree of vacuum), the operation (decompression) until the pressure corresponding to the capacity of the vacuum pump 41 (for example, less than 1 kPa) is started. To do.

  In parallel with the start of operation of the vacuum pump 41, the temperature sensor 53 starts measuring the surface and internal temperature of the biological sample 1, and the mass meter 6 starts measuring the mass of the biological sample 1. Then, for example, after 1 minute has elapsed since the start of operation of the vacuum pump 41 (that is, the start of pressure reduction in the vacuum chamber 3), the microwave oscillator 51 generates microwaves within a range of, for example, 10 W to 1500 W, and the tray Irradiation is started on the biological sample 1 on 31.

  Here, the start time of the microwave irradiation to the biological sample 1 is not particularly limited, and can be arbitrarily set. For example, microwave irradiation may be started simultaneously with the start of operation of the vacuum pump 41. Further, based on the display of the vacuum gauge 42, the time when the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3 reaches a desired value may be used as a reference. Furthermore, based on the display of the temperature sensor 53, the irradiation may be started at the time when the temperature drop of the biological sample 1 has started.

  Note that the microwave irradiation to the biological sample 1 requires a constant amount of heat input to the biological sample 1 per unit time and requires the surface and internal temperature of the biological sample 1 from the start to the end of the dehydration process. Control within the range. Specifically, the control panel 8 controls the output adjustment signal to the microwave oscillator 51 of the microwave output adjuster 52 to perform on / off control of the microwave output. More specifically, the amount of heat input varies depending on the moisture content and shape, but is 1 W to 300 W.

  Moreover, it is preferable to control the surface and internal temperature of the biological sample 1 so as to be within the range of −5 ° C. to + 40 ° C. from the start to the end of the dehydration treatment, and within the range of −5 ° C. to + 10 ° C. It is more preferable to control so that it may be settled. Here, it is not preferable that the temperature is lower than −5 ° C. because it may freeze. On the other hand, when the temperature exceeds 40 ° C., quality deterioration due to microbial growth and protein denaturation occurs, which is not preferable. On the other hand, if the temperature range is in the range of −5 ° C. to + 40 ° C., the biological sample 1 can be dehydrated without freezing and maintaining the quality, and the temperature range is −5 ° C. to + 10 ° C. A range is more preferable because it is advantageous in terms of maintaining freshness.

  Note that the first step is performed in the initial stage of the pressure drop in the vacuum chamber 3 in a time zone that does not affect the water evaporation (ie, mass reduction) of the biological sample 1 (ie, the above-described first division). Is preferred.

(Second step)
Next, in the second step, the mass of the biological sample 1 is measured, the mass reduction rate per unit time of the biological sample 1 is calculated from the obtained measurement value, and the mass reduction rate per unit time is required. This is a step (step) of adjusting the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber 3 so as to be in the range of.

Here, the start time of the second step (that is, the end time of the first step) is the time point when the vacuum gauge 42 detects that the inside of the vacuum chamber 3 has reached a required pressure (degree of vacuum).
Specifically, in the second step, first, as shown in FIG. 1, the mass decrease rate per unit time is calculated from the measured value of the mass of the biological sample 1 obtained from the mass meter 6 in the control panel 8. Next, the control panel 8 starts adjusting the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3 (that is, adjusting the degree of vacuum) so that the calculated mass decrease rate per unit time is maintained in a required range.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3 is controlled by the control of a vacuum degree adjusting mechanism configured to include an opening 71 and an inflow adjusting valve 73. Specifically, the control panel 8 transmits a control signal to the inflow adjusting valve 73 while checking the value of the vacuum gauge 42 to control the opening of the adjusting valve, and the nitrogen gas into the vacuum chamber 3 is controlled. Adjust inflow (introduction). Thereby, the pressure (degree of vacuum) in the vacuum chamber 3 is adjusted so that the mass decrease rate per unit time of the biological sample 1 is within a required range.

  As described above, according to the dehydration method of the present embodiment, the nitrogen gas is caused to flow into the vacuum chamber 3 through the nitrogen introduction pipe 72 and the opening 71, whereby the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3 (that is, the degree of vacuum). Can be reduced.

