阅读说明：本技术 原液处理装置以及原液处理装置的操作方法 (Stock solution processing apparatus and method for operating stock solution processing apparatus ) 是由 冈久稔也 曾我部正弘 荒卷广至 村岛彻 于 2018-05-18 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种原液处理装置以及原液处理装置的操作方法,能够简便地进行泄漏检查,空气排出作业也比较容易,能够有效地进行流路的清洗。原液处理装置(1)的操作方法中,原液处理装置(1)具备：过滤器(10),具有能够过滤胸腹腔积液或血浆等原液但无法透过气体的过滤部件；浓缩器(20),供给有由过滤器(10)所过滤的滤液并对滤液进行浓缩而形成浓缩液,过滤器(10)具备：主体部(11),具有由供给原液的流路与过滤部件所隔离的内部空间；端口,使主体部(11)的内部空间与外部连通,在将主体部(11)的内部空间与外部气密性隔离的状态下,将加压气体从端口供给至内部空间,从而对内部空间内的气体的压力进行测量。(The invention provides a stock solution processing device and an operation method of the stock solution processing device, which can simply perform leakage inspection, is relatively easy to discharge air and can effectively clean a flow path. In a method for operating a raw liquid treatment apparatus (1), the raw liquid treatment apparatus (1) comprises: a filter (10) having a filter member capable of filtering a raw liquid such as pleural effusion or plasma, but impermeable to gas; a concentrator (20) which is supplied with the filtrate filtered by the filter (10) and concentrates the filtrate to form a concentrated solution, wherein the filter (10) comprises: a main body (11) having an internal space isolated from the filter member by a flow path for supplying the raw liquid; and a port for communicating the internal space of the main body (11) with the outside, and measuring the pressure of the gas in the internal space by supplying pressurized gas from the port to the internal space while hermetically isolating the internal space of the main body (11) from the outside.)

1. A method for operating a raw liquid treatment apparatus, the raw liquid treatment apparatus comprising: a filter having a filter member for filtering the raw liquid; a concentrator to which the filtrate filtered by the filter is supplied and which concentrates the filtrate to form a concentrated solution, the method for operating the raw liquid treatment apparatus being characterized in that,

the filter is provided with:

a main body having an internal space isolated from the filter member by a flow path for supplying the raw liquid;

a filtrate outlet port for communicating the internal space of the main body with the outside,

the pressure of the gas in the internal space is measured by supplying pressurized gas from the filtrate discharge port to the internal space while hermetically isolating the internal space of the main body from the outside.

2. The method of operating a stock solution processing apparatus according to claim 1,

the pressure of the flow path for supplying the raw liquid and the pressure of the gas in the internal space of the filter are measured in a state where the flow path for supplying the raw liquid is hermetically isolated from the outside, and the two pressures are compared.

3. The method of operating a stock solution processing apparatus according to claim 2,

a liquid feeding unit for causing a liquid to flow in a flow path communicating with the flow path for supplying the raw liquid,

while the pressurized gas is supplied from the filtrate discharge port to the internal space, the liquid feed unit is operated so that the liquid flows from the inside of the flow path for supplying the stock solution in the direction of discharging the liquid.

4. The method for operating a stock solution processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3,

while supplying the pressurized gas from the filtrate discharge port to the internal space, the pressure of the flow path in the flow path for supplying the stock solution is maintained constant.

5. The method of operating a stock solution processing apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4,

the filtering part of the filter is a hollow fiber membrane,

the internal space of the main body is a space in which the hollow fiber membranes are accommodated.

6. A method for operating a raw liquid treatment apparatus, the raw liquid treatment apparatus comprising: a filter having a filter member for filtering the raw liquid; a concentrator to which the filtrate filtered by the filter is supplied and which concentrates the filtrate to form a concentrated solution, the method for operating the raw liquid treatment apparatus being characterized in that,

the filter is provided with:

a main body having an internal space isolated from the filter member by a flow path for supplying the raw liquid;

a raw liquid supply port and a cleaning liquid supply port which are separated from the inner space of the main body in a liquid-tight manner and which communicate with both ends of a flow path for supplying the raw liquid,

and flowing a cleaning liquid between the raw liquid supply port and the cleaning liquid supply port.

7. The method of operating a stock solution processing apparatus according to claim 6,

the filtering part of the filter is a plurality of hollow fiber membranes of which one end portions are bound to each other and the other end portions are bound to each other,

the internal space of the main body is a space in which the hollow fiber membranes are accommodated,

a pair of header sections which communicate with both ends of the through flow passages of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, respectively, are spaces which are separated from the internal space of the main body in a liquid-tight manner and have a cross-sectional area larger than the through flow passages,

either the raw liquid supply port or the cleaning liquid supply port is provided in each header portion,

a negative pressure generating section for generating a negative pressure in the flow path communicating with the raw liquid supply port,

and operating the negative pressure generating unit by flowing a cleaning liquid between the raw liquid supply port and the cleaning liquid supply port.

8. The method of operating a stock solution processing apparatus according to claim 6 or 7,

the filter is provided with a filtrate discharge port communicating with the internal space,

and running the negative pressure generating part by flowing a cleaning liquid through the filtrate discharge port.

9. The method of operating a stock solution processing apparatus according to claim 8,

the raw liquid treatment apparatus operates a liquid feeding unit provided in a flow path communicating with the filtrate discharge port to discharge the filtrate from the filter during the filtration and concentration operation,

in the above-mentioned washing operation, the washing operation,

pushing the cleaning fluid into the interior space of the filter through the filtrate discharge port.

10. A raw liquid processing apparatus for concentrating a raw liquid to form a concentrated liquid, comprising:

a filter having a filter member for filtering the stock solution;

a concentrator to which the filtrate filtered by the filter is supplied and which concentrates the filtrate to form the concentrated solution;

a raw liquid supply unit configured to supply the raw liquid to the filter;

a liquid supply passage for communicating the raw liquid supply portion with a raw liquid supply port communicating with one end of the filter passage for supplying the raw liquid;

a filtrate supply passage for connecting the filtrate discharge port of the filter to the filtrate supply port of the concentrator;

a concentrate flow path connected to a concentrate discharge port of the concentrator;

a waste liquid flow path connected to a waste liquid discharge port for discharging the waste liquid separated from the concentrated liquid in the concentrator;

a cleaning liquid supply passage connected to a filter cleaning liquid supply port communicating with the other end of the flow passage of the filter to which the raw liquid is supplied;

a cleaning liquid recovery flow path communicating with the raw liquid supply port of the filter;

and a connection channel which is communicated with the filtrate supply channel.

11. The stock solution treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 10,

a liquid feeding portion for feeding the filtrate through each of the filtrate supply channel, the concentrated liquid channel, the cleaning liquid supply channel, and the connection channel,

the connection channel is connected between a liquid feeding unit provided in the filtrate supply channel and the filter.

12. The stock solution treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 10,

the filtrate supply channel, the concentrated solution channel, and the cleaning solution supply channel are provided with liquid feeding portions for feeding the filtrate to the respective channels.

13. The stock solution treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 12,

the connection channel is connected between a liquid feed unit provided in the filtrate supply channel and the concentrator.

14. The stock solution treatment apparatus as set forth in claim 10,

the liquid feeding flow path, the cleaning liquid recovery flow path, the concentrated liquid flow path, and the connection flow path are provided with liquid feeding portions for feeding the respective flow paths.

15. The stock solution treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 14,

the filter member is a hollow fiber membrane having a through flow path formed therethrough in the axial direction.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a raw liquid treatment apparatus and a method for operating the raw liquid treatment apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a raw liquid treatment apparatus for obtaining a treatment liquid for intravenous infusion by filtering or concentrating a raw liquid such as pleural effusion accumulated in the chest or abdomen due to cancerous pleuroperitoneal peritonitis, liver cirrhosis, or the like, or waste plasma of plasma exchange therapy, and a method for operating the raw liquid treatment apparatus.

Background

In cancerous pleuroperitoneal inflammation, liver cirrhosis, or the like, pleural effusion or abdominal effusion may accumulate in the thoracic cavity or abdominal cavity, and in a state where such pleural effusion or abdominal effusion is accumulated, problems such as the pleural effusion and abdominal effusion pressing peripheral internal organs may occur. To solve such a problem, a treatment for extracting the pleural effusion and the peritoneal cavity may be performed by puncturing.

On the other hand, the pleural effusion contains a part or all of plasma components exuded from blood, and the plasma contains major proteins (e.g., albumin, globulin, and the like). Although the above symptoms can be improved by extracting the accumulated fluid from the pleural cavity, components useful for the human body such as protein are lost together with water. Therefore, it is necessary to administer an albumin preparation, a globulin preparation, or the like intravenously to replace the lost components.

However, although it is possible to supplement a specific ingredient by administering an albumin preparation, a globulin preparation, or the like intravenously, the preparation is expensive and the treatment cost is high.

In addition, since only a limited amount of a specific component among the lost components can be supplied, there is a possibility that problems such as insufficient nutrition and susceptibility to infection may occur.

Therefore, a method of intravenously administering a pleural effusion or a treatment solution obtained by treating an abdominal effusion taken from the thoracic cavity or the abdominal cavity, i.e., a so-called pleural-peritoneal filtration, concentration and reinfusion method (CART) has been developed. In such CART, since most of the active ingredients other than the cellular components contained in the pleural effusion and the peritoneal effusion can be returned to the body of the patient, the components lost from the blood can be effectively supplied to the patient without being limited to specific components. Further, even if the concentrated solution is administered, the preparation can be supplemented with a component insufficient in an amount corresponding to the shortage, and therefore the amount of albumin preparation or the like used can be reduced as much as possible, and the cost of treatment can be suppressed.

In CART, treatment fluid is generated by filtration and concentration of pleural or peritoneal effusion and returned to the patient. In a treatment apparatus for producing such a treatment liquid, a raw liquid such as pleural effusion or peritoneal effusion is supplied to a filter having a filter member such as a hollow fiber membrane or a plate-like permeable membrane, and a liquid component (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a filtrate) is separated. If the separated filtrate is passed through a concentrator to remove water from the filtrate, a concentrated solution obtained by concentrating the filtrate, that is, the above-mentioned treated solution, can be obtained (see patent documents 1 and 2).

However, if the raw liquid is filtered by the filter member in the filter, if the filter member has a defect, the raw liquid cannot be properly filtered, and there is a possibility that cell components and the like which should not be originally contained in the treatment liquid are mixed into the filtrate. In order to prevent such a situation that cell components and the like are contained in the filtrate, a work of confirming the presence or absence of damage to the filter member of the filter is performed before the raw liquid is treated with the filter.

Since the filter member of the filter used in CART uses a member through which gas cannot pass, it is checked whether the filter member is damaged or not by supplying pressurized gas into the filter (leak test). After the filter was attached to the treatment device, the leak check was performed as follows. First, one of two ports (or a flow path communicating with two ports) communicating with a flow path for supplying a raw liquid or the like in the filter is closed. In this state, pressurized gas is supplied from the other port, and the gas pressure in the flow path is measured via the port or the like. If the air pressure in the flow path reaches a predetermined pressure, the other port is also closed, and the change in the air pressure in the flow path is checked. Then, when the air pressure does not change for a certain period of time, it is determined that the filter member is not broken, and when a change in air pressure is observed, it is determined that the filter member is broken.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

In the processing apparatus, a path from a bag containing a raw liquid (raw liquid bag) to a bag containing a processing liquid (concentrated liquid bag) must be kept isolated from the outside so as not to contact air or the like. Therefore, when cleaning a flow path (hereinafter referred to as a circuit) through which a raw liquid or the like flows in a processing apparatus with a cleaning liquid after a leak inspection is performed, it is necessary to perform an operation of discharging air in the circuit, particularly air in the flow path (raw liquid flow path) through which the raw liquid or the like is supplied to a filter.

However, since the raw liquid flow path of the filter is very narrow, it takes a long time to reliably discharge air from the raw liquid flow path, and a large amount of cleaning liquid must be used to reliably discharge air.

In the treatment apparatus, the filtration member may be cleaned after the treatment of the raw liquid, and in this case, the cleaning is usually performed by backwashing as described in patent document 2. The backwashing means washing the filter member and the like in the filter by flowing a washing liquid in a direction opposite to the flow of the solution at the time of filtration or concentration.

In such back washing, since the cleaning liquid must be flowed through the entire circuit or the entire flow path through which the raw liquid or the like is flowed, such as a filter, a large amount of the cleaning liquid must be used for cleaning. Further, since the flow resistance of the flow path in the raw liquid flow path of the filter is large and the cleaning liquid having passed through the filter member is supplied to the raw liquid flow path of the filter, the flow speed and pressure of the cleaning liquid flowing through the raw liquid flow path of the filter become small. Thus, even if the cleaning liquid is caused to flow through the raw liquid flow path of the filter, the raw liquid flow path of the filter may not be sufficiently cleaned.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a raw liquid treatment apparatus and a method for operating the raw liquid treatment apparatus, which can easily perform a leak check, can relatively easily perform an air discharge operation after the leak check, and can efficiently clean a flow path.

Solution for solving the above technical problem

(leak test)

The method for operating a raw liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 1, the raw liquid treatment apparatus comprising: a filter having a filter member for filtering the raw liquid; a concentrator to which the filtrate filtered by the filter is supplied and which concentrates the filtrate to form a concentrated solution, the method for operating the raw liquid treatment apparatus being characterized in that the filter comprises: a main body having an internal space isolated from the filter member by a flow path for supplying the raw liquid; and a filtrate discharge port which communicates the internal space of the main body with the outside, and which supplies a pressurized gas from the filtrate discharge port to the internal space while hermetically isolating the internal space of the main body from the outside, thereby measuring the pressure of the gas in the internal space.

The method of operating the raw liquid processing apparatus according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention 1, the pressure of the flow path for supplying the raw liquid and the pressure of the gas in the internal space of the filter are measured in a state where the flow path for supplying the raw liquid is hermetically isolated from the outside, and the two pressures are compared.

The method of operating the raw liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 2, a liquid feeding unit for causing a liquid to flow in a flow path communicating with the flow path for supplying the raw liquid is provided, and the liquid feeding unit is operated so that the liquid flows from the flow path for supplying the raw liquid in a direction in which the liquid is discharged while the pressurized gas is supplied from the filtrate discharge port to the internal space.

The method of operating the raw liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 4 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 2 or 3, the pressure of the flow path in the flow path to which the raw liquid is supplied is maintained constant while the pressurized gas is supplied from the filtrate discharge port to the internal space.

The method of operating the raw liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the 1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd or 4 th invention, the filter member of the filter is a hollow fiber membrane, and the internal space of the main body is a space in which the hollow fiber membrane is accommodated.

