JP6669230B2 - Filtration device and filtration method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a filtration device and a filtration method for filtering a biological substance in a liquid.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a cell capturing system that filters a biological substance in a liquid has been disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1). The cell capturing system disclosed in Patent Literature 1 captures cells by passing a liquid containing cells as a biological substance from the upper side to the lower side in the vertical direction of the filter.

WO 2015/018898

  The cell capturing system of Patent Literature 1 has a problem that clogging occurs due to accumulation of a biological substance on a filter, and the biological substance cannot be separated from a liquid.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a filtration device and a filtration method capable of suppressing clogging with a biological substance and separating a biological substance from a liquid.

The filtration device of one embodiment of the present invention includes:
A container having an inlet for introducing a liquid containing a biological substance and an outlet for discharging the liquid,
A membrane portion provided between the inlet and the outlet of the container portion and having a plurality of through holes,
With
The biological substance is separated from the liquid by passing the liquid horizontally through the membrane.

The filtration method of one embodiment of the present invention includes:
A method of filtering a biological substance from a liquid,
A container portion having an inlet for introducing a liquid containing a biological substance and an outlet for discharging the liquid, provided between the inlet and the outlet of the container portion, and having a plurality of through holes; A step of preparing a filtration device comprising a membrane unit;
A step of separating the biological substance by allowing the liquid to pass through the membrane in the horizontal direction;
including.

  Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a filtration device and a filtration method capable of suppressing clogging with a biological substance and separating a biological substance from a liquid.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a filtration device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a part of a film unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Schematic view of a part of the film part in FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a filtration method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows operation | movement of the filtration apparatus of Embodiment 1 which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows operation | movement of the filtration apparatus of Embodiment 1 which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows operation | movement of the filtration apparatus of Embodiment 1 which concerns on this invention. Diagram showing the operation of the filtration device of the reference example Diagram showing the operation of the filtration device of the reference example Diagram showing the operation of the filtration device of the reference example Diagram showing the operation of the filtration device of the reference example Schematic configuration diagram of a filtration device according to a modification of the first embodiment according to the present invention. Schematic configuration diagram of a filtration device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows operation | movement of the filtration apparatus of Embodiment 2 which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows operation | movement of the filtration apparatus of Embodiment 2 which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows operation | movement of the filtration apparatus of Embodiment 2 which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows operation | movement of the filtration apparatus of Embodiment 2 which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows operation | movement of the filtration apparatus of Embodiment 2 which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows operation | movement of the filtration apparatus of Embodiment 2 which concerns on this invention. Schematic configuration diagram of a filtration device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The figure which looked at the filtration apparatus of Embodiment 3 concerning this invention from above. The figure which shows operation | movement of the filtration apparatus of Embodiment 3 concerning this invention. The figure which shows operation | movement of the filtration apparatus of Embodiment 3 concerning this invention. The figure which shows operation | movement of the filtration apparatus of Embodiment 3 concerning this invention. Schematic configuration diagram of a filtration device according to a modification of the third embodiment according to the present invention.

The filtration device of one embodiment of the present invention includes:
A container having an inlet for introducing a liquid containing a biological substance and an outlet for discharging the liquid,
A membrane portion provided between the inlet and the outlet of the container portion and having a plurality of through holes,
With
The biological substance may be separated from the liquid by passing the liquid horizontally through the membrane.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to suppress clogging of the film part due to deposition of the biological substance and to separate the biological substance from the liquid.

  In the filtration device, the film unit may be a metal thin film.

  With such a configuration, even when a force is applied to the film unit, the film unit can be prevented from being deformed.

  In the filtering device, at least a part of the membrane unit may be provided obliquely with respect to a horizontal direction.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to further suppress clogging of the membrane portion by a biological substance.

  The filtering device may include a suction unit that suctions the liquid from the introduction port to the discharge port of the container unit.

  With such a configuration, the biological substance can be separated from the liquid by sucking the liquid. In addition, a biological substance can be separated from a liquid in a short time.

The filtration device includes a liquid container that holds the liquid,
The introduction port of the container portion is arranged in the liquid held in the liquid container,
The liquid container may be provided with a vent for releasing pressure applied to the liquid.

  With such a configuration, by releasing the pressure applied to the liquid held in the liquid container from the vent, the pressure applied to the biological substance in the liquid can be reduced, and damage to the biological substance can be reduced. . As a result, clogging due to deformation of the biological substance in the membrane portion can be suppressed.

The filtration device includes a liquid container that holds the liquid,
The container portion is arranged such that the inlet and the outlet are located in a horizontal direction,
The inlet of the container portion is disposed in the liquid container,
The membrane unit may allow the liquid in the liquid container to pass in a direction opposite to the centrifugal force when a centrifugal force is applied.

  With such a configuration, the liquid can be passed in the horizontal direction by the centrifugal force in the membrane portion, so that clogging of the membrane portion due to accumulation of a biological substance can be suppressed.

The filtration method of one embodiment of the present invention includes:
A method of filtering a biological substance from a liquid,
A container portion having an inlet for introducing a liquid containing a biological substance and an outlet for discharging the liquid, provided between the inlet and the outlet of the container portion, and having a plurality of through holes; A step of preparing a filtration device comprising a membrane unit;
A step of separating the biological substance by allowing the liquid to pass through the membrane in the horizontal direction;
May be included.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to suppress clogging of the film part due to deposition of the biological substance and to separate the biological substance from the liquid.

  In the filtration method, in the separating step, the liquid may be passed through the membrane portion at least partly provided obliquely with respect to a horizontal direction.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to further suppress clogging of the membrane portion by a biological substance.

  In the filtration method, the separating may include a step of sucking the liquid from the inlet of the container to the outlet.

  With such a configuration, the biological substance can be separated from the liquid by sucking the liquid. In addition, a biological substance can be separated from a liquid in a short time.

  In the filtration method, the step of separating may include a step of releasing pressure applied to the liquid.

  With such a configuration, the pressure applied to the liquid can be released. Therefore, clogging due to deformation of the biological substance in the membrane portion can be suppressed. In addition, damage to biological substances can be reduced.

In the filtration method, the step of separating includes:
Arranging the container portion such that the introduction port and the discharge port of the container portion are positioned in a horizontal direction,
Arranging the inlet of the container in the liquid,
When applying a centrifugal force to the liquid, a step of passing the liquid in a direction opposite to the centrifugal force in the membrane portion,
May be included.