  In addition, the range of the mass decrease rate per unit time of the biological sample 1 varies depending on the object to be dehydrated. Specifically, for example, when the biological sample 1 is a sea urchin, the pressure (vacuum degree) in the vacuum chamber 3 is controlled so that the rate of mass reduction falls within the range of 0.1 to 1.0% / min. It is preferable to do.

  The method for adjusting the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3 (adjusting the degree of vacuum) is not particularly limited. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, the control panel 8 controls the vacuum pump 41 without using the vacuum degree adjusting mechanism (vacuum degree adjusting means) constituted by the opening 71 and the inflow adjusting valve 73. The inside of the vacuum chamber 3 may be decompressed by directly controlling the output. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which uses together output control of the vacuum pump 41, and supply of nitrogen gas.

  In the second step, the pressure (degree of vacuum) in the vacuum chamber 3 is preferably adjusted between 100 kPa and 1 kPa, and more preferably adjusted between 10 kPa and 1 kPa. When the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3 exceeds 100 kPa, the evaporation rate of the biological sample 1 is remarkably slowed and the processing efficiency is lowered, which is not preferable. On the other hand, if the pressure is less than 1 kPa, a high-output vacuum pump 41 and a highly sealed vacuum chamber 3 are required, which is not preferable because the device cost increases. On the other hand, if it is between 100 kPa and 1 kPa, there are merits in both processing efficiency and apparatus cost. Furthermore, if it is between 10 kPa and 1 kPa, the said effect can further be heightened.

  As described above, in the dehydration method of the present embodiment, in the second step, the moisture evaporation rate is monitored (monitored) by the mass decrease rate per unit time of the biological sample 1 and the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3 (the degree of vacuum) ) By controlling the evaporation rate of the biological sample 1 by adjustment, the problem of film destruction of the biological sample 1 can be solved.

  In the second step, the temperature of the biological sample 1 that is the object to be processed is relatively high and the temperature of the biological sample 1 can be confirmed to decrease (that is, corresponding to the second category shown in FIG. 2). It is preferable to implement.

(Third step)
The third step is a step (step) in which dehydration is performed by increasing the pressure (degree of vacuum) in the vacuum chamber 3 more than in the second step in order to improve the processing efficiency.

Here, the start time of the third step (that is, the end time of the second step) is a point in time when the mass meter 6 detects that the mass of the biological sample 1 as the dehydration target has reached a required value.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the third step is performed when the control panel 8 detects that the measured value of the mass of the biological sample 1 obtained from the mass meter 6 has reached a required value. The inflow of nitrogen gas into the chamber 3 is stopped. That is, the control panel 8 transmits a control signal to the inflow adjusting valve 73 to close the adjusting valve. As a result, the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3 is reduced to a required pressure with the capability of the vacuum pump 41 as an upper limit in order to stop the pressure adjustment.

  Therefore, in the dehydration method of this embodiment, in the third step, the problem of lowering the processing efficiency of the biological sample 1 is solved by restoring the evaporation rate of the biological sample 1 by reducing the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3 again. Can do.

  In the third step, the temperature of the biological sample 1 that is the object to be processed is relatively low and the temperature of the biological sample 1 is substantially constant (that is, corresponding to the third section shown in the figure). It is preferable to implement.

  The end time of the third step (that is, the end time of the dehydration method of the present embodiment) is the time when the mass meter 6 detects that the mass of the biological sample 1 that is the object of dehydration has reached the required value. is there.