(cleaning)

The method for operating a raw liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the raw liquid treatment apparatus comprises: a filter having a filter member for filtering the raw liquid; a concentrator to which the filtrate filtered by the filter is supplied and which concentrates the filtrate to form a concentrated solution, the method for operating the raw liquid treatment apparatus being characterized in that the filter comprises: a main body having an internal space isolated from the filter member by a flow path for supplying the raw liquid; and a raw liquid supply port and a cleaning liquid supply port which are separated from the inner space of the main body in a liquid-tight manner, communicate with both ends of a flow path for supplying the raw liquid, and allow the cleaning liquid to flow between the raw liquid supply port and the cleaning liquid supply port.

The method of operating the raw liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 7 is characterized in that, in the 6 th aspect, the filter member of the filter is a plurality of hollow fiber membranes having one end portions and the other end portions bundled together, the internal space of the main body is a space for accommodating the hollow fiber membranes therein, and is provided with a pair of header parts, the header part is a space which is communicated with both ends of the through flow passages of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, is separated from the internal space of the main body part in a liquid-tight manner, and has a larger cross-sectional area than the through flow passages, either the raw liquid supply port or the cleaning liquid supply port is provided in each header portion, a negative pressure generating section for generating a negative pressure in a flow path communicating with the raw liquid supply port is provided in the flow path, and the negative pressure generating section is operated by flowing a cleaning liquid between the raw liquid supply port and the cleaning liquid supply port.

The method of operating the raw liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 8 is characterized in that, in the 6 th or 7 th aspect, the filter includes a filtrate discharge port communicating with the internal space, and the negative pressure generating unit is operated by flowing a cleaning liquid through the filtrate discharge port.

The method of operating the raw liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 9 is characterized in that, in the 8 th aspect, the raw liquid treatment apparatus operates a liquid feeding portion provided in a flow path communicating with the filtrate discharge port during a filtration and concentration operation to discharge the filtrate from the filter, and during the cleaning operation, the cleaning liquid is pushed into an internal space of the filter through the filtrate discharge port.

(stock solution processing apparatus)

A raw liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 10 is an apparatus for concentrating a raw liquid to form a concentrated liquid, comprising: a filter having a filter member for filtering the stock solution; a concentrator to which the filtrate filtered by the filter is supplied and which concentrates the filtrate to form the concentrated solution; a raw liquid supply unit configured to supply the raw liquid to the filter; a liquid supply passage for communicating the raw liquid supply unit with a raw liquid supply port communicating with one end of the passage of the filter through which the raw liquid is supplied; a filtrate supply passage for connecting the filtrate discharge port of the filter to the filtrate supply port of the concentrator; a concentrate flow path connected to a concentrate discharge port of the concentrator; a waste liquid flow path connected to a waste liquid discharge port for discharging the waste liquid separated from the concentrated liquid in the concentrator; a cleaning liquid supply passage connected to a filter cleaning liquid supply port communicating with the other end of the flow passage of the filter to which the raw liquid is supplied; a cleaning liquid recovery flow path communicating with the raw liquid supply port of the filter; and a connection channel which is communicated with the filtrate supply channel.

The raw liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 11 is characterized in that, in the 10 th aspect, the filtrate supply channel, the concentrated liquid channel, the cleaning liquid supply channel, and the connection channel are provided with liquid feeding portions for feeding the filtrate supply channel, the concentrated liquid channel, the cleaning liquid supply channel, and the connection channel is connected between the liquid feeding portion provided in the filtrate supply channel and the filter.

The raw liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 12 is characterized in that, in the 10 th aspect, the filtrate supply channel, the concentrated liquid channel, and the cleaning liquid supply channel are provided with liquid feeding portions for feeding the filtrate supply channel, the concentrated liquid channel, and the cleaning liquid supply channel, respectively.

The raw liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 13 is characterized in that, in the 12 th aspect, the connection channel is connected between a liquid feed unit provided in the filtrate supply channel and the concentrator.

The raw liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 14 is characterized in that, in the 10 th aspect, the liquid feeding passage, the cleaning liquid collecting passage, the concentrated liquid passage, and the connecting passage are provided with liquid feeding portions for feeding the respective passages.

The raw liquid treatment apparatus according to claim 15 is characterized in that in any one of claims 10 to 14, the filter member is a hollow fiber membrane in which a through flow path penetrating in the axial direction is formed.

Effects of the invention

(leak test)

According to the invention of claim 1, since the leak inspection is performed without introducing the gas into the flow path for supplying the raw liquid, the air discharge operation after the leak inspection can be performed reliably and in a short time.

According to the invention of claim 2, since the leak inspection is performed by comparing the pressures inside and outside the flow path for supplying the stock solution, the accuracy of the leak inspection can be improved.

According to the invention 3 and the invention 4, the accuracy of the leak inspection can be improved.

According to the invention of claim 5, even if the filter member is a hollow fiber membrane, the air discharge operation after the leak inspection can be performed reliably and in a short time.

(cleaning)

According to the invention of claim 6, if the cleaning liquid is made to flow between the pair of ports, the cleaning liquid can be directly supplied into the flow path to which the stock solution is supplied, and therefore the effect of cleaning the flow path to which the stock solution is supplied can be improved. Further, since the amount of the cleaning liquid that can clean the flow path to which the stock solution is supplied is only required to be used, the amount of the cleaning liquid to be used can be reduced.

According to the invention 7, it becomes easy to remove large solid components and the like accumulated in the header portion.

According to the 8 th and 9 th aspects of the present invention, the cleaning effect can be improved.

(stock solution processing apparatus)

According to the 10 th aspect of the present invention, if the gas and the cleaning liquid are appropriately supplied to the flow paths arranged in the respective flow paths, the leak inspection and the cleaning of the flow paths can be efficiently performed.

According to the 11 th aspect of the present invention, the supply of the raw liquid to the filter can be performed by negative compaction. Further, since the filter is cleaned by the positive pressure, clogging of the flow path to which the stock solution is supplied can be effectively eliminated.

According to the 12 th and 13 th aspects of the invention, the supply of the raw liquid to the filter can be performed by the negative compaction. Further, the flow path of the filter to which the raw liquid is supplied can be cleaned efficiently.

According to the 14 th aspect of the present invention, the cleaning of the filter in the flow path to which the raw liquid is supplied can be performed efficiently.

According to the 15 th aspect of the present invention, even when the filter member is a hollow fiber membrane, the leak inspection and the cleaning of the flow path can be effectively performed.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of a leak inspection operation of the stock solution processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a schematic explanatory view of a preparatory cleaning operation of the stock solution processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a schematic explanatory view of the filtration and concentration operation of the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a schematic explanatory view of the reconcentration operation of the stock solution processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a schematic explanatory view of the filter 10.

Fig. 6 is a schematic explanatory view of a preparatory cleaning operation of the stock solution processing apparatus 1B according to another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory view of the filtration and concentration operation of the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1B according to another embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a schematic explanatory view of the reconcentration operation of the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1B according to another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a schematic explanatory view of a raw liquid processing apparatus 1C according to another embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a schematic explanatory view of a leak test of the stock solution processing apparatus 1C according to another embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a schematic explanatory view of a leak test of the stock solution processing apparatus 1C according to another embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a schematic explanatory view of a preparatory cleaning operation of the stock solution processing apparatus 1C according to another embodiment.

Fig. 13 is a schematic explanatory view of the filtration and concentration operation of the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1C according to another embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a schematic explanatory view of a raw liquid processing apparatus 1D according to another embodiment.

Fig. 15 is a schematic explanatory view of a leak test of the stock solution processing apparatus 1C according to another embodiment.

Fig. 16 is a schematic explanatory view of another filter 10B.

Detailed Description

The stock solution treatment apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for obtaining a treatment solution that is obtained by filtering and concentrating a stock solution such as pleural effusion and the like and then can be administered to a patient by a method such as intravenous infusion or intraperitoneal administration.

The stock solution to be treated by the stock solution treatment apparatus of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include pleural effusion, plasma, and blood. Pleural effusion refers to pleural or peritoneal effusion that accumulates in the thoracic or abdominal cavity due to cancerous pleuroperitonitis, cirrhosis, etc. The pleural effusion and peritoneal cavity contain plasma components (proteins, hormones, sugars, lipids, electrolytes, vitamins, bilirubin, amino acids, etc.), hemoglobin, cancer cells, macrophages, tissue cells, leukocytes, erythrocytes, platelets, bacteria, etc., which are exuded from blood vessels or internal organs. In the raw liquid treatment apparatus of the present invention, solid components such as cancer cells, macrophages, histiocytes, white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, bacteria and the like can be removed from the pleural and peritoneal effusion, thereby producing a concentrated liquid containing water and useful components contained in the pleural and peritoneal effusion.

The plasma includes waste plasma of plasma exchange therapy, and the blood includes blood collected during surgery. That is, if waste plasma, blood collected during surgery, or the like is purified by the stock solution treatment apparatus of the present invention, reusable regenerated plasma can be produced. In the stock solution processing apparatus of the present invention, in the case of waste liquid plasma in the plasma exchange therapy, a plasma component separator may be used instead of the filter, and in the case of blood collected during surgery, a plasma separator may be used instead of the filter.

The filter member of the filter used in the raw liquid treatment apparatus of the present invention is not particularly limited. In addition, the same membrane may be used for the concentration of the filtrate in the concentrator. The filter member used for such filtration or concentration is not particularly limited in material, size, and shape as long as it allows the plasma, water, and the above-mentioned useful components contained in the pleural effusion and the peritoneal cavity to permeate therethrough, but does not allow cell components (i.e., solid components) such as cancer cells, macrophages, tissue cells, leukocytes, erythrocytes, platelets, and bacteria to permeate therethrough, and also does not allow gas to permeate therethrough. For example, the shape of the filter member may be a hollow fiber membrane, a flat membrane, a laminated membrane, or the like. Further, as the filter member, a member formed of a material that functions to block gas when wetted with a liquid can be used. Of course, a member formed of a material that functions to block gas even when it is not wetted with a liquid may be used. In the present specification, the gas that does not permeate the filter member means an inert gas such as nitrogen, air, oxygen, or the like, and means a gas generally used for leak inspection or the like.

As an example, a hollow fiber membrane used in a seroperitoneum filter, a plasma separator for plasma exchange, a plasma component separator for plasma exchange, and the like of CART can be used in the filter and the concentrator of the stock solution treatment apparatus of the present invention.

(apparatus for treating stock solution in the present embodiment)

The raw liquid processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 3.

Hereinafter, a case where the stock solution to be treated is a pleural effusion will be described as a representative example.

In the following description, a case will be described where the flow paths (feed flow path, filtrate supply flow path, concentrated liquid flow path, waste liquid flow path, cleaning liquid supply flow path, cleaning liquid recovery flow path, and connection flow path) described in the claims are formed of flexible or flexible tubes (feed tube 2, filtrate supply tube 3, concentrated liquid tube 4, waste liquid tube 5, cleaning liquid supply tube 6, cleaning liquid recovery tube 7, and connection tube 9). However, each flow path may be formed of a pipe having no flexibility or softness (for example, a hard plastic pipe, a steel pipe, a vinyl chloride pipe, or the like), or an integrated circuit formed of resin, or the like.

Further, in the following description, a case where each flow path is formed of a tube having flexibility or softness is described, and therefore, the description is made on the assumption that a roller pump is used as a liquid feeding portion of each flow path. However, the liquid feeding unit may be any unit as long as it can feed the liquid in each flow path, and may be appropriately selected depending on the material of the tube constituting each flow path and the liquid flowing in the flow path. For example, an infusion pump, a diaphragm pump, or the like can be used. In the roller pump, since the pinch function (a function of closing the flow path to prevent the liquid from flowing) is exhibited when the operation is stopped, no tool having the pinch function is provided in the flow path provided with the liquid feeding portion in the following description. However, when a device that does not exhibit a clamping function even when the operation is stopped or a device that does not exhibit a clamping function is used as the liquid feeding unit, an instrument having a clamping function (for example, a clamp or a clip) may be separately provided in the flow path in which the liquid feeding unit is provided, and the instrument having a clamping function may be caused to exhibit a clamping function when the operation of the liquid feeding unit is stopped.

(schematic configuration of the stock solution treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment)

First, a schematic configuration of the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

In fig. 3, reference character UB denotes a raw liquid bag that contains raw liquid, i.e., a pleural effusion extracted from the chest or abdomen. Further, reference sign CB denotes a concentrate bag which accommodates a concentrate obtained by filtering and concentrating the stock solution. Further, reference numeral DB denotes a waste liquid bag that accommodates waste liquid (i.e., moisture) separated from the concentrated liquid. Further, reference numeral SB denotes a washing solution bag containing a washing solution such as physiological saline or an infusion solution (extracellular fluid), and reference numeral FB denotes a washing solution recovery bag for recovering the washing solution.

As shown in fig. 3, in the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, a raw liquid bag UB is connected to a filter 10 via a liquid feed pipe 2. The feed pipe 2 is a pipe for supplying the raw liquid in the raw liquid bag UB to the filter 10. The liquid supply pipe 2 is provided with a liquid supply pipe liquid supply portion 2p for supplying the liquid in the liquid supply pipe 2.

The filter 10 filters the raw liquid to generate a filtrate. The filter 10 is connected to a concentrator 20 via a filtrate supply line 3. The filtrate supply line 3 is a line for supplying the filtrate generated by the filter 10 to the concentrator 20. The filtrate supply pipe 3 is provided with a flow rate adjusting mechanism 3c such as a clamp or a clip for stopping or opening the flow of the liquid in the filtrate supply pipe 3.

One end of a connecting pipe 9 is connected to the filtrate supply pipe 3 at a portion between the filter 10 and the flow rate adjusting mechanism 3 c. The connecting pipe 9 is provided with a connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p for feeding the liquid in the connecting pipe 9.

A cleaning liquid bag SB is connected to the filter 10 via the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6. The cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 is a pipe for supplying the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid bag SB to the filter 10. The cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 is provided with a flow rate adjusting mechanism 6c such as a clamp or a clip for stopping or opening the flow of the liquid in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6.

Further, a cleaning liquid recovery bag FB for recovering the cleaning liquid that has cleaned the filter 10 is connected to the filter 10 via a cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7. The cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 is provided with a cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p for feeding the liquid in the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7.

The cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 may be connected to the filter 10 via the liquid supply pipe 2, or may be directly connected to the filter 10.

The concentrator 20 produces a concentrated solution in which the filtrate is concentrated. The concentrator 20 is connected to a concentrate bag CB via a concentrate pipe 4. The concentrate pipe 4 is a pipe for supplying the concentrate concentrated by the concentrator 20 to the concentrate bag CB. The concentrate pipe 4 is provided with a concentrate pipe liquid sending part 4p for sending the liquid in the concentrate pipe 4.