  With such a configuration, when a centrifugal force is applied to the membrane portion, the liquid can pass in the direction opposite to the centrifugal force, so that the occurrence of clogging due to accumulation of biological substances in the membrane portion is further suppressed. Can be.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Also, in each of the drawings, each element is exaggerated for ease of explanation.

(Embodiment 1)
[overall structure]
FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a filtration device 100A according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the filtering device 100A includes a container section 10 for introducing a liquid 60 containing a biological substance 61, a membrane section 20 for separating the biological substance 61 from the liquid 60, and a liquid container for holding the liquid 60. 30 and a suction unit 40 for sucking the liquid 60.

  In this specification, the term “biologically-derived substance” means a substance derived from an organism such as a cell (eukaryote), a bacterium (eubacteria), a virus, and the like. Examples of cells (eukaryotes) include eggs, spermatozoa, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), ES cells, stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, mononuclear cells, single cells, cell clusters, planktonic cells, and adhesion It includes sexual cells, nerve cells, leukocytes, lymphocytes, cells for regenerative medicine, autologous cells, cancer cells, circulating cancer cells (CTC), HL-60, HELA, and fungi. Bacteria (eubacteria) include, for example, Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Examples of the virus include DNA virus, RNA virus, rotavirus, (bird) influenza virus, yellow fever virus, dengue fever virus, encephalitis virus, hemorrhagic fever virus, and immunodeficiency virus. In the first embodiment, filtration device 100A is particularly excellent in separating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), ES cells, stem cells, and circulating cancer cells (CTC) from a liquid. In addition, the biological substance may be a tissue in which cells are collected or an aggregated cell.

<Container part>
The container 10 has a cylindrical shape, and has an inlet 11 for introducing the liquid 60 at one end and an outlet 12 for discharging the liquid 60 at the other end. As shown in FIG. 1, the container unit 10 is arranged such that the axial direction of the container unit 10 is horizontal, that is, the direction orthogonal to the direction of gravity (vertical direction). A membrane part 20 is provided at the inlet 11 of the container part 10. The introduction port 11 of the container unit 10 is inserted into an opening 32 provided on a side wall of the liquid container 30 and is arranged in the liquid 60 held by the liquid container 30. The outlet 12 of the container 10 is connected to the suction unit 40 via a tube 41.

  The container portion 10 is formed of a resin such as acrylic, epoxy, polystyrene, polycarbonate, or the like, or a glass containing silicon oxide as a main component. The container 10 may be formed of a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene, polystyrene, and polycarbonate resin. The material of the container 10 is preferably a material capable of various sterilizations, such as gamma ray irradiation, an autoclave, and ethylene oxide gas. The container part 10 has, for example, an outer diameter of 1 mm or more and 60 mm or less, an inner diameter of 0.5 mm or more and 50 mm or less, and a height of 5 mm or more and 300 mm or less within a range smaller than the outer shape.

<Film part>
The membrane unit 20 is a porous membrane that separates the biological substance 61 from the liquid 60. Specifically, the film part 20 is a metal thin film having a plurality of through holes 21. In the first embodiment, film portion 20 is a circular metal mesh, has a pair of main surfaces facing each other, and is a structure having a plurality of through holes 21 penetrating both main surfaces.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the membrane unit 20 separates the biological substance 61 from the liquid 60 by passing the liquid 60 in the liquid container 30 in the horizontal direction 80. In the first embodiment, the main surface located on the liquid container 30 side is defined as a first main surface HS1, and the main surface located on the discharge port 12 side is defined as a second main surface HS2. In the first embodiment, the membrane unit 20 is provided at the inlet 11 of the container unit 10. The film unit 20 is disposed such that the first main surface HS1 and the second main surface HS2 are orthogonal to the horizontal direction. That is, the first main surface HS1 and the second main surface HS2 of the film unit 20 are orthogonal to the direction in which the liquid 60 flows from the inlet 11 to the outlet 12 of the container unit 10 (arrow 80 shown in FIG. 1). Are located in

  The plurality of through holes 21 are periodically arranged over the whole of the first main surface HS1 and the second main surface HS2 of the film unit 20. The film part 20 is formed of, for example, nickel. The dimensions of the film part 20 are, for example, 6 mm in diameter and 1.2 μm in thickness. The material of the film unit 20 may be gold, silver, copper, platinum, iron, nickel, chromium, stainless steel, palladium, titanium, cobalt, and oxides or alloys thereof. In particular, when capturing the biological substance 61, gold, nickel, stainless steel, and titanium are preferable as the material of the film unit 20. When the material of the film portion 20 is nickel, the surface of the nickel may be plated with gold. Further, the material of the film part 20 is preferably a material that can be subjected to various types of sterilization such as gamma irradiation, an autoclave, and ethylene oxide gas.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a part of the film unit 20 which is a two-dimensional periodic structure. The X, Y, and Z directions in FIG. 2 indicate the vertical direction, the horizontal direction, and the thickness direction of the structure, respectively. FIG. 3 shows a view of a part of the film unit 20 of FIG. 2 viewed from the Z direction. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the film portion 20 may be a plate-like structure (lattice-like structure) in which a plurality of through holes 21 are arranged at regular intervals in a matrix. The film portion 20 is a plate-like structure provided with a plurality of square through holes 21 when viewed from the Z direction which is the main surface side. The plurality of through holes 21 are provided at equal intervals in two arrangement directions parallel to each side of the square, that is, in the X direction and the Y direction in FIG. The through hole 21 is not limited to a square, but may be a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse, or the like. The arrangement of the holes is not limited to the square lattice arrangement. For example, in the case of a square arrangement, a rectangular arrangement in which the intervals in the two arrangement directions are not equal may be used, or a triangular lattice arrangement or a quasi-periodic arrangement may be used. The through hole 21 may be provided with a taper.

  The shape and size of the through hole 21 of the membrane part 20 are appropriately designed according to the size and shape of the biological substance 61 to be filtered.

<Liquid container>
The liquid container 30 is a container that holds the liquid 60 containing the biological substance 61. The upper wall of the liquid container 30 is provided with a vent 31 for releasing pressure applied to the liquid 60. In the first embodiment, since the liquid 60 is suctioned by the suction unit 40, pressure is applied to the biological substance 61 by negative pressure. In the filtration device 100A, since the liquid 60 can be opened to the outside through the vent 31, the pressure applied to the biological substance 61 in the liquid 60 can be released to the outside.