  As described above, according to the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 of the present embodiment, the mass meter 6 integrated with the tray 31 in the vacuum chamber 3, the opening 71 provided on the peripheral wall of the vacuum chamber 3, and the opening And a control panel 8 electrically connected to the mass meter 6 and the inflow adjusting valve 73, and a vacuum degree adjusting mechanism having an inflow adjusting valve 73 provided in the nitrogen gas introduction pipe 72 connected to the section 71. The control panel 8 calculates the mass decrease rate per unit time from the measured value of the mass of the biological sample 1 by the mass system 6, and adjusts the inflow so that the mass decrease rate per unit time is within the required range. The required nitrogen gas is caused to flow into the vacuum chamber 3 by controlling the valve 73. In this way, by controlling the amount of nitrogen gas flowing into the vacuum chamber 3, the biological sample 1 can be dehydrated while adjusting the pressure (degree of vacuum) in the vacuum chamber 3. As a result, the biological sample 1 can be dehydrated without damaging the film or the like and without significantly reducing the processing efficiency.

  Moreover, since nitrogen gas is used as the gas introduced into the vacuum chamber 3, the quality deterioration of the biological sample 1 during the dehydration process can be further suppressed.

Further, since heat input to the biological sample 1 during the dehydration process is performed by microwave irradiation, the biological sample 1 can be dehydrated without being damaged.
In particular, the biological sample 1 is more effective when it is a gonad or egg mass of a seafood having a high-viscosity liquid in a particulate material having a coating such as sea urchin.

  According to the dehydration method of this embodiment, the mass of the biological sample 1 to be dehydrated is measured, and the mass decrease rate per unit time is calculated. And in the time slot | zone (2nd division | segmentation) from which the mass reduction | decrease rate per unit time remove | deviates from a required range, adjusting the pressure (vacuum degree) in the vacuum chamber 3 so that the said may maintain in a required range. Since the dehydration process is performed, the biological sample 1 is not damaged. On the other hand, by reducing the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3 again in a time zone (that is, the third zone) other than the time zone (second zone) in which the mass reduction rate per unit time deviates from the required range, the biological sample By recovering the evaporation rate of 1, the dehydration process can be performed without significantly reducing the processing efficiency of the biological sample 1.

  Further, by introducing a gas into the vacuum chamber 3 in which the biological sample 1 is accommodated, the pressure (degree of vacuum) in the vacuum chamber 3 can be easily adjusted. Furthermore, if nitrogen gas is used as the gas introduced into the vacuum chamber 3, the quality deterioration during the dehydration process can be further suppressed.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described. The second embodiment is common in that the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 of the first embodiment described above can be used, but has a different configuration in the biological material dehydration method. Therefore, the biological material dehydration method of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Therefore, the description of the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 of the present embodiment is omitted.

  In the biological material dehydration method according to this embodiment, the moisture evaporation rate is monitored at a temperature reduction rate per unit time of the biological sample 1 instead of a mass reduction rate per unit time of the biological sample 1. It has a configuration. Therefore, since the first step and the third step are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, description thereof will be omitted.

(Second step)
In the present embodiment, in the second step, the temperature (surface and inside) of the biological sample 1 is measured, and the temperature decrease rate per unit time of the biological sample 1 is calculated from the obtained temperature measurement value. This is a step (step) of adjusting the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber 3 so that the rate of temperature decrease per unit time is within a required range.

Here, the start time of the second step (that is, the end time of the first step) is the same as that in the first embodiment described above.
Specifically, in the second step, first, as shown in FIG. 1, the temperature decrease rate per unit time is calculated from the measured value of the temperature of the biological sample 1 obtained from the temperature sensor 53 in the control panel 8. Next, pressure adjustment (vacuum degree adjustment) in the vacuum chamber 3 is started by the control panel 8 so that the calculated temperature decrease rate per unit time is maintained in a required range.

  Here, since the method of adjusting the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3 is the same as that in the first embodiment described above, the description thereof is omitted. The pressure (degree of vacuum) in the vacuum chamber 3 is adjusted so that the temperature decrease rate per unit time of the biological sample 1 is within a required range.

  In addition, the range of the temperature decrease rate per unit time of the biological sample 1 is different depending on the object to be dehydrated as in the case of mass. Specifically, for example, when the biological sample 1 is a sea urchin, the pressure (vacuum degree) in the vacuum chamber 3 is set so that the temperature decrease rate falls within the range of 20 ° C./min to 0.1 ° C./min. It is preferable to control.

