Apparatus, method, and program

Abstract

To provide a device, a method, and a program which are capable of reliably detecting a small amount of liquid leakage which is difficult to determine from a pressure of a flow channel, and furthermore, capable of efficiently performing a series of actions from detection of liquid leakage of the flow channel to disposal of reaction fluid and recovery of a raw material.SOLUTION: There is provided a device comprising: an image acquisition part which acquires an image created by imaging a state of a flow channel in a flow reactor into which fluid is flowed to cause reaction; and a detection part which detects liquid leakage of the flow channel on the basis of the acquired image. The device is equipped with detection members 122, 149 for detecting the liquid leakage of the flow channel, the image acquisition part acquires an image of the detection member, the detection part detects the liquid leakage of the flow channel on the basis of the image of the detection member. The detection member includes a frosted glass. The detection member is arranged below the flow channel, the image acquisition part acquires an image of the frosted glass of the detection member, the detection part detects the liquid leakage of the flow channel corresponding to detection of a change in at least one of color and brightness in the image of the frosted glass.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus, a method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes "a liquid storage pan for storing liquid leaked at the lower part of a fluid reaction device and a liquid leakage sensor for detecting the leaked liquid". Patent Document 2 describes "a leakage detection flow path for detecting leakage of the first and second solutions or the reaction product solution thereof from the flow path". Patent Document 3 describes "making the pressure of the sealing fluid in the sealing fluid atmosphere higher than the pressure of the flowing fluid in the fluid flow path". Patent Document 4 describes "a first leakage detection sensor 16a is provided in the first-stage microreactor 10A, a second leakage detection sensor 16b is provided in the second-stage microreactor 10B, and a third leakage detection sensor 16c is provided in the third-stage microreactor 10C, respectively". [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents] Patent Document 1 International Publication No. 2006 / 043642 Patent Document 2 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-98237 Patent Document 3 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-289249 Patent Document 4 International Publication No. 2019 / 049547

Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the state of a flow path in a flow reactor that allows a fluid to flow and react, and a detection unit that detects liquid leakage in the flow path based on the acquired image. <​​​​​​In the above-described apparatus, when liquid leakage occurs from the flow path, at least a portion of the detection member undergoes a change in transparency, color, brightness, or shape.

[0006] In the above-described apparatus, the detection member includes frosted glass.

[0007] In the above-described apparatus, the detection member is positioned below the flow path, the image acquisition unit acquires an image of the frosted glass of the detection member as the state of the flow path, and the detection unit detects liquid leakage in the flow path in response to detecting a change in at least one of the color and brightness in the image of the frosted glass.

[0008] In any of the above-described devices, the detection member has a containment section that houses the flow path in a detection liquid, the image acquisition section acquires an image of the detection liquid in the containment section as the state of the flow path, and the detection section detects liquid leakage in the flow path based on the image of the detection liquid.

[0009] In the above-described apparatus, the detection unit detects liquid leakage in the flow path by detecting a change in at least one of the color and brightness in the image of the liquid.

[0010] In any of the above-described devices, the image acquisition unit acquires an image of the surroundings of the flow path as the state of the flow path, and the detection unit detects liquid leakage from the flow path in response to detecting fluctuations in the light around the flow path.

[0011] In any of the above-mentioned devices, the image acquisition unit acquires an image of the flow path state captured by an infrared camera.

[0012] In any of the above-mentioned devices, the image acquisition unit acquires a three-dimensional image of the flow path state captured by multiple cameras.

[0013] In any of the above-described devices, the image acquisition unit acquires an image of the state of the flow channel using at least one of the following as a light source: near-infrared light, LED, laser, and light reflected by a diffuser plate.

[0014] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method. The method comprises the steps of acquiring an image of the state of a flow channel in a flow reactor through which a fluid is flowed and reacted, and detecting liquid leakage in the flow channel based on the acquired image.

[0015] In a third aspect of the present invention, a program is provided. The program causes a computer to function as an image acquisition unit that acquires images of the state of the flow path in a flow reactor that causes a fluid to flow and react, and as a detection unit that detects liquid leakage in the flow path based on the acquired images.