  An opening 32 to which the inlet 11 of the container unit 10 is attached is provided on a side wall of the liquid container 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the introduction port 11 of the container unit 10 is inserted into an opening 32 provided on a side wall of the liquid container 30, and is arranged in the liquid 60 held by the liquid container 30.

<Suction unit>
The suction unit 40 suctions the liquid 60 held in the liquid container 30 from the inlet 11 to the outlet 12 of the container 10. The suction part 40 is connected to the outlet 12 of the container part 10 via a tube 41. In Embodiment 1, the suction unit 40 is a syringe. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the suction unit 40 suctions the liquid 60 held in the liquid container 30 by pulling the plunger of the syringe (arrow 81 illustrated in FIG. 1). Thereby, the liquid 60 in the liquid container 30 moves the film part 20 in the horizontal direction from the first principal surface HS1 to the second principal surface HS2 from the inlet 11 to the outlet 12 of the container part 10 (FIG. 1). Arrow 80).

[Filtering method]
The filtering method according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the filtering method according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in step ST11, a filtration device 100A is prepared. Specifically, the inlet 11 of the container 10 is inserted into the opening 32 of the liquid container 30. The suction part 40 is attached to the outlet 12 of the container part 10 via a tube 41.

  In step ST12, the liquid 60 containing the biological substance 61 is introduced into the liquid container 30.

  In step ST13, the biological substance 61 is separated from the liquid 60 by passing the liquid 60 through the membrane unit 20. Step ST13 includes step ST14 in which the liquid 60 in the liquid container 30 is suctioned by the suction unit 40.

  In step ST14, by pulling the plunger of the suction unit 40 (arrow 81 shown in FIG. 1), the liquid 60 held in the liquid container 30 is sucked from the introduction port 11 of the container unit 10 to the discharge port 12 ( Arrow 80 shown in FIG. 1). By sucking the liquid 60 by the suction unit 40, the liquid 60 passes from the first main surface HS1 of the film unit 20 to the second main surface HS2 in the horizontal direction. When the liquid 60 passes through the membrane part 20, the biological substance 61 remains in the liquid container 30 without being able to pass through the through hole 21.

  Step ST13 includes a step ST15 of releasing the pressure applied to the liquid 60 held in the liquid container 30. When a suction pressure is applied to the liquid 60 in the liquid container 30 by the suction unit 40, the biological substance 61 may be deformed. Therefore, the pressure applied to the biological substance 61 in the liquid 60 can be reduced by releasing the pressure applied to the liquid 60 from the vent 31 of the liquid container 30.

  As described above, in the filtration method according to Embodiment 1, the biological substance 61 is separated from the liquid 60 by steps ST11 to ST15. In the filtration method according to the first embodiment, the liquid 60 that has passed through the membrane unit 20 can be collected.

[Operation of filtration device]
The operation of the filtration device 100A will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5C.
5A to 5C show the operation of the filtration device 100A. 5A to 5C omit the suction unit 40 and the tube 41 for simplifying the description.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, before starting filtration, the liquid 60 is introduced into the liquid container 30 to which the container unit 10 is attached.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, the liquid 60 is sucked from the inlet 11 to the outlet 12 of the container unit 10 by the suction unit 40 (arrow 80 shown in FIG. 5B). The liquid 60 in the liquid container 30 passes from the first main surface HS1 of the film unit 20 to the second main surface HS2 in the horizontal direction. When the liquid 60 passes through the membrane 20, the biological substance 61 cannot be passed through the through-hole 21 and is captured by the membrane 20. Therefore, the biological substance 61 starts to gather on the first main surface HS1 of the film unit 20.

  As shown in FIG. 5C, when the liquid 60 is continuously sucked in the direction 80, the cake layer A1 is formed by further assembling of the biological substance 61 below the first main surface HS1 of the film unit 20 in the vertical direction. You. On the lower side in the vertical direction of the film part 20, clogging occurs due to the cake layer A1, so that the liquid 60 cannot pass through the film part 20. On the other hand, in the region A2 on the vertically upper side of the first main surface HS1 of the film portion 20, the collection and detachment of the biological substance 61 are repeated. Therefore, in the region A2, clogging due to the cake layer does not occur, and the liquid 60 can pass through the film part 20 (arrow 82 shown in FIG. 5C). In this specification, a vertically upward direction is defined as an upper side, and a vertically downward direction is defined as a lower side.

  In the filtering device 100A, a vertically downward force is applied to the biological substance 61 in the liquid 60 by gravity. Therefore, the biological substance 61 in the liquid 60 is applied vertically by the suction force in the horizontal direction (arrow 80 shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C) from the inlet 11 to the outlet 12 of the container 10 by the suction unit 40 and by gravity. A downward force works. For this reason, in the area A2, when the suction force by the suction unit 40 is larger than the gravity, the biological substance 61 collects in the film unit 20 on the upper side in the vertical direction. On the other hand, when the suction force by the suction unit 40 is smaller than the gravity, the biological substance 61 separates from the film unit 20 on the upper side in the vertical direction and gathers on the lower side in the vertical direction. As described above, in the area A2, the collection and detachment of the biological substance 61 are repeated by the balance between the suction force of the suction unit 40 and the vertically downward force due to gravity. In addition, separation of the biological substance 61 from the cake layer A1 can also be performed by vibration of the filtration device 100A. For example, the biological substance 61 may be separated from the cake layer A1 by vibration generated by shaking the filtering device 100A up and down and / or left and right.

  As described above, in the filtering device 100A, in the region A2 on the upper side in the vertical direction of the membrane unit 20, the biological substance 61 repeatedly collects and separates, so that clogging hardly occurs.

  Further, in the region A2 on the vertically upper side of the first main surface HS1 of the film portion 20, a vertically downward force is exerted by gravity, so that the biological substance 61 easily moves in the vertically downward direction. Therefore, in the region A2, the biological substance 61 is less likely to be deposited, and clogging is less likely to occur.

  As described above, in the filtration device 100A, clogging due to the accumulation of the biological substance 61 can be suppressed in the vertically upper region A2 of the membrane unit 20, and the biological substance 61 can be continuously separated from the liquid 60. it can.

  Next, for comparison, a filtration device according to a reference example will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6D.

