Ferromagnetic-particle manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

A ferromagnetic-particle manufacturing apparatus includes: a single mode cavity that resonates with a microwave of a predetermined wavelength; a microwave oscillator electrically connected to the single mode cavity and configured to introduce the microwave of a predetermined wavelength into the single mode cavity; a pipe disposed to pass through an inside of the single mode cavity, the pipe being formed of a dielectric material; a pump configured to introduce, from one end of the pipe, an alkaline reaction liquid containing metal ions of a ferromagnetic metal; an impedance measuring device configured to measure an impedance of the single mode cavity; and a pump-flowrate deciding unit configured to decide, based on a measurement result of the impedance measuring device, a pump flowrate by which the impedance of the single mode cavity becomes a predetermined value or more; wherein the pump is configured to introduce the reaction liquid at the pump flowrate decided by the pump-flowrate deciding unit; and wherein ferromagnetic particles are generated by reacting the reaction liquid.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a Divisional of copending application Ser. No. 14 / 915,941 filed on Mar. 2, 2016, which is the National Phase under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT / JP2014 / 076727, filed on Oct. 6, 2014, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Patent Application No. 2013-210407, filed in Japan on Oct. 7, 2013, all of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference into the present application.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present invention relates to a ferromagnetic-particle manufacturing apparatus.BACKGROUND ART[0003]Due to magnetic properties, ferromagnetic particles (nanoparticles) are recently used as active pharmaceutical ingredients for a magnetic resonance imaging method (MRI), a drug delivery system (DDS), a local hyperthermia treatment and so on.[0004]JP2006-28032A discloses a method of generating magnetite particles, which are one type of such ferromagnetic particles, by using a coprecipitation...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a ferromagnetic-particle manufacturing apparatus that can efficiently manufacture ferromagnetic particles. The apparatus uses a microwave to heat a reaction liquid in a single mode cavity, which results in the generation of ferromagnetic particles. The impedance of the single mode cavity increases as the reaction liquid is magnetically coupled with the microwave, so the production efficiency of ferromagnetic particles can be easily estimated from outside. The apparatus also allows for continuous generation of ferromagnetic particles without needing to stir the reaction liquid, resulting in a more uniform composition and dimension of the particles. The apparatus includes an impedance measuring device and a pump-flowrate deciding unit to optimize the pump flowrate and maintain the production efficiency of ferromagnetic particles. The inner surface of the pipe is treated with a corrosion protective covering to maintain smoothness for the reaction liquid flow.

Problems solved by technology

Thus, the reaction liquid is unlikely to vary in temperature and a mixed condition of the reaction liquid is unlikely to be non-uniform, so that variation of the generated ferromagnetic particles in composition and dimension is small.

However, at a pump flowrate beyond the threshold value, an unreacted reaction liquid outflows from the other end of the pipe, which in turn decreases the generation efficiency of ferromagnetic particles.

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