[0016] It should be noted that the above summary of the invention does not enumerate all the necessary features of the present invention. Furthermore, subcombinations of these features may also constitute an invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the reaction apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] A diagram illustrating a part of the reaction section 100 is shown. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a detection member in this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing another example of the detection member in this embodiment. [Figure 5] A block diagram of the control unit 200 is shown. [Figure 6] The reaction flow in the reaction apparatus 10 of this embodiment is shown. [Figure 7] Examples of a computer 2200 in which multiple aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part are shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] The present invention will be described below through embodiments, but these embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Furthermore, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the reaction apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. The reaction apparatus 10 mixes a plurality of types of raw material fluids in a flow path in order to generate a target substance such as a peptide, and causes a reaction fluid, which is a mixture, to flow through the flow path to proceed with the reaction. The reaction apparatus 10 images the state of the flow path and detects liquid leakage from the flow path based on the captured image. The reaction apparatus 10 includes a reaction unit 100 and a control unit 200.

[0020] The reaction unit 100 is connected to the control unit 200. The reaction unit 100 may be a flow reactor such as a microflow reactor that generates a target substance by flow synthesis or the like. The reaction unit 100 includes a first raw material tank 102, a first pump 104, a first liquid feed pipe 106, a first recovery tank 108, a second raw material tank 112, a second pump 114, a second liquid feed pipe 116, a second recovery tank 118, a first mixer 120, a first inflow line 180, a first cleaning tank 182, a first detection member 122, a first reaction tube 132, a third raw material tank 134, a third pump 136, a third liquid feed pipe 138, a third recovery tank 142, a first waste tank 144, a second mixer 148, a second inflow line 190, a second cleaning tank 192, a second detection member 149, a second reaction tube 150, a second waste tank 154, a target substance tank 156, and an imaging unit 157. The liquid feed pipe, the mixer, and the reaction tube may each be individual components, and the reaction unit 100 combines a plurality of such components to form a flow path having a width in the range of several tens of micrometers to several tens of millimeters from the raw material tank to the target substance tank 156.

[0021] The first raw material tank 102 is connected to the first mixer 120 via the first pump 104 and the first liquid delivery pipe 106. The first raw material tank 102 stores the first raw material. The first pump 104 supplies the first raw material from the first raw material tank 102 to the first liquid delivery pipe 106 at a flow rate or flow volume according to the reaction conditions. The first liquid delivery pipe 106 may be a through hole or a tube formed in a plate-like cell made of metal or resin. The first raw material fluid, which is the first raw material, flows into one inlet of the first mixer 120 from the first liquid delivery pipe 106.

[0022] The first recovery tank 108 is connected between the first pump 104 and the first raw material tank 102 via the first recovery line 107 for recovering the first raw material fluid. The first recovery tank 108 stores the first raw material fluid recovered from the first liquid delivery pipe 106 in the recovery operation when liquid leakage occurs in the flow path.

[0023] The second raw material tank 112 is connected to the first mixer 120 via the second pump 114 and the second liquid delivery pipe 116. The second raw material tank 112 stores the second raw material. The second pump 114 supplies the second raw material from the second raw material tank 112 to the second liquid delivery pipe 116 at a flow rate or flow volume according to the reaction conditions. The second liquid delivery pipe 116 may be a through hole or a tube formed in a plate-like cell made of metal or resin. The second raw material fluid, which is the second raw material, flows into the other inlet of the first mixer 120 from the second liquid delivery pipe 116.

[0024] The second recovery tank 118 is connected between the second pump 114 and the second raw material tank 112 via the second recovery line 117 for recovering the second raw material fluid. The second recovery tank 118 stores the second raw material fluid recovered from the second liquid delivery pipe 116 in the recovery operation when liquid leakage occurs in the flow path.

[0025] The first mixer 120 has its discharge port connected to one end of the first reaction tube 132. The first mixer 120 may be a static mixer such as a T-shaped mixer or a Y-shaped mixer. The first mixer 120 mixes the first raw material fluid and the second raw material fluid flowing in from the two inlets inside and discharges the mixture as the first reaction fluid to the first reaction tube 132.