  The filtration device of the reference example includes a container unit 110 having an inlet 111 for introducing the liquid 60 and an outlet 112 for discharging the liquid 60, and a membrane unit 120 having a plurality of through holes. In the filtration device of the reference example, the container 110 is arranged so that the axial direction of the container 110 is the vertical direction, that is, the same direction as the direction of gravity. The inlet 111 of the container 110 is located above the outlet 112 in the vertical direction, and the membrane 120 is provided at the outlet 112 of the container 110. In the filtration device of the reference example, the liquid 60 is passed from the second main surface VS12 of the membrane unit 120 to the first main surface VS11 located vertically below the second main surface VS12. That is, the filtration device 100A of the first embodiment allows the liquid 60 to pass through the membrane unit 20 in the horizontal direction, whereas the filtration device of the reference example applies the liquid 60 from the upper side to the lower side in the vertical direction. Through. In the filtration device of the reference example, the liquid 60 is passed through the membrane unit 120 by sucking the liquid 60 by a suction pump provided below.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, in the filtration device of the reference example, the liquid 60 containing the biological substance 61 flows from the inlet 111 to the outlet 112 of the container 110 (arrow 80r shown in FIG. 6A). For this reason, the liquid 60 flowing in the container part 110 passes from the second main surface VS12 of the film part 120 to the first main surface VS11 located below the second main surface VS12 in the vertical direction. When the liquid 60 passes through the membrane 120, the biological substance 61 is captured by the membrane 120. Therefore, the biological substance 61 is deposited on the entire second main surface VS112 of the film part 120.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, when the liquid 60 continues to flow in the direction 80r, a cake layer A3 is formed on the second main surface VS12 of the film part 120 by depositing the biological substance 61.

  As shown in FIG. 6C, as the capture of the biological substance 61 by the membrane unit 120 increases, the thickness of the cake layer A3 gradually increases. At this time, the filtration gradually shifts from the second main surface VS12 of the film part 120 to the upper layer A4 of the cake layer A3. That is, the separation of the biological substance 61 is performed not in the membrane part 120 but in the upper layer A4 of the cake layer A3.

  As shown in FIG. 6D, when the biological substance 61 further deposits on the second main surface VS12 of the film part 120, the thickness of the cake layer A3 further increases. Further, in the upper layer A4 of the cake layer A3, clogging due to the accumulation of the biological substance 61 proceeds. As clogging increases in the upper layer A4 of the cake layer A3, the liquid 60 cannot pass through the upper layer A4 of the cake layer A3.

  As described above, in the filtering device of the reference example, the biological substance 61 captured by the membrane unit 120 is deposited on the entire second main surface VS12 of the membrane unit 120. For this reason, the cake layer A3 gradually increases with an increase in the amount of the biological substance 61 captured by the membrane portion 120, and thus the upper layer A4 of the cake layer A3 is clogged. As a result, in the filtration device of the reference example, filtration stops due to clogging due to the accumulation of the biological substance 61 captured by the membrane unit 120, and the biological substance 61 cannot be separated from the liquid 60.

  On the other hand, in the filtering device 100A of the first embodiment, the container unit 10 is arranged so that the axial direction of the container unit 10 is horizontal, and the liquid 60 passes through the membrane unit 20 in the horizontal direction. For this reason, in the filtering device 100A, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of clogging due to the accumulation of the biological substance 61 in the region A2 vertically above the first main surface HS1 of the membrane unit 20. Therefore, the filtering device 100A can continue to separate the biological substance 61 from the liquid 60 by suppressing clogging as compared with the filtering device of the reference example.

[effect]
According to the filtering device 100A according to Embodiment 1, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the filtration device 100A, the liquid 60 containing the biological substance 61 is passed in the horizontal direction from the first main surface HS1 of the membrane unit 20 to the second main surface HS2. With such a configuration, the biological substance 61 can be separated from the liquid 60 while suppressing clogging of the film unit 20 due to the deposition of the biological substance 61. As a result, in the filtering device 100A, the biological substance 61 can be efficiently separated from the liquid 60 as compared with the filtering device of the reference example in which the liquid 60 passes through the membrane unit 120 from the upper side to the lower side in the vertical direction. . In addition, since the filter device 100A can suppress clogging of the membrane unit 20 as compared with the filter device of the reference example, it is possible to filter the liquid 60 having a higher concentration in a shorter period. Further, filtration with higher reproducibility can be performed as compared with the filtration device of the reference example. In the first embodiment, the filtration device 100A separates the biological substance 61 and the liquid 60, but is not limited thereto. For example, the filtration device 100A may filter a foreign substance having a size larger than that of the biological substance 61 contained in the liquid 60 by passing the solution in the liquid 60 and the biological substance 61. Alternatively, the filtering device 100A may filter and classify inorganic or organic substances having different sizes contained in the solution.

  In the filtration device 100A, the membrane unit 20 uses a metal thin film as a porous membrane. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the film portion 20 from being damaged by applying a force to the film portion 20. In addition, even when the liquid 60 passes through the membrane part 20, the through-holes 21 of the membrane part 20 are hardly deformed, so that the deformation of the through-holes 21 prevents the biological substance 61 from passing through the membrane part 20. can do. Further, damage to the film unit 20 by the liquid 60 can be suppressed.

  In the filtering device 100A, a vent 31 for releasing pressure applied to the liquid 60 is provided on the upper wall of the liquid container 30. With such a configuration, the liquid 60 in the liquid container 30 can be opened to the outside. Therefore, the pressure applied to the liquid 60 is released from the vent 31, and the pressure applied to the biological substance 61 in the liquid 60 can be reduced. As a result, deformation of the biological substance 61 can be suppressed, and clogging in the film unit 20 can be reduced. The gas passing through the vent 31 is preferably sterilized. This is to prevent a biological substance other than the biological substance 61 originally contained in the liquid 60 from being mixed. In addition, the air bag 31 may be connected to a gas bag favored by a biological substance containing carbon dioxide appropriately. Furthermore, when the capacity of the gas bag is large, the pressure applied to the liquid 60 by suction can be easily released.

  In the filtration device 100A, the suction unit 40 sucks the liquid 60 held in the liquid container 30 to pass the liquid 60 from the first main surface HS1 of the membrane unit 20 to the second main surface HS2. With such a configuration, the liquid 60 in the liquid container 30 can be passed through the film unit 20 in the horizontal direction, and clogging of the film unit 20 can be suppressed. Further, by suctioning the liquid 60 by the suction unit 40, filtration can be performed in a shorter time.