Further, a waste liquid bag DB is connected to the concentrator 20 via a waste liquid pipe 5. The waste liquid pipe 5 is a pipe for supplying waste liquid (moisture) separated from the concentrated liquid by the concentrator 20 to the waste liquid bag DB.

With the above-described configuration, in the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, if the raw liquid is supplied from the raw liquid bag UB to the filter 10 through the liquid feed pipe 2, the raw liquid can be filtered by the filter 10 to generate a filtrate. Then, if the generated filtrate is supplied to the concentrator 20 through the filtrate supply pipe 3, a concentrated liquid can be generated by the concentrator 20, and the concentrated liquid can be recovered to the concentrated liquid bag CB through the concentrated liquid supply pipe 4.

On the other hand, if the cleaning liquid is supplied to the filter 10 from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6, the filter 10 can be cleaned by the cleaning liquid. Further, if the cleaning solution bag SB is connected to the concentrate pipe 4 instead of the concentrate bag CB, the concentrator 20 can be cleaned by the cleaning solution (see fig. 2).

The operation of the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described below.

(preparation for washing operation)

As shown in fig. 2, in the preparatory cleaning operation of the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, a cleaning liquid bag SB is connected to the other end of the concentrate pipe 4 in place of the concentrate bag CB, and a cleaning liquid recovery bag FB is connected to the other end of the waste pipe 5 in place of the waste bag DB. The other end of the waste liquid pipe 5 may be connected to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a bucket or the like.

Further, a cleaning liquid recovery bag FB is also connected to the other end of the liquid feed pipe 2 instead of the raw liquid bag UB. The other end of the liquid supply tube 2 may be connected to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a tub or the like.

The other end of the connection pipe 9 is also connected to a cleaning liquid recovery bag FB. The other end of the connecting pipe 9 may be connected to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a tub or the like.

Next, the cleaning liquid is caused to flow through the filtrate supply pipe 3 and the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 3c and the flow rate adjustment mechanism 6 c.

In the above state, the concentrate pipe liquid feeding portion 4p is operated so that the cleaning liquid flows from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the concentrate pipe 4 to the concentrator 20, and the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p is operated so that the cleaning liquid flows from the concentrator 20 (i.e., the filtrate supply pipe 3) to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the connecting pipe 9. Thereby, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the concentrate pipe 4 to the concentrator 20 through the concentrate pipe 4. The supplied cleaning liquid passes through the concentrator 20, and is then collected into the cleaning liquid collection bag FB connected to the connection pipe 9 through the filtrate supply pipe 3 and the connection pipe 9. In addition, a part of the cleaning liquid is recovered through the waste liquid pipe 5 to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the other end of the waste liquid pipe 5.

The connection pipe liquid feeding unit 9p is operated so that the cleaning liquid flows from the concentrator 20 to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the connection pipe 9, and the liquid feeding pipe liquid feeding unit 2p is operated so that the cleaning liquid flows from the filter 10 to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the liquid feeding pipe 2. Thereby, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 to the filter 10 through the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6. After the supplied cleaning liquid passes through the filter 10, a part of the cleaning liquid is collected into the cleaning liquid collecting bag FB connected to the connecting pipe 9 through the filtrate supply pipe 3 and the connecting pipe 9, and a part of the cleaning liquid is collected into the cleaning liquid collecting bag FB connected to the liquid supply pipe 2 through the liquid supply pipe 2. Further, by operating the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p, a part of the cleaning liquid supplied to the filter 10 can also be made to flow into the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7.

This enables the cleaning liquid to flow through the filter 10, the concentrator 20, and all the pipes, and thus the entire raw liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can be cleaned.

In fig. 2, the cleaning liquid is sucked from the filter 10 by operating the liquid supply pipe liquid feeding unit 2p and the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding unit 7p, and the flow of the cleaning liquid is generated in the filter 10, whereby the inside of the filter 10 is cleaned with the cleaning liquid. However, the cleaning liquid may be pushed into the filter 10 to generate a flow of the cleaning liquid in the filter 10, thereby cleaning the inside of the filter 10.

For example, in fig. 2, a cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p is provided in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 instead of the flow rate adjusting mechanism 6c (see fig. 6), and a cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 is provided with a flow rate adjusting mechanism 7c instead of the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7 p. Then, the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 is opened by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 7c, and the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p is operated so that the cleaning liquid flows from the cleaning liquid bag SB toward the filter 10 in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6. This can push the cleaning liquid into the filter 10, and the flow of the cleaning liquid is generated in the filter 10, so that the inside of the filter 10 can be cleaned with the cleaning liquid. In this case, the liquid feed pipe liquid feed portion 2p of the liquid feed pipe 2 may be operated so that the cleaning liquid is sucked out from the filter 10 and flows through the liquid feed pipe 2. Further, only the cleaning liquid may be allowed to flow through the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 without operating the liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 2 p.

(filtration and concentration operation)

If the preparation cleaning operation is finished, the filtration and concentration operation is carried out.

As shown in fig. 3, in the filtering concentration operation of the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the concentrate bag CB is connected to the concentrate pipe 4 in place of the cleaning liquid bag SB, and the waste liquid bag DB is connected to the waste pipe 5 in place of the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB, in a state in which the cleaning operation is prepared.

On the other hand, a raw liquid bag UB is connected to the liquid supply pipe 2 instead of the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB.

The flow rate adjusting mechanism 3c maintains a state in which the liquid can flow in the filtrate supply pipe 3, while the flow rate adjusting mechanism 6c closes the flow rate adjusting mechanism so that the liquid cannot flow in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6. In addition, the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p and the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p are not operated and function as a jig.

In the above state, the feed pipe liquid sending part 2p is operated so that the raw liquid flows from the raw liquid bag UB connected to the feed pipe 2 to the filter 10, and the concentrate pipe liquid sending part 4p is operated so that the concentrate flows from the concentrator 20 to the concentrate bag CB connected to the concentrate pipe 4.

Thereby, the raw liquid is supplied from the raw liquid bag UB to the filter 10 through the liquid feed pipe 2. The supplied raw liquid is filtered by the filter 10, and the generated filtrate is supplied to the concentrator 20 through the filtrate supply pipe 3. Then, the filtrate supplied to the concentrator 20 is concentrated by the concentrator 20, and the resulting concentrated solution is collected into the concentrated solution bag CB through the concentrated solution pipe 4. On the other hand, the moisture separated from the concentrated solution is recovered to the waste liquid bag DB through the waste liquid pipe 5.

(about filter cleaning)

In addition, during the filtering and concentrating operation of the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the filtering members (the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 in fig. 5, and the filtering membrane 17b in fig. 16) of the filter 10 may be cleaned. Specifically, in fig. 3, the flow rate adjusting mechanism 3c closes the liquid flow path so that the liquid cannot flow through the filtrate supply pipe 3. In addition, the operation of the liquid feeding pipe liquid feeding portion 2p is stopped to function as a jig. On the other hand, the liquid can be made to flow in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 6 c.

In the above state, if the cleaning solution recovery tube liquid feeding unit 7p is operated so as to flow the liquid from the filter 10 to the cleaning solution recovery bag FB connected to the cleaning solution recovery tube 7, the cleaning solution can be made to flow in the flow path of the filter 10 through which the raw solution flows (the inside of the hollow fiber membrane 16 in fig. 5 and the gap of the filtration membrane 17b in fig. 16) in the direction opposite to the direction in which the raw solution flows at the time of filtration and concentration, and therefore, the inside of the flow path of the filter 10 through which the raw solution flows can be cleaned.

In addition to the above state, if the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p is operated so that the cleaning liquid flows from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connecting pipe 9 to the filter 10, the cleaning liquid is also supplied from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connecting pipe 9 to the filter 10. This allows the cleaning liquid to permeate through the filter member in the direction opposite to the direction in which the filtrate permeates through the filter member, thereby eliminating clogging of the filter member. In this case, since the cleaning liquid is supplied to the filter 10 from both the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 and the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connecting pipe 9, the operations of the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p and the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p are adjusted so that the flow rate of the cleaning liquid flowing through the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 by the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p becomes larger than the flow rate of the cleaning liquid flowing through the connecting pipe 9 by the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9 p.

Further, the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p and the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p may be operated in a state where the flow rate adjustment mechanism 6c is closed. In this case, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the filter 10 only from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9 p. In this case, the cleaning liquid also permeates through the filter member in the direction opposite to the direction in which the filtrate permeates through the filter member, so that clogging of the filter member can be eliminated.

(reconcentration work)

When the concentrated solution obtained by the filtering and concentrating operation is further concentrated, a re-concentrating operation is performed.

As shown in fig. 4, in the reconcentration operation of the undiluted liquid treatment apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the other end of the connecting tube 9 is removed from the cleaning liquid bag SB, and the other end of the connecting tube 9 is connected to the concentrated liquid bag CB.

The flow rate adjusting mechanism 3c maintains a state in which liquid can flow in the filtrate supply pipe 3, and the liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 2p and the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p are not operated to function as a jig. In addition, the flow rate adjusting mechanism 6c closes the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 so that the liquid cannot flow. This prevents the liquid from flowing through the filter 10.

In the above state, the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p is operated so that the concentrated liquid flows from the concentrated liquid bag CB to the concentrator 20 through the connecting pipe 9, and the concentrated liquid pipe liquid feeding portion 4p is operated so that the concentrated liquid flows from the concentrator 20 to the concentrated liquid bag CB through the concentrated liquid pipe 4.

Thereby, the concentrated liquid is supplied from the concentrated liquid bag CB connected to the connection pipe 9 to the concentrator 20 through the connection pipe 9, and thus the re-concentrated liquid further concentrated by the concentrator 20 is recovered to the concentrated liquid bag CB through the concentrated liquid pipe 4. On the other hand, the moisture separated from the concentrated solution is recovered to the waste liquid bag DB through the waste liquid pipe 5. That is, a concentrated solution (reconcentrated solution) having an increased concentration ratio can be obtained.

(detailed description of the Filter 10)

In the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the respective bags are connected to the filter 10 and the concentrator 20 as described above, but if the filter 10 has the following configuration and the respective pipes are connected to the filter 10 as described below, the cleaning of the filter 10 and the leak inspection can be effectively performed.

The structure of the filter 10, connection of the respective pipes to the filter 10, cleaning of the filter 10, and leak inspection will be described below.

(Filter 10)

The filter 10 is, for example, a peritoneal fluid filter for CART, a plasma separator for plasma exchange, a plasma component separator, or the like. The filter 10 accommodates a filter member therein, and filters the pleural effusion and the peritoneal effusion through the filter member, and can separate the effusion into a filtrate and a separation liquid containing cells and the like.

The structure of the filter 10 in the case where the filter member is the hollow fiber membrane 16 will be described below with reference to fig. 5.

As shown in fig. 5, the filter 10 includes a main body 11 and a hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 disposed in the main body 11.

(hollow fiber Membrane bundle 15)

As shown in fig. 5, the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 is configured by bundling a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16.

The hollow fiber membranes 16 are tubular members each having a wall 16w with an annular cross section, and a through flow passage 16h penetrating the hollow fiber membranes 16 in the axial direction is formed inside the wall 16 w. The wall 16w of the hollow fiber membrane 16 has a function of allowing liquid to permeate, but not solid components such as cells and gas.

One end portions and the other end portions of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 are bundled. That is, the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 is formed by bundling a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 so that the through flow path 16h of each hollow fiber membrane 16 penetrates between one end portion and the other end portion of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15.

In addition, the two end portions of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 do not necessarily need to be bundled together with each other. In this case, both ends of the through channels 16h of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 are arranged to communicate with the pair of header portions 13 and 14 of the main body portion 11, respectively.

(Main body 11)

As shown in fig. 5, the body portion 11 includes a body portion 12, and the body portion 12 has an internal space 12h which is a space hermetically and liquid-tightly isolated from the outside. The internal space 12h of the body portion 12 is formed to communicate with the outside only through a port described later, and accommodates the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 described above therein. In a state where the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 is accommodated inside, the internal space 12h is separated from the through channels 16h of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 in an airtight manner, but liquid can pass through the wall 16w therebetween. That is, the liquid in the internal space 12h can be supplied to the through-flow passage 16h, and the liquid in the through-flow passage 16h can be supplied to the internal space 12 h.

The size and shape of the internal space 12h are not particularly limited. In the state where the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 is accommodated, the liquid flowing into the internal space 12h through the port may flow between the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 and the inner surface of the body portion 12 (i.e., the inner surface of the internal space 12h) and between the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16, and may have a size that allows the liquid to flow into the through flow channel 16h through the wall 16w of the hollow fiber membranes 16. In addition, the liquid flowing out of the through-flow channel 16h to the internal space 12h through the wall 16w of the hollow fiber membranes 16 flows between the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 and between the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 and the inner surface of the internal space 12h, and has a size enough to flow out from the port.

As shown in fig. 5, the body portion 11 is provided with a pair of header portions 13 and 14 so as to sandwich the body portion 12, that is, so as to sandwich the internal space 12 h. The pair of header portions 13 and 14 are air-tight and liquid-tight spaces isolated from the internal space 12h of the body portion 12 and the outside, and are formed to communicate with the outside only through ports described later. The respective ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 are connected to the pair of header pipes 13 and 14. Specifically, both ends of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 are connected to the pair of header sections 13 and 14, respectively, so that openings at both ends of the through channels 16h of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 constituting the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 communicate with the inside of the pair of header sections 13 and 14. Therefore, the pair of header sections 13 and 14 are in a state of being communicated with each other through the through channels 16h of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 constituting the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15.

(Each port 11a to 11c)

As described above, the body 11 is provided with the internal space 12h formed in the body 12 of the body 11 and the ports 11a to 11c for allowing the pair of header portions 13 and 14 to communicate with the outside.

As shown in fig. 5, a raw liquid supply port 11a for communicating the header portion 13 with the outside is provided at one end of the main body portion 11. One end of the liquid feed tube 2 is connected to the raw liquid supply port 11a, and the other end of the liquid feed tube 2 is connected to a liquid discharge port of the raw liquid bag UB (see fig. 3).

Further, the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB is communicated to the stock solution supply port 11a via the liquid feed pipe 2, or is directly communicated to the stock solution supply port 11 a. Specifically, one end of the cleaning liquid recovery tube 7 is connected to the liquid supply tube 2 or the raw liquid supply port 11a, and the other end of the cleaning liquid recovery tube 7 is connected to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB (see fig. 3).

A filtrate discharge port 11c for communicating the internal space 12h with the outside is provided in a side surface of the body portion 12 of the body portion 11. One end of the filtrate supply pipe 3 is connected to the filtrate discharge port 11c, and the other end of the filtrate supply pipe 3 is connected to a filtrate supply port 20a of the concentrator 20 (see fig. 3). In fig. 5, 2 filtrate discharge ports 11c are provided, and 1 filtrate discharge port 11c may be provided.