  As described above, according to the dehydration method of the second embodiment, in the second step, the moisture evaporation rate is monitored (monitored) by the temperature decrease rate per unit time of the biological sample 1 and the first embodiment described above. Similarly to the above, by controlling the evaporation rate of the biological sample 1 by adjusting the pressure (degree of vacuum) in the vacuum chamber 3, the problem of film destruction of the biological sample 1 can be solved.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described. The third embodiment is common in that the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 of the first and second embodiments described above can be used, but has a different configuration in the biological material dehydration method. Therefore, the biological material dehydration method of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Therefore, the description of the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 of the present embodiment is omitted.

  In the biological material dehydration method of the present embodiment, the determination method of the start time of the second step (that is, the end time of the first step) and the end time (that is, the start time of the third step) is the above-described first and This is different from the second embodiment. Therefore, the specific method of the first to third steps is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, and the description is omitted.

(At the start of the second step)
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the start time of the second step is the sample temperature in the graph of the elapsed time from the dehydration start time and the measured value of the temperature of the biological sample 1 by the temperature sensor 53. This is the point in time when it starts to decrease (that is, the boundary between time zone (1) and time zone (2) shown in FIG. 2). Specifically, the temperature decrease rate per unit time is calculated from the measured value of the temperature by the temperature sensor 53 by the control panel 8, and the value of the temperature decrease rate per unit time is first changed to minus. to decide.

(At the end of the second step)
On the other hand, at the end of the second step, as shown in FIG. 2, the decrease in the sample temperature is reduced in the graph of the elapsed time from the dehydration start time and the measured value of the temperature of the biological sample 1 by the temperature sensor 53 (Ie, the boundary between the time zone (2) and the time zone (3) shown in FIG. 2). Specifically, the temperature decrease rate per unit time is calculated by the control panel 8 from the temperature measurement value by the temperature sensor 53, and the value of the temperature decrease rate per unit time reaches, for example, 0 ° C./min. Judge from time.

  As described above, according to the dehydration method of the third embodiment, the time zone of the second division (the time zone shown in FIG. 2) in the relationship between the elapsed time from the start of processing and the sample temperature obtained in the above-described preliminary examination. (2)) can be accurately grasped, and the pressure adjustment in the second step can be appropriately performed.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 shown in the first embodiment, the microwave irradiation device 5 is applied as a heat input means to the biological material. However, the biological material may be charged with a required amount of heat. If possible, it is not limited to this. For example, a heater incorporated in (or integrated with) the tray 31 may be applied as a heat input means to the biological material, or a heater installed so as to surround the tray 31 in the vacuum chamber 3. You may apply.

  In the first and second embodiments, the start time of the second process (that is, the end time of the first process), the end time (that is, the start time of the third process), and the end of the third process. Although the pressure (degree of vacuum) in the vacuum chamber 3 and the weight of the biological sample 1 are used as the determination criteria at the time, it is not limited to this. For example, the “dehydration rate” of the biological sample 1 may be used as the above-described determination criterion. Specifically, as a measure of the end point of the third step (that is, the end point of the entire dehydration process), 3 to 50% is preferable in terms of the mass ratio of the object to be dehydrated (here, biological sample 1).

Here, “dehydration rate” in the present specification refers to a value obtained by the following equation (1).
Dehydration rate (%) = [(Amount of target substance before dehydration) − (Amount of target substance after dehydration)] / (Amount of target substance before dehydration) × 100 (1)

Specific examples are shown below.
Example 1
Using the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 shown in FIG. 1, 100 g of sample (sea urchin) was dehydrated. Details of the dehydration process will be described below.

