Liquid feed auxiliary device, cell treatment device, and liquid feed auxiliary method

Abstract

To provide a liquid feed auxiliary device, a cell treatment device, and a liquid feed auxiliary method capable of suppressing pulsation of liquid flowing through a flow passage.SOLUTION: A liquid feed auxiliary device includes a tube which can expand and contract in accordance with a flow velocity of liquid flowing in an inside thereof, and a holding member which holds the tube with relatively small force when the tube expands and holds the tube with relatively large force when the tube contracts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The disclosed technology relates to a liquid delivery assisting device, a cell processing device, and a liquid delivery assisting method. [Background technology]

[0002] The following techniques are known as techniques for suppressing pulsation of a liquid flowing through a flow path. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a pulsation prevention device that includes a flexible tube and a member that acts as an elastic body that elastically restricts the cross-sectional area of ​​the tube to less than the maximum cross-sectional area.

[0003] Patent Document 2 describes a pressure fluctuation prevention device having a flexible tube, an operating member that presses and deforms the flexible tube, and a resilient pressure mechanism that resiliently presses the operating member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-275889 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-259253 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Tube pumps are commonly known as devices for delivering liquid. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the configuration of a tube pump. A tube pump 200 includes a rotating unit 201 having a rotation axis at its center, rollers 202 attached to the periphery of the rotating unit 201, and a flexible tube 204 attached to an outer wall 203 surrounding the periphery of the rotating unit 201 so as to have a portion in contact with the rollers 202. The portion of the tube 204 in contact with the rollers 202 is sandwiched between the rollers 202 and the outer wall 203. As the rotating unit 201 rotates, the rollers 202 compress the tube 204 while rotating, generating negative pressure on the suction side of the tube 204, which allows the liquid to be sucked into the tube. The liquid sucked into the tube is sent to the discharge side by the rotation of the rotating unit 201. This operation is repeated, enabling continuous liquid delivery.

[0006] When using a tube pump to deliver liquid, the liquid to be delivered does not come into contact with any components other than the tube, which reduces the risk of the liquid becoming contaminated. For this reason, tube pumps are particularly useful as a liquid delivery device for cell processing devices, for example.

[0007] However, tube pumps have the disadvantage of generating pulsation due to their operating principle. When using a tube pump to transport liquid, the flow rate fluctuates periodically during transport. This periodic fluctuation in flow rate is called pulsation. In applications where liquid transport at a constant flow rate is required, pulsation can be detrimental.

[0008] The disclosed technology has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to suppress pulsation of liquid flowing through a flow path. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The liquid delivery assisting device according to the disclosed technology has a tube that can expand and contract according to the flow rate of the liquid flowing through it, and a gripping member that grips the tube with a relatively small force when the tube expands and with a relatively large force when the tube contracts.

[0010] The gripping member may grip the tube by magnetic force. The gripping member may have a magnet and a magnetic body facing each other with the tube in between. The gripping member may have a pair of magnets with opposite polarities on the surfaces facing each other with the tube in between.

[0011] The gripping member may be detachable from the tube. The tube may be single-use.

[0012] The gripping member may grip the tube so that a cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path formed by the tube, which is perpendicular to a direction of liquid flow, becomes smaller than that in a natural state.

[0013] The cell processing device according to the disclosed technology includes a filter device having a hollow fiber membrane that performs a liquid filtration process, a tube pump that delivers liquid toward the filter device, and the above-mentioned liquid delivery auxiliary device that is provided on the flow path between the filter device and the tube pump.