A cleaning liquid supply port 11b is provided at the other end of the main body 11 to communicate the header 14 with the outside. One end of a cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 is connected to the cleaning liquid supply port 11b, and the other end of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 is connected to a cleaning liquid bag SB (see fig. 3).

(function of Filter 10)

The filter 10 has the configuration as described above, and as described above, the raw liquid bag UB and the washing liquid bag SB are communicated to the respective ports 11a to 11c of the main body 11 via the respective tubes. Therefore, if the feed pipe liquid feeding unit 2p is operated to supply the raw liquid from the raw liquid bag UB to the header 13 of the main body 11 via the feed pipe 2 and the raw liquid supply port 11a, the raw liquid is supplied to the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15, and therefore the raw liquid is filtered by the hollow fiber membranes 16. That is, since the solid component contained in the raw liquid cannot pass through the hollow fiber membranes 16, it remains in the through flow path 16h, and only the liquid component, that is, the filtrate passes through the walls 16w of the hollow fiber membranes 16, so that the filtrate after filtration of the raw liquid can be obtained.

After the filtrate is discharged from the hollow fiber membranes 16 into the internal space 12h of the body portion 12 of the body portion 11, the filtrate is supplied from the internal space 12h to the concentrator 20 through the filtrate discharge port 11c, the filtrate supply pipe 3, and the filtrate supply port 20a of the concentrator 20.

On the other hand, if the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding unit 7p (or the liquid feeding pipe liquid feeding unit 2p) is operated to suck the liquid from the filter 10, the filter 10 can be cleaned. That is, since the cleaning liquid can be supplied from the cleaning liquid bag SB to the header part 14 of the main body part 11 via the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 and the cleaning liquid supply port 11b, the cleaning liquid can be supplied from the header part 14 into the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 (see fig. 2). That is, since the cleaning liquid flows from the header portion 14 toward the header portion 13, the inside of the through flow passage 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16, particularly the inner surface of the through flow passage 16h (inner surface of the wall 16 w), can be cleaned by the cleaning liquid flowing along the inner surface of the through flow passage 16 h. This enables solid matter and the like adhering to the inner wall of the through channel 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 to be efficiently washed away.

In particular, if the operation is performed as described below, the cleaning of the hollow fiber membranes 16 can be effectively performed.

First, the filtrate supply pipe 3 and the connecting pipe 9 are closed by the flow rate adjusting mechanism 3c provided in the filtrate supply pipe 3 and the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p provided in the connecting pipe 9. On the other hand, the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 is opened by the flow rate adjusting mechanism 6 c. In this state, the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p of the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 is operated.

As a result, a negative pressure is generated in the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 at a portion upstream of the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p, that is, at the filter 10 side. If such a negative pressure is generated, the cleaning liquid flows from the cleaning liquid bag SB into the cleaning liquid recovery tube 7 through the cleaning liquid supply tube 6, the cleaning liquid supply port 11b, the header part 14, the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16, the header part 13, and the raw liquid supply port 11a by the negative pressure.

At this time, since the filtrate supply tube 3 and the connection tube 9 are closed, the cleaning liquid flows only in the through flow channel 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16 without flowing from the hollow fiber membranes 16 to the internal space 12 h. Thus, only the inside of the through flow path 16h between the pair of header parts 13 and 14 and the hollow fiber membrane 16 can be cleaned with the cleaning liquid, and therefore the cleaning liquid for cleaning the filter 10 can be reduced.

Further, since the internal space 12h is not cleaned, even when the filter 10 is cleaned after the filtration concentration is performed, the filtrate can be left in the internal space 12 h. This can prevent the filtrate in the internal space 12h from being discharged together with the cleaning liquid, and thus can prevent a decrease in the recovery rate of the filtrate.

In cleaning the filter 10, both the liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 2p of the liquid supply pipe 2 and the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p of the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 may be operated.

In addition, when cleaning the filter 10, the feed pipe liquid feeding unit 2p may be operated instead of the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding unit 7 p. In this case, since the raw liquid in the through channel 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 can be recovered to the raw liquid bag UB together with the cleaning liquid, if the cleaning liquid including the recovered raw liquid is supplied to the filter again, the recovery rate of the filtrate can be prevented from being lowered.

As described above, when one or both of the liquid feeding portion 2p and the cleaning liquid recovery tube liquid feeding portion 7p are operated, negative pressure is generated in the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16. Thereby, even if the solid content clogs the wall 16w of the hollow fiber membrane 16, the solid content can be sucked out, and therefore, the clogging of the wall 16w of the hollow fiber membrane 16 can be eliminated.

In addition, when the main purpose is to also remove clogging of the wall 16w of the hollow fiber membrane 16, the cleaning liquid bag SB may be connected to the connecting pipe 9 in advance, and the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p may be operated so that the cleaning liquid flows from the cleaning liquid bag SB toward the filter 10. In this case, since the internal space 12h is substantially cleaned, although the amount of cleaning liquid used increases, clogging of the wall 16w of the hollow fiber membrane 16 is more easily eliminated. That is, in addition to the suction effect by the negative pressure described above, the effect of pushing the cleaning liquid into the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p is also produced, and therefore, clogging of the wall 16w of the hollow fiber membrane 16 can be more easily eliminated.

Further, if the cleaning operation is performed as described above, it becomes easy to eliminate the clogging of the header part 13 to which the stock solution is supplied.

In the header part 13 to which the stock solution is supplied, the solid component contained in the stock solution is supplied as it is to the liquid supply tube 2, and therefore, when the solid component is large, the opening of the through channel 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 may be blocked by the solid component. However, as described above, if a negative pressure is generated in the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 on the side closer to the filter 10 than the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p, the solid component can be sucked out from the header portion 13 to the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 by the negative pressure, and therefore the clogging of the header portion 13 can be eliminated. In this case, the cleaning solution bag SB may be connected to the connecting pipe 9 in advance, and the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p may be operated so that the cleaning solution flows from the cleaning solution bag SB toward the filter 10. This produces an effect of pushing the cleaning liquid into the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p in addition to the suction effect by the negative pressure, and therefore, the clogging of the collecting pipe portion 13 can be more easily eliminated. In the case of the above configuration, the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p corresponds to a negative pressure generating portion described in claims.

(leak test)

In the filter 10, if the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 are broken, the raw liquid may leak into the internal space 12h without being filtered when the raw liquid is supplied to the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15. Similarly, when the air-tightness and the liquid-tightness between the internal space 12h and the pair of header pipes 13 and 14 cannot be maintained, the raw liquid may leak into the internal space 12h without being filtered. Therefore, before the stock solution is treated, it is necessary to check for leakage of the filter 10 (leak check). In the case of the raw liquid processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the leak inspection can be performed by the following method.

The leak inspection operation will be described below.

In addition, when the preparatory cleaning is performed, a leak inspection operation is performed before the preparatory cleaning. Therefore, as shown in fig. 1, a case will be described below in which the raw liquid processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is maintained in a state immediately before preparation for cleaning and a leak check operation is performed.

A case will be described in which a branch pipe 9b communicating with the connection pipe 9 is provided in the connection pipe 9, and a pressurized gas supply unit GS for supplying pressurized gas during the leak inspection operation is provided in the branch pipe 9b of the connection pipe 9. In this case, the branch pipe 9b is provided with a flow rate adjusting mechanism 9c for closing or opening the branch pipe 9 b.

(first method)

First, as shown in fig. 1, a pressure gauge P1 for measuring the pressure in the filtrate supply pipe 3 is provided in the filtrate supply pipe 3. The pressure gauge P1 may be temporarily installed during the leak check operation, or may be always installed during the filtration/concentration operation. When the pressure gauge P1 is always provided, a pressure gauge capable of measuring both the air pressure and the hydraulic pressure is used.

Next, the filtrate supply pipe 3 is closed by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 3c, the operation of the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p of the connecting pipe 9 is stopped, and the branch pipe 9b is closed by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 9 c. Thereby, the internal space 12h of the main body 11 is hermetically sealed from the outside.

On the other hand, the liquid supply pipe 2p connected to the liquid supply pipe 2 and the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7p connected to the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 are also set in a closed state by the flow rate adjusting mechanism 6c without being operated. Accordingly, the inside of the through flow path 16h between the pair of header parts 13 and 14 and the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 is also hermetically sealed from the outside.

In addition to the above state, if the flow rate adjustment mechanism 9c is opened and the pressurized gas is supplied from the pressurized gas supply unit GS to the branch pipe 9b, the pressurized gas is supplied into the internal space 12h of the body 12 of the body 11, and the pressure in the internal space 12h (in other words, the pressure in the connection pipe 9 and the branch pipe 9 b) rises. Then, if the pressure in the internal space 12h measured by the pressure gauge P1 becomes equal to or higher than a certain pressure, the pressurized gas supplied from the pressurized gas supply unit GS is stopped, and the branch pipe 9b is closed by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 9 c.

Here, if the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 are broken or the airtightness or liquidtightness between the internal space 12h and the pair of header sections 13 and 14 is poor, the pressurized gas leaks from the portion (poor portion) into the through flow channel 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 or the pair of header sections 13 and 14. Since the pressure in the internal space 12h is thereby reduced, leakage of the filter 10 can be confirmed by checking the fluctuation of the atmospheric pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1.

When the leak inspection is performed by the above method, if there is no defective portion, the gas does not enter the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16. That is, since the leak inspection can be performed without the gas entering the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16, the air discharge operation after the leak inspection can be performed reliably and in a short time.

When the leak inspection is performed by the above method, it is preferable that the air pressure in the through flow path 16h of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 and the portions (the pair of header pipes 13 and 14, the liquid supply pipe 2, the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6, and the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7) communicating with the through flow path 16h be reduced in advance. Thus, when the pressurized gas is supplied from the pressurized gas supply unit GS through the branch pipe 9b, leakage from a defective portion is likely to occur. In this case, when the branch pipe 9b is closed by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 9c, the fluctuation of the air pressure becomes rapid when there is a defective portion, and therefore, the leak inspection work time can be shortened. Further, if the gas pressure in the through flow path 16h or the like is low, even if the pressurized gas is supplied, the time for the pressure in the internal space 12h to reach a certain pressure or more due to leakage from a defective portion becomes long. Thus, by checking this time, the presence or absence of a defective portion can also be checked.

In the above example, not only the internal space 12h but also the inside of the through channels 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the pair of header parts 13 and 14 and the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 are hermetically sealed from the outside. However, the pair of header parts 13 and 14 and the through flow passages 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 may be in a state of communicating with the outside.

(second method)

In the first method, the pressure in the internal space 12h is measured and the leak inspection is performed, but the leak inspection may be performed by providing a pressure gauge P2 in any one of the liquid supply pipe 2, the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6, and the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7. That is, leakage can be confirmed not only by the pressure gauge P1 but also by the pressure gauge P2. For example, as shown in fig. 1, a pressure gauge P2 is provided in the liquid supply pipe 2. In this case, if there is a defective portion and the pressurized gas is caused to flow into the through flow passage 16h or the like, the pressure of the pressure gauge P1 decreases and the pressure of the pressure gauge P2 increases. Therefore, the leakage can also be confirmed by the pressure of the pressure gauge P2.

When supplying pressurized air from the pressurized gas supply unit GS into the circuit, it is desirable that the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding unit 7P and the liquid feeding pipe liquid feeding unit 2P be operated to suck air from the inside of the filter 10 so that the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2 is constant. This is because, when a liquid is present in the internal space 12h, the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2 may become higher than the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1 by discharging the liquid to the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16. Therefore, in order to reliably detect leakage from the internal space 12h to the hollow fiber membranes 16 and the like and realize stable leakage inspection, it is desirable that the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding unit 7P and the liquid feeding pipe liquid feeding unit 2P be operated to suck air from the inside of the filter 10 so that the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2 is constant while pressurized air is supplied from the pressurized gas supply unit GS into the circuit. For example, it is desirable to operate the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding unit 7P and the liquid feeding pipe liquid feeding unit 2P so that the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2 is lower than the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1.

In particular, if the pressure difference between the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1 and the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2 is used, the pressure inside and outside the wall 16w of the hollow fiber membrane 16 can be compared to perform the leak check, and therefore the accuracy of the leak check can be improved.

In the case of performing the leak inspection by the second method, the pressure gauge P1 and the pressure gauge P2 may be temporarily provided during the leak inspection operation, or may be always provided during the filtration/concentration operation. When the pressure gauge is installed at all times, pressure gauges capable of measuring both the air pressure and the hydraulic pressure are used as the pressure gauge P1 and the pressure gauge P2.

In the case of performing the leak test by the pressure of the pressure gauge P2, while the pressurized gas from the pressurized gas supply unit GS is not being supplied, the through-flow passage 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 and the like are hermetically sealed from the outside by the cleaning solution recovery pipe liquid feeding unit 7P, the liquid feeding pipe liquid feeding unit 2P, and the flow rate adjusting mechanism 6 c. In addition, it is necessary to stop the operations of the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p provided in the filtrate supply pipe 3, the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p provided in the connecting pipe 9, and the flow rate adjusting mechanism 9c in advance. Further, as described above, it is desirable to drive the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7P and the liquid feeding pipe liquid feeding portion 2P so as to keep the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2 constant while the gas is supplied from the pressurized gas supply portion GS.

(detailed description of concentrator 20)

In the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, it is desirable that the respective pipes are connected to the concentrator 20 as follows. The connection between the concentrator 20 and each pipe to the concentrator 20 will be described below.

The concentrator 20 is supplied with the filtrate from the filter 10 and concentrates the filtrate. The concentrator 20 has substantially the same structure as the filter 10, and has a function of separating moisture from the filtrate to obtain a concentrated solution. That is, the concentrator 20 has a structure in which a moisture separating member having a function of separating moisture from the filtrate is housed inside, instead of the separating member of the filter 10. For example, a peritoneal fluid concentrator for CART, a filter for dialysis, a membrane type plasma component fractionator for double filtration plasma exchange therapy, and the like are used for the concentrator 20.

Specifically describing the concentrator 20, the concentrator 20 includes a filtrate supply port 20a that communicates with the filtrate discharge port 11c of the filter 10 via the filtrate supply pipe 3. That is, the liquid to be concentrated, i.e., the filtrate, is supplied from the filtrate supply port 20a to the concentrator 20.

The concentrator 20 also includes a waste liquid discharge port 20c for discharging liquid (separated liquid) separated from the filtrate, that is, moisture and the like. The waste liquid discharge port 20c communicates with the waste liquid bag DB via the waste liquid pipe 5. The concentrator 20 also includes a concentrated liquid outlet 20b through which the concentrated liquid is discharged. The concentrate discharge port 20b communicates with the concentrate bag CB via the concentrate pipe 4.