[0026] The first inflow line 180 may be provided in the first mixer 120 located in the middle of the flow path. The first cleaning tank 182 is connected to the first inflow line 180 for flowing cleaning fluid in the middle of the flow path. The first cleaning tank 182 contains cleaning fluid to be flowed into the first mixer 120 during a cleaning operation in the event of a reaction abnormality.

[0027] The first detection member 122 is positioned in contact with the first mixer 120. The first detection member 122 is a member for detecting liquid leakage in the flow path. When liquid leakage occurs in the first mixer 120, the first detection member 122 may undergo changes in transparency, color (at least one of hue, saturation, and brightness), or shape, at least in part.

[0028] The other end of the first reaction tube 132 is connected to the second mixer 148. The first reaction tube 132 may be a through-hole or tube formed in a plate-shaped cell of metal or resin. The first reaction fluid flows through the first reaction tube 132 and is discharged into one inlet of the second mixer 148. The reaction proceeds as the first reaction fluid flows through the first reaction tube 132. The length, width, or shape of the first reaction tube 132 may be set to adjust reaction conditions such as reaction time.

[0029] The third raw material tank 134 is connected to the second mixer 148 via a third pump 136 and a third liquid delivery pipe 138. The third raw material tank 134 contains the third raw material. The third pump 136 supplies the third raw material from the third raw material tank 134 to the third liquid delivery pipe 138 at a flow rate or flow rate according to the reaction conditions. The third liquid delivery pipe 138 may be a through-hole or tube formed in a plate-shaped cell of metal or resin. The third raw material fluid, which is the third raw material, flows from the third liquid delivery pipe 138 to the other inlet of the second mixer 148.

[0030] The third recovery tank 142 is connected between the third pump 136 and the third raw material tank 134 via a third recovery line 140 for recovering the third raw material fluid. The third recovery tank 142 contains the third raw material fluid recovered from the third liquid delivery pipe 138 during recovery operations in the event of a leak.

[0031] The first waste tank 144 is connected between the first mixer 120 and the second mixer 148 via the first waste line 143. The first waste tank 144 contains the first reaction fluid that is discarded from the first reaction tube 132 in the event of a leak in the flow path.

[0032] The second mixer 148 has its discharge port connected to one end of the second reaction tube 150. The second mixer 148 may be a static mixer such as a T-shaped mixer or a Y-shaped mixer. The second mixer 148 mixes the first reaction fluid and the third raw material fluid flowing in from the two inlets inside and discharges the mixture as a second reaction fluid to the second reaction tube 150.

[0033] The second inflow line 190 may be provided in the second mixer 148 located in the middle of the flow path. The second cleaning tank 192 is connected to the second inflow line 190 for flowing cleaning fluid into the middle of the flow path. The second cleaning tank 192 contains cleaning fluid to be flowed into the second mixer 148 during a cleaning operation in the event of a reaction abnormality.

[0034] The second detection member 149 is positioned in contact with the second mixer 148. The second detection member 149 is a member for detecting liquid leakage in the flow path. When liquid leakage occurs in the second mixer 148, at least a part of the second detection member 149 may change in transparency, color, or shape.

[0035] The other end of the second reaction tube 150 is connected to the target material tank 156. The second reaction tube 150 may be a through-hole or tube formed in a plate-shaped cell of metal or resin. The second reaction fluid flows through the second reaction tube 150 and is discharged into the target material tank 156. The reaction proceeds as the second reaction fluid flows through the second reaction tube 150. The length, width, or shape of the second reaction tube 150 may be set to adjust reaction conditions such as reaction time.

[0036] The second waste tank 154 is connected between the second mixer 148 and the target tank 156 via a second waste line 152. The second waste tank 154 contains the second reaction fluid that is discarded from the second reaction tube 150 in the event of a leak in the flow path.

[0037] The target product tank 156 contains the target product after the reaction of the second reaction fluid.

