Abstract: It is an object to provide an aligner for centering a wafer and adjusting an angle of a notch or the like of the wafer while gripping edges of the wafer capable of attaining a shortened takt time and miniaturization of the apparatus by employing a mechanism capable of infinite rotation without being restricted by a rotational range, by eliminating cables and/or tubes at the rotating portion. The link mechanism for causing opening and closing movements of the gripping mechanism for gripping a wafer 1 is supported via a bearing 14 with respect to the link mechanism driving portion for driving the link mechanism so that only the gripping portion and the link mechanism can be rotated.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method which permits simple and easy production of a stable, high-quality liposome preparation suppressed in lipid degradation. This method can significantly shorten production time and can achieve a substantial cost cut-down in medium- to large-scale production, and can also attain the incorporation of a drug in uniform amounts. Specifically disclosed is a method for producing a liposome preparation by using a remote loading method. This method includes a drug incorporation step that heats a mixture of a suspension of liposomes and a drug, the mixture having been prepared beforehand, by rapid heating means to a temperature from not lower than a phase transition point of membranes of the liposomes to not higher than 80° C. to incorporate the drug into the liposomes.

Abstract: A method of separating vesicles whose membrane has been modified with a hydrophilic polymer (polyethylene glycol, etc.). In the method, vesicles (liposome, etc.) differing in the degree of membrane modification are separated by ion-exchange chromatography using a concentration gradient in which the ionic intensity of an eluent is changed with time. Also provided are: a process for producing vesicles purified so as to have a desired degree of modification with a hydrophilic polymer which comprises utilizing the separation method in the step of purifying vesicles; a method of evaluating a medicinal vesicle preparation containing a drug therein, the method comprising using the separation method; and vesicles in which the membrane has been modified with a hydrophilic polymer and which include no vesicle having a degree of membrane modification less than 0.5 mol %.

Abstract: It is an object to provide an aligner for centering a wafer and adjusting an angle of a notch or the like of the wafer while gripping edges of the wafer capable of attaining a shortened takt time and miniaturization of the apparatus by employing a mechanism capable of infinite rotation without being restricted by a rotational range, by eliminating cables and/or tubes at the rotating portion. The link mechanism for causing opening and closing movements of the gripping mechanism for gripping a wafer 1 is supported via a bearing 14 with respect to the link mechanism driving portion for driving the link mechanism so that only the gripping portion and the link mechanism can be rotated.

Abstract: A liposome preparation is provided. This liposome preparation is capable of stably encapsulating a drug which is unstable under an acidic condition, and such stable encapsulation is realized without detracting the effect realized by the modification of the membrane by a hydrophilic macromolecule such as stability in blood. More specifically, the liposome preparation comprises a unilamellar vesicle formed from a lipid bilayer comprising a phospholipid as its main membrane component, and an interior aqueous phase of the vesicle at a pH of up to 5. The liposome has a drug loaded therein, and the vesicle is modified with a hydrophilic macromolecule only on its exterior surface.

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a slightly water-soluble camptothecin liposome preparation with an excellent retention in blood for a drug, which can stably hold a slightly water-soluble camptothecin compound for a long period of time, whereby hydrolysis of an ?-hydroxylactone ring in blood is suppressed and the slightly water-soluble camptothecin compound is kept in a structure in which the ring is not opened and which makes the compound effective as an antitumor-active drug, and, moreover, the liability of the drug to leave a liposome is advantageously reduced, so that it is possible to maintain the drug concentration in plasma for a long period of time after administration. This object is achieved by the liposome preparation as described in the specification.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an aligner includes a grip mechanism provided with a plurality of damp arms for holding an external periphery of a wafer; a rotary mechanism for rotating the grip mechanism to rotate the wafer in a prescribed rotational direction, and a lifter mechanism provided with a plurality of lift arms for lifting up the wafer above the grip mechanism. The aligner is configured to align the wafer by the grip operation of the grip mechanism and the rotary operation of the rotary mechanism, and one or more of the plurality of the lift arms which interfere with one or more of the plurality of clamp arms at the time of lifting up the plurality of lift arms are engaged with restriction members provided on the grip mechanism to prevent an upward movement thereof.

Abstract: Provided is an irinotecan formulation capable of supporting irinotecan and/or a salt thereof in a closed vesicle carrier at a high concentration and existing in blood for a long period of time by dramatically improved retentivity in blood compared to a conventionally known irinotecan liposome formulation. That is, an irinotecan formulation including a closed vesicle formed by a lipid membrane, in which irinotecan and/or a salt thereof is encapsulated at a concentration of at least 0.07 mol/mol (drug mol/membrane total lipid mol). There is an ion gradient between an inner aqueous phase and an outer aqueous phase in the irinotecan formulation. The closed vesicle is preferably liposome, in which only the outer surface of the liposome is preferably modified with a surface-modifying agent containing a hydrophilic polymer.

Abstract: A medicinal composition and a medicinal preparation which are capable of inhibiting complement activation. The medicinal composition comprises: a medicinal preparation modified with a first hydrophilic polymer; and a second hydrophilic polymer. The medicinal preparation contains as an active ingredient a second hydrophilic polymer which inhibits an immunoreaction caused by a medicinal preparation modified with a first hydrophilic polymer.