  In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the container unit 10 is arranged so that the axial direction of the container unit 10 is the same as the horizontal direction has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the container part 10 may be arranged so that the axial direction of the container part 10 is oblique to the horizontal direction. As described above, the filtration device 100A may be disposed in an oblique direction to perform filtration.

  In the first embodiment, the configuration in which container portion 10 is a cylindrical body has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The container section 10 may have a configuration in which the liquid 60 can be introduced into the inside and the liquid 60 can be discharged through the membrane section 20. For example, the container section 10 may be in the shape of a polygonal prism such as a quadrangular prism.

  In the first embodiment, the film portion 20 uses a metal thin film, but is not limited to this. The membrane section 20 may be a porous membrane, and may be, for example, a membrane, a filter paper, a nonwoven fabric, or the like.

  In the first embodiment, the membrane unit 20 is provided at the inlet 11 of the container unit 10, but is not limited thereto. In the film part 20, the liquid 60 only needs to pass horizontally from the first main surface HS1 to the second main surface HS2, and the position of the film part 20 is not limited. For example, the membrane unit 20 may be provided between the inlet 11 and the outlet 12 of the container unit 10. The film unit 20 may be provided at the outlet 12. Further, in the first embodiment, an example in which one film unit 20 is provided at the inlet 11 of the container unit 10 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. A plurality of membrane units 20 may be provided between the inlet 11 and the outlet 12 of the container 10. For example, the first film unit 20 may be provided at the inlet 11 of the container unit 10, and the second film unit 20 may be provided closer to the outlet 12 than the first film unit 20. As described above, by configuring the multi-stage filtration device 100A using the plurality of membrane units 20, the recovery rate can be improved. In addition, by designing the size of the through hole of the first membrane unit 20 to be different from the size of the through hole of the second membrane unit 20, it is possible to filter cells having two different sizes. Thereby, the cells can be classified.

  In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the membrane unit 20 allows the liquid to pass in the horizontal direction 80 from the inlet 11 to the outlet 12 of the container unit 10, but is not limited thereto. In the first embodiment, the “horizontal direction” may include not only a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction but also an oblique direction having a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical direction. That is, in the film part 20, the main direction in which the liquid 60 passes may be a horizontal direction, and the direction in which the liquid 60 passes may include a direction oblique to the horizontal direction.

  In the first embodiment, the film portion 20 is arranged such that the first main surface HS1 and the second main surface HS2 are arranged in the horizontal direction, but is not limited thereto. FIG. 7 shows a filtering device 100B according to a modification of the first embodiment. As in the filtering device 100B shown in FIG. 7, the membrane unit 20 may be disposed obliquely at a predetermined angle θ with respect to the horizontal direction. In other words, the film unit 20 may be arranged to be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. Further, a part of the film unit 20 may be disposed obliquely to the horizontal direction. With such a configuration, the space in which the biological substance 61 is deposited can be increased below the first main surface HS1 of the film unit 20 in the vertical direction. For this reason, the cake layer is less likely to be formed vertically above the first main surface HS1 of the film portion 20, and clogging of the film portion 20 by the biological substance 61 can be further suppressed.

  In the first embodiment, the liquid container 30 is provided with the vent 31 on the upper wall of the liquid container 30, but is not limited to this. For example, the vent 31 may be formed by providing a hole in the side wall of the liquid container 30. Further, a ventilation filter may be provided instead of the ventilation port 31.

  In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the liquid container 30 includes the vent 31 that releases the pressure applied to the liquid has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the liquid container 30 may not be provided with the vent 31 and may be in a state where the liquid 60 is not opened to the outside.

  In the first embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the suction unit 40 sucks the liquid 60 in the liquid container 30 so that the liquid 60 passes through the film unit 20. However, the configuration is not limited thereto. For example, by pressurizing the liquid 60 in the liquid container 30 from a position corresponding to the vent 31, the liquid 60 may be passed horizontally from the first main surface HS <b> 1 to the second main surface HS <b> 2 of the film unit 20. . Further, by applying a centrifugal force to the liquid 60 in the liquid container 30 using a centrifugal separator, the liquid 60 may be passed horizontally from the first main surface HS1 of the membrane unit 20 to the second main surface HS2. .

  In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the suction unit 40 is a syringe has been described, but is not limited thereto. The suction unit 40 may be any device that can suck the liquid 60, and may be, for example, a pump or the like.

  In the first embodiment, the liquid container 30 and the suction unit 40 are not essential components, and these components may be omitted or replaced with other components.

(Embodiment 2)
[overall structure]
Second Embodiment A filtering device 100C according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 8 shows a schematic configuration of a filtration device 100C according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described. In the second embodiment, configurations that are the same as or equivalent to those in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals or similar reference numerals. In the second embodiment, descriptions overlapping with the first embodiment are omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the filtering device 100C of the second embodiment is different from the filtering device 100A of the first embodiment in that the centrifugal force is applied in the direction from the outlet 12a to the inlet 11a of the container portion 10a to increase the liquid flow. The difference is that a biological material 61 can be separated from 60. Further, the filtering device 100C does not include the suction unit 40.

  The filtering device 100C is disposed between the container 11a having an inlet 11a for introducing the liquid 60 containing the biological substance 61 and an outlet 12a for discharging the liquid 60, and the inlet 11a and the outlet 12a, It includes a membrane part 20 a having a plurality of through holes 21 and a liquid container 30 a for holding a liquid 60. The container part 10a is arranged so that the inlet 11a and the outlet 12a are located in the horizontal direction. The inlet 11a of the container 10a is arranged in the liquid 60 in the liquid container 30a. When a centrifugal force is applied, the membrane portion 20a allows the liquid 60 in the liquid container 30a to pass in a direction opposite to the centrifugal force. That is, the filtering device 100C applies the centrifugal force in the direction from the outlet 12a to the inlet 11a of the container portion 10a, thereby causing the liquid 60 in the liquid container 30a to move from the first main surface HS1 of the membrane portion 20a to the second main surface. The light passes through the surface HS2 in the horizontal direction. In addition, a hole for degassing is provided in the container portion 10a.

  In the second embodiment, the lid 50 that covers the opening of the liquid container 30a is attached in a state where the container portion 10a is disposed inside the liquid container 30a.