  First, in the first step, the sample (sea urchin) was stored in the vacuum chamber 3 and placed on the tray 31. Next, the operation of the vacuum pump 41 was started, and pressure reduction in the vacuum chamber 3 was started. In the first step, pressure adjustment (vacuum degree adjustment) in the vacuum chamber 3 was not performed. And the microwave irradiation to the sample (sea urchin) was started 1 minute after the operation start of the vacuum pump 41. Further, the microwave irradiation condition was an output of 100 W, and the irradiation start was continuous irradiation from one minute after the start of operation of the vacuum pump. further,

Next, the second step was performed from the time when the vacuum gauge 42 detected that the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber 3 reached 5 kPa.
In the second step, the moisture evaporation rate was monitored by the mass reduction rate per unit time of the sample (sea urchin). Moreover, the condition of 1.1 g / min was used for the mass reduction | decrease rate of the sample by the pressure (vacuum degree) adjustment in the vacuum chamber 3 in a 2nd process. Furthermore, the pressure (degree of vacuum) in the vacuum chamber 3 was adjusted by controlling the supply amount of nitrogen gas to the vacuum chamber 3 while keeping the operating conditions of the vacuum pump 41 constant.

Next, the third step was performed from the time when the mass meter 6 detected that the mass of the sample (sea urchin) reached 96 g (dehydration rate 4%).
At the time of shifting to the third step, the supply of nitrogen gas into the vacuum chamber 3 was stopped, that is, the pressure (vacuum degree) adjustment in the vacuum chamber 3 was stopped. At the same time, the operation of the vacuum pump 41 was continued to reduce the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3 and maintain a high vacuum (1 kPa).

Next, the third step was completed when the mass meter 6 detected that the mass of the sample (sea urchin) reached 90 g (dehydration rate 10%). According to the dehydration method using the microwave vacuum dehydration apparatus 2 of the present invention, the time required to dehydrate the sea urchin sample to a dehydration rate of 10% was 17 minutes. The conditions in the first to third steps are shown in Table 3 below.

  Further, after the pressure in the vacuum chamber 3 was returned to atmospheric pressure, a sea urchin sample after dehydration treatment was taken out from the vacuum chamber 3 and the state was confirmed.

  The biological material dehydrating apparatus and dehydrating method according to the present invention can be applied to a case where a food or a biological sample such as an egg and a cell is cryopreserved and dehydrated as a pretreatment of the freezing process.

1 ... Biological sample (biological material)
2. Microwave vacuum dehydration device (biological material dehydration device)
3 ... Vacuum chamber (sealed container)
31 ... Tray 41 ... Vacuum pump (vacuum suction means)
42 ... Vacuum gauge (Vacuum degree measuring means)
5 ... Microwave irradiation device (heat input means)
51... Microwave oscillator 52... Microwave output regulator 53... Temperature sensor (temperature measuring means)
6 ... Mass meter (mass measuring means)
71 ... Opening 72 ... Nitrogen gas introduction pipe 73 ... Flow rate adjusting valve (inflow rate adjusting means)
8 ... Control panel (control means)

Claims (19)