The concentrator 20 includes a moisture separation member. The moisture separating member has a function of allowing moisture to pass therethrough but not allowing useful components such as useful proteins contained in blood plasma to pass therethrough.

Therefore, if the filtrate is supplied from the filtrate supply port 20a into the concentrator 20, moisture is separated from the filtrate by the moisture separating member, and the separated moisture is discharged from the waste liquid discharge port 20c and supplied to the waste liquid bag DB through the waste liquid pipe 5. On the other hand, the concentrated solution in which a part of the water is removed and concentrated is discharged from the concentrated solution discharge port 20b, and the discharged concentrated solution is supplied to the concentrated solution bag CB through the concentrated solution pipe 4 (see fig. 3).

(original solution processing apparatus 1B of the other embodiment)

In the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment described above, the raw liquid is supplied to the filter 10 by pushing the raw liquid during filtration and concentration, but the raw liquid may be supplied to the filter 10 by sucking the raw liquid from the filter 10.

That is, as shown in fig. 7, the raw liquid processing apparatus 1B of the present embodiment is configured to supply the raw liquid to the filter 10 so as to suck the raw liquid from the filter 10. That is, the filtrate supply pipe 3 is provided with a filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p instead of the flow rate adjusting mechanism 3c, and the liquid supply pipe 2 is provided with a flow rate adjusting mechanism 2c instead of the liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 2 p.

In the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1B, the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding unit 3p is operated to flow the liquid (filtrate) from the filter 10 to the concentrator 20 at the time of filtration and concentration. When the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p is operated, a negative pressure is generated on the upstream side of the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p in the filtrate supply pipe 3, that is, on the filter 10 side, and the inside of the filter 10 (for example, the internal space 12h of the body portion 12 of the body portion 11) is also generated. Thus, if the liquid feed pipe 2 is brought into a state in which liquid can be conveyed by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 2c, the raw liquid in the raw liquid bag UB can be sucked into the filter 10 through the liquid feed pipe 2, and the sucked raw liquid can be sucked into the filtrate supply pipe 3.

In the raw liquid processing apparatus 1B, if the operation of the flow rate adjusting mechanism and the liquid sending unit provided in each pipe is adjusted by appropriately changing the bag connected to each pipe, the preparatory cleaning operation, the filtering concentration operation, and the re-concentration operation can be performed.

(preparation for washing operation)

As shown in fig. 6, the other end of the cleaning solution bag SB connected to the concentrate pipe 4 replaces the concentrate bag CB, and the other end of the cleaning solution recovery bag FB connected to the waste pipe 5 replaces the waste bag DB. The other end of the waste liquid pipe 5 may be connected to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a bucket or the like.

Further, a cleaning liquid recovery bag FB is also connected to the other end of the liquid feed pipe 2 in place of the raw liquid bag UB. The other end of the liquid supply tube 2 may be connected to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a tub or the like.

The other end of the connection pipe 9 is also connected to a cleaning liquid recovery bag FB. The other end of the connecting pipe 9 may be connected to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a tub or the like.

Further, the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB is connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid supply tube 6 in place of the cleaning liquid bag SB, and the cleaning liquid bag SB is connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid recovery tube 7 in place of the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB. The waste liquid bag DB may be connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 and the other end of the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7, or may be simply disposed in a tub or the like.

Next, the cleaning liquid is made to flow through the liquid supply pipe 2 and the connecting pipe 9 by the flow rate adjusting mechanism 2c and the flow rate adjusting mechanism 2 c.

In the above state, the concentrate pipe liquid sending part 4p is operated so that the cleaning liquid flows from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the concentrate pipe 4 to the concentrator 20, and the filtrate supply pipe liquid sending part 3p is operated so that the cleaning liquid flows from the concentrator 20 (i.e., the filtrate supply pipe 3) to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the connection pipe 9. Thereby, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the concentrate pipe 4 to the concentrator 20 through the concentrate pipe 4. The supplied cleaning liquid passes through the concentrator 20, and is then collected into the cleaning liquid collection bag FB connected to the connection pipe 9 through the filtrate supply pipe 3 and the connection pipe 9. In addition, a part of the cleaning liquid is recovered through the waste liquid pipe 5 to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the other end of the waste liquid pipe 5.

Further, the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p is operated so that the cleaning liquid flows from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 to the filter 10. Thereby, a part of the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 to the filter 10 through the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7. The cleaning liquid supplied to the filter 10 passes through the filter 10, and then is collected into the cleaning liquid collection bag FB connected to the connection pipe 9 through the filtrate supply pipe 3 and the connection pipe 9. Further, by operating the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p, a part of the cleaning liquid supplied to the filter 10 can be also made to flow into the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6. Further, a part of the cleaning liquid is collected from the cleaning liquid collection tube 7 to the cleaning liquid collection bag FB connected to the liquid supply tube 2 through the liquid supply tube 2.

This enables the cleaning liquid to flow through the filter 10, the concentrator 20, and all the pipes, and thus the entire raw liquid treatment apparatus 1B of the present embodiment can be cleaned.

(filtration and concentration operation)

When the preparation cleaning operation is finished, the filtration and concentration operation is performed.

As shown in fig. 7, in the filtering and concentrating operation of the raw liquid processing apparatus 1B of the present embodiment, from the state in which the cleaning operation is prepared, the other end of the concentrate bag CB connected to the concentrate pipe 4 is substituted for the cleaning liquid bag SB, and the other end of the waste liquid bag DB connected to the waste liquid pipe 5 is substituted for the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB.

On the other hand, the stock solution bag UB is connected to the other end of the liquid feed pipe 2 in place of the cleaning solution recovery bag FB.

The liquid flow in the liquid supply pipe 2 is maintained by the flow rate adjusting mechanism 2c, and the liquid flow in the connecting pipe 9 is blocked by the flow rate adjusting mechanism 9 c. In addition, the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p and the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p are not operated and function as jigs.

In the above state, the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding part 3p is operated so that the filtrate flows from the filter 10 to the concentrator 20, and the concentrate pipe liquid feeding part 4p is operated so that the concentrate flows from the concentrator 20 to the concentrate bag CB.

Thereby, the raw liquid is supplied from the raw liquid bag UB to the filter 10 through the liquid feed pipe 2. The supplied raw liquid is filtered by the filter 10, and the generated filtrate is supplied to the concentrator 20 through the filtrate supply pipe 3. Then, the filtrate supplied to the concentrator 20 is concentrated by the concentrator 20, and the resulting concentrated solution is collected into the concentrated solution bag CB through the concentrated solution pipe 4. On the other hand, the moisture separated from the concentrated solution is recovered to the waste liquid bag DB through the waste liquid pipe 5.

(about filter cleaning)

In the middle of the filtration and concentration operation of the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1B of the present embodiment, the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 of the filter 10 may be cleaned. Specifically, in fig. 7, the flow rate adjusting mechanism 2c closes the liquid supply pipe 2 so that the liquid cannot flow. In addition, the operation of the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p and the concentrate pipe liquid feeding portion 4p is stopped to function as a jig. In the case where the filter cleaning is performed in the middle of the concentration and filtration operation, after the preparatory cleaning operation is completed, the cleaning liquid bag SB is connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 in advance in place of the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB, and the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB is connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 in advance in place of the cleaning liquid bag SB.

In the above state, the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p is operated so that the cleaning liquid flows from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 to the filter 10, and the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p is operated so that the cleaning liquid flows from the filter 10 to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7. This allows the cleaning liquid to flow through the hollow fiber membranes 16 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the raw liquid flows during filtration and concentration, and thus allows the cleaning liquid to clean the inside of the hollow fiber membranes 16.

After the preparation cleaning operation is finished, the cleaning liquid bag SB is connected to the other end of the connecting pipe 9 in place of the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB. Thus, if the liquid is caused to flow through the connecting pipe 9 by the flow rate adjusting mechanism 9c, the cleaning liquid can be supplied to the filter 10 from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connecting pipe 9 in addition to the above state. Thus, the cleaning liquid supplied through the connection pipe 9 permeates the hollow fiber membranes 16 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the filtrate permeates the hollow fiber membranes 16, and therefore clogging of the hollow fiber membranes 16 can be eliminated. In this case, since the cleaning liquid is supplied to the filter 10 from both the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 and the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connecting pipe 9, the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p and the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p are adjusted so that the flow rate of the cleaning liquid flowing through the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 by the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p becomes larger than the flow rate of the cleaning liquid flowing through the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 by the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6 p.

In addition, when the liquid is caused to flow through the connecting pipe 9 by the flow rate adjusting mechanism 9c, the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p may be operated with the operation of the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p stopped. In this case, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the filter 10 only from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connecting pipe 9. In this case, the cleaning liquid also permeates the hollow fiber membranes 16 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the filtrate permeates the hollow fiber membranes 16, so that clogging of the hollow fiber membranes 16 can be eliminated.

(reconcentration work)

When the concentrated solution obtained by the filtering and concentrating operation is further concentrated, a re-concentrating operation is performed.

As shown in fig. 8, in the reconcentration operation of the undiluted liquid processing apparatus 1B according to the present embodiment, the other end of the connecting tube 9 is removed from the cleaning liquid bag SB, and the concentrated liquid bag CB is connected to the other end of the connecting tube 9.

The flow rate adjusting mechanism 9c maintains a state in which the liquid can flow in the connecting pipe 9, and the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p and the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p function as a jig without being operated. In addition, the liquid is blocked by the flow rate adjusting mechanism 2c so that the liquid cannot flow in the liquid supply tube 2. This prevents the liquid from flowing through the filter 10.

In the above state, the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding part 3p is operated so that the concentrated liquid flows from the concentrated liquid bag CB to the concentrator 20 through the connecting pipe 9, and the concentrated liquid pipe liquid feeding part 4p is operated so that the concentrated liquid flows from the concentrator 20 to the concentrated liquid bag CB through the concentrated liquid pipe 4.

Thereby, the concentrated liquid is supplied from the concentrated liquid bag CB connected to the connection pipe 9 to the concentrator 20 through the connection pipe 9, and thus the re-concentrated liquid further concentrated by the concentrator 20 is recovered to the concentrated liquid bag CB through the concentrated liquid pipe 4. On the other hand, the moisture separated from the concentrated solution is recovered to the waste liquid bag DB through the waste liquid pipe 5. That is, a concentrated solution (reconcentrated solution) having an increased concentration ratio can be obtained.

(original solution processing apparatus 1C of other embodiment)

In the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1B of the present embodiment described above, when the filter 10 is cleaned, the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding section 7p is operated to supply the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connection pipe 9, thereby eliminating clogging of the hollow fiber membranes 16. That is, the cleaning liquid is flowed from the outside of the hollow fiber membranes 16 into the hollow fiber membranes 16 by the negative pressure method, thereby removing clogging of the hollow fiber membranes 16.

On the other hand, as shown in fig. 9, a raw liquid processing apparatus 1C according to another embodiment (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as a raw liquid processing apparatus 1C) is different from the raw liquid processing apparatus 1B in the following points.

In the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1C, a flow rate adjustment mechanism 7C is provided in the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 instead of the cleaning liquid recovery pipe liquid feeding portion 7p, and a connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p is provided in the connecting pipe 9. In addition, a waste liquid bag DB is connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 instead of the cleaning liquid bag SB. Then, the cleaning liquid is pushed out of hollow fiber membranes 16 into hollow fiber membranes 16 by connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p (positive pressure), thereby eliminating clogging of hollow fiber membranes 16.

In the raw liquid processing apparatus 1C, the raw liquid is flowed from the raw liquid bag UB to the inside of the hollow fiber membranes 16 by operating the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6, and the inside of the hollow fiber membranes 16 is cleaned by the raw liquid.

Further, in the raw liquid processing apparatus 1C, one end of the recirculation pipe 8 is connected between the connection part of the filtrate supply pipe 3 and the connection pipe 9 in the filtrate supply pipe 3 and the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding part 3 p. The recirculation pipe 8 is provided with a flow rate adjustment mechanism 8 c.

Further, a pressure gauge P1 for measuring the pressure in the internal space 12h of the main body 11 is provided at the filtrate discharge port 11c of the filter 10 to which the filtrate supply tube 3 is not connected.

Further, a pressure gauge P2 for measuring the pressure in the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 is provided between the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6P of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 and the filter 10.

The pressure gauges P1 and P2 may be temporarily provided during the leak check operation, or may be constantly provided even during the filtration/concentration operation. When the pressure gauge is installed at all times, pressure gauges capable of measuring both the air pressure and the hydraulic pressure are used as the pressure gauges P1 and P2.

The processing operation of the raw liquid processing apparatus 1C having the above-described configuration will be described below.

(leak test)

A method of performing a leak test in the raw liquid processing apparatus 1C will be described.

In the leak test, the following points are changed from the state of fig. 9, that is, the state in which the filter cleaning operation can be performed (see fig. 10).

First, the pressurized gas supply unit GS is provided between the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding unit 6P and the filter 10 (in the vicinity of the pressure gauge P2). The method of providing the pressurized gas supply unit GS in the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding unit 6p is not particularly limited. For example, a branch flow path provided with a jig or the like may be provided in advance in the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p, and the pressurized gas supply portion GS may be provided in the branch flow path.

First, in each tube, a bag is attached at an end portion on the side not attached to the filter 10 as described below.

The other end of the liquid supply tube 2 is connected with a cleaning liquid bag SB to replace a stock solution bag UB.

A cleaning liquid recovery bag FB is connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 instead of the waste liquid bag DB. The bag connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 may remain a waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply placed in a bucket or the like.

The bag connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid recovery tube 7 may be kept as the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB, may be changed to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a bucket or the like.

As described above, if the bag is connected to each tube, all the flow rate adjustment mechanisms provided in the tube are closed, and the operation of all the tube liquid feeding portions is stopped. This closes all the tubes.

Next, in the filtrate supply tube 3, the end portion connected to the filtrate supply port 20a of the concentrator 20 is removed from the filtrate supply port 20a, and connected to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB.

Further, the other end of the recirculation pipe 8 is removed from the concentrate bag CB and connected to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB as an open end.

The other end of the filtrate supply line 3 and the other end of the recirculation line 8 may be connected to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a tub or the like.

In addition, the following is also possible for the pipe connected to the concentrator 20.

The other end of the concentrated solution pipe 4 is connected with a cleaning solution recovery bag FB instead of the concentrated solution bag CB. The other end of the waste liquid pipe 5 is connected to a cleaning liquid recovery bag FB instead of the waste liquid bag DB. The other end of the concentrate pipe 4 may be connected to a waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a tub or the like. The other end of the waste liquid pipe 5 may be connected to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a bucket or the like.