[Operation of filtration device]
The operation of the filtration device 100C will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 9F.
9A to 9F show the operation of filtration in the filtration device 100C.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the container portion 10a is removed from the liquid container 30a, and the liquid 60 containing the biological substance 61 is introduced into the liquid container 30a.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, the container unit 10a is mounted in a liquid container 30a holding the liquid 60. In the second embodiment, the lid 50 is attached to the liquid container 30a with the container portion 10a held inside the liquid container 30a. That is, the introduction port 11a of the container 10a is arranged in the liquid 60 in the liquid container 30a. The attachment of the lid 50 is performed, for example, by screwing a female screw provided inside the lid 50 and a male screw provided on the outer wall of the liquid container 30a.

  By attaching the container 10a inside the liquid container 30a, the liquid 60 held in the liquid container 30a is pushed up between the outer wall of the container 10a and the inner wall of the liquid container 30a. In this state, the filtration device 100C is set in the centrifuge. In Embodiment 2, the filtration device 100C is set in the centrifuge so that the axial direction of the container 10a is horizontal. That is, the container 10a is arranged in the centrifuge so that the inlet 11a and the outlet 12a of the container 10a are located in the horizontal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 9C, when a centrifugal separator (not shown) applies a centrifugal force (arrow 83 shown in FIG. 9C) from the outlet 12a of the container 10a to the inlet 11a, the outer wall of the container 10a is removed. The liquid 60 pushed up to the inner wall of the liquid container 30a flows toward the bottom of the liquid container 30a (arrow 84 shown in FIG. 9C). At this time, the biological substance 61 gathers at the bottom of the liquid container 30a. On the other hand, the liquid 60 passes from the first principal surface HS1 to the second principal surface HS2 of the film part 20a in the horizontal direction, and flows from the inlet 11a to the outlet 12a of the container part 10a (arrows shown in FIG. 9C). 85). Then, the height of the liquid surface of the liquid 60 between the outer wall of the container portion 10a and the inner wall of the liquid container 30a becomes equal to the height of the liquid surface of the liquid 60 that has passed through the film portion 20a. The height of the liquid surface of the liquid 60 between the outer wall of the container portion 10a and the inner wall of the liquid container 30a and the height of the liquid surface of the liquid 60 that has passed through the membrane portion 20a are the same as the liquid container 30a at each location. Means the height of the liquid 60 from the bottom surface of.

  As shown in FIG. 9D, the centrifuge is stopped, and the lid 50 is removed from the liquid container 30a. After removing the lid 50, the liquid 60 that has passed through the membrane part 20a is discharged. The liquid 60 is discharged by turning the liquid container 30a upside down with the container portion 10a attached to the liquid container 30a. At this time, the biological substance 61 accumulated at the bottom of the liquid container 30a cannot pass through the through-hole 21 of the membrane 20a. Therefore, the liquid 60 that does not include the biological substance 61 is discharged from the outlet 12a.

  As shown in FIG. 9E, the lid 50 is attached to the liquid container 30a, and centrifugal force is applied to the filtration device 100C from the outlet 12a to the inlet 11a by a centrifuge (arrow 83 shown in FIG. 9E). When a centrifugal force is applied to the filtration device 100C, the liquid 60 between the outer wall of the container 10a and the inner wall of the liquid container 30a flows to the bottom of the liquid container 30a as in the operation shown in FIG. 9C (arrow shown in FIG. 9E). 84), the liquid 60 containing no biological substance 61 passes through the membrane part 20a (arrow 85 shown in FIG. 9E). Then, the height of the liquid surface of the liquid 60 between the outer wall of the container portion 10a and the inner wall of the liquid container 30a becomes equal to the height of the liquid surface of the liquid 60 that has passed through the film portion 20a.

  As shown in FIG. 9F, the centrifuge is stopped, and the lid 50 is removed from the liquid container 30a. Thereafter, similarly to the operation shown in FIG. 9D, the liquid 60 that has passed through the film part 20a and accumulated inside the container part 10a is discharged from the discharge port 12a.

As described above, the filtering device 100C separates the biological substance 61 from the liquid 60 by using the centrifugal force by performing the operations illustrated in FIGS. 9A to 9F. Furthermore, the filtration device 100C can concentrate the biological substance 61 by repeating the operation illustrated in FIGS. 9A to 9F. Further, in the filtration device 100C, after concentration, washing water can be introduced to wash the biological substance 61. Further, in the filtration device 100C, the liquid 60 can be replaced with another liquid by introducing the replacement liquid after separating the biological substance 61.

[effect]
According to the filtering device 100C according to the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  In the filtering device 100C, when a centrifugal force is applied, the liquid 60 passes through the membrane portion 20a in a direction opposite to the direction in which the centrifugal force is applied. Specifically, when a centrifugal force is applied, the filtration device 100C detects the height of the liquid surface of the liquid 60 between the outer wall of the container 10a and the inner wall of the liquid container 30a, and the liquid 60 passing through the membrane 20a. The liquid 60 is caused to pass through the film portion 20a in the horizontal direction by utilizing a height difference from the liquid level. With such a configuration, the biological substance 61 can be separated from the liquid 60 without the membrane portion 20a being clogged with the biological substance 61. In the filtration device 100C, the biological substance 61 can be easily concentrated by repeatedly performing filtration by centrifugation.

  In the filter device 100C, when taking out the liquid 60 that has passed through the membrane part 20a, for example, the liquid 60 can be easily discharged by turning the filter device 100C upside down. As described above, in the filtering device 100C, pipetting by the operator is not required, and the liquid 60 can be discharged without requiring the operator to have special skills. As a result, in the filtration device 100C, the recovery rate of the biological substance 61 due to pipetting does not decrease. Note that the discharge of the liquid 60 may be performed by suction or the like.

  In the filtration device 100C, the biological substance 61 can be easily washed by separating the biological substance 61, introducing washing water, and performing centrifugal separation. Further, in the filtration device 100C, the liquid replacement can be easily performed by introducing the replacement liquid after separating the biological substance 61.

  In the filter device 100C, when the filter unit 100C is attached to the centrifuge, the container unit 10a can be set with the axial direction being the same as the direction in which the centrifugal force is applied. Therefore, the centrifugal force is easily transmitted to the biological substance 61, and the biological substance 61 is easily separated from the liquid 60.

