Collection equipment and collection system

Abstract

This recovery implement (100) recovers subject material contained in a discharged liquid that is discharged from each of a plurality of treatment devices (1A, 1B, 1C) for treating samples. The recovery implement comprises: a plurality of filtration units (110A, 110B, 110C) that are provided corresponding to the plurality of treatment devices, the filtration units filtering the discharged liquid that is discharged from the corresponding treatment devices and extracting the subject material contained in the discharged liquid; a holder (101) that integrally accommodates the plurality of filtration units; and a discharge unit (102) that discharges a waste liquid that has passed through each of the plurality of filtration units. The holder can be detached from the discharge unit together with the plurality of filtration units in which the subject material resides.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present disclosure relates to a recovery device and a recovery system, and more particularly, to a recovery device for recovering a target substance contained in a discharge liquid discharged from each of a plurality of processing devices that process a sample, and a recovery system including the recovery device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a processing device capable of recovering a target substance to be recovered by processing a sample collected from the ocean or soil is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a purification device that decomposes impurities contained in a sample by introducing a decomposition liquid into a container containing the sample, and recovers a target substance having a specific gravity lighter than that of a heavy liquid by introducing the heavy liquid into the container after the impurities are decomposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] For example, when it is desired to process a plurality of samples collected at different locations in the ocean or soil in parallel, when it is desired to process a plurality of samples collected by different methods in parallel, or when it is desired to increase the number of specimens to be processed even for samples collected at the same location or by the same method, it may be considered to use a plurality of devices described in Patent Document 1. However, Patent Document 1 does not sufficiently discuss a method for recovering a target substance when a plurality of devices are used.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technique for improving the convenience when processing a sample using a plurality of processing devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A recovery device according to a certain aspect of this disclosure recovers a target substance contained in wastewater discharged from each of a plurality of processing devices that process a sample. The recovery device comprises a plurality of filtration units provided corresponding to each of the plurality of processing devices, which filter the wastewater discharged from the corresponding processing device to extract the target substance contained in the wastewater; a holder integrally housing the plurality of filtration units; and a discharge unit for discharging the wastewater that has passed through each of the plurality of filtration units. The holder is removable from the discharge unit together with the plurality of filtration units in which the target substance remains.

[0007] A recovery system according to other aspects of this disclosure comprises the recovery device described above and a plurality of processing devices. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, the holder integrally houses multiple filtration units, which filter the wastewater discharged from each of the multiple processing units, and also allow the wastewater that has passed through each of the multiple filtration units to be discharged. Furthermore, by removing the holder together with the multiple filtration units, the target substance remaining in each of the multiple filtration units can be recovered together, thereby improving convenience when processing a sample using multiple processing units. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart of the purification process performed by the control device of the processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a diagram illustrating the recovery system according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating a recovery device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the recovery device related to the modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated.

[0011] [Processing unit configuration] The main components of the processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the processing apparatus 1 comprises a purifier 10 for purifying a mixed sample and a control device 500 for controlling the purifier 10. The processing apparatus 1 processes the mixed sample by controlling the purifier 10 with the control device 500. Specifically, the processing apparatus 1 purifies the mixed sample and recovers the target substance contained in the mixed sample by controlling the purifier 10 with the control device 500. "Purification" includes extracting the target substance from the mixture using a decomposition solution and a heavy liquid, etc.

[0012] The "mixed sample" purified by the processing apparatus 1 may be in any form as long as it contains the target substance. For example, the "mixed sample" may be seawater and sand collected from the sea or coast, or processed products such as food or cosmetics. In this embodiment, seawater and sand collected from the sea or coast are used as an example of the "mixed sample". Hereafter, the "mixed sample" will also be simply referred to as the "sample".

[0013] The "target substance" to be recovered by the processing device 1 may take any form as long as it is a component that can be recovered by the processing device 1. For example, the "target substance" may be microplastics, which are fine plastic particles with a size of 5 mm or less. In this embodiment, the "target substance" may be microplastics contained in seawater and sand collected from the ocean or coast.

[0014] The purifier 10 comprises a container 50 for containing the sample, piping 11-22, pumps 31-33, solenoid valves 41-43, ports 61-64, a stirrer 71, a stirring bar 72, and a discharge pipe 80.

[0015] The container 50 includes a processing section 51 for processing a sample and an overflow section 52 located above the processing section 51, and is separable from the processing section 51 and the overflow section 52. Ports 61 to 64 are connected to the bottom of the processing section 51. The user opens the container 50 by removing the overflow section 52 from the processing section 51 and introduces the sample into the processing section 51 in the container 50. In this embodiment, the processing section 51 is configured as a cylindrical shape with a circular base, but the base of the processing section 51 is not limited to a circle and may have other shapes such as a polygon or an ellipse.

[0016] The sample contained in container 50 is contaminated thing The container 50 contains a processing solution such as a decomposition solution, which is used to treat the impurities. "Impurities" are foreign substances other than the target substance in the sample. In the embodiment, organic impurities having the properties of organic matter are given as examples of "impurities".

[0017] The container 50 has a transparency that allows the status of the decomposition process of impurities contained in the sample contained in the container 50 to be visible from the outside. For example, the processing section 51 and overflow section 52 of the container 50 are made of a transparent material (e.g., glass) so that the user can see inside the container 50 from the outside. Therefore, the user can check from the outside the status of the decomposition process of impurities using the decomposition solution that is being carried out inside the container 50.

[0018] Piping 11 connects the decomposition liquid reservoir 210 to the solenoid valve 41. Piping 12 connects the solenoid valve 41 to the pump 31. Piping 13 connects the pump 31 to the port 61 provided on the outer circumference of the container 50. In this way, the decomposition liquid reservoir 210 and the port 61 of the container 50 are connected by piping 11, 12, and 13 via the solenoid valve 41 and the pump 31.