[0038] The imaging unit 157 is connected to the control unit and may be an infrared camera, a camera that captures two-dimensional images, or multiple cameras that capture three-dimensional images. The imaging unit 157 may be positioned to image the inside of the reaction unit 100. The imaging unit 157 may have a fixed relative position to each component of the reaction unit 100. The imaging unit 157 may output the data of the captured image to the control unit. The imaging unit 157 may be positioned as a single unit to image the entire reaction unit 100, or multiple units may be positioned to image multiple locations of the reaction unit 100, each separately.

[0039] The reaction unit 100 further includes a first pressure gauge 160, a second pressure gauge 162, a third pressure gauge 164, a first temperature measuring unit 170, a second temperature measuring unit 172, a third temperature measuring unit 176, a fourth temperature measuring unit 174, and a fifth temperature measuring unit 178.

[0040] The first pressure gauge 160 may be placed between the first pump 104 and the first mixer 120, for example, at the connection point between the first pump 104 and the first liquid delivery pipe 106. The first pressure gauge 160 may measure the pressure of the first raw material fluid supplied from the first pump 104 within the first liquid delivery pipe 106. Alternatively, the first pressure gauge 160 may measure the flow rate or velocity of the first raw material fluid within the first liquid delivery pipe 106 and calculate the pressure of the first raw material fluid from the measurement results.

[0041] The second pressure gauge 162 may be placed between the second pump 114 and the first mixer 120, for example, at the connection point between the second pump 114 and the second liquid delivery pipe 116. The second pressure gauge 162 may measure the pressure of the second raw material fluid supplied from the second pump 114 within the second liquid delivery pipe 116. The second pressure gauge 162 may also measure the flow rate or velocity of the second raw material fluid within the second liquid delivery pipe 116 and calculate the pressure of the second raw material fluid from the measurement results.

[0042] The third pressure gauge 164 may be positioned between the third pump 136 and the second mixer 148, for example, at the connection point between the third pump 136 and the third fluid delivery pipe 138. The third pressure gauge 164 may measure the pressure of the third raw material fluid supplied from the third pump 136 within the third fluid delivery pipe 138. The third pressure gauge 164 may also measure the flow rate or velocity of the third raw material fluid within the third fluid delivery pipe 138 and calculate the pressure of the third raw material fluid from the measurement results.

[0043] The first temperature measuring unit 170, the second temperature measuring unit 172, the third temperature measuring unit 176, the fourth temperature measuring unit 174, and the fifth temperature measuring unit 178 may measure the temperature of the fluid flowing inside the first liquid delivery pipe 106, the second liquid delivery pipe 116, the third liquid delivery pipe 138, the first reaction pipe 132, and the second reaction pipe 150, respectively. The first temperature measuring unit 170, the second temperature measuring unit 172, the third temperature measuring unit 176, the fourth temperature measuring unit 174, and the fifth temperature measuring unit 178 may each be a non-contact type optical temperature sensor, a resistance thermometer, a thermistor, or a thermocouple.

[0044] The control unit 200 is connected to the reaction unit 100 by wire or wireless connection. The control unit 200 controls the reaction unit 100 according to the set reaction conditions. The control unit 200 detects liquid leakage in the flow path and causes the reaction unit 100 to perform at least one of a recovery operation to recover raw materials and a disposal operation to discard the reaction fluid. The control unit 200 will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 5.

[0045] Figure 2 shows an explanatory diagram of a part of the reaction section 100. Figure 2 shows details of the area around the first recovery tank 108 and the first waste tank 144 of the reaction section 100 in Figure 1.

[0046] The first recovery tank 108 is connected between the first valve v1 and the first pump 104 via the first recovery line 107. The first recovery line 107 is located upstream of the first mixer 120 so that the first raw material fluid can be recovered before being mixed with other fluids. The first valve v1 is located between the first raw material tank 102 and the first pump 104. The second valve v2 is located in the first recovery line 107. The third valve v3 is located in the first reaction tube 132 between the first pump 104 and the first mixer 120, closer to the first mixer 120. The first valve v1, the second valve v2, and the third valve v3 are controlled to open and close by the control unit 200 during the recovery operation for the first recovery tank 108.