  More specifically, a centrifuge tube generally used for centrifugation is set obliquely to a direction in which centrifugal force is applied when it is attached to a centrifuge. In the case of a centrifuge tube, if the axial direction of the centrifuge tube is set in the same direction as the centrifugal force, the separated biological substance 61 will be mixed with the liquid 60 again after centrifugation. For this reason, the centrifuge tube is arranged obliquely to the direction in which the centrifugal force is applied in order to maintain the state in which the centrifugally separated biological material 61 is collected at the bottom of the centrifuge tube. However, if the centrifugal tube is arranged obliquely to the direction in which the centrifugal force is applied, it becomes difficult for the centrifugal force to be transmitted to the biological material 61. On the other hand, in the filtering device 100C, the centrifugal separator can be set so that the axial direction of the container 10a is the same as the direction in which the centrifugal force is applied, so that the centrifugal force is easily transmitted to the biological substance 61. Therefore, the filtration device 100C can perform centrifugal separation at a lower rotation speed or a shorter rotation time than a centrifuge tube by efficiently transmitting the centrifugal force to the biological substance 61.

  In the second embodiment, an example has been described in which the filtering device 100C is set in the centrifugal separator such that the axial direction of the container 10a is the same as the direction in which the centrifugal force is applied. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the filtering device 100C may be set in the centrifuge such that the axial direction of the container 10a is oblique to the direction in which the centrifugal force is applied.

(Embodiment 3)
[overall structure]
Third Embodiment A filtering device 100D according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 10 shows a schematic configuration of a filtration device 100D according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 shows a filtration device 1
FIG. 10D shows a top view of 00D. Note that the lid 10bb is omitted in FIG. 11 to simplify the description. Black arrows shown in FIG. 11 indicate the rotation direction of the filtration device 100D. In the third embodiment, points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described. In the third embodiment, the same or similar components as those in the first embodiment will be described with the same or similar reference numerals. In the third embodiment, descriptions overlapping with the first embodiment are omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the filtering device 100D according to the third embodiment is different from the filtering device 100A according to the first embodiment in that the container unit 10b is rotated about the central axis CL of the container unit 10b. The difference is that a biological material 61 can be separated from the liquid 60 by the generated centrifugal force. Further, the filtering device 100D does not include the liquid container 30 and the suction unit 40.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the filtering device 100 </ b> D includes a container unit 10 b for introducing the liquid 60 containing the biological substance 61 and a membrane unit 20 b having a plurality of through holes 21. The container unit 10b includes a container body 10ba having an inlet 11b for introducing the liquid 60, a lid 10bb having an outlet 12b for discharging the liquid 60, and a pressure reducing port 70 for reducing the pressure inside the container body 10ba.

  The filtration device 100D has a double cylinder structure formed by the container body 10ba and the membrane part 20b. In the filtration device 100D, the inner cylinder is formed by the cylindrical membrane portion 20b, and the outer cylinder is formed by the side wall of the container body 10ba. Further, a space for introducing the liquid 60 is formed between the film part 20b and the side wall of the container body 10ba. The bottom of the container body 10ba is inclined vertically downward toward the center of the container body 10ba. The membrane part 20b is arranged between the inlet 11b and the outlet 12b of the container part 10b, and is arranged at a fixed distance from the side wall of the container body 10ba.

  The filtration device 100D applies centrifugal force from the central axis CL to the side wall of the container 10b by rotating about the central axis CL of the container 10b. When a centrifugal force is applied to the filtration device 100D, the liquid 60 in the container body 10ba moves in a direction opposite to the direction in which the centrifugal force is applied, and moves horizontally from the first main surface HS1 of the membrane portion 20a to the second main surface HS2. Pass in the direction.

[Operation of filtration device]
The operation of the filtration device 100D will be described with reference to FIGS. 12A to 12C.
12A to 12C show the operation of filtration in the filtration device 100D.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, the lid 10bb is removed from the container body 10ba, and the liquid 60 containing the biological substance 61 is introduced into the container body 10ba from the inlet 11b (arrow 86 shown in FIG. 12A).

  As shown in FIG. 12B, the lid 60bc for sealing is attached to the container main body 10ba to seal the liquid 60 inside the container main body 10ba. Thereafter, the container 10b is rotated about the central axis CL of the container 10b (arrow 87 shown in FIG. 12B). The rotation condition of the container 10b may be set to a lower rotation than the condition for rotating a general centrifuge tube used for centrifugation, for example.

  By rotating the container portion 10b, a centrifugal force is applied from the central axis CL to the side wall of the container body 10ba, so that the biological substance 61 is collected on the side wall of the container body 10ba. Therefore, the liquid located on the first main surface HS1 of the film unit 20b has a state in which the concentration of the biological substance 61 is low.

  As shown in FIG. 12C, the lid 10bc for sealing is removed, and the lid 10bb is attached. Next, the pressure inside the container portion 10b is reduced through the pressure reducing port 70 provided at the upper part of the lid portion 10bb, so that the pressure inside the container portion 10b is reduced. The liquid 60 moves toward the central axis CL, which is the rotation center of the container body 10ba, by reducing the pressure in the container portion 10b. Therefore, the liquid 60 passes horizontally from the first main surface HS1 to the second main surface HS2 of the film portion 20b and collects at the center of the bottom of the container body 10ba. The liquid 60 collected at the center of the bottom of the container body 10ba is discharged to the outside by being sucked from the discharge port 12b (arrow 88 shown in FIG. 12C).

  As described above, in the filtering device 100D, the biological substance 61 is collected on the side wall of the container body 10ba by applying a centrifugal force, and the liquid 60 is moved in a direction opposite to the centrifugal force by reducing the pressure in the container body 10ba. ing. Thus, the liquid 60 is collected at the center of the container body 10ba and the liquid 60 is discharged, thereby separating the liquid 60 and the biological substance 61. Further, the filtration device 100D can also perform the exchange, cleaning, and concentration processes of the liquid 60 by repeating the operations illustrated in FIGS. 12A to 12C.

[effect]
According to filtering device 100D according to Embodiment 3, the following effects can be obtained.

In the filtration device 100D, the biological substance 61 can be separated from the liquid 60 by the centrifugal force generated from rotating the container 10b about the central axis CL of the container 10b to the side wall of the container body 10ba. It has a configuration. With such a configuration, the filtering device 100D can collect the biological substance 61 on the side wall of the container body 10ba by centrifugal force. Further, the liquid 60 having a low concentration of the biological substance 61 located on the first main surface HS1 of the film portion 20b is moved in the direction opposite to the direction in which the centrifugal force is applied, so that the first main portion of the film portion 20b is moved. The liquid 60 can pass from the surface HS1 to the second main surface HS2 in the horizontal direction. As a result, clogging of the film part 20b with the biological substance 61 can be suppressed.