[0019] The pipe 14 connects the heavy liquid reservoir 220 and the solenoid valve 42. The pipe 15 connects the solenoid valve 42 and the pump 32. The pipe 16 connects the pump 32 and the port 62 provided on the outer peripheral portion of the container 50. Thus, the heavy liquid reservoir 220 and the port 62 of the container 50 are connected by the pipes 14, 15, and 16 via the solenoid valve 42 and the pump 32.

[0020] The pipe 17 connects the rinse liquid reservoir 230 and the solenoid valve 41. That is, while the solenoid valve 41 is connected to the decomposition liquid reservoir 210 by the pipe 11, it is also connected to the rinse liquid reservoir 230 by the pipe 1 7 Thus, the rinse liquid reservoir 230 and the port 61 of the container 50 are connected by the pipes 17, 12, and 13 via the solenoid valve 41 and the pump 31.

[0021] The pipe 18 connects the rinse liquid reservoir 230 and the solenoid valve 42. That is, while the solenoid valve 42 is connected to the heavy liquid reservoir 220 by the pipe 14, it is also connected to the rinse liquid reservoir 230 by the pipe 18. Thus, the rinse liquid reservoir 230 and the port 62 of the container 50 are connected by the pipes 18, 15, and 16 via the solenoid valve 42 and the pump 32.

[0022] The pipe 19 connects the waste liquid reservoir 240 and the solenoid valve 43. The pipe 20 connects the solenoid valve 43 and the pump 33. The pipe 21 connects the pump 33 and the port 63 provided on the outer peripheral portion of the container 50. Thus, the waste liquid reservoir 240 and the port 63 of the container 50 are connected by the pipes 19, 20, and 21 via the solenoid valve 43 and the pump 33.

[0023] Piping 22 connects the pump 33 to the port 64 located on the outer circumference of the container 50. That is, the pump 33 is connected to the port 63 of the container 50 by piping 21, while also being connected to the port 64 of the container 50 by piping 22. In this way, the waste liquid reservoir 240 and the port 64 of the container 50 are connected by piping 19, 20, and 22 via the solenoid valve 43 and the pump 33.

[0024] Piping 23 connects the waste liquid reservoir 250 and the solenoid valve 43. That is, the solenoid valve 43 is connected to the waste liquid reservoir 240 by piping 19, and also connected to the waste liquid reservoir 250 by piping 23. In this way, the waste liquid reservoir 250 and port 63 of container 50 are connected by piping 23, 20, and 21 via the solenoid valve 43 and pump 33. Also, the waste liquid reservoir 250 and port 64 of container 50 are connected by piping 23, 20, and 22 via the solenoid valve 43 and pump 33.

[0025] The decomposition liquid reservoir 210 stores a treatment liquid for treating impurities. The “treatment liquid” can be in any form as long as it treats organic impurities. In this embodiment, a decomposition liquid for decomposing organic impurities is exemplified as the “treatment liquid”. The “decomposition liquid” is an oxidizing agent such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or a mixture of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and iron(II) oxide (FeO). When the “sample” is seawater and sand, the “organic impurities” are, for example, wood chips and plankton mixed in the seawater or sand.

[0026] The heavy liquid reservoir 220 stores a heavy liquid for separating the sample by specific gravity difference. The "heavy liquid" can be in any form as long as it separates the sample by specific gravity difference. In the embodiment, the "heavy liquid" causes inorganic impurities having inorganic properties to settle by specific gravity difference. Examples of the "heavy liquid" are sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium iodide (NaI), zinc chloride (ZnCl2), etc. If the "sample" is seawater and sand, the "inorganic impurities" are sand, glass, or stones. The specific gravity of the "heavy liquid" is set to be greater than the specific gravity of the "target substance" to be recovered by the processing device 1, and less than the specific gravity of the "inorganic impurities". For example, if the "target substance" to be recovered by the processing device 1 is microplastics and the "inorganic impurities" are sand, glass, or stones, the specific gravity of the "heavy liquid" is set to be greater than the specific gravity of microplastics, and less than the specific gravity of sand, glass, and stones. Specifically, the specific gravity of the "heavy liquid" is set to approximately 1.5 to 1.7.

[0027] The rinse solution reservoir 230 stores the rinse solution, which is a cleaning solution used to clean the inside of the container 50. The "rinse solution" can be in any form as long as it is used to clean the inside of the container 50. For example, the "rinse solution" is water. In addition to cleaning the inside of the container 50, the "rinse solution" also has the role of diluting the decomposition solution introduced into the container 50.

[0028] Wastewater reservoirs 240 and 250 store wastewater such as heavy liquid, decomposition liquid, rinsing liquid, and seawater contained in the sample that is discharged from container 50.

[0029] Pump 31, in accordance with the control device 500, introduces the decomposition liquid from the decomposition liquid reservoir 210 or the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid reservoir 230 into the container 50 via port 61. For example, pump 31, in accordance with the control device 500, sucks in the decomposition liquid or rinse liquid via piping 12 and discharges the decomposition liquid or rinse liquid to port 61 via piping 13 by lowering the pressure on the suction side and increasing the pressure on the discharge side. The control device 500 can adjust the output volume (suction volume, discharge volume) of pump 31 by controlling pump 31.

[0030] Pump 32, in accordance with the control device 500, introduces heavy liquid from the heavy liquid reservoir 220 or rinse liquid from the rinse liquid reservoir 230 into container 50 via port 62. For example, pump 32, in accordance with the control device 500, sucks in the heavy liquid or rinse liquid via piping 15 and discharges the heavy liquid or rinse liquid to port 62 via piping 16 by lowering the pressure on the suction side and increasing the pressure on the discharge side. The control device 500 can adjust the output volume (suction volume, discharge volume) of pump 32 by controlling pump 32.