[0014] The liquid transport assisting method according to the disclosed technology is a liquid transport assisting method when liquid is transported using a tube that can expand and contract according to the flow rate of the liquid flowing therethrough, and includes grasping the tube with a relatively small force when the tube expands, and grasping the tube with a relatively large force when the tube contracts. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the disclosed technology, it is possible to suppress pulsation of the liquid flowing through the flow path. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a tube pump. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a configuration of a liquid delivery assisting device according to an embodiment of the disclosed technique; [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a liquid delivery assisting device according to an embodiment of the disclosed technique. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a liquid delivery assisting device according to an embodiment of the disclosed technique. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a gripping member in a state where the gripping member is not gripping a tube according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of a change in state of a cross section of a tube when a pulsating liquid is circulated through the tube. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a damper mechanism. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a liquid delivery assisting device according to another embodiment of the disclosed technology. [Figure 9A] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of the state of an orthogonal cross section of a tube when a pulsating liquid is circulated inside the tube gripped by a gripping member according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. [Figure 9B] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of the state of an orthogonal cross section of a tube when a pulsating liquid is circulated inside the tube gripped by a gripping member according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a liquid delivery assisting device according to another embodiment of the disclosed technology. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a cell processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the disclosed technology. [Figure 12A] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an embodiment of a filtration process using a hollow fiber membrane. [Figure 12B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the flow direction of the liquid is almost perpendicular to the membrane surface of the hollow fiber membrane. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the disclosed technology will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0018] [First embodiment] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a liquid delivery assisting device 100 according to the first embodiment of the disclosed technology. The liquid delivery assisting device 100 includes a tube 10 and a gripping member 20. The tube 10 is a member that forms a liquid flow path and is a flexible tubular member that can expand and contract according to the flow rate of the liquid flowing therethrough. The tube 10 may be, for example, a silicone tube. The tube 10 may be connectable to a tube pump 200 as shown in FIG. 1, and liquid delivered from the tube pump 200 may flow through the inside of the tube 10. The liquid delivery assisting device 100 may be used, for example, as a component of a cell processing device, and the liquid flowing through the inside of the tube 10 may be, for example, a cell suspension. In this case, the tube 10 may be single-use (disposable).

[0019] 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views of the liquid delivery assisting device 100. FIG. 3 shows a cross section parallel to the flow direction of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10 (hereinafter referred to as the liquid flow direction), and FIG. 4 shows a cross section perpendicular to the liquid flow direction (hereinafter referred to as the orthogonal cross section). When no liquid is flowing inside the tube 10, the gripping member 20 grips the tube 10 so that the area of ​​the orthogonal cross section of the flow path formed by the tube 10 (hereinafter referred to as the orthogonal cross-sectional area) is smaller than that in the natural state. The natural state is a state in which no force is applied to the tube 10 and the tube 10 is neither expanded nor contracted. The orthogonal cross section of the tube 10 in the natural state is circular. When the tube 10 is gripped by the gripping member 20, the tube 10 is compressed, and the orthogonal cross section of the tube 10 becomes elliptical. As a result, the orthogonal cross-sectional area of ​​the tube 10 becomes smaller than the orthogonal cross-sectional area in the natural state.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the gripping member 20 when it is not gripping the tube 10. The gripping member 20 has a pair of first and second members 21 and 22 that face each other with the tube 10 sandwiched therebetween. A leaf spring 23 is provided between the first and second members 21 and 22. The elastic force of the leaf spring 23 applies a force in a closing direction to the ends E1 of the first and second members 21 and 22. As shown in FIG. 4, the tube 10 is gripped by sandwiching the tube 10 between the first and second members 21 and 22 at the ends E1. That is, the gripping member 20 grips the tube 10 by the elastic force of the leaf spring 23. When the tube 10 is gripped by the gripping member 20, the tube 10 is crushed, and the orthogonal cross-sectional area of ​​the tube 10 becomes smaller than the orthogonal cross-sectional area of ​​the tube 10 in its natural state.

[0021] The gripping member 20 is detachable from the tube 10. This allows the gripping member 20 to be used repeatedly even when the tube 10 is operated as a single-use device. Note that a torsion spring (torsion coil spring) can also be used instead of the leaf spring 23.

[0022] The liquid delivery assist device 100 according to this embodiment can suppress pulsation of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10. The reason for this is explained below. Fig. 6 shows an example of the change in the state of the orthogonal cross section of the tube 10 when a pulsating liquid is flowed through the tube 10. The upper part of Fig. 6 shows the case where the tube 10 is not gripped, and the lower part of Fig. 6 shows the case where the tube 10 is gripped so that the orthogonal cross section area of ​​the tube 10 is smaller than in its natural state.

[0023] When the tube 10 is not grasped (upper part of FIG. 6), the tube 10 is maintained in its natural state or is slightly contracted from its natural state when the flow rate of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10 is at its minimum. On the other hand, when the flow rate of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10 is at its maximum, the tube 10 expands due to the pressure of the liquid, and the orthogonal cross-sectional area of ​​the tube 10 becomes larger than the orthogonal cross-sectional area in the natural state.

