Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for accurately predicting a cancer patient prognosis based on a count of desired cells for which expression of a leukocyte marker and an epithelial marker is hardly exhibited by detecting those cells. Provided is a method for diagnosing an overall survival prognosis for a patient suffering from cancer, the method including: a step of obtaining a concentrated solution containing desired cells by pre-treating a biological sample obtained from the patient; a step of optically detecting the concentrated cells; and a step of detecting the desired cells from the detected image, wherein an association is made with the overall survival prognosis diagnosis by counting the detected desired cells, and wherein the desired cells are cells confirmed by the existence of a cell nucleus and in which expression of a leukocyte marker and an epithelial marker is hardly exhibited.

Abstract: A method of collecting and detecting a tumor cell contained in a sample in distinction from a contaminant cell is provided. The tumor cell contained in the sample are collected and detected in distinction from the contaminant cell by detecting any of the following polypeptides or a gene encoding the polypeptide present in the sample: (i) a polypeptide containing at least the amino acid sequence of any of six sequences such as TM4SF1 (GenBank No. NP_055035.1) and TNFRSF12A (GenBank No. NP_057723.1); (ii) a polypeptide containing at least an amino acid sequence having a homology of not less than 70% to the amino acid sequence described above; and (iii) a polypeptide containing at least a splicing variant of the amino acid sequence (the amino acid sequence of (i) or (ii) described above).

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for accurately predicting a cancer patient prognosis based on a count of desired cells for which expression of a leukocyte marker and an epithelial marker is hardly exhibited by detecting those cells. Provided is a method for diagnosing an overall survival prognosis for a patient suffering from cancer, the method including: a step of obtaining a concentrated solution containing desired cells by pre-treating a biological sample obtained from the patient; a step of optically detecting the concentrated cells; and a step of detecting the desired cells from the detected image, wherein an association is made with the overall survival prognosis diagnosis by counting the detected desired cells, and wherein the desired cells are cells confirmed by the existence of a cell nucleus and in which expression of a leukocyte marker and an epithelial marker is hardly exhibited.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cell fusion chamber in which two types of cells having different diameters are fused, the cell fusion chamber including: a cell fusion region in which cell fusion is carried out; a pair of electrodes formed by a conductor and disposed opposite to each other in the cell fusion region; and a partition wall having at least one fine pore; near the fine pore, a cell fusion device including a cell fusion container containing a cell fusion region; a pair of electrodes; a spacer; and an insulator disposed between the spacer and one of the electrodes and having at least one fine pore; and an electronic power supply which applies an alternating voltage and a voltage pulsed direct current to the electrodes, and a cell fusion method using the same.

Abstract: A biological sample immobilizing apparatus is provided, comprising a holding unit which holds a biological sample, a pair of electrodes which allows a dielectrophoretic force to act on the biological sample to move the biological sample to the holding unit, and a power source which applies an AC voltage to the pair of electrodes. Accordingly, a plurality of components contained in the biological sample can be conveniently separated into individuals one by one and respective genes thereof can be analyzed one by one quickly and simultaneously, while providing a high density and being miniaturized.

Abstract: A structure 14 for particle immobilization has a plurality of holding holes 9 for holding respective test particles in order to detect light emitted from a substance which indicates the presence of a component for constructing each of the test particles, and the structure 14 for particle immobilization comprises a flat plate substrate 15, and a holding unit 20 which is arranged on the substrate 15 and which is formed with the plurality of holding holes 9. In this configuration, a light shielding film 19 which reduces light noise is provided for the substrate 15 or the holding unit 20 in order that the light noise such as the background noise and the crosstalk noise can be reduced, and a large number of test particles can be optically observed highly sensitively and highly accurately.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cell fusion chamber in which two types of cells having different diameters are fused, the cell fusion chamber including: a cell fusion region in which cell fusion is carried out; a pair of electrodes formed by a conductor and disposed opposite to each other in the cell fusion region; and a partition wall having at least one fine pore; near the fine pore, a cell fusion device including a cell fusion container containing a cell fusion region; a pair of electrodes; a spacer; and an insulator disposed between the spacer and one of the electrodes and having at least one fine pore; and an electronic power supply which applies an alternating voltage and a voltage pulsed direct current to the electrodes, and a cell fusion method using the same.

Abstract: The cell selection apparatus includes: a cell selection vessel which has a pair of electrodes and a sheet-like insulating material having a plurality of micropores, with a recognition molecule bindable to the specific substance being disposed on a bottom face of the micropore; and a power supply, wherein the power supply includes a cell-immobilization power supply and a cell-taking power supply. The cell selection method uses the cell selection apparatus, including; introducing cells into a cell selection area; immobilizing these cells in the micropores; effecting a binding reaction between the specific substance and the recognition molecule; thereafter, taking out a cell of which the specific substance is not or is weakly bound to the recognition molecule, from the micropore; otherwise alternatively, leaving a cell of which the specific substance on the surface of the cell is strongly bound to the recognition molecule, behind in the micropore.

Abstract: A fine channel device capable of producing fine particles in an industrial scale, hardening the fine particles immediately after the production and recovering the fine particles from a medium without collapsing the shape of the produced fine particles, a fine particle producing method using the fine channel device and a solvent extraction method using the fine channel, are presented. The fine channel device comprises a fine channel provided with an inlet port and an inlet channel which feed a dispersion phase, an inlet port and an inlet channel which feed a continuous phase, and an outlet channel and an outlet port which discharge fine particles produced by the dispersion phase and the continuous phase, wherein the inlet channel for feeding the dispersion phase and the inlet channel for feeding the continuous phase are joined at an arbitrary angle, and the two inlet channels are connected to the outlet channel at the arbitrary angle.