[0047] The first waste tank 144 is connected between the fourth valve v4 and the first mixer 120 via the first waste line 143. The fourth valve v4 is located between the first mixer 120 and the second mixer 148. The fifth valve v5 is located in the first waste line 143. The sixth valve v6 is located in the second liquid delivery pipe 116, between the second pump 114 and the first mixer 120, closer to the first mixer 120.

[0048] The first cleaning tank 182 is connected to the first mixer 120 via a first inflow line 180. The first inflow line 180 includes a first inflow pump 186 and a first check valve 184. The first inflow pump 186 delivers cleaning fluid from the first cleaning tank 182 to the first inflow line 180. The first check valve 184 is located between the first cleaning tank 182 and the first mixer 120. The first check valve 184 prevents backflow of fluid from the first mixer 120 to the first cleaning tank 182. The third valve v3, the fourth valve v4, the fifth valve v5, and the sixth valve v6 are controlled by the control unit 200 to open and close during the cleaning operation in which cleaning fluid flows from the first cleaning tank 182 to the first waste tank 144.

[0049] The second cleaning tank 192 is connected to the second mixer 148 via a second inflow line 190. The second inflow line 190 includes a second inflow pump 196 and a second check valve 194. The second inflow pump 196 pumps the cleaning fluid from the second cleaning tank 192 to the second inflow line 190. The second check valve 194 is located between the second cleaning tank 192 and the second mixer 148. The second check valve 194 prevents backflow of fluid from the second mixer 148 to the second cleaning tank 192. The reactor 10 may have additional valves, etc., for flowing the cleaning fluid from the second cleaning tank 192 to the second waste tank 154, in a configuration similar to the third valve v3, fourth valve v4, fifth valve v5, and sixth valve v6.

[0050] In addition, in the reaction section 100, additional valves may be provided in the same configuration as the first valve v1, second valve v2, and third valve v3 for recovery operations to the second recovery tank 118 and the third recovery tank 142, respectively. In the reaction section 100, additional valves may be provided in the same configuration as the fourth valve v4 and fifth valve v5 for disposal operations to the second waste tank 154.

[0051] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the first detection member 122 in this embodiment. In Figure 3, the X-axis in the left-right direction, the Z-axis in the up-down direction, and the Y-axis in the depth direction are shown to be orthogonal to each other. Hereafter, these three axes may be used in the explanation. In Figure 3, the flow path within the first mixer 120 is shown by a dashed line, and the flow direction within the flow path is shown by an arrow.

[0052] In the example shown in Figure 3, the first mixer 120 is a Y-shaped mixer. The first mixer 120 has an inlet to which the first liquid delivery pipe 106 and the second liquid delivery pipe 116 are connected, and an outlet to which the first reaction fluid, a mixture of the first raw material fluid and the second raw material fluid, is discharged into the first reaction tube 132. The first mixer 120 has a Y-shaped flow path inside a plate-shaped cell made of metal or resin. The first liquid delivery pipe 106, the second liquid delivery pipe 116, and the first reaction tube 132 are connected so as to extend perpendicular to the YZ plane of the plate-shaped cell of the first mixer 120.

[0053] The first detection member 122 is positioned below the flow path. In Figure 3, the first detection member 122 is positioned below the first mixer 120 in the Z-axis direction and may be in contact with the lower surface of the first mixer 120. The first detection member 122 may be positioned between the first mixer 120 and the imaging unit 157 in the Z-axis direction. The first detection member 122 may include frosted glass 310 in at least the liquid leak detection portion (for example, the area corresponding to the lower surface of the first mixer 120). For example, the surface of the frosted glass 310, which is the first detection member 122, becomes more transparent when it comes into contact with liquid (raw material fluid or reaction fluid) leaked from the flow path to the outside. The first detection member 122 may also have paper instead of or in addition to frosted glass 310. In this case, the paper, which is the first detection member 122, changes color (for example, becomes darker) when liquid (raw material fluid or reaction fluid) leaked from the flow path to the outside permeates it.