[0031] Pump 33, in accordance with the control of the control device 500, discharges the unwanted liquid in container 50 as waste liquid to waste liquid reservoir 240 or waste liquid reservoir 250 via port 63 or port 64. For example, pump 33, in accordance with the control of the control device 500, sucks in waste liquid from container 50 via piping 21 and 22 by lowering the pressure on the suction side and increasing the pressure on the discharge side, and discharges the waste liquid to waste liquid reservoirs 240 and 250 via piping 20. The control device 500 can adjust the output volume (suction volume, discharge volume) of pump 33 by controlling pump 33.

[0032] The solenoid valve 41 switches the path connected to the port 61 of the container 50 between the decomposition liquid reservoir 210 and the rinse liquid reservoir 230, according to the control of the control device 500.

[0033] The solenoid valve 42 switches the path connected to the port 62 of the container 50 between the heavy liquid reservoir 220 and the rinse liquid reservoir 230, according to the control of the control device 500.

[0034] The solenoid valve 43 switches the path connected to ports 63 and 64 of the container 50 between the waste liquid reservoir 240 and the waste liquid reservoir 250, according to the control of the control device 500. For example, waste liquid containing heavy liquid is discharged to the waste liquid reservoir 240, and waste liquid containing decomposition liquid is discharged to the waste liquid reservoir 250.

[0035] Port 61 introduces the decomposition liquid from the decomposition liquid reservoir 210 or the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid reservoir 230 into the container 50, which is delivered by pump 31. Port 62 introduces the heavy liquid from the heavy liquid reservoir 220 or the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid reservoir 230 into the container 50, which is delivered by pump 32. Ports 63 and 64 discharge the waste liquid in the container 50 to pump 33, which is driven by pump 33. The waste liquid delivered by pump 33 is discharged to waste liquid reservoir 240 or waste liquid reservoir 250.

[0036] The purifier 10 supplements the target substance contained in the sample. capture The container 50 is further equipped with a strainer 300 that holds the contents inside. The strainer 300 is located inside the processing section 51, which is situated on the lower side of the container 50, which can be divided into two parts. The strainer 300 has a generally cage-like shape and a mesh size that is capable of capturing the target substance, microplastics. For example, the strainer 300 is made of SUS (Steel Use Stainless) and has multiple openings formed therein that are capable of capturing the target substance, microplastics. When the target substance is microplastics, the mesh size of the strainer 300 needs to be large enough to prevent particles between 0.1 mm and 5.0 mm from passing through, and is preferably about 0.1 mm.

[0037] The stirrer 71 is, for example, a constant-temperature stirrer and is located below the processing unit 51 in the container 50. The stirrer 71 stirs the sample in the container 50 by rotating a stirring bar 72 provided inside the container 50, according to the control of the control device 500. Furthermore, the stirrer 71 maintains a constant temperature of the sample in the container 50 by applying heat to the container 50 from below.

[0038] The discharge pipe 80 is connected to an outlet 55 located at the top of the overflow section 52 in the container 50, and discharges the supernatant liquid of the sample containing the target substance from the container 50 to the outside by overflow.

[0039] The filtration unit 110 recovers the target substance contained in the supernatant liquid by filtering the supernatant liquid of the sample discharged from the discharge pipe 80. The supernatant liquid that has passed through the filtration unit 110 is collected by the waste liquid reservoir 260. The filtration unit 110 has a mesh size that can capture the target substance, microplastics. For example, the filtration unit 110 is a stainless steel wire mesh or a PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) (Teflon®) membrane filter. If the target substance is microplastics, the mesh size of the filtration unit 110 needs to be large enough to prevent particles between 0.1 mm and 5.0 mm from passing through, and approximately 0.1 mm is preferred.

[0040] The control device 500 may be implemented as a general-purpose computer or as a dedicated computer for controlling the purifier 10. For example, the control device 500 may be an information terminal that performs predetermined information processing, such as a desktop PC (personal computer), a laptop PC, a smartphone, a smartwatch, a wearable device, and a tablet PC. The control device 500 controls the pumps 31-33, solenoid valves 41-43, and stirrer 71 in the purifier 10. The control device 500 corresponds to one embodiment of the “computer” in this disclosure.

[0041] [Hardware configuration] The hardware configuration of the processing unit 1 will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the processing unit 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the control unit 500 comprises, as its main hardware elements, an arithmetic unit 501, a memory 502, a communication device 503, a display device 504, an input device 505, a data reading device 506, and a storage device 510.

[0042] The arithmetic unit 501 is a processor that reads programs stored in the storage 510 (for example, the control program 511 and the OS (Operating System) 513), expands the read programs into the memory 502, and executes them. For example, the arithmetic unit 501 executes the processing for controlling the purifier 10 (for example, the processing shown in Figures 3 and 4 below) by executing the control program 511. An example of a processor that is the arithmetic unit 501 is composed of, for example, a microcontroller, a CPU (central processing unit), or an MPU (Micro-processing unit). Although a processor has the function of executing various processes by executing a program, some or all of these functions may be implemented using dedicated hardware circuits such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The term "processor" is not limited to processors that execute processing in a stored-program manner, such as a CPU or MPU, but may also include hardwired circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs. Therefore, the processor can also be interpreted as a processing circuitry whose processing is predefined by computer-readable code and / or hardwired circuitry. The arithmetic unit 501 may consist of one chip or multiple chips. Furthermore, the processor and associated processing circuitry may consist of multiple computers interconnected by wired or wireless means, such as a local area network or wireless network. The processor and associated processing circuitry may also consist of a cloud computer that remotely performs calculations based on input data and outputs the calculation results to other devices located at a distance.