[0024] When the tube 10 is gripped so that the area of ​​the cross section perpendicular to the liquid flow direction of the tube 10 is smaller than that in its natural state (lower part of Figure 6), the tube 10 is maintained in a compressed state when the flow rate of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10 is at its minimum, so that the orthogonal cross-sectional area of ​​the tube 10 is smaller than that in its natural state. On the other hand, when the flow rate of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10 is at its maximum, the tube 10 expands due to the pressure of the liquid, so that the orthogonal cross-sectional area of ​​the tube 10 is larger than that in its natural state.

[0025] 6, the difference (hereinafter referred to as the cross-sectional area difference) between the orthogonal cross-sectional area of ​​the tube 10 at the maximum flow velocity and the orthogonal cross-sectional area at the minimum flow velocity is shown by a hatched area. As is clear from comparing the two, by gripping the tube 10 with the gripping member 20 so that the orthogonal cross-sectional area of ​​the tube 10 is smaller than in its natural state, the cross-sectional area difference can be made larger than when the tube 10 is not gripped.

[0026] When the flow velocity becomes relatively large, the tube 10 expands to hold the liquid inside the tube 10, thereby suppressing the amount of liquid sent downstream, and when the flow velocity becomes relatively small, the tube 10 contracts to promote the sending of the liquid held inside the tube 10 downstream, thereby suppressing pulsation. In other words, pulsation occurring in the liquid flowing inside the tube 10 is suppressed by absorbing the pulsation through the expansion and contraction of the tube 10. By increasing the cross-sectional area difference (the difference between the orthogonal cross-sectional area of ​​the tube 10 at the maximum flow velocity and the orthogonal cross-sectional area at the minimum flow velocity), the ability of the tube 10 to absorb pulsation through expansion and contraction can be improved.

[0027] According to the liquid delivery assist device 100 of the embodiment of the disclosed technique, the gripping member 20 grips the tube 10 so that the orthogonal cross-sectional area of ​​the tube 10 is smaller than the orthogonal cross-sectional area of ​​the tube 10 in its natural state, thereby increasing the cross-sectional area difference. This increases the ability of the tube 10 to absorb pulsation caused by expansion and contraction, thereby suppressing pulsation of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10.

[0028] It is also possible to use a tube whose orthogonal cross section has an elliptical shape in its natural state. However, in this case, the elastic force of the tube itself acts to inhibit the expansion of the tube 10 as it expands from its natural state. On the other hand, according to the liquid delivery assisting device 100 of the embodiment of the disclosed technology, the gripping member 20 compresses the tube 10 from its natural state. Therefore, during the expansion of the tube 10, the elastic force of the tube 10 itself acts to promote the expansion of the tube 10 until it returns to its natural state. Therefore, according to the liquid delivery assisting device 100, it is possible to enhance the effect of suppressing pulsation compared to using a tube whose orthogonal cross section has an elliptical shape in its natural state.

[0029] A commonly known method for suppressing pulsation of a liquid flowing through a flow path is to connect a damper mechanism 210, such as an air chamber or a tube damper, to the flow path, as shown in FIG. 7. However, this method complicates the flow path due to the installation of the damper mechanism 210, making preparation cumbersome. In particular, when the flow path is operated as a single-use device, the increased effort required for replacement can increase work time and the risk of work errors. Furthermore, this method results in a large dead volume, making it unsuitable for transporting expensive liquids such as pharmaceuticals and regenerative medicine products.

[0030] On the other hand, with the fluid delivery assist device 100 according to the embodiment of the disclosed technology, the effect of suppressing pulsation can be achieved simply by attaching the gripping member 20 to the tube 10. Furthermore, the gripping member 20 is detachable from the tube 10, allowing for easy attachment and detachment. This minimizes the work time and the risk of work errors, even when the flow path is operated for single use. Furthermore, the tube 10 that forms the flow path itself has a damping function, eliminating the need for a separate damping mechanism. This makes it possible to avoid the occurrence of dead volume, making the device suitable for use in delivering expensive liquids such as pharmaceuticals and regenerative medicine products.