A sealed container that can store a biological material to be dehydrated;
Vacuum suction means for increasing the degree of vacuum in the sealed container by sucking the sealed container;
A degree of vacuum adjusting means for adjusting the degree of vacuum by introducing gas into the sealed container;
A heat input means for inputting a required amount of heat to the biological material;
A mass measuring means for measuring the mass of the biological material;
At least a control means electrically connected to the mass measuring means and the vacuum degree adjusting means,
The control means calculates the mass reduction rate per unit time of the biological material from the measured value of the mass of the biological material, and the vacuum so that the mass reduction rate per unit time is within a required range. An apparatus for dehydrating a biological material, wherein the degree of vacuum in the sealed container is adjusted by controlling at least one of a degree adjusting means and a vacuum suction means. A sealed container that can store a biological material to be dehydrated;
Vacuum suction means for increasing the degree of vacuum in the sealed container by sucking the sealed container;
A degree of vacuum adjusting means for adjusting the degree of vacuum by introducing gas into the sealed container;
A heat input means for inputting a required amount of heat to the biological material;
Temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature of the biological material;
And at least control means electrically connected to the temperature measuring means and the vacuum degree adjusting means,
The control means calculates the temperature decrease rate per unit time of the biological material from the measured value of the temperature of the biological material, and the vacuum so that the temperature decrease rate per unit time is within a required range. An apparatus for dehydrating a biological material, wherein the degree of vacuum in the sealed container is adjusted by controlling at least one of a degree adjusting means and a vacuum suction means. A sealed container that can store a biological material to be dehydrated;
Vacuum suction means for increasing the degree of vacuum in the sealed container by sucking the sealed container;
A degree of vacuum adjusting means for adjusting the degree of vacuum by introducing gas into the sealed container;
A heat input means for inputting a required amount of heat to the biological material;
Temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature of the biological material;
A mass measuring means for measuring the mass of the biological material;
At least the temperature measuring means, the mass measuring means and the control means electrically connected to the vacuum degree adjusting means,
The control means calculates a mass decrease rate per unit time of the biological material from the measured value of the mass of the biological substance, and calculates a temperature decrease rate per unit time of the biological material from the measured value of the temperature of the biological material. In addition, when the value of the temperature decrease rate per unit time is within the required range, the vacuum degree adjusting means and the vacuum suction are adjusted so that the mass decrease rate per unit time is within the required range. A biological material dewatering apparatus that controls at least one of the means to adjust the degree of vacuum in the sealed container.   The vacuum degree adjusting means has an opening for allowing a gas to flow into the sealed container, and an inflow amount adjusting means for adjusting an inflow amount of the gas flowing into the sealed container. The biological material dehydration apparatus according to one item.   The biological material dehydrating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a nitrogen gas introduction pipe is connected to the opening.   6. The biological material dehydrating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the inflow amount adjusting means is a flow rate adjusting valve provided in the nitrogen gas introduction pipe.   The said control means is electrically connected with the said heat input means, and controls the said heat input means so that the heat input amount per unit time to the said biological material may become fixed. The biological material dehydrating apparatus according to Item.   The biological material dehydration apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a vacuum degree measuring unit that measures a degree of vacuum in the sealed container.   The biological material dehydrating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the heat input means is a microwave irradiation apparatus.   The biological material dehydrating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the biological material is a gonad or egg mass of a seafood. A first step of storing a biological material, which is an object to be dehydrated, in a sealed container, suctioning the inside of the sealed container to increase a degree of vacuum in the sealed container, and inputting a necessary amount of heat to the biological material;
The mass of the biological material is measured, and the mass decrease rate per unit time of the biological material is calculated from the obtained measurement value, and the mass decrease rate per unit time is within a required range. A second step of adjusting the degree of vacuum in the sealed container;
And a third step of increasing the degree of vacuum in the sealed container as compared with the second step. A first step of storing a biological material, which is an object to be dehydrated, in a sealed container, suctioning the inside of the sealed container to increase a degree of vacuum in the sealed container, and inputting a necessary amount of heat to the biological material;
The temperature of the biological material is measured, and the temperature reduction rate per unit time of the biological material is calculated from the obtained measurement value, and the temperature reduction rate per unit time is within a required range. A second step of adjusting the degree of vacuum in the sealed container;
And a third step of increasing the degree of vacuum in the sealed container as compared with the second step. A first step of storing a biological material, which is an object to be dehydrated, in a sealed container, suctioning the inside of the sealed container to increase a degree of vacuum in the sealed container, and inputting a necessary amount of heat to the biological material;
The mass and temperature of the biological material are measured, and the mass decrease rate and temperature decrease rate per unit time of the biological material are calculated from the obtained measurement values, and the temperature decrease rate per unit time is within the required range. In this case, a second step of adjusting the degree of vacuum in the sealed container so that the rate of mass decrease per unit time is within a required range;
And a third step of increasing the degree of vacuum in the sealed container as compared with the second step.   The biological material dehydration method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein in the second step, gas is introduced into the sealed container to adjust a degree of vacuum.   The biological material dehydration method according to claim 14, wherein the gas is nitrogen.   The method for dehydrating a biological material according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein a heat input amount per unit time to the biological material is constant.   The biological material dehydration method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein a temperature range of the biological material is in a range of -5 to 40 degrees.   The biological material dehydration method according to claim 11, wherein the heat input to the biological material is performed by a microwave irradiation method.   The method for dehydrating a biological material according to any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the biological material is a gonad or egg mass of a seafood.

Images