< liquid discharge >

When the preparation is completed (see fig. 10), if there is a possibility that liquid is present in the filter 10 (in the through channel 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16, in the pair of header parts 13 and 14, and in the internal space 12h), the liquid in the filter 10 is discharged as described below.

The flow rate adjusting mechanism 7c provided in the cleaning liquid collecting pipe 7 is opened, and the inside of the circuit (i.e., the filter 10 and the respective pipes) is pressurized by supplying air from the pressurized gas supply unit GS. Thus, the liquid present in the hollow fiber membranes 16 and the pair of header parts 13 and 14 of the filter 10 can be discharged through the raw liquid supply port 11a, and the discharged liquid can be recovered to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the cleaning liquid recovery tube 7. If the liquid in the filter 10 is discharged, the flow rate adjustment mechanism 7c is closed.

In the case of the above method, the liquid in the internal space 12h of the filter 10 cannot be recovered. Therefore, when the liquid in the internal space 12h of the filter 10 is discharged, the following operation is performed before the above operation, and the liquid in the internal space 12h can be collected.

For example, the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6P provided in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 is operated to suck the liquid from the filter 10 in a state where the filtrate discharge port 11c to which the pressure gauge P1 is connected is opened to the atmosphere. Accordingly, the liquid in the internal space 12h of the filter 10 is also sucked by the suction force, and the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the cleaning liquid supply tube 6 can be recovered. In this case, the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding unit 3p provided in the filtrate supply pipe 3 may be operated together with the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 or before the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 is operated to suck the liquid from the filter 10. Thereby, the liquid in the internal space 12h of the filter 10 can be recovered to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the filtrate supply pipe 3.

In addition, even when the other end of the recirculation pipe 8 is disposed in the tub without being connected to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB, that is, when the other end of the recirculation pipe 8 is open, the liquid in the internal space 12h of the filter 10 can be recovered to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 by the same method. That is, when the other end of the recirculation pipe 8 is open, the flow rate adjustment mechanism 8c is opened, and the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p provided in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 is operated in the same manner as the above-described method. Thus, the liquid in the internal space 12h of the filter 10 can be sucked into the cleaning liquid supply tube 6 by the suction force generated by the cleaning liquid supply tube feeding portion 6p, and the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the cleaning liquid supply tube 6 can be recovered.

In addition, when the following method is used, the liquid in the internal space 12h of the main body 11 of the filter 10 and the liquid in the hollow fiber membranes 16 and the pair of header parts 13 and 14 of the filter 10 can be simultaneously recovered.

First, the vicinity (i.e., the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6) where the pressure gauge P2 is provided and the filtrate discharge port 11c of the filter 10 are opened to the atmosphere. The space between the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 and the cleaning liquid supply port 11b of the filter 10 is opened to the atmosphere by a method of removing the pressurized gas supply portion or the like. In other words, the cleaning liquid supply port 11b of the filter 10 is opened to the atmosphere. Next, the filtrate discharge port 11c of the filter 10 is opened to the atmosphere. That is, the internal space 12h of the main body 11 of the filter 10 is also opened to the atmosphere. In this state, the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p provided in the filtrate supply pipe 3 is operated to suck the liquid from the filter 10. Thus, the liquid present in the hollow fiber membranes 16 and the pair of header sections 13 and 14 of the filter 10 and the liquid in the internal space 12h are sucked out through the filtrate discharge port 11c of the filter 10 to which the filtrate supply tube 3 is connected by the suction force, so that the liquid can be recovered in the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB to which the other end of the filtrate supply tube 3 is connected. Further, if the liquid in the filter 10 is discharged, the operation of the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p is stopped.

< implementation of leak check >

If the liquid in the filter 10 is discharged by the method as described above, a leakage check is performed.

First, the flow rate adjustment mechanism 8c is opened, and pressurized air is supplied from the pressurized gas supply unit GS into the circuit. Thus, the pressurized air is supplied to the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 of the filter 10, and the pressure in the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 rises. Then, if it is confirmed by the pressure gauge P2 that the pressure in the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the filter 10 has increased to reach a predetermined pressure, the supply of the gas from the pressurized gas supply unit GS is stopped. After stopping the supply of the gas, the flow rate adjusting mechanism 8c may be closed or may be kept open.

When the pressurized air is supplied from the pressurized gas supply unit GS into the circuit without opening the flow rate adjustment mechanism 8c, it is desirable that the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding unit 3P be operated so as to suck air from the filter 10, so that the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1 is constant. This is because, when a liquid is present in the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16, the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1 may become higher than the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2 by discharging the liquid into the internal space 12h of the main body portion 11 of the filter 10. Therefore, in order to reliably detect a leak from the hollow fiber membrane 16 or the like into the internal space 12h and to realize a stable leak test, it is desirable that the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding unit 3P be operated to suck air from the inside of the filter 10 so that the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1 is constant while pressurized air is supplied from the pressurized gas supply unit GS into the circuit. For example, it is desirable to operate the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding section 3P so that the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1 is lower than the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2.

Here, if the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 are broken or the airtightness or liquidtightness between the internal space 12h and the pair of header sections 13 and 14 is poor, the pressurized gas leaks from the portion (poor portion) into the through flow channel 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 or from the pair of header sections 13 and 14 into the internal space 12 h. Since the pressure in the hollow fiber membranes 16 is thereby reduced, leakage of the filter 10 can be confirmed by checking the fluctuation of the air pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2.

Further, if there is a defective portion where the pressurized gas flows into the internal space 12h, the pressure of the pressure gauge P2 decreases, and the pressure of the pressure gauge P1 increases. Therefore, the leakage can also be confirmed by the pressure of the pressure gauge P1.

In particular, if the pressure difference between the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1 and the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2 is used, the pressure inside and outside the wall 16w of the hollow fiber membrane 16 can be compared to perform the leak check, and therefore the accuracy of the leak check can be improved.

In the case of performing the leak check by the pressure of the pressure gauge P1, while the pressurized gas from the pressurized gas supply unit GS is not being supplied, it is necessary to close the flow rate adjustment mechanism 8c in advance and stop the operation of the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding unit 3P provided in the filtrate supply pipe 3 and the connecting pipe liquid feeding unit 9P provided in the connecting pipe 9 in advance. Further, while the gas is supplied from the pressurized gas supply unit GS, it is desirable to drive the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding unit 3P so as to keep the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1 constant, as described above.

The locations where the pressure gauge P1 and the pressure gauge P2 are provided are not limited to the above locations, and the pressure gauge P1 may be provided in a location communicating with the internal space 12h, and the pressure gauge P2 may be provided in a location communicating with the pair of header portions 13 and 14.

In addition, in a state where the leak test is completed, the inside of the hollow fiber membrane 16 of the filter 10 is in a pressurized state. Therefore, the pressure in the hollow fiber membranes 16 is reduced after the leak inspection is finished in preparation for cleaning in the next step. For example, if the flow rate adjustment mechanism 7c is opened, the pressure can be quickly discharged, and therefore the pressure in the hollow fiber membranes 16 can be reduced in a short time.

(other leak test method 1)

In addition to the above method, the leak inspection can be performed by the following method.

As shown in fig. 11, when the pressurized gas supply unit GS is provided in the connection pipe 9, the leak test is performed by the following method. When the leak test is performed by this method, if there is no defective portion, the gas does not enter the through flow channel 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16. That is, since the leak inspection can be performed without the gas entering the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16, there is an advantage that the air discharge operation after the leak inspection can be performed reliably and in a short time.

As shown in fig. 11, a branch pipe 9b communicating with the connecting pipe 9 is provided in the connecting pipe 9, and a pressurized gas supply unit GS for supplying pressurized gas during the leak inspection work is provided in the branch pipe 9b of the connecting pipe 9. The branch pipe 9b is provided with a flow rate adjusting mechanism 9c for closing or opening the branch pipe 9 b.

First, in each tube, a bag is attached at an end portion on the side not attached to the filter 10 as described below.

The other end of the liquid supply tube 2 is connected with a cleaning liquid bag SB to replace a stock solution bag UB.

A cleaning liquid recovery bag FB is connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 instead of the waste liquid bag DB. Further, the bag connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 may be held as the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a tub or the like.

The bag connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid recovery tube 7 may be kept as the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB, may be changed to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a bucket or the like.

As described above, if the bag is connected to each tube, all the flow rate adjustment mechanisms provided in the tube are closed, and the operation of all the tube liquid feeding portions is stopped. This closes all the tubes.

Next, in the filtrate supply tube 3, the end portion connected to the filtrate supply port 20a of the concentrator 20 is removed from the filtrate supply port 20a, and connected to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB.

Further, the other end of the recirculation pipe 8 is removed from the concentrate bag CB and connected to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB as an open end.

The other end of the filtrate supply line 3 and the other end of the recirculation line 8 may be connected to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a tub or the like.

In addition, the following is also possible for the pipe connected to the concentrator 20.

The other end of the concentrated solution pipe 4 is connected with a cleaning solution recovery bag FB instead of the concentrated solution bag CB. The other end of the waste liquid pipe 5 is connected to a cleaning liquid recovery bag FB instead of the waste liquid bag DB. The other end of the concentrate pipe 4 may be connected to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a bucket or the like. The other end of the waste liquid pipe 5 may be connected to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a bucket or the like.

< liquid discharge >

When the preparation is completed (see fig. 11), if there is a possibility that liquid is present in the internal space 12h of the filter 10, the liquid in the internal space 12h of the filter 10 is discharged as described below.

First, the flow rate adjusting mechanism 7c provided in the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 is opened. Further, the other flow rate adjusting mechanisms are maintained in a closed state, and all the pipe liquid feeding portions are maintained in a stopped state. In this state, the pressurized gas is supplied from the pressurized gas supply unit GS. As a result, the interior space 12h of the filter 10 is pressurized, and the liquid in the interior space 12h of the main body portion 11 of the filter 10 is discharged into the hollow fiber membranes 16 and collected into the cleaning liquid collection bag FB connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid collection tube 7 through the cleaning liquid collection tube 7. Further, if the liquid in the internal space 12h of the main body 11 of the filter 10 is discharged, the supply of the pressurized gas by the pressurized gas supply unit GS is stopped, and the flow rate adjustment mechanism 9c and the flow rate adjustment mechanism 7c are closed.

Further, by operating the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p, it is possible to recover not only the liquid in the internal space 12h of the main body portion 11 of the filter 10 into the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 but also the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the other end of the filtrate supply pipe 3.

< implementation of leak check >

If the liquid in the internal space 12h of the main body 11 of the filter 10 is discharged by the method described above, a leak test is performed.

First, the flow rate adjusting mechanism 7c provided in the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 is opened.

Next, the flow rate adjustment mechanism 9c provided in the branch pipe 9b is opened, and the pressurized gas is supplied from the pressurized gas supply unit GS to the branch pipe 9 b. This causes the pressurized air to be supplied into the internal space 12h of the body 12 of the body 11, and the pressure in the internal space 12h (in other words, the pressure in the connecting pipe 9 and the branch pipe 9 b) rises. Then, if the pressure in the internal space 12h measured by the pressure gauge P1 becomes equal to or higher than a certain pressure, the supply of the pressurized gas by the pressurized gas supply unit GS is stopped, and the branch pipe 9b is closed by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 9 c.

Here, if the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 are broken or the airtightness or liquidtightness between the internal space 12h and the pair of header sections 13 and 14 is poor, the pressurized gas leaks from the portion (poor portion) into the through flow channel 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 or the pair of header sections 13 and 14. Since the pressure in the internal space 12h is thereby reduced, leakage of the filter 10 can be confirmed by checking the fluctuation of the atmospheric pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1.

When the leak inspection is performed by the above method, if there is no defective portion, the gas does not enter the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16. That is, since the leak inspection can be performed without the gas entering the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16, the air discharge operation after the leak inspection can be performed reliably and in a short time.

Further, if the pressure gauge P2 is provided in advance, if there is a defective portion and the pressurized gas flows into the through flow passage 16h, the pressure of the pressure gauge P1 decreases and the pressure of the pressure gauge P2 increases. Therefore, the leakage can also be confirmed by the pressure of the pressure gauge P2.

In particular, if the pressure difference between the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1 and the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2 is used, the pressure inside and outside the wall 16w of the hollow fiber membrane 16 can be compared to perform the leak check, and therefore the accuracy of the leak check can be improved.

The pressure gauge P1 and the pressure gauge P2 may be temporarily provided during the leak check operation, or may be constantly provided even during the filtration/concentration operation. When the pressure gauge is installed at all times, pressure gauges capable of measuring both the air pressure and the hydraulic pressure are used as the pressure gauge P1 and the pressure gauge P2.

In the case of performing the leak test using the pressure of the pressure gauge P2, it is necessary to close the flow rate adjustment mechanism 7c in advance and stop the operation of the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6P provided in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 in advance after the pressure in the internal space 12h measured by the pressure gauge P1 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure.

The locations where the pressure gauge P1 and the pressure gauge P2 are provided are not limited to the above locations, and the pressure gauge P1 may be provided in a location communicating with the internal space 12h, and the pressure gauge P2 may be provided in a location communicating with the pair of header portions 13 and 14.

(other leak inspection method 2)

In the above example, a case where the end of the filtrate supply pipe 3 connected to the filtrate supply port 20a of the concentrator 20 is removed from the filtrate supply port 20a to perform a leak check was described. However, the leak test may be performed by keeping the filtrate supply pipe 3 connected to the filtrate supply port 20a of the concentrator 20. In this case, the preparatory cleaning can be performed immediately after the leak inspection is finished. In this case, if the same as the above example, the leak inspection can be performed.

In addition, since the filtrate supply pipe 3 is kept connected to the filtrate supply port 20a of the concentrator 20, the liquid cannot be discharged from the filtrate supply pipe 3 and the recirculation pipe 8. Therefore, when the liquid in the internal space 12h of the filter 10 is discharged, the liquid can be discharged from the filtrate discharge port 11c of the filter 10 to which the filtrate supply tube 3 is not connected. During this operation, it is also desirable to close the filtrate supply pipe 3 by the filtrate supply pipe feeding unit 3p and close the recirculation pipe 8 by the flow rate adjusting mechanism 8 c.

As shown in fig. 15, a pressurized gas supply unit GS is provided between the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding unit 6P and the filter 10 (in the vicinity of the pressure gauge P2). The method of providing the pressurized gas supply unit GS in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 is not particularly limited. For example, a branch flow path having a jig or the like may be provided in advance in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6, and the pressurized gas supply unit GS may be provided in the branch flow path.

First, in each tube, a bag is attached at an end portion on the side not attached to the filter 10 as described below.

The other end of the liquid supply tube 2 is connected with a cleaning liquid bag SB to replace a stock solution bag UB.

A cleaning liquid recovery bag FB is connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 instead of the waste liquid bag DB. Further, the bag connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 may be held as the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a tub or the like.