[0031] [Second embodiment] 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a liquid delivery assisting device 100A according to a second embodiment of the disclosed technology. The liquid delivery assisting device 100A includes a tube 10 and a gripping member 20A. Similar to the liquid delivery assisting device 100 according to the first embodiment, the tube 10 is a member that forms a liquid flow path and is a flexible tubular member that can expand and contract according to the flow rate of the liquid flowing therethrough.

[0032] The gripping member 20 according to the first embodiment grips the tube 10 by the elastic force of the leaf spring 23. The elastic force of the leaf spring 23 becomes relatively large when the tube 10 expands and becomes relatively small when the tube 10 contracts. Therefore, the gripping member 20 according to the first embodiment grips the tube 10 with a relatively large force when the tube 10 expands and grips the tube 10 with a relatively small force when the tube 10 contracts. On the other hand, the gripping member 20A according to the second embodiment grips the tube 10 with a relatively small force when the tube 10 expands and grips the tube 10 with a relatively large force when the tube 10 contracts. That is, in the gripping member 20A according to the second embodiment, the manner in which the gripping force changes in response to the expansion and contraction of the tube 10 is opposite to that of the gripping member 20 according to the first embodiment.

[0033] The gripping member 20A has a pair of first and second members 21A and 22A that face each other with the tube 10 sandwiched therebetween. The first and second members 21A and 22A are connected to each other at a connecting portion 24 provided in the center of their longitudinal direction. The connecting portion 24 forms a rotation axis that is parallel to the flow direction of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10, and the first and second members 21A and 22A are rotatable with the connecting portion 24 as a fulcrum.

[0034] A magnet 25 is provided at the end E1 of the first member 21A, and the end E1 of the second member 22A is made of a magnetic material such as iron. The entire second member 22 may be made of a magnetic material. A magnetic force generated by the proximity of the magnet 25 and the magnetic material acts on the end E1 of the first member 21A and the second member 22A in a closing direction. The tube 10 is held by sandwiching it between the end E1 of the first member 21A and the second member 22A. That is, the holding member 20A holds the tube 10 by the magnetic force of the magnet 25. Holding the tube 10 by magnetic force makes it possible to make the holding force relatively small when the tube 10 expands and relatively large when the tube 10 contracts. As with the gripping member 20 of the first embodiment, it is preferable that the gripping member 20A grips the tube 10 so that the orthogonal cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path formed by the tube 10 is smaller than in its natural state when no liquid is flowing inside the tube 10.

[0035] The gripping member 20A is detachable from the tube 10. This allows the gripping member 20A to be used repeatedly even when the tube 10 is operated as a single-use device.

[0036] As described above, when the flow rate becomes relatively large, the tube 10 is expanded to retain the liquid inside the tube 10, thereby suppressing the amount of liquid sent downstream, and when the flow rate becomes relatively small, the tube 10 is contracted to promote the sending of the liquid held inside the tube 10 downstream, thereby suppressing the pulsation of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10.

[0037] When the tube 10 is gripped by the elastic force of a spring, the gripping force increases as the tube 10 expands, and therefore the force that inhibits expansion increases as the tube 10 expands. Also, when the tube 10 is gripped by the elastic force of a spring, the gripping force decreases as the tube 10 contracts, making it difficult to crush the tube 10 to a state that is more contracted than its natural state. In other words, when the tube 10 is gripped by the elastic force of a spring, the effect of suppressing the pulsation of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10 may be limited.

[0038] The liquid delivery assisting device 100A according to the second embodiment of the disclosed technology can more effectively suppress pulsation of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10 than when the tube 10 is gripped by the elastic force of a spring. The reason for this is explained below. FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams each showing an example of the state of an orthogonal cross section of the tube 10 when a pulsating liquid is circulated inside the tube 10 gripped by a gripping member 20A. FIG. 9A shows a case where the flow rate of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10 is high, and FIG. 9B shows a case where the flow rate of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10 is low.

[0039] When the flow rate of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10 is high, the tube 10 expands, as shown in Fig. 9A, and the distance between the first member 21A and the second member 22A that make up the gripping member 20A increases. This reduces the magnetic force of the magnet 25, and the force with which the gripping member 20A grips the tube 10 decreases. On the other hand, when the flow rate of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10 is low, the distance between the first member 21A and the second member 22A that make up the gripping member 20A decreases, as shown in Fig. 9B. This increases the magnetic force of the magnet 25, and the force with which the gripping member 20A grips the tube 10 increases.