[0043] Memory 502 provides a storage area for temporarily storing program code or work memory when the arithmetic unit 501 executes an arbitrary program. Memory 502 may be one or more non-transitory computer-readable media. Memory 502 consists of volatile memory such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), or non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) or flash memory.

[0044] The communication device 503 includes an interface for outputting control signals to control the pumps 31-33, solenoid valves 41-43, or stirrer 71 of the purifier 10. The communication device 503 may also include an interface for sending and receiving data to and from other devices via a network (not shown). In this case, the communication device 503 supports any communication method, such as Ethernet®, wireless LAN (Local Area Network), or Bluetooth®.

[0045] The display device 504 is composed of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and displays a program design screen for controlling the purifier 10, a settings screen for controlling the purifier 10, or an alert screen for abnormalities.

[0046] The input device 505 is, for example, a keyboard or mouse, and is operated by the user. The input device 505 may also be a touch panel provided on the screen of the display device 504. When the user operates the input device 505, an input signal corresponding to that operation is input to the arithmetic unit 501. Upon receiving the input signal from the input device 505, the arithmetic unit 501 outputs control signals based on the user's input to the pumps 31-33, solenoid valves 41-43, or stirrer 71 of the refiner 10. The pumps 31-33, solenoid valves 41-43, or stirrer 71 operate according to the control signals from the arithmetic unit 501.

[0047] The data reading device 506 reads the data stored in the recording medium 507. The recording medium 507 may be a non-transitory and tangible computer-readable storage medium. The recording medium 507 may take any form that can record various types of data, such as a CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory.

[0048] The storage 510 provides a storage area for storing various data necessary for the refining process and other operations. The storage 510 may be one or more computer-readable storage media. The storage 510 consists of a non-volatile memory device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage 510 stores the control program 511, the control data 512, and the OS 513.

[0049] The control program 511 is a program that describes the details of the purification process for purifying the sample, and is executed by the arithmetic unit 501. The control program 511 may be designed by the user using the input device 505, read from the recording medium 507 by the data reading device 506, or acquired via a network from another device such as a server by the communication device 503.

[0050] The control data 512 is data used by the arithmetic unit 501 when executing the control program 511. For example, the control data 512 includes data such as setting values ​​for controlling the pumps 31-33, solenoid valves 41-43, and stirrer 71. The control data 512 may be input by the user using the input device 505, read from the recording medium 507 by the data reading device 506, or obtained from other devices such as a server via a network using the communication device 503.

[0051] OS513 provides basic functions for the arithmetic unit 501 to perform various processes.

[0052] [Purification process] The sample purification process performed by the processing apparatus 1 will now be explained with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a flowchart of the purification process performed by the control device 500 of the processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. Each step shown in Figure 3 is realized by the arithmetic unit 501 of the control device 500 executing the OS 513 and the control program 511.

[0053] First, as preparation for the purification process, the user will use the overflow section 52 of Processing Unit 51 from By removing the container 50, the container 50 is opened, and the sample is introduced into the processing unit 51 within the container 50. Subsequently, the user starts the control of the purifier 10 by the control device 500 by performing a start operation using the input device 505 of the control device 500.

[0054] When the control device 500 starts controlling the purifier 10, the control device 500 controls the discharge pump 33 and solenoid valve 43 to discharge the liquid contained in the sample stored in the container 50 as waste liquid to the waste liquid reservoir 250 via the piping 20-23 and ports 63, 64 (S1). Substances other than liquid, such as microplastics, are captured by the strainer 300 installed inside the container 50 and retained within the container 50.

[0055] The control device 500 performs a decomposition process to decompose organic impurities contained in the sample stored in the container 50 using the decomposition liquid (S2). Specifically, the control device 500 stops the discharge pump 33 while controlling the introduction pump 31 and solenoid valve 41 to introduce the decomposition liquid in the decomposition liquid reservoir 210 into the container 50 via the piping 11-13 and port 61.

[0056] At this time, the control device 500 introduces a preset amount of decomposition solution into the container 50 by controlling the discharge rate of the pump 31. For example, the decomposition of impurities using the decomposition solution must be performed inside the processing unit 51, which is equipped with a strainer 300, in order to capture microplastics with the strainer 300. For this reason, the amount of decomposition solution introduced in S1 is less than or equal to the capacity of the processing unit 51, for example, 150 ml or less.

[0057] After introducing the decomposition solution, the control device 500 controls the stirrer 71 to rotate the stirring bar 72 installed inside the container 50 while applying a constant temperature to the container 50, thereby stirring the sample (S3). The temperature inside the container 50, the rotation speed of the stirring bar 72, and the rotation time are all preset by the user. In this way, the control device 500 can promote the decomposition of organic contaminants using the decomposition solution by stirring the sample while applying heat. Although heating is not always necessary when stirring the sample, maintaining a constant temperature of the sample through heating promotes the decomposition of organic contaminants.

[0058] After the decomposition process, the control device 500 controls the discharge pump 33 and solenoid valve 43 to discharge the waste liquid in container 50 containing the sample after the decomposition of organic contaminants to the waste liquid reservoir 250 via piping 20-23 and ports 63, 64 (S4). The microplastics of the target substance are captured by a strainer 300 installed inside container 50 and retained inside container 50.

[0059] The control device 500 stops the discharge pump 33 while controlling the introduction pump 31 and solenoid valve 41, thereby introducing the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid reservoir 230 into the container 50 via the piping 17, 12, 13 and port 61 to clean the inside of the container 50 (S5). At this time, the control device 500 introduces a user-pre-set amount of rinse liquid into the container 50 by controlling the discharge rate of the pump 31. The amount of rinse liquid introduced in S4 is less than or equal to the capacity of the processing unit 51, for example, 150 ml or less.

