Abstract: A stir pin includes a base end portion configured to be held rotatably about a first axis, a stirring portion provided to project from a shoulder member to be rotatable about the first axis together with the base end portion, and an intermediate portion including a second portion connected to the stirring portion to be rotatable about the first axis together with the stirring portion and having a second diameter passing through the first axis, and a first portion provided between and connected to the base end portion and the second portion to be rotatable about the first axis together with the base end portion and the second portion. The first portion has an end surface to which the second portion is connected and which has a maximum diameter larger than the second diameter. The end surface has a ring-shaped receiving surface configured to receive a material waste.

Abstract: The present invention is a specimen preparation method of preparing an observation specimen by placing an observation object on a light transmitting plate, comprising a conveyance step of conveying the observation object by a conveyance mechanism including a placement portion configured to place the observation object, and a transfer step of transferring the observation object from the placement portion of the conveyance mechanism onto the plate at a conveyance terminal end of the conveyance mechanism, wherein in the transfer step, a liquid is supplied to the placement portion on which the observation object is placed, and the observation object is carried by a flow of the liquid and transferred onto the plate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an observation holder, including an accommodation unit configured to accommodate an observation target, and an observation unit formed below the accommodation unit, wherein an observation target accommodated in the accommodation unit can be observed from below, the accommodation unit includes an accommodation unit main body in which a plurality of holes for accommodating an observation target are formed, and an accommodation unit upper portion formed on an upper portion of the accommodation unit main body, the accommodation unit upper portion includes a wall surrounding a space above the accommodation unit main body, as a storage for storing a predetermined liquid, and two adjacent holes of the plurality of holes are connected in the observation unit.

Abstract: A sample producing apparatus produces an observation sample by placing an observation target object on a surface of a liquid pool on an optically transparent plate and then removing the liquid pool. The sample producing apparatus comprises a holding means for holding the plate, and a tilting means for tilting the plate such that the liquid pool on the plate is flowed. According to the sample producing apparatus, the working efficiency when producing the observation sample is improved.

Abstract: A sample producing apparatus configured to produce an observation sample by placing an observation target object on a surface of a liquid pool on an optically transparent plate and then removing the liquid pool, comprising a holding unit configured to hold the plate, and a tilting unit configured to tilt the plate such that a liquid of the liquid pool on the plate held by the holding unit is discharged.

Abstract: A sample producing method of producing an observation sample by placing an observation target object on an optically transparent plate, comprising a placement step of placing the observation target object on a surface of a liquid pool retained on the plate, and a fixing step of making an amount of a liquid of the liquid pool on the plate larger on one end portion side of the plate than on the other end portion side and attaching and fixing the observation target object to a surface of the plate sequentially from the other end portion toward the one end portion.

Abstract: The present invention is a specimen preparation method of preparing an observation specimen by placing an observation object on a light transmitting plate, comprising a conveyance step of conveying the observation object by a conveyance mechanism including a placement portion configured to place the observation object, and a transfer step of transferring the observation object from the placement portion of the conveyance mechanism onto the plate at a conveyance terminal end of the conveyance mechanism, wherein in the transfer step, a liquid is supplied to the placement portion on which the observation object is placed, and the observation object is carried by a flow of the liquid and transferred onto the plate.

Abstract: A thin section preparation device includes: a cutting blade (21) which cuts out a thin section (M) from an embedding block (B); a storage tank (7) in which the thin section (M) is floated on a liquid (W) and is spread; a thin-section-conveying-mechanism (8) which conveys the thin section (M) in a direction intersecting in an X axis direction in a state where a first side of the thin section (M) is parallel with the X axis direction; a slide-glass-handling-mechanism (9) which places the thin section (M) floating in the storage tank (7) on a slide glass (G) in a state where a first side of the slide glass (G) is parallel with the X axis direction; and a rotary body (61) which is rotated in a state where the thin section (M) is placed on an outer surface and conveys the thin section (M) toward the slide-glass-handling-mechanism (9).

Abstract: A sorting apparatus includes: a sorting device receiving and transporting a rack carrying vessels and transferring vessels from the rack to predetermined vessel loading portions; and a delivery device delivering the rack to the sorting device. The sorting device includes: a rack receiving unit capable of moving reciprocally between a rack delivery position where the rack is delivered and a sorting position where the vessels are loaded into the predetermined vessel loading portions; a transfer machine transferring the vessels from the rack on the rack receiving unit to the predetermined vessel loading portions; and a transportation mechanism on which the rack delivering unit and the transfer machine are installed. The transportation mechanism is installed so as to be capable of moving in a transportation direction in which rack receiving unit moves reciprocally. The transfer machine is capable of moving in a direction perpendicular to the transportation direction.

Abstract: A block storage device includes: a magazine which accommodates embedding blocks to be inserted into or removed from the magazine in a state where the embedding blocks held in a cassette to which ID data is attached are arranged vertically in one row; a magazine holding portion which detachably holds each of the magazines; and a reading portion which reads the ID data. The magazine holding portion includes a rotary body which is rotatable around a rotation axis O, a holding mechanism which is multiply provided on a circumferential wall portion in the rotary body and detachably holds the magazines individually, and a rotation drive portion which positions one of the magazines at a block extraction position facing the reading portion by rotating the rotary body, and the magazine positioned at the block extraction position and the reading portion are movable relative to each other along the vertical direction.