[0040] In this way, with the gripping member 20A that grips the tube 10 by magnetic force, the force that grips the tube 10 decreases as the tube 10 expands, thereby suppressing the force that inhibits the expansion of the tube 10. Furthermore, the force that grips the tube 10 increases as the tube 10 contracts, making it possible to crush the tube 10 to a state that is more contracted than its natural state. Therefore, with the liquid delivery assist device 100A according to the second embodiment, it is possible to more effectively suppress the pulsation of the liquid flowing inside the tube 10 than when the tube 10 is gripped by the elastic force of a spring.

[0041] In the above description, the gripping member 20A has a magnet 25 and a magnetic body that face each other with the tube 10 therebetween, but the disclosed technology is not limited to this. As shown in Fig. 10, the gripping member 20A may have a pair of magnets 25A and 25B that have opposite polarities on the surfaces that face each other with the tube 10 therebetween.

[0042] [Third embodiment] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a cell processing device 500 according to a third embodiment of the disclosed technology. The cell processing device 500 may be used, for example, in the manufacture of regenerative medicine products. Regenerative medicine products are created by subjecting living human or animal cells or tissues to processing such as culturing, and are used to reconstruct, repair, or form the structure or function of the body, to treat or prevent disease, or to be introduced into human cells for gene therapy. Regenerative medicine products include, for example, cultured skin and cultured cartilage.

[0043] The cell processing device 500 according to this embodiment performs a cell washing process and includes the above-described liquid supply assisting device 100 or 100A. The cell processing device 500 further includes a tube pump 200, a filter device 300, and a container 400.

[0044] A liquid 50 is stored in the container 400. The liquid 50 is a cell suspension. The tube pump 200 sends the liquid 50 stored in the container 400 toward the filter device 300. A flow path for the liquid 50 is formed by a flexible tube 10. A liquid sending assisting device 100 (100A) is provided on the flow path between the tube pump 200 and the filter device 300.

[0045] The filter device 300 has a hollow fiber membrane that filters the liquid 50. The filtrate that passes through the hollow fiber membrane and contains impurities such as low molecular weight molecules and protein components is discharged outside the circulation system. The liquid 50 from which the impurities have been removed by the filtration process using the filter device 300 is returned to the container 400. A flow path for supplying a cleaning liquid is connected to the flow path between the filter device 300 and the container 400. By supplying the cleaning liquid while discharging the filtrate, the liquid 50 is replaced, i.e., the cells are washed.

[0046] When the amount of filtrate discharged per unit time and the amount of cleaning liquid supplied per unit time are the same, the liquid replacement efficiency can be improved by reducing the amount of liquid circulating through the circulation system. However, when the amount of liquid circulating through the circulation system is small, the pulsation of the liquid caused by the operation of the tube pump becomes more pronounced. In systems equipped with a filter device having a hollow fiber membrane in the flow path, the adverse effects of pulsation become more severe.

[0047] 12A is a diagram showing a schematic view of a filtration process using a hollow fiber membrane 310. The filtration process using the hollow fiber membrane 310 is performed by a TFF (tangential flow filtration) method in which the liquid to be treated flows along the membrane surface of the hollow fiber membrane 310. The TFF method makes it possible to perform a continuous filtration process while suppressing clogging of the membrane surface of the hollow fiber membrane 310.

[0048] When pulsation occurs in the liquid supplied to the hollow fiber membrane 310, the flow rate of the liquid periodically becomes zero or close to zero. When the flow rate of the liquid supplied to the hollow fiber membrane 310 becomes close to zero, the filtration method changes from TFF to dead-end filtration. When the filtration process using the hollow fiber membrane 310 becomes dead-end filtration, the flow direction of the liquid becomes almost perpendicular to the membrane surface of the hollow fiber membrane 310, as shown in FIG. 12B. As a result, clogging (blockage) of the membrane surface of the hollow fiber membrane 310 becomes more likely to occur. Therefore, in a system equipped with a filter device having hollow fiber membranes in the flow path, it is particularly important to suppress pulsation of the liquid flowing through the flow path.