[0060] The control device 500 stops the inlet pump 31 while controlling the outlet pump 33 and solenoid valve 43, thereby discharging the waste liquid after rinsing with the rinsing solution to the waste liquid reservoir 250 via the piping 20-23 and ports 63, 64 (S6). This cleans the inside of the container 50 with the rinsing solution. Microplastics of the target substance are captured by the strainer 300 installed inside the container 50 and retained inside the container 50. The control device 500 may then allow the sample to dry by leaving it as is for a predetermined period (for example, one day).

[0061] The control device 500 stops the discharge pump 33 while controlling the inlet pump 32 and solenoid valve 42, thereby introducing the heavy liquid from the heavy liquid reservoir 220 into the container 50 via the piping 14-16 and port 62 (S7). At this time, the control device 500 introduces a user-pre-set amount of heavy liquid into the container 50 by controlling the discharge rate of the pump 32.

[0062] The control device 500 stops the introduction pump 32 and leaves the sample as is for a predetermined period (for example, one day) (S8). When the heavy liquid is introduced into the sample in the container 50 and left to stand, the inorganic impurities contained in the sample settle near the bottom of the container 50 due to the difference in specific gravity. On the other hand, microplastics, which are the target substances and have a specific gravity lighter than the heavy liquid, float to the surface of the heavy liquid.

[0063] The control device 500 again controls the pump 32 and solenoid valve 42 to reintroduce the heavy liquid from the heavy liquid reservoir 220 into the container 50 via the piping 14-16 and port 62 (S9). At this time, the control device 500 introduces a user-pre-set amount of heavy liquid into the container 50 by controlling the discharge rate of the pump 32. Once the heavy liquid is reintroduced into the sample in the container 50 in this way, the liquid level of the gravity-separated sample gradually rises inside the container 50, and eventually the supernatant liquid of the sample reaches the outlet 55 of the container 50. The supernatant liquid of the sample is then discharged to the outside as discharge liquid through the outlet 55 and the discharge pipe 80.

[0064] The wastewater discharged through the discharge pipe 80 is filtered by the filtration unit 110, and only the wastewater that has passed through the filtration unit 110 is collected by the wastewater reservoir 260. Microplastics, which are components with a specific gravity lighter than heavy liquid, remain in the filtration unit 110.

[0065] After the microplastics are recovered by the purification of the sample, the control device 500 cleans the inside of the container 50 as a post-treatment. Specifically, the control device 500 controls the discharge pump 33 and solenoid valve 43 to discharge the waste liquid inside the container 50, after the microplastics have been recovered, to the waste liquid reservoir 240 via the piping 19-22 and ports 63, 64 (S10).

[0066] The control device 500 stops the discharge pump 33 while controlling the introduction pump 32 and solenoid valve 42, thereby introducing the rinse liquid from the rinse liquid reservoir 230 into the container 50 via the piping 18, 15, 16 and port 62, and cleaning the inside of the container 50 (S11). At this time, the control device 500 introduces a preset amount of rinse liquid into the container 50 by controlling the discharge rate of the pump 32.

[0067] The control device 500 stops the inlet pump 32 while controlling the outlet pump 33 and solenoid valve 43, thereby discharging the waste liquid in the container 50, after the rinse liquid has been introduced, to the waste liquid reservoir 240 via the piping 19-22 and ports 63, 64 (S12). This cleans the inside of the container 50 with the rinse liquid. After that, the control device 500 terminates the process related to this flow.

[0068] As described above, according to the apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the control device 500 automatically introduces the decomposition solution and heavy liquid into the sample contained in the container 50 at appropriate timings and for appropriate durations, and also discharges the waste liquid from the container 50. Therefore, the user does not need to introduce the decomposition solution and heavy liquid into the container 50 or discharge the waste liquid from the container 50 themselves. Furthermore, according to the apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the control device 500 automatically cleans the used container 50 after recovering the microplastics. As a result, the user can recover microplastics stably without relying on their own skills, and can purify the sample with high accuracy.

[0069] [Collection equipment] As described above, the processing device 1 is configured to perform a decomposition process on a sample contained in a container 50, and then, after the impurities have been decomposed, introduce a heavy liquid into the container, thereby discharging a liquid containing the target substance, which has a specific gravity lighter than the heavy liquid, to the outside as discharge liquid through the outlet 55 and the discharge pipe 80. For example, if you want to process multiple samples collected from different locations in the ocean or soil in parallel, or if you want to process multiple samples collected by different methods in parallel, or if you want to increase the number of samples to be processed even if they were collected from the same location or method, you can consider using multiple processing devices 1. By using multiple processing devices 1, multiple samples can be purified in parallel or simultaneously by each of the multiple processing devices 1 as a pretreatment for the analytical process of analyzing the samples, thus improving user convenience.

[0070] However, if multiple samples are purified in parallel or simultaneously using multiple processing units 1, the user must prepare multiple recovery devices to individually collect the wastewater discharged from each processing unit 1 by the action of the heavy liquid without mixing them. For example, when using the processing unit 1 shown in Figure 1, the user needs to prepare as many recovery devices as there are processing units 1, such as a filtration unit 110 for filtering the wastewater discharged from the discharge pipe 80 and a wastewater reservoir 260 for receiving the wastewater that has passed through the filtration unit 110. Therefore, the user must secure space to install multiple recovery devices corresponding to each of the multiple processing units 1, and furthermore, the user will need to expend effort to install the multiple recovery devices individually.