Abstract: A thin section preparation device includes: a cutting blade (21) which cuts out a thin section (M) from an embedding block (B); a storage tank (7) in which the thin section (M) is floated on a liquid (W) and is spread; a thin-section-conveying-mechanism (8) which conveys the thin section (M) in a direction intersecting in an X axis direction in a state where a first side of the thin section (M) is parallel with the X axis direction; a slide-glass-handling-mechanism (9) which places the thin section (M) floating in the storage tank (7) on a slide glass (G) in a state where a first side of the slide glass (G) is parallel with the X axis direction; and a rotary body (61) which is rotated in a state where the thin section (M) is placed on an outer surface and conveys the thin section (M) toward the slide-glass-handling-mechanism (9).

Abstract: A block storage device includes: a magazine which accommodates embedding blocks to be inserted into or removed from the magazine in a state where the embedding blocks held in a cassette to which ID data is attached are arranged vertically in one row; a magazine holding portion which detachably holds each of the magazines; and a reading portion which reads the ID data. The magazine holding portion includes a rotary body which is rotatable around a rotation axis O, a holding mechanism which is multiply provided on a circumferential wall portion in the rotary body and detachably holds the magazines individually, and a rotation drive portion which positions one of the magazines at a block extraction position facing the reading portion by rotating the rotary body, and the magazine positioned at the block extraction position and the reading portion are movable relative to each other along the vertical direction.

Abstract: A filtrate monitoring device and a filtrate monitoring system, which can monitor a membrane-type water filtrating/purifying system at all times and which can flexibly adjust themselves to the contents and sizes of impurities, are provided. The filtrate monitoring device monitors the filtrate having passed through the membrane-type water filtrating/purifying device. The filtrate monitoring device comprises: imaging/detecting means for shooting images in the filtrate having passed through the filtrating/purifying device, on the filtrate flowing in an observation bath of a filtrate observing cell disposed midway of the branched filtrate pipeline, thereby to specify the particles contained in the filtrate, and/or optical detecting means disposed midway of the filtrate pipeline before or after branching.

Abstract: The present invention provides a filtered water monitoring device used for detecting damages in a filtration medium installed inside a membrane filtration water clarification device, thereby monitoring degradation of a performance thereof, in order to secure safety of filtered water flowing out from the membrane filtration water clarification device, comprising a branch filtered water pipeline system which is branched from a filtered water pipeline system connected to an outlet of the membrane filtration water clarification device, a filtered water observation plate which is installed in a certain position of the branch filtered water pipeline system, imaging means which takes an image of the filtered water in an observation tank of the filtered water observation plate and outputs image information thereon, and image analyzing means which receives the image information output from the imaging means, and compares the image information with a stored image pattern to identify impurities contained in the filtered

Abstract: A filtrate monitoring device and a filtrate monitoring system, which can monitor a membrane-type water filtrating/purifying system at all times and which can flexibly adjust themselves to the contents and sizes of impurities, are provided. The filtrate monitoring device monitors the filtrate having passed through the membrane-type water filtrating/purifying device. The filtrate monitoring device comprises: imaging/detecting means for shooting images in the filtrate having passed through the filtrating/purifying device, on the filtrate flowing in an observation bath of a filtrate observing cell disposed midway of the branched filtrate pipeline, thereby to specify the particles contained in the filtrate, and/or optical detecting means disposed midway of the filtrate pipeline before or after branching.

Abstract: The present invention provides a filtered water monitoring device used for detecting damages in a filtration medium installed inside a membrane filtration water clarification device, thereby monitoring degradation of a performance thereof, in order to secure safety of filtered water flowing out from the membrane filtration water clarification device, comprising a branch filtered water pipeline system which is branched from a filtered water pipeline system connected to an outlet of the membrane filtration water clarification device, a filtered water observation plate which is installed in a certain position of the branch filtered water pipeline system, imaging means which takes an image of the filtered water in an observation tank of the filtered water observation plate and outputs image information thereon, and image analyzing means which receives the image information output from the imaging means, and compares the image information with a stored image pattern to identify impurities contained in the filtered

Abstract: A rotary shaft having a predetermined diameter and a cylindrical cleaning element having an axial through-hole formed therein and capable of being either in a wet or a dry state are prepared. The through-hole has, in a wet state, a predetermined diameter smaller than that of the rotary shaft. The cleaning element is wetted and the through-hole of the wet cleaning element enlarged so that it has a diameter larger than that of the rotary shaft. The enlarged cleaning element is dry-set and the rotary shaft is inserted into the through-hole of the cleaning element. The cleaning element is then wetted, to contract the diameter of the through-hole of the cleaning element and provide a press-fit between the cleaning element and the shaft. A, cleaning member comprising a cylindrical cleaning element and a rotary shaft held therein with a press-fit is obtained.

Abstract: A rotary shaft having a predetermined diameter and a cylindrical cleaning element having an axial through-hole formed therein and being capable of being either in a wet state or a dry state are prepared. The through-hole has, in a wet state, a predetermined diameter smaller than the diameter of the rotary shaft. The cylindrical cleaning element is caused to be wet and the through-hole of the wet cylindrical cleaning element is enlarged so that it has a diameter larger than the diameter of the rotary shaft. The enlarged cylindrical cleaning element is dry-set, and the rotary shaft is inserted into the through-hole of the dry-set cylindrical cleaning element. The cylindrical cleaning element into which the rotary shaft has been inserted is wet, to thereby contract the diameter of the through-hole of the cylindrical cleaning element and provide a press-fit between the cylindrical cleaning element and the rotary shaft.