  In addition, since the biological substance 61 is collected on the side wall of the container body 10ba by the centrifugal action, the biological substance 61 does not easily deposit on the first main surface HS1 of the film portion 20b. Therefore, the size of the through hole 21 of the membrane part 20b can be made larger than the size of the through hole of the filter used for filtration of Patent Document 1. As a result, in the filtration device 100D, filtration can be performed under conditions that are superior to the extraction of the liquid 60.

  In the filtration device 100D, after the centrifugation is completed, the liquid 60 free of the biological substance 61 can be extracted from the through hole 21 of the membrane unit 20b by depressurizing the inside of the container unit 10b from the decompression port 70. .

  In the filtering device 100D, since the centrifugal force is generated by rotating the container portion 10b about the central axis CL, the number of rotations may be reduced as compared with a device that performs centrifugal separation using a centrifuge tube, For example, the time for centrifugation can be shortened. As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of biological substances 61 that die due to centrifugation.

  In the filtration device 100D, when taking out the liquid 60 that has passed through the membrane part 20b, for example, the liquid 60 can be easily discharged by sucking it from the discharge port 12b. Thus, in the filtration device 100D, pipetting by the operator is not required, and the liquid 60 can be discharged without requiring the operator to have special skills. As a result, in the filtration device 100D, the recovery rate of the biological substance 61 due to pipetting does not decrease.

  In the third embodiment, the lid 10bc for sealing is used when rotating the container 10b, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the lid 10bb having the outlet 12b may be used even when the container 10b rotates. With such a configuration, the rotation of the container 10b and the discharge of the liquid 60 can be performed simultaneously.

  In the third embodiment, the film part 20b is described as a metal thin film having a plurality of cylindrical through holes 21, but is not limited to this. The film portion 20b may be a metallic thin film having at least a part having the through hole 21. Further, the shape of the film portion 20b may be a polygonal cylindrical shape.

  In the third embodiment, the description has been given of the configuration in which the container portion 10b is provided with the outlet 12b in the lid portion 10bb, but is not limited thereto. The outlet 12b only needs to be at a position where the liquid 60 can be discharged from the inside of the container 10b. FIG. 13 shows a schematic configuration of a filtration device 100E of a modified example. As shown in FIG. 13, the filtering device 100E may be provided with a discharge port 12c near the center of the bottom of the container body 10ba. With such a configuration, the liquid 60 can be discharged without sucking the liquid 60 (arrow 89 shown in FIG. 13).

  In the third embodiment, the configuration in which the pressure reducing port 70 is provided in the lid 10bb of the container 10b has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The pressure reducing port 70 is provided to facilitate the passage of the liquid 60 in the horizontal direction from the first main surface HS1 to the second main surface HS2 of the film portion 20b, and is not an essential configuration.

  Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is to be understood that such changes and modifications are intended to be included therein without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

  The present invention relates to a filtration device and a filtration method, and is excellent in that a high-concentration liquid is filtered and that the filtration is performed in a short time. For example, it is useful in the fields of chemical analysis, drug / pharmaceutical, clinical examination, public health management, environmental measurement, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Container part 11 Inlet 12 Outlet 20 Membrane 21 Through-hole 30 Liquid container 31 Vent 32 Opening 40 Suction part 41 Tube 50 Cover 60 Liquid 61 Biological substance 70 Decompression port 100 Filtration device

Claims (11)

A container having a side wall and having an inlet for introducing a liquid containing a biological substance and an outlet for discharging the liquid,
A membrane portion provided between the inlet and the outlet of the container portion and having a plurality of through holes,
A liquid container having a side wall and a bottom, and holding the liquid,
With
The container section is fixedly attached to the inside of the liquid container ,
The side wall of the container portion is surrounded by the side wall of the liquid container via a space,
The container portion is arranged such that the inlet and the outlet are located in a horizontal direction,
The introduction port of the container portion is arranged in the liquid held in the liquid container,
The container portion and the liquid container, the outlet of the container portion is located on the center side of the rotation axis, the inlet is disposed in the centrifuge so that the outside of the rotation axis, when a centrifugal force is applied,
Liquid located in the space between the side wall of the liquid container and the side wall of the container portion flows toward the bottom of the liquid container by the centrifugal force,
The liquid located at the bottom of the liquid container flows in the direction from the inlet to the outlet of the container by the flow of the liquid located in the space, passes through the membrane, and the biological material The filtration device to be separated.   The filtering device according to claim 1, wherein the membrane unit is a metal thin film.   The filtration device according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the membrane unit is provided obliquely with respect to a horizontal direction. Furthermore,
The filtration device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a lid attached to the liquid container and holding the container portion in the liquid container. Male screws are provided inside the lid,
A female screw is provided outside the side wall of the liquid container,
The filtering device according to claim 4, wherein the lid is attached to the liquid container by screwing the male screw and the female screw. The filtering device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a deaeration hole is provided in the container portion. A method of filtering a biological substance from a liquid,
A container having a side wall and having an inlet for introducing a liquid containing a biological substance and an outlet for discharging the liquid, provided between the inlet and the outlet of the container, And a liquid container having a side wall and a bottom and holding the liquid, wherein the container portion is fixedly attached inside the liquid container, and the container portion Preparing a filtration device, wherein the side wall of the liquid container is surrounded by the side wall of the liquid container via a space;
A step of separating the biological substance by allowing the liquid to pass through the membrane in the horizontal direction;
Including
The step of separating,
Arranging the container portion such that the introduction port and the discharge port of the container portion are positioned in a horizontal direction,
A step of applying a centrifugal force to the container portion and the liquid container in a direction from the discharge port of the container portion to the introduction port,
The liquid located in the space between the side wall of the liquid container and the side wall of the container portion flows toward the bottom of the liquid container by the centrifugal force, and is located at the bottom of the liquid container. Flowing the liquid in a direction from the inlet to the outlet of the container by the flow of the liquid located in the space,
A filtration method. The filtering method according to claim 7 , wherein in the separating step, the liquid is passed through the membrane part provided at least partly obliquely with respect to a horizontal direction. Furthermore,
By introducing the washing water into the cooking vessel, comprising the step of washing the biological material, the method of filtration according to claim 7 or 8. Furthermore,
The filtration method according to any one of claims 7 to 9 , further comprising a step of introducing a replacement liquid into the container. The filtration method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the separating step includes a step of degassing from a degassing hole provided in the container portion.

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