[0071] Furthermore, if multiple samples are purified in parallel or simultaneously using each of the multiple processing devices 1, there is a risk that the target substances recovered by each filtration unit 110 may become mixed if the multiple filtration units 110 corresponding to each of the multiple processing devices 1 are not correctly distinguished.

[0072] Therefore, this disclosure provides a recovery device 100 for collecting target substances contained in wastewater discharged from each of a plurality of processing devices 1, and a recovery system 1000 equipped with the recovery device 100.

[0073] The main components of the recovery device 100 and recovery system 1000 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the recovery system 1000 according to the embodiment. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the recovery device 100 according to the embodiment.

[0074] As shown in Figure 4, the recovery system 1000 according to this embodiment comprises a plurality of processing devices 1A, 1B, and 1C, and a recovery device 100. The recovery device 100 is a device for receiving the discharged liquid from the respective discharge pipes 80A, 80B, and 80C of the plurality of processing devices 1A, 1B, and 1C, and for recovering the target substance contained in the discharged liquid from each processing device 1A, 1B, and 1C.

[0075] As shown in Figure 5, the recovery device 100 comprises a plurality of filtration sections 110A, 110B, 110C, a holder 101, a discharge section 102, a sliding section 103, and a gripping section 104.

[0076] The multiple filtration units 110A, 110B, and 110C correspond to the filtration unit 110 described using Figure 1, and recover the target substance contained in the supernatant liquid by filtering the supernatant liquid of the sample discharged from the discharge pipe 80. The multiple filtration units 110A, 110B, and 110C are provided corresponding to each of the multiple processing devices 1. For example, as shown in Figure 4, filtration unit 110A is located near the outlet of the discharge pipe 80A of processing device 1A and receives the discharged liquid discharged from the discharge pipe 80A. Filtration unit 110B is located near the outlet of the discharge pipe 80B of processing device 1B and receives the discharged liquid discharged from the discharge pipe 80B. Filtration unit 110C is located near the outlet of the discharge pipe 80C of processing device 1C and receives the discharged liquid discharged from the discharge pipe 80C.

[0077] The holder 101 integrally houses multiple filtration units 110. Specifically, the holder 101 has multiple housing sections 106 with hole shapes for arranging each of the multiple filtration units 110. The user can attach the filtration units 110 to the holder 101 by fitting them into the housing sections 106. In the example in Figure 5, filtration unit 110A is fitted into housing section 106A, filtration unit 110B is fitted into housing section 106B, and filtration unit 110C is fitted into housing section 106C. The user can house each of the multiple filtration units 110 in the housing section 106 at the desired position. The bottom of the housing section 106 is open so that the waste liquid that has passed through the filtration units 110 flows downward and reaches the discharge section 102.

[0078] The holder 101 is equipped with multiple identification information 107 to identify each of the multiple filtration units 110. In the example shown in Figure 5, the identification information 107A for "A" is attached near the housing unit 106A that houses the filtration unit 110A, the identification information 107B for "B" is attached near the housing unit 106B that houses the filtration unit 110B, and the identification information 107C for "C" is attached near the housing unit 106C that houses the filtration unit 110C. This allows the user to correctly distinguish between the multiple filtration units 110 by checking the multiple identification information 107 corresponding to each of the multiple filtration units 110 attached to the holder 101.

[0079] The discharge section 102 is located below the holder 101 and receives waste liquid that has passed through each of the multiple filtration sections 110 and discharges it to a waste liquid reservoir 260 or the like. The discharge section 102 comprises a receiving section 1021 and a discharge port 1022. The receiving section 1021 is located below the multiple storage sections 106 formed in the holder 101 and receives waste liquid that has passed through each of the multiple filtration sections 110 housed in the holder 101. The receiving section 1021 is funnel-shaped and introduces the waste liquid received from each of the multiple filtration sections 110 into a common discharge port 1022. The discharge port 1022 discharges the waste liquid that has passed through each of the multiple filtration sections 110 and flowed through the receiving section 1021 to a waste liquid reservoir 260 or the like.

[0080] The slide portion 103 is located below the holder 101 and is configured to operate integrally with the holder 101. When the holder 101 and the slide portion 103 are mounted above the discharge portion 102, the slide portion 103 is positioned between the holder 101 and the discharge portion 102. The slide portion 103 can slide, for example, horizontally on the discharge portion 102 and can be removed from the discharge portion 102 by sliding beyond the length of the discharge portion 102. As the slide portion 103 slides on the discharge portion 102, the holder 101, which is integrally configured with the slide portion 103, can also slide on the discharge portion 102 and can be removed from the discharge portion 102 by sliding beyond the length of the discharge portion 102.

[0081] The gripping portion 104 is provided on the outer circumference of the holder 101. More preferably, the gripping portion 104 is provided on the outer circumference of the holder 101 at a position corresponding to the sliding direction. The user can grip the gripping portion 104 and slide the holder 101 and the sliding portion 103 while grasping the gripping portion 104. In the example of Figure 5, the gripping portion 104 is provided on the holder 101, but the gripping portion 104 may also be provided on the sliding portion 103.

[0082] Using the recovery device 100 configured as described above, the user can recover the target substance contained in the discharge liquid discharged from each of the multiple processing devices 1 in parallel or simultaneously using the recovery device 100. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the user arranges the multiple discharge pipes 80 of each of the multiple processing devices 1 to correspond individually to the multiple filtration units 110 attached to the recovery device 100. With the multiple processing devices 1 connected to the recovery device 100, the user purifies multiple samples in parallel or simultaneously using each of the multiple processing devices 1. The discharge liquid discharged from each of the multiple processing devices 1 is filtered by the multiple filtration units 110 corresponding to each of the multiple processing devices 1. As a result, the target substance purified by the corresponding processing device 1 is recovered in each of the multiple filtration units 110. The waste liquid that has passed through each of the multiple filtration units 110 is collected by the receiving unit 1021 and discharged to a waste liquid reservoir 260 or the like via the discharge port 1022.