The bag connected to the other end of the cleaning liquid recovery tube 7 may be kept as the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB, may be changed to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a bucket or the like.

As described above, if the bag is connected to each tube, all the flow rate adjustment mechanisms provided in the tube are closed, and the operation of all the tube liquid feeding portions is stopped. This closes all the tubes.

Next, the other end of the recirculation pipe 8 is removed from the concentrate bag CB and connected to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB as an open end. The other end of the recirculation pipe 8 may be connected to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a tub or the like.

In addition, the following is also possible for the pipe connected to the concentrator 20.

The other end of the concentrated solution pipe 4 is connected with a cleaning solution recovery bag FB instead of the concentrated solution bag CB. The other end of the waste liquid pipe 5 is connected to a cleaning liquid recovery bag FB instead of the waste liquid bag DB. The other end of the concentrate pipe 4 may be connected to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a bucket or the like. The other end of the waste liquid pipe 5 may be connected to the waste liquid bag DB, or may be simply disposed in a bucket or the like.

Further, an external air introduction portion Ai for supplying external air or the like to the filtrate discharge port 11c via a pipe is provided in a pipe ap connecting the pressure gauge P1 to the filtrate discharge port 11 c. Further, a flow rate adjusting mechanism ac is provided in a pipe that connects the outside air introduction part Ai and the pipe ap.

< liquid discharge >

When the preparation is completed (see fig. 15), if there is a possibility that liquid is present in the filter 10 (in the through channel 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16, in the pair of header parts 13 and 14, and in the internal space 12h), the liquid in the filter 10 is discharged as described below.

The flow rate adjusting mechanism 7c provided in the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 is opened, a pressurized gas supply device or the like is connected instead of the pressure gauge P2, and air is supplied from the pressurized gas supply device or the like to pressurize the circuit (i.e., the filter 10 and the respective pipes). Thus, since the liquid present in the hollow fiber membranes 16 and the pair of header pipes 13 and 14 of the filter 10 can be discharged through the raw liquid supply port 11a, the discharged liquid can be recovered to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7. If the liquid in the filter 10 is discharged, the flow rate adjustment mechanism 7c is closed. Further, the pressurized gas supply device and the like are removed, and the pressure gauge P2 is mounted again. As shown in fig. 15, when the pressurized gas supply unit GS is connected to the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6, even if pressurized gas is supplied from the pressurized gas supply unit GS, the liquid present in the hollow fiber membranes 16 and the pair of header pipes 13 and 14 of the filter 10 can be similarly recovered.

In the case of the above method, the liquid in the internal space 12h of the filter 10 cannot be recovered. Therefore, when the liquid in the internal space 12h of the filter 10 is discharged, the following operation is performed before the above operation, and the liquid in the internal space 12h can be collected.

For example, the flow rate adjustment mechanism ac is opened, and the outside air introduction portion Ai (or the removal pressure gauge P1) allows the atmospheric air to be introduced from the filtrate discharge port 11c through the pipe ap. In this state, the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p provided in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 is operated to suck the liquid from the filter 10. Accordingly, the liquid in the internal space 12h of the filter 10 is also sucked by the suction force, and the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the cleaning liquid supply tube 6 can be recovered. In this case, the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding unit 3p provided in the filtrate supply pipe 3 may be operated together with the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding unit 6p or before the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding unit 6p is operated to suck the liquid from the filter 10. This allows the liquid in the internal space 12h of the filter 10 to be recovered to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the filtrate supply pipe 3. Further, if the liquid in the filter 10 is discharged, the flow rate adjustment mechanism ac is closed (the pressure gauge P1 is attached again), and the operation of the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6P (and the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3P) is stopped.

Further, if the operation is performed as described below, the liquid in the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the filter 10 can be discharged.

First, the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6, i.e., the cleaning liquid supply port 11b of the filter 10 is opened to the atmosphere by a method such as removing the pressure gauge P2. In this state, the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p provided in the filtrate supply pipe 3 is operated to suck the liquid from the filter 10. Thereby, the liquid present in the hollow fiber membranes 16 and the pair of header sections 13 and 14 of the filter 10 and the liquid in the internal space 12h are sucked out through the filtrate discharge port 11c of the filter 10 to which the filtrate supply tube 3 is connected, by the suction force. This allows the sucked liquid to be recovered to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the other end of the waste liquid pipe 5 via the filtrate supply pipe 3, the concentrator 20, and the waste liquid pipe 5. Further, if the concentrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 4p provided in the concentrate pipe 4 is operated to suck the liquid from the concentrator 20, the sucked liquid can be recovered to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the other end of the concentrate pipe 4. Further, if the liquid in the filter 10 is discharged, the pressure gauge P2 is attached again, and the operation of the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3P (and the concentrated liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 4P) is stopped.

The liquid in the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the filter 10 can also be discharged by supplying the pressurized gas from the pressurized gas supply unit GS and opening the flow rate adjustment mechanism 8c provided in the recirculation pipe 8 in the following manner. That is, if the pressurized gas is supplied from the pressurized gas supply unit GS in a state where the flow rate adjustment mechanism 8c is opened, the liquid in the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the filter 10 can be discharged into the internal space 12h of the main body 11 of the filter 10.

< implementation of leak check >

If the liquid in the filter 10 is discharged by the method as described above, a leakage check is performed.

First, the flow rate adjustment mechanism ac is opened, and the internal space 12h is opened to the atmosphere by the external air introduction portion Ai. In this state, pressurized air is supplied from the pressurized gas supply unit GS into the circuit. Thus, the pressurized air is supplied to the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 of the filter 10, and the pressure in the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 rises. Then, if it is confirmed by the pressure gauge P2 that the pressure in the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 of the filter 10 has increased to reach a predetermined pressure, the supply of the gas from the pressurized gas supply unit GS is stopped. After the supply of the gas is stopped, the internal space 12h may be kept open to the atmosphere, or may be hermetically sealed from the outside by the flow rate adjustment mechanism ac and the outside air introduction part Ai.

When the internal space 12h is not opened to the atmosphere, it is desirable that the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding unit 3P be operated to suck air from the inside of the filter 10 so that the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1 is constant when pressurized air is supplied from the pressurized gas supply unit GS into the circuit. This is because, when a liquid is present in the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16, the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1 may become higher than the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2 by discharging the liquid into the internal space 12h of the main body portion 11 of the filter 10. Therefore, in order to reliably detect leakage from the hollow fiber membranes 16 and the like into the internal space 12h and to realize stable leakage inspection, when pressurized air is supplied into the circuit from the pressurized gas supply section GS, it is desirable to operate the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding section 3P so as to suck air from the filter 10, so that the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1 is constant. For example, it is desirable to operate the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding section 3P so that the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1 is lower than the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2.

When the pressure of the pressure gauge P3 provided in the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3P increases, the concentrate pipe liquid feeding portion 4P provided in the concentrate pipe 4 operates to suck air from the interior of the concentrator 20.

Here, if the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 are broken or the airtightness or liquidtightness between the internal space 12h and the pair of header sections 13 and 14 is poor, the pressurized gas leaks from the portion (poor portion) into the through flow channel 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 or from the pair of header sections 13 and 14 into the internal space 12 h. Since the pressure in the hollow fiber membranes 16 is thereby reduced, leakage of the filter 10 can be confirmed by checking the fluctuation of the air pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2.

Further, if there is a defective portion where the pressurized gas flows into the internal space 12h, the pressure of the pressure gauge P2 decreases, and the pressure of the pressure gauge P1 increases. Therefore, the leakage can also be confirmed by the pressure of the pressure gauge P1.

In particular, if the pressure difference between the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P1 and the pressure measured by the pressure gauge P2 is used, the pressure inside and outside the wall 16w of the hollow fiber membrane 16 can be compared to perform the leak check, and therefore the accuracy of the leak check can be improved.

In the case of performing the leak check by the pressure of the pressure gauge P1, while the pressurized gas from the pressurized gas supply unit GS is not being supplied, the internal space 12h is hermetically sealed from the outside by the flow rate adjustment mechanism ac and the outside air introduction unit Ai. In addition, it is necessary to close the flow rate adjustment mechanism 8c in advance and stop the operation of the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p provided in the filtrate supply pipe 3 and the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p provided in the connecting pipe 9 in advance.

The locations where the pressure gauge P1 and the pressure gauge P2 are provided are not limited to the above locations, and the pressure gauge P1 may be provided in a location communicating with the internal space 12h, and the pressure gauge P2 may be provided in a location communicating with the pair of header portions 13 and 14.

In addition, in a state where the leak test is completed, the inside of the hollow fiber membrane 16 of the filter 10 is in a pressurized state. Therefore, the pressure in the hollow fiber membranes 16 is reduced after the leak inspection is finished in preparation for cleaning in the next step. For example, if the flow rate adjustment mechanism 7c is opened, the pressure can be quickly discharged, and therefore the pressure in the hollow fiber membranes 16 can be reduced in a short time.

(preparation for washing operation)

As shown in fig. 12, when the leak inspection is completed, a preparatory cleaning operation is performed.

The following describes a case where the preliminary cleaning is performed from the state of fig. 11.

First, the filtrate supply pipe 3 is connected to the filtrate supply port 20a of the concentrator 20, and thereafter, the cleaning liquid is made to flow in the liquid supply pipe 2 by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 2 c. Thereby, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the liquid feed pipe 2 to the filter 10 through the liquid feed pipe 2.

In this state, the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p provided in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 is operated so that the cleaning liquid flows out from the filter 10. As a result, the cleaning liquid flows from the raw liquid supply port 11a to the cleaning liquid supply port 11b, and the pair of header parts 13 and 14 and the inside of the through channel 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 can be cleaned by the cleaning liquid. The cleaning liquid after cleaning the pair of header pipes 13, 14 and the like is collected in the cleaning liquid collection bag FB connected to the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6.

Further, the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p is operated so that the cleaning liquid flows from the filtrate supply pipe 3 to the concentrator 20. Thus, the cleaning liquid permeates the hollow fiber membranes 16 and fills the internal space 12h of the main body 12, and then flows to the filtrate supply tube 3 through the filtrate discharge port 11c and fills the filtrate supply tube 3. Then, the cleaning liquid filled in the filtrate supply line 3 flows into the concentrator 20 from the filtrate supply port 20a of the concentrator 20, and is then collected in the cleaning liquid collection bag FB from the waste liquid discharge port 20c of the concentrator 20 through the waste liquid pipe 5.

In the leakage test, when the liquid in the internal space 12h of the main body 11 of the filter 10 is discharged, the following operation is desirably performed to fill the internal space 12h with the cleaning liquid. For example, the vicinity of the pressure gauge P1, i.e., the filtrate discharge port 11c to which the filtrate supply tube 3 is not connected, is opened to the atmosphere in advance. Accordingly, the air in the internal space 12h can be discharged through the filtrate discharge port 11c, and the internal space 12h can be filled with the cleaning liquid. Further, when the cleaning liquid is supplied from the liquid supply pipe 2, if the filter 10 is turned upside down, the filtrate discharge port 11c to which the filtrate supply pipe 3 is connected is positioned above the filtrate discharge port 11c to which the pressure gauge P1 is connected, or if the filter 10 is laid flat so that the filtrate discharge port 11c faces upward, the internal space 12h can be filled with the cleaning liquid.

Thereafter, the concentrate pipe liquid sending part 4p provided in the concentrate pipe 4 is operated to suck out the liquid from the concentrator 20. Thereby, the cleaning liquid in the concentrator 20 is discharged from the concentrate discharge port 20b, fills the concentrate pipe 4, and is collected in the cleaning liquid collecting bag FB.

By performing the above operation, the cleaning liquid can be made to flow through the liquid supply pipe 2, the filter 10, the filtrate supply pipe 3, the concentrator 20, the concentrate pipe 4, and the waste liquid pipe 5. That is, in the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1C of the present embodiment, the flow path through which the raw liquid flows can be cleaned during the filtering and concentrating operation, and the filter 10, the concentrator 20, and the respective tubes can be filled with the cleaning liquid.

When the recirculation pipe 8 and the connection pipe 9 are filled with the cleaning liquid, the operation may be performed as follows.

For example, when the recirculation pipe 8 and the connection pipe 9 are to be filled, the flow rate adjustment mechanism 8c provided in the recirculation pipe 8 is opened, and the connection pipe liquid feeding unit 9p provided in the connection pipe 9 is driven. In this state, if the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the link pipe 9 and the cleaning liquid is recovered to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the recirculation pipe 8, the recirculation pipe 8 and the link pipe 9 can be filled with the cleaning liquid.

The cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 is a path for recovering the cleaning liquid at the time of filter cleaning performed at the time of the filtering concentration operation. Therefore, even if air remains in the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7, the air does not normally enter the filter 10 during the filtering and concentrating operation, and does not affect the filtering and concentrating operation, and therefore, it is not always necessary to fill the cleaning liquid with the air. However, if air remains in the cleaning liquid recovery tube 7 and the inside of the liquid feed tube 2 and the filter 10 becomes negative pressure by, for example, emptying the raw liquid bag UB, there is a possibility that the air in the cleaning liquid recovery tube 7 may flow back to the liquid feed tube 2 and the filter 10. Therefore, in order to reduce the possibility of air entering the filter 10, it is desirable to fill the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 with the cleaning liquid in advance as well.

If the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 is to be filled with the cleaning liquid, the operation may be performed as follows.

First, the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the cleaning liquid recovery tube 7 is disposed at a position lower than the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the liquid feed tube 2. In this state, the flow rate adjusting mechanism 2c provided in the liquid supply pipe 2 and the flow rate adjusting mechanism 7c provided in the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 are opened. Thereby, the cleaning liquid flows from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the liquid feeding tube 2 to the cleaning liquid recovery tube 7 through the liquid feeding tube 2, and therefore, if the cleaning liquid is recovered to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the cleaning liquid recovery tube 7, the cleaning liquid recovery tube 7 can be filled with the cleaning liquid as well.

In addition, as described above, in the case where the filtrate supply pipe 3 is removed from the filtrate supply port 20a of the concentrator 20 and the leak check is performed, it is necessary to connect the filtrate supply pipe 3 to the filtrate supply port 20a of the concentrator 20 before preparation for cleaning. In this case, it is desirable to fill the filtrate supply tube 3 with a cleaning liquid in advance in order to prevent air from entering the concentrator 20. For example, before the filtrate supply pipe 3 is connected to the filtrate supply port 20a of the concentrator 20, the flow rate adjustment mechanism 2c provided in the feed pipe 2 is opened, and the filtrate supply pipe liquid feed portion 3p provided in the filtrate supply pipe 3 is driven. Thereby, the cleaning liquid is made to flow from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the liquid feed pipe 2 to the filtrate supply pipe 3, and the inside of the filtrate supply pipe 3 can be filled with the cleaning liquid. This can prevent air from entering the concentrator 20 when the filtrate supply pipe 3 is connected to the filtrate supply port 20a of the concentrator 20.