Abstract: A fine channel device including a fine channel provided with at least two inlet ports for feeding fluid, inlet channels communicated with the inlet ports, a confluent portion communicated with the inlet channels, a branch portion communicated with the fine channel, from which at least two outlet channels are branched to feed predetermined amounts of fluid, and outlet ports communicated with the outlet channels. The fine channel is provided with a plurality of partition walls arranged along a boundary formed by at least two kinds of fluid fed from the inlet ports so as not to cause mutual contamination of fluid. Furthermore, the plurality of partition walls are spaced apart at intervals in a flowing direction of fluid.

Abstract: A fine channel device containing a fine channel substrate that includes a fine channel for channeling fluids, and through holes, wherein the fine channel and the through holes are interconnected via an interconnection portion, as well as a mold that is equipped with pins forming the through holes in the fine channel substrate, wherein the positions of the pins and the number pins be altered as desired.

Abstract: A fine channel device including a fine channel provided with at least two inlet ports for feeding fluid, inlet channels communicated with the inlet ports, a confluent portion communicated with the inlet channels, a branch portion communicated with the fine channel, from which at least two outlet channels are branched to feed predetermined amounts of fluid, and outlet ports communicated with the outlet channels. The fine channel is provided with a plurality of partition walls arranged along a boundary formed by at least two kinds of fluid fed from the inlet ports so as not to cause mutual contamination of fluid. Furthermore, the plurality of partition walls are spaced apart at intervals in a flowing direction of fluid.

Abstract: A fine channel device capable of producing fine particles in an industrial scale, hardening the fine particles immediately after the production and recovering the fine particles from a medium without collapsing the shape of the produced fine particles, a fine particle producing method using the fine channel device and a solvent extraction method using the fine channel, are presented. The fine channel device comprises a fine channel provided with an inlet port and an inlet channel which feed a dispersion phase, an inlet port and an inlet channel which feed a continuous phase, and an outlet channel and an outlet port which discharge fine particles produced by the dispersion phase and the continuous phase, wherein the inlet channel for feeding the dispersion phase and the inlet channel for feeding the continuous phase are joined at an arbitrary angle, and the two inlet channels are connected to the outlet channel at the arbitrary angle.

Abstract: A fine channel device, having an inlet opening for introducing a gas and an inlet path interconnecting with this inlet opening, a fine channel interconnecting with the inlet path, a discharge path interconnecting with the fine channel, and a discharge opening interconnecting with this discharge path. The inner diameter of the inlet path is greater than that of the fine channel, and either increases gradually, or remains identical, with increasing distance from the position where the inlet opening and the inlet path are in interconnection with each other.

Abstract: A fine channel device, having an inlet opening for introducing a gas and an inlet path interconnecting with this inlet opening, a fine channel interconnecting with the inlet path, a discharge path interconnecting with the fine channel, and a discharge opening interconnecting with this discharge path. The inner diameter of the inlet path is greater than that of the fine channel, and either increases gradually, or remains identical, with increasing distance from the position where the inlet opening and the inlet path are in interconnection with each other.

Abstract: A fine channel device capable of producing fine particles in an industrial scale, hardening the fine particles immediately after the production and recovering the fine particles from a medium without collapsing the shape of the produced fine particles, a fine particle producing method using the fine channel device and a solvent extraction method using the fine channel, are presented. The fine channel device comprises a fine channel provided with an inlet port and an inlet channel which feed a dispersion phase, an inlet port and an inlet channel which feed a continuous phase, and an outlet channel and an outlet port which discharge fine particles produced by the dispersion phase and the continuous phase, wherein the inlet channel for feeding the dispersion phase and the inlet channel for feeding the continuous phase are joined at an arbitrary angle, and the two inlet channels are connected to the outlet channel at the arbitrary angle.

Abstract: A fine channel device for performing a chemical treatment or for producing fine particles, capable of supplying a liquid to the fine channels evenly and producing products in a large quantity is provided. The fine channel device includes a storage space having a circular or polygonal recess for temporarily storing fluid, and supply channels formed in a radial direction from the storage space. A small chemical plant includes a plurality of the fine channel devices as fundamental constituents and a mechanism to supply at least one fluid and a mechanism to recover products produced.

Abstract: A device includes a first substrate having a channel formed on front and rear surfaces of the first substrate, and an information recording layer forming an optical recording medium on at least one of the front and rear surfaces of the first substrate.

Abstract: A fine channel device containing a fine channel substrate that includes a fine channel for channeling fluids, and through holes, wherein the fine channel and the through holes are interconnected via an interconnection portion, as well as a mold that is equipped with pins for forming the through holes in the fine channel substrate, wherein the positions of the pins and the number of pins can be altered as desired.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a cell fusion chamber in which two types of cells having different diameters are fused, the cell fusion chamber including: a cell fusion region in which cell fusion is carried out; a pair of electrodes formed by a conductor and disposed opposite to each other in the cell fusion region; and a partition wall having at least one fine pore; near the fine pore, a cell fusion device including a cell fusion container containing a cell fusion region; a pair of electrodes; a spacer; and an insulator disposed between the spacer and one of the electrodes and having at least one fine pore; and an electronic power supply which applies an alternating voltage and a voltage pulsed direct current to the electrodes, and a cell fusion method using the same.