Abstract: A diagnosis supporting system (10) includes a diagnosis data obtaining unit (20) that obtains diagnosis data in which a movement parameter reflecting a movement speed of each component in separating a sample collected from a test subject into plural components with a chip (12) and a character of each component is in correspondence, a parameter storing unit (34) that stores the movement parameter of a characteristic component showing a state of suffering from a specific disease in correspondence with the disease, a relationship data storing unit (35) that stores relationship data showing a relationship between the character of the characteristic component and a possibility of suffering from a specific disease, a detecting unit (21) that detects the characteristic component from the diagnosis data based on the movement parameter of the characteristic component and the movement parameter of the diagnosis data by making reference to the parameter storing unit (34), and an inference processing unit (22) that infer

Abstract: A liquid sample (104) introduced in a main flow passage (101) is held in a dam portion (105), and a trigger liquid (106) is filled in a trigger flow passage (102). In this state, the trigger liquid (106) is further introduced at desired timing into the trigger flow passage (102) so that the front end portion of the level of the trigger liquid (106) is advanced and the front end portion is brought to be into contact with the dam portion (105). This causes the liquid sample (104) to move to the right (downstream side) in the figure, resulting in the liquid sample (104) flowing out to the downstream side of the main flow passage (101). This means that the trigger liquid (106) provides priming to realize a liquid switch.

Abstract: A particular component in a sample is recovered in a high concentration and solvent-replaced. A separator 100 is placed on a microchip and includes a channel 112 for flowing the particular component. The channel 112 includes a sample feeding channel 300 as well as a filtrate discharge channel 302 and a sample recovering part 308 which are branched from the sample feeding channel 300. There is formed a filter 304 for preventing passage of the particular component, at the inlet of the filtrate discharge channel 302 from the sample feeding channel 300. Furthermore, there is formed a damming area (hydrophobic area) 306 for preventing entering of a liquid sample while allowing for passage of the liquid sample by applying an external force equal to or larger than a given level, at the inlet of the sample recovering part 308 from the sample feeding channel 300.

Abstract: Individual components are separated with a high concentration and accurately, from a sample containing components-to-be-separated. The separation apparatus includes a channel through which a sample containing components-to-be-separated moves; and gateway portions partitioning the separation channel into a plurality of compartments. The separation apparatus further includes an external force imposing unit, which imposes external force to the components-to-be-separated so as to allow them to move through the channel. The external force imposing unit is configured so as to alternately repeatedly execute a first external force imposing pattern by which the external force is imposed in the forward direction of the channel, and a second external force imposing pattern by which the external force is imposed in the direction opposite to the forward direction along the channel. This makes it possible to fractionate the components-to-be-separated into any of the compartments.

Abstract: A sample reservoir (205) in which a sample (213) is introduced is sealed by a septum (207). On piercing the septum (207) by an injection needle, the sample reservoir (205) is communicated with the outer atmosphere, and then the sample (213) is delivered from the channel 203 to the water absorbing portion (209).

Abstract: A channel (103) is formed in a substrate (101) and a drying area (107) comprising a plurality of pillars (105) is formed in one end of the channel (103). A cover (109) is formed over the channel (103), except the area above the drying area (107). When a sample is introduced into the channel (103), it is guided to the drying area (107) by capillary phenomenon. The drying area (107) is heated by a heater (111) to evaporate the solvent for concentrating and drying the solute.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to attain a microstructure having a miniature continuous structure which has high throughput and has been processed with high accuracy. To achieve this, provided is a microstructure having a column-shaped structure and a slit-forming portion which extends in a side-face direction from a side face of the column-shaped structure, wherein the slit-forming portion has a plurality of slits aligned in parallel at an interval from 20 to 1,000 nm in a direction along a center axis of the column-shaped structure.

Abstract: A separation apparatus (100) has a separation channel (112), a partition wall (301a) and a partition wall (301b), wherein each of the partition wall (301a) and the partition wall (301b) has a capture portion (300) formed thereon. Molecules having a size acceptable by the capture portions (300) provided on the partition wall (301a) and the partition wall (301b) are captured by the capture portion (300) and reduced in the travel speed through the separation channel (112), and this makes it possible to precisely separate the sample depending on the molecular size.

Abstract: A channel (103) is formed in a substrate (101), and a portion of the channel (103) is provided with a separating portion (107). A number of pillars are formed in the separating portion (107), and an adsorptive substance layer having an adsorptive substance, which exhibits a specific interaction for a specific substance, immobilized on the surface thereof, is formed. Once a sample is introduced into the channel (103), the specific substance is adsorbed on the adsorptive substance layer to be separated from other components. After washing the inside of the channel (103) with a buffer solution, the specific substance is desorbed from the adsorptive substance layer by flowing a eluting solution through the channel (103) and the specific substance is recovered.

Abstract: A fractionating apparatus is used for fractionating sample into micro-structures different in size, and includes a fractionating unit formed with a fractionating passage; the fractionating passage is defined in a groove formed in a substrate of the fractionating unit, and pillar patches are formed in the groove at intervals wider than the gap among the pillar patches; while the sample is migrated through the fractionating passage, small-sized DNA molecules are trapped in the pillar patches, and large-sized DNA molecules are smoothly migrated through the wide intervals; this results in that the large-sized DNA molecules reaches the end of the fractionating passage faster than the small-sized DNA molecules without clogging.

Abstract: There is disclosed a separation device in which separation flow paths for allowing the passage of only molecules having a predetermined size and smaller sizes are disposed between two flow channels set apart by a partition; and a separation method using the device. According to the separation technique, substances having small sizes such as cells, nucleic acids and proteins can be separated by the use of a small amount of a sample in a short time with excellent resolution, and problems of clogging and the like can also be solved.

Abstract: There is provided separation techniques for separating samples in a short period of time by using a small amount of samples with excellent resolution, causing few problems such as clogging.

Abstract: A separator has a specimen separating area comprising a number of recesses defined in an inner wall of a flow passage through which a specimen passes. For separating nucleic acid and protein, the recesses have openings whose maximum diameter is 300 nm or less, and adjacent ones of the recesses are spaced at an average interval of 300 nm or less.

Abstract: A fractionating apparatus is used for fractionating sample into micro-structures different in size, and includes a fractionating unit formed with a fractionating passage; the fractionating passage is defined in a groove formed in a substrate of the fractionating unit, and pillar patches are formed in the groove at intervals wider than the gap among the pillar patches; while the sample is migrated through the fractionating passage, small-sized DNA molecules are trapped in the pillar patches, and large-sized DNA molecules are smoothly migrated through the wide intervals; this results in that the large-sized DNA molecules reaches the end of the fractionating passage faster than the small-sized DNA molecules without clogging.