[0049] According to the cell processing device 500 of this embodiment, the liquid supply auxiliary device 100 (100A) is provided on the flow path between the filter device 300 having a hollow fiber membrane and the tube pump 200, so that it is possible to supply the liquid 50 with suppressed pulsation to the filter device 300. It has been confirmed that the liquid supply auxiliary device 100 (100A) suppresses pulsation in the liquid supplied to the filter device 300.

[0050] According to the cell processing device 500 of this embodiment, the flow rate of the liquid 50 supplied to the filter device 300 can be kept constant, which prevents the filtration process by the filter device 300 from becoming a dead-end filtration method. This makes it possible to reduce the risk of clogging (blockage) of the membrane surface of the hollow fiber membrane.

[0051] The following additional notes are further disclosed regarding the first to third embodiments described above. (Appendix 1) A tube that can expand and contract according to the flow rate of the liquid flowing inside; a gripping member that grips the tube with a relatively small force when the tube is expanded and grips the tube with a relatively large force when the tube is contracted; A liquid delivery assisting device having the same.

[0052] (Appendix 2) The gripping member grips the tube by magnetic force. 2. The liquid delivery assisting device according to claim 1.

[0053] (Appendix 3) The gripping member has a magnet and a magnetic body that face each other with the tube sandwiched therebetween. 10. The liquid delivery assisting device according to claim 1 or 2.

[0054] (Appendix 4) The gripping member has a pair of magnets with opposite polarities on the opposing surfaces sandwiching the tube therebetween. 10. The liquid delivery assisting device according to claim 1 or 2.

[0055] (Appendix 5) The gripping member is detachable from the tube. 5. A liquid delivery assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

[0056] (Appendix 6) The tube is single-use 6. A liquid delivery assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

[0057] (Appendix 7) The gripping member grips the tube so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path formed by the tube, which is perpendicular to the direction of liquid flow, becomes smaller than that in its natural state. 7. A liquid delivery assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

[0058] (Appendix 8) a filter device having a hollow fiber membrane for filtering a liquid; a tube pump that sends liquid toward the filter device; a liquid-transfer assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is provided on a flow path between the filter device and the tube pump; A cell processing device having the same.

[0059] (Appendix 9) A liquid transfer assisting method for transferring a liquid using a tube that can expand and contract depending on the flow rate of the liquid flowing therethrough, comprising: gripping the tube with a relatively small force when the tube is expanded and gripping the tube with a relatively large force when the tube is contracted. Fluid transfer assistance method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 10 tubes 20, 20A gripping member 21, 21A First member 22, 22A Second member 24 Connection 25, 25A, 25B magnets 50 liquid 100, 100A Liquid Transfer Auxiliary Device 200 tube pump 201 Rotating part 202 Laura 203 Exterior Wall 204 tubes 210 Damper mechanism 300 Filter Device 310 Hollow fiber membrane 400 containers 500 Cell Processing Devices

Claims

1. A tube that can expand and contract according to the flow rate of the liquid flowing inside; a gripping member that grips the tube with a relatively small force when the tube is expanded and grips the tube with a relatively large force when the tube is contracted; A liquid delivery assisting device having the same.

2. The gripping member grips the tube by magnetic force. The liquid delivery assisting device according to claim 1 .

3. The gripping member has a magnet and a magnetic body that face each other with the tube sandwiched therebetween. The liquid delivery assisting device according to claim 2 .

4. The gripping member has a pair of magnets with opposite polarities on the opposing surfaces sandwiching the tube therebetween. The liquid delivery assisting device according to claim 2 .

5. The gripping member is detachable from the tube. The liquid delivery assisting device according to claim 1 .

6. The tube is single-use The liquid delivery assisting device according to claim 1 .

7. The gripping member grips the tube so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path formed by the tube, which is perpendicular to the direction of liquid flow, becomes smaller than that in its natural state. The liquid delivery assisting device according to claim 1 .

8. a filter device having a hollow fiber membrane for filtering a liquid; a tube pump that sends liquid toward the filter device; a liquid delivery assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is provided on a flow path between the filter device and the tube pump; A cell processing device having the same.

9. A liquid transfer assisting method for transferring a liquid using a tube that can expand and contract depending on the flow rate of the liquid flowing therethrough, comprising: gripping the tube with a relatively small force when the tube is expanded and gripping the tube with a relatively large force when the tube is contracted. Fluid transfer assistance method.

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