[0083] Figure 5(A) shows the recovery device 100 before the holder 101 and slide portion 103 slide, and Figure 5(B) shows the recovery device 100 after the holder 101 and slide portion 103 have slid. As shown in Figure 5, the user can remove the holder 101 and the multiple filtration portions 110, which are integrally housed in the holder 101, from the discharge portion 102 by sliding the slide portion 103 together with the holder 101. Therefore, the user can obtain all the target substances recovered from each processing device 1 at once by sliding the holder 101 while grasping the gripping portion 104 and removing it from the discharge portion 102. The user can then pass all the target substances housed in the holder 101 to the next analysis step.

[0084] In this way, the user can collect the target substance obtained by each of the multiple processing devices 1 using a single collection device 100, without having to secure space to install multiple collection devices corresponding to each of the multiple processing devices 1, or to install multiple collection devices individually. For example, the user can purify multiple samples collected from different beaches simultaneously using each of the multiple processing devices 1, and collect the target substance, such as microplastics, obtained by the purification process using a single collection device 100. Thus, the collection device 100 and collection system 1000 according to this embodiment can improve convenience when purifying samples using multiple processing devices 1.

[0085] Furthermore, since the processing device 1 discharges the wastewater by overflow using heavy liquid, as shown in Figure 4, the tip of the discharge pipe 80 is connected to the holder 101 from above to below the filtration section 110. In this respect, the holder 101 is not removed by lifting it upwards towards the discharge section 102, but rather by sliding it along the discharge section 102 using the slide section 103. This allows the user to easily remove the holder 101 from the discharge section 102 without being obstructed by the tip of the discharge pipe 80. Note that the holder 101 may also be removable by lifting it upwards towards the discharge section 102.

[0086] Furthermore, the user can collect the waste liquid that has passed through each of the multiple filtration sections 110 using the receiving section 1021 and discharge it all together to a waste liquid reservoir 260 or the like via the discharge port 1022.

[0087] Furthermore, the user can distinguish the target substances recovered by each of the multiple filtration units 110 without mixing them together by using the identification information 107 attached to the holder 101 removed from the discharge unit 102.

[0088] [Collection device related to the modified example] Although the recovery device 100 according to the embodiment has been described above, the recovery device of this disclosure may be configured as the recovery device 600 according to the modified example shown in Figure 6. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the recovery device 600 according to the modified example.

[0089] As shown in Figure 6, the recovery device 600 is equipped with multiple discharge sections 102, each corresponding to a plurality of filtration sections 110. In the example in Figure 6, the recovery device 600 is equipped with multiple discharge sections 102A, 102B, and 102C. Discharge section 102A is equipped with a receiving section 1021A and a discharge port 1022A, receiving waste liquid that has passed through the filtration section 110A with the receiving section 1021A and discharging it through the discharge port 1022A. Discharge section 102B is equipped with a receiving section 1021B and a discharge port 1022B, receiving waste liquid that has passed through the filtration section 110B with the receiving section 1021B and discharging it through the discharge port 1022B. Discharge section 102C is equipped with a receiving section 1021C and a discharge port 1022C, receiving waste liquid that has passed through the filtration section 110C with the receiving section 1021C and discharging it through the discharge port 1022C.

[0090] Thus, the recovery device 600 is equipped with multiple discharge sections 102 corresponding to each of the multiple filtration sections 110, allowing the waste liquid discharged from each of the multiple treatment devices 1 to be discharged to the outside without mixing.

[0091] (Aspect) (Article 1) A recovery device according to one embodiment recovers a target substance contained in the wastewater discharged from each of a plurality of processing devices that process a sample. The recovery device is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of processing devices and comprises a plurality of filtration units that filter the wastewater discharged from the corresponding processing device to extract the target substance contained in the wastewater, a holder that integrally houses the plurality of filtration units, and a discharge unit that discharges the wastewater that has passed through each of the plurality of filtration units. The holder is removable from the discharge unit together with the plurality of filtration units in which the target substance remains.

[0092] According to the recovery device described in paragraph 1, the wastewater discharged from each of the multiple processing devices can be filtered by the multiple filtration units integrally housed in the holder, and the wastewater that has passed through each of the multiple filtration units can be discharged. Furthermore, by removing the holder together with the multiple filtration units, the target substance remaining in each of the multiple filtration units can be recovered together, thereby improving convenience when processing a sample using multiple processing devices.

[0093] (Article 2) The collection device described in Article 1 further comprises a sliding part provided between the holder and the discharge part, which is removable from the discharge part by sliding together with the holder on the discharge part.

[0094] According to the collection device described in paragraph 2, the user can easily remove the holder from the discharge section by sliding the sliding part together with the holder.

[0095] (Clause 3) The collection device described in paragraph 2 further comprises a gripping portion that can be grasped by the user to slide the holder over the discharge portion.

[0096] According to the retrieval device described in paragraph 3, the user can easily slide the sliding part together with the holder while grasping the gripping part.

[0097] (Article 4) In the collection device described in any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, the discharge section includes a common discharge port for discharging waste liquid that has passed through each of the multiple filtration sections.

[0098] According to the collection device described in paragraph 4, the user can discharge the waste liquid that has passed through each of the multiple filtration sections together through a common discharge port.

[0099] (Clause 5) In the collection device described in paragraph 4, the discharge section includes a funnel-shaped receiving section capable of receiving waste liquid that has passed through each of the multiple filtration sections and introducing it into the discharge port.