On the other hand, when the cleaning liquid is filled in the circuit, in a state where the cleaning liquid is not present in the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the filter 10, even if the filtrate supply tube 3 is operated with the flow rate adjustment mechanism 2c opened, the cleaning liquid cannot be sucked into the filtrate supply tube 3.

When the pressurized gas is supplied into the through-flow channels 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the filter 10 and the leak test is performed (that is, if the pressurized gas is present in the through-flow channels 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the filter 10), the pressurized gas may flow back into the cleaning solution bag SB when the flow rate adjustment mechanism 2c is opened. In general, since it is not assumed that the washing liquid bag SB is pressurized, the washing liquid bag SB may be damaged by the pressure of the pressurized air.

Therefore, when there is no cleaning liquid in the through-flow channels 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the filter 10, or when a leak test is performed by supplying a pressurized gas into the through-flow channels 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the filter 10, the following operation is performed before the flow rate adjustment mechanism 2c is opened. Specifically, the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p is driven with the flow rate adjustment mechanism 2c kept closed. Thereby, the pressurized gas in the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16 of the filter 10 is discharged to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB connected to the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6. At this time, the pressure of the pressure gauge P2 connected to the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 was measured in advance, and it was confirmed that the pressure inside the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 of the filter 10 was sufficiently reduced (near atmospheric pressure), and then the flow rate adjustment mechanism 2c was opened. This makes it possible to perform the operation of filling the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 of the filter 10 without causing the pressurized gas to flow back into the cleaning solution bag SB.

The pressure inside the through-flow channel 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 of the filter 10 may be reduced by the following method. The flow rate adjustment mechanism 7c is opened while the flow rate adjustment mechanism 2c is kept closed and the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p is stopped. At this time, the pressure of the pressure gauge P2 connected to the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 was measured in advance, and it was confirmed that the pressure inside the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 of the filter 10 was sufficiently reduced (near atmospheric pressure), and then the flow rate adjustment mechanism 2c (closed flow rate adjustment mechanism 7c) was opened. This makes it possible to perform the operation of filling the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 of the filter 10 without causing the pressurized gas to flow back into the cleaning solution bag SB.

(filtration and concentration operation)

If the preparation cleaning operation is finished, the filtration and concentration operation is carried out.

As shown in fig. 13, in the filtering and concentrating operation of the raw liquid processing apparatus 1C of the present embodiment, from the state in which the cleaning operation is prepared, the concentrate bag CB is connected to the concentrate pipe 4 in place of the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB, and the waste liquid bag DB is connected to the waste pipe 5 in place of the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB.

Further, a recirculation pipe 8 is connected to the concentrate bag CB to which the concentrate pipe 4 is connected, and the recirculation pipe 8 is closed by a flow rate adjusting mechanism 8 c.

On the other hand, a raw liquid bag UB is connected to the liquid supply tube 2 instead of the cleaning liquid bag SB. The flow rate adjusting mechanism 2c maintains a state in which the liquid can flow in the liquid supply pipe 2, and stops the operations of the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p and the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p to close the liquid so that the liquid cannot flow in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 and the connecting pipe 9. In addition, the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 is closed by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 7 c.

In the above state, the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding part 3p is operated so that the filtrate flows from the filter 10 to the concentrator 20, and the concentrate pipe liquid feeding part 4p is operated so that the concentrate flows from the concentrator 20 to the concentrate bag CB.

Thereby, the raw liquid is supplied from the raw liquid bag UB to the filter 10 through the liquid feed pipe 2. The supplied raw liquid is filtered by the filter 10, and the generated filtrate is supplied to the concentrator 20 through the filtrate supply pipe 3. Then, the filtrate supplied to the concentrator 20 is concentrated by the concentrator 20, and the resulting concentrated solution is collected into the concentrated solution bag CB through the concentrated solution pipe 4. On the other hand, the moisture separated from the concentrated solution is recovered to the waste liquid bag DB through the waste liquid pipe 5.

(about filter cleaning)

In the middle of the filtration and concentration operation of the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1C of the present embodiment, the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 16 of the hollow fiber membrane bundle 15 of the filter 10 may be cleaned. Specifically, in fig. 13, the flow rate adjusting mechanism 2c closes the liquid supply pipe 2 so that the liquid cannot flow. In addition, the operation of the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p and the concentrate pipe liquid feeding portion 4p is stopped to function as a jig.

The connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p provided in the connecting pipe 9 is operated to flow the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connecting pipe 9 to the filtrate supply pipe 3. Thereby, the cleaning liquid supplied to the filtrate supply pipe 3 is supplied from the filtrate discharge port 11c to the internal space 12h of the body portion 11 of the filter 10, and the cleaning liquid flows into the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 by the liquid feeding pressure of the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9 p. Thereby, the cleaning liquid permeates the hollow fiber membranes 16 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the filtrate permeates the hollow fiber membranes 16. Further, since the cleaning liquid is pushed into the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16 by the liquid feeding pressure of the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p, clogging of the hollow fiber membranes 16 can be effectively eliminated.

At this time, the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p provided in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 is operated so that the cleaning liquid flows out from the filter 10. In addition, the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7 is opened by a flow rate adjustment mechanism 7c provided in the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7. Then, the operation of the cleaning liquid supply pipe liquid feeding portion 6p is adjusted so that a part of the cleaning liquid pushed into the through flow path 16h of the hollow fiber membrane 16 flows to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB provided in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 and the remaining cleaning liquid flows to the cleaning liquid recovery bag FB provided in the cleaning liquid recovery pipe 7. Thus, the cleaning liquid pushed into the through-flow passages 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16 can flow through the through-flow passages 16h of the hollow fiber membranes 16, and the cleaning liquid can be collected into the cleaning liquid collection bag FB provided in the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 and the cleaning liquid collection pipe 7.

(reconcentration work)

When the concentrated solution obtained by the filtering and concentrating operation is further concentrated, a re-concentrating operation is performed.

In the re-concentration operation, first, the feed pipe 2 is closed by the flow rate adjusting mechanism 2c from the state where the concentration and filtration operation is performed. The operation of the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding part 3p and the concentrate pipe liquid feeding part 4p is stopped in response to this. Thereby, the liquid in the device stops flowing.

If the liquid stops flowing, the liquid is allowed to flow inside the recirculation pipe 8 by the flow rate adjusting mechanism 8c of the recirculation pipe 8.

In this state, the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p is operated so that a flow toward the concentrator 20 is generated in the filtrate supply pipe 3, and the concentrate pipe liquid feeding portion 4p is operated so that the concentrate flows from the concentrator 20 to the concentrate bag CB.

Thereby, the concentrated liquid is supplied from the concentrated liquid bag CB to the concentrator 20 through the recirculation pipe 8 and the filtrate supply pipe 3, and thus the re-concentrated liquid further concentrated by the concentrator 20 is recovered to the concentrated liquid bag CB through the concentrated liquid pipe 4. On the other hand, the moisture separated from the concentrated solution is recovered to the waste liquid bag DB through the waste liquid pipe 5. That is, a concentrated solution (reconcentrated solution) having an increased concentration ratio can be obtained.

(original solution processing apparatus 1D of the other embodiment)

The raw liquid treatment apparatus 1D according to another embodiment changes the position of connection of the connection pipe 9 to the filtrate supply pipe 3 from the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1C, and provides a flow rate adjustment mechanism 9f in the connection pipe 9 instead of the connection pipe liquid feeding unit 9 p.

As shown in fig. 14, in the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1D, a connection pipe 9 is connected between the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p of the filtrate supply pipe 3 and the concentrator 20. With this configuration, if the operation direction of the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p is changed, the cleaning liquid can be supplied from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connecting pipe 9 to the filter 10. Thereby, the following advantages can be obtained: there is no need to provide a liquid feeding portion (connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p) for supplying the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connecting pipe 9 to the filter 10, as in the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1C.

That is, as described above, in the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1C, the connecting pipe liquid feeding portion 9p needs to be operated in order to push the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connecting pipe 9 into the hollow fiber membranes 16. However, in the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1D, normally, the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connection pipe 9 can be pushed into the hollow fiber membranes 16 only by reversing the operation direction of the filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding portion 3p that conveys the filtrate from the filter 10 to the concentrator 20.

Further, in the raw liquid processing apparatus 1D, the flow rate adjusting mechanism 3c or the flow rate adjusting mechanism 5c is provided in advance between the position where the connecting pipe 9 is connected and the concentrator 20 or in the waste liquid pipe 5 in the filtrate supply pipe 3, and therefore, when switching from the filtration concentration processing to the filter cleaning, if any one of the flow rate adjusting mechanism 3c and the flow rate adjusting mechanism 5c is closed, the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connecting pipe 9 can be prevented from flowing to the concentrator 20.

In the raw liquid processing apparatus 1D, the cleaning liquid cannot be fed from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the connection pipe 9 to the concentrator 20 through the filtrate supply pipe feeding portion 3 p. However, if the flow rate adjusting mechanism 9f of the connecting pipe 9 is opened and the concentrate pipe liquid sending part 4p provided in the concentrate pipe 4 is operated to suck out the liquid from the concentrator 20, the cleaning liquid can be sent from the cleaning liquid bag SB connected to the other end of the connecting pipe 9 to the concentrator 20 by the negative pressure generated by the concentrate pipe liquid sending part 4 p. Therefore, even with the configuration of the raw liquid treatment apparatus 1D, the concentrator 20 can be cleaned.

(with respect to the other filter 10B)

In the above description, the case of the filter 10 using the hollow fiber membranes 16 as the filter member has been described as a representative example, but a filter member in which flat plate-shaped filter membranes are laminated may be used as the filter member. The structure of a filter member (laminated type) in which filter membranes are laminated will be described below with reference to fig. 16.

In fig. 16, members having substantially the same structural functions as those of the filter 10 (see fig. 5) are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the filter 10. Note that description of portions having the same structural functions as those of the filter 10 is appropriately omitted.

As shown in fig. 16, the filter 10B has substantially the same structure as a filter including a known laminated filter member (e.g., a hemodialyzer for dialysis), and includes a main body 11, a filter membrane 17B disposed in the main body 11, and a holding member 17 a.

Like the hollow fiber membrane 16, the filtration membrane 17b has a function of allowing liquid to permeate, though solid components such as cells and gas cannot permeate.

The filter membrane 17B is placed in the main body 11 in a state in which 1 piece of rectangular membrane is folded into a plurality of layers in a corrugated shape (repeated outward folding and inward folding), and the rectangular membrane is bonded to the inside of the main body 11 of the filter 10B, whereby the main body 11 is separated into 2 spaces (a space 17f and a space 17 h). The separated space 17f and the space 17h in the main body 11 are separated from each other in a liquid-tight and gas-tight manner by the filter membrane 17 b.

In fig. 16, the filtering membrane 17b is folded in a corrugated state, but the filtering membrane 17b may be planar. That is, the shape and the arrangement method of the filter membrane 17b are not particularly limited as long as the space in the main body 11 can be divided into 2 liquid-tight and air-tight spaces.

(holding member 17a)

The holding member 17a is provided to prevent the filter membranes 17b from coming into contact with each other due to the influence of the pressure of the filter membranes 17b when the filter membranes 17b are folded in a corrugated shape, and thus, the filtration efficiency is reduced. The holding means 17a are inserted between the folded filter membranes 17 b. The material, shape, and the like of the holding member 17a are not particularly limited as long as they are provided to exhibit the above-described functions. The position where the holding member 17a is inserted is arranged on the side of the space 17f in fig. 16, but may be arranged on either the side of the space 17h or the side of the space 17 f. The holding member 17a may be disposed on both the space 17h side and the space 17f side. The holding member 17a may be inserted to an appropriate position according to the conditions for using the filter 10B.

(each port)

The body 11 has 4 ports on its outer surface. 2 of the 4 ports are provided on the face where the space 17h contacts, and the remaining 2 are provided on the face where the space 17f contacts. In other words, 2 ports (ports 11a and 11b in fig. 16) communicate with the space 17h, and the other 2 ports (ports 11c and 11c in fig. 16) communicate with the space 17 f. Among the ports communicating with the space 17h, one is the above-described stock solution supply port 11a, and the other is the cleaning solution supply port 11 b. Further, 2 ports communicating with the space 17f are filtrate discharge ports 11 c. As with the filter 10, a tube is connected to each of the ports 11a to 11c of the main body 11. For example, one end of the feed pipe 2 is connected to the raw liquid supply port 11a, one end of the filtrate supply pipe 3 is connected to the filtrate discharge port 11c, and one end of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 6 is connected to the cleaning liquid supply port 11 b.

Therefore, if the filter 10B is provided instead of the filter 10, the raw liquid can be filtered in the same manner as the filter 10, and the cleaning of the filter member 17 and the leak check can be performed in the same manner as the filter 10.

Industrial applicability

The method of operating the stock solution processing apparatus of the present invention is suitable for a method of cleaning a filter in an apparatus for obtaining a concentrated solution by filtering and concentrating a pleural and peritoneal effusion containing cells and the like, blood during surgery or bleeding, or an apparatus for purifying and reusing plasma such as waste plasma of blood exchange.

Description of the reference numerals

1 stock solution treating apparatus

2 liquid feeding pipe

2c flow adjusting mechanism

2p liquid feeding part of liquid feeding pipe

3 filtrate supply pipe

3c flow adjusting mechanism

3p filtrate supply pipe liquid feeding part

4 concentrated liquid pipe

4p concentrated liquid pipe liquid sending part

5 waste liquid pipe

5c flow adjusting mechanism

6 cleaning liquid supply pipe

6c flow adjustment mechanism

Liquid feeding part of 6p cleaning liquid supply pipe

7 cleaning liquid recovery pipe

7c flow adjusting mechanism

Liquid feeding part of 7p cleaning liquid recovery pipe

8 recirculation pipe

8c flow adjusting mechanism

9 connecting pipe

9c flow regulating mechanism

9f flow adjusting mechanism

9p connecting pipe liquid feeding part

10 filter

10B filter

11 body part

11a stock solution supply port

11b cleaning liquid supply port

11c filtrate discharge port

12 trunk part

12h inner space

13 header part

14 header part

15 hollow fiber membrane bundle

16 hollow fiber membrane

16h through flow path

16w wall

17a holding member

17b Filter Membrane

Space of 17h

17f space

20 concentrator

20a filtrate supply port

20b concentrated solution outlet

20c waste liquid discharge port

UB stock solution bag

CB concentrate bag

DB waste liquid bag

SB cleaning solution bag

FB cleaning solution recovery bag

P1 pressure gauge

P2 pressure gauge

P3 pressure gauge

GS pressurized gas supply unit.