[0100] According to the collection device described in paragraph 5, the user can collect the waste liquid that has passed through each of the multiple filtration sections using a receiving section and discharge it together through a common discharge port.

[0101] (Article 6) In the recovery device described in any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, the discharge section is the plurality of filtration sections each It includes multiple discharge ports for individually discharging waste liquid that has passed through the system.

[0102] According to the collection device described in paragraph 6, the user can discharge the waste liquid that has passed through each of the multiple filtration sections without mixing them through individually corresponding discharge ports.

[0103] (Section 7) In the recovery device described in any one of paragraphs 1 to 6, the holder includes a plurality of housings in which each of the plurality of filtration units is arranged.

[0104] According to the collection device described in paragraph 7, the user can integrally house multiple filtration units in the holder by arranging each of the multiple filtration units in the multiple housings provided in the holder.

[0105] (Paragraph 8) In the recovery device described in any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, the holder is provided with multiple identification information for identifying each of the multiple filtration sections.

[0106] According to the recovery device described in paragraph 8, the user can distinguish the target substances recovered by each of the multiple filtration sections without mixing them together by the identification information attached to the holder.

[0107] (Section 9) In the recovery apparatus described in any one of paragraphs 1 to 8, each of the plurality of processing devices comprises a container for containing a sample and separating the sample by the difference in specific gravity using a heavy liquid, and a discharge pipe for discharging the waste liquid produced by the separation to the recovery apparatus. Each of the plurality of filtration units is positioned relative to the discharge pipe of the corresponding processing device.

[0108] According to the recovery device described in paragraph 9, the user can recover the target substance obtained by simultaneously processing multiple samples with each of the multiple processing devices by placing the discharge pipe of each of the multiple processing devices into the corresponding filtration section.

[0109] (Item 10) In the collection device described in any one of items 1 to 9, the target substance is microplastics.

[0110] According to the recovery device described in paragraph 10, microplastics remaining in each of the multiple filtration sections can be collected together, thereby improving convenience when processing samples using multiple processing devices.

[0111] (Clause 11) A recovery system according to one embodiment comprises a recovery device described in any one of paragraphs 1 to 9 and a plurality of processing devices.

[0112] According to the recovery system described in paragraph 11, the wastewater discharged from each of the multiple processing devices can be filtered by multiple filtration units integrally housed in a holder, and the wastewater that has passed through each of the multiple filtration units can be discharged. Furthermore, by removing the holder together with the multiple filtration units, the target substance remaining in each of the multiple filtration units can be recovered together, thereby improving convenience when processing samples using multiple processing devices.

[0113] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the description of the embodiments above, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0114] 1,1A,1B,1C Processing equipment, 10 Purifier, 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23 Piping, 31,32,33 Pump, 41,42,43 Solenoid valve, 50 Container, 51 Processing unit, 52 Overflow unit, 55 Discharge port, 61,62,63,64 Port, 71 Stirrer, 72 Stirring bar, 80,80A,80B,80C Discharge pipe, 100,600 Recovery device, 101 Holder, 102,102A,102B,102C Discharge unit, 103 Slide unit, 104 Gripping unit, 106,106A,106B,106C Storage unit, 107,107A,107B,107C Identification information, 110, 110A, 110B, 110C Filtration section, 210 Decomposition liquid reservoir, 220 Heavy liquid reservoir, 230 Rinse liquid reservoir, 240, 250, 260 Waste liquid reservoir, 300 Strainer, 500 Control device, 501 Calculation unit, 502 Memory, 503 Communication device, 504 Display device, 505 Input device, 506 Data reading device, 507 Recording medium, 510 Storage, 511 Control program, 512 Control data, 1000 Recovery system, 1021, 1021A, 1021B, 1021C Receiving section, 1022, 1022A, 1022B, 1022C Discharge port.

Claims

1. A recovery device for recovering target substances contained in the discharged liquid from each of multiple processing devices that process a sample, Each of the aforementioned plurality of processing devices is provided with a plurality of filtering units that filter the discharged liquid from the corresponding processing device and extract the target substance contained in the discharged liquid, A holder that integrally houses the aforementioned multiple filtration units, The system includes a discharge unit that discharges the waste liquid that has passed through each of the aforementioned multiple filtration units, The holder is a recovery device that can be removed from the discharge section along with the plurality of filter sections in which the target substance remains.

2. The recovery device according to claim 1, further comprising a sliding part provided between the holder and the discharge part, which is removable from the discharge part by sliding together with the holder on the discharge part.

3. The recovery device according to claim 2, further comprising a gripping portion that can be gripped by a user for sliding the holder on the discharge portion.

4. The recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge section includes a common discharge port for discharging waste liquid that has passed through each of the plurality of filtration sections.

5. The recovery device according to claim 4, wherein the discharge section includes a funnel-shaped receiving section capable of receiving waste liquid that has passed through each of the plurality of filtration sections and introducing it into the discharge port.

6. The recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge section includes a plurality of discharge ports for individually discharging waste liquid that has passed through each of the plurality of filtration sections.

7. The recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the holder includes a plurality of housing sections for arranging each of the plurality of filtration sections.

8. The recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the holder is provided with a plurality of identification pieces for identifying each of the plurality of filtration sections.

9. Each of the plurality of processing devices comprises a container for containing the sample and separating the sample by the difference in specific gravity using a heavy liquid, and a discharge pipe for discharging the discharge liquid produced by the separation to the recovery device. The recovery device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of filtration sections is positioned relative to the discharge pipe of the corresponding processing device.

10. The collection device according to claim 1, wherein the target substance is microplastic.

11. The recovery device described in claim 1, A recovery system comprising the aforementioned plurality of processing devices.

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