[0054] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the first detection member 122 in this embodiment. In Figure 4, the X-axis in the left-right direction, the Z-axis in the up-down direction, and the Y-axis in the depth direction are shown to be orthogonal to each other. Hereafter, these three axes may be used in the explanation. In Figure 4, the flow path in the first mixer 120 is shown by a dashed line, and the flow direction in the flow path is shown by an arrow. In the example in Figure 4, the first mixer 120 may have the same configuration as in Figure 3.

[0055] The first detection member 122 has a housing 410 that houses the flow path in the detection liquid 420. The housing 410 may house the entire first mixer 120 in the detection liquid 420. The housing 410 may be made of glass or resin. The housing 410 may be transparent so that the inside can be imaged from an imaging unit 157 located outside the housing 410. The detection liquid 420 may be a transparent liquid such as water or an organic solvent. The detection liquid 420 may have a different color from the raw material fluid or reaction fluid, or it may be colorless and transparent.

[0056] Figure 5 shows a block diagram of the control unit 200. The control unit 200 may be a computer such as a PC, tablet PC, smartphone, workstation, server computer, or general-purpose computer, or it may be a computer system in which multiple computers are connected. Such a computer system is also a computer in a broad sense. The control unit 200 may also be implemented by one or more executable virtual computer environments within the computer. Alternatively, the control unit 200 may be a dedicated computer designed for the flow reactor, or dedicated hardware realized by dedicated circuits. The control unit 200 may also be realized by cloud computing. The control unit 200 includes a reaction condition setting unit 202, an acquisition unit 204, a detection unit 206, and a reaction control unit 210.

[0057] The reaction condition setting unit 202 is connected to the reaction control unit 210 and sets the reaction conditions in the reaction unit 100. The reaction conditions may include at least one of the fluid pressure, flow velocity, flow rate, and temperature in each flow path. The reaction condition setting unit 202 may output the reaction conditions to the detection unit 206 and the reaction control unit 210.

[0058] The acquisition unit 204 is connected to the reaction unit 100 and the detection unit 206, and acquires parameters related to the state of the fluid from the reaction unit 100. The acquisition unit 204 acquires an image of the state of the flow path within the reaction unit 100, through which the fluid flows and reacts. The acquisition unit 204 may receive image data of the flow path state from the imaging unit 157 located in the reaction unit 100. The acquisition unit 204 may acquire an image of the flow path state that includes components such as reaction tubes constituting the flow path, or it may acquire an image of only the detection member that does not include components such as reaction tubes constituting the flow path. The acquisition unit 204 may further acquire measured or calculated values ​​from sensors located in the reaction unit 100, such as the first pressure gauge 160, the second pressure gauge 162, the third pressure gauge 164, the first temperature measuring unit 170, the second temperature measuring unit 172, the third temperature measuring unit 176, the fourth temperature measuring unit 174, and the fifth temperature measuring unit 178. The acquisition unit 204 may output the acquired results to the detection unit 206.

[0059] The detection unit 206 is connected to the reaction control unit 210. The detection unit 206 detects liquid leakage in the flow path based on the image acquired by the acquisition unit 204. The detection unit 206 may have an image sensor that processes the image and detects changes within the image. The detection unit 206 may further detect reaction abnormalities, such as the state of the fluid in the flow path deviating from the set reaction conditions, from measurements taken by sensors in the reaction unit 100. The detection unit 206 may output the detected results to the reaction control unit 210.

[0060] The reaction control unit 210 is connected to the reaction unit 100 and controls each component of the reaction unit 100 according to the set reaction conditions and the detection results of the detection unit 206. The reaction control unit 210 includes a waste unit 212, a recovery unit 214, a path control unit 216, and a pump control unit 218.

[0061] The waste unit 212 is connected to the path control unit 216 and the pump control unit 218. The waste unit 212 performs a waste operation to discard the fluid in the flow path when a fluid leak occurs in the flow path. When the detection unit 206 detects a fluid leak in the flow path, the waste unit 212 may flush a cleaning liquid into the flow path to discard at least a portion of the reaction fluid in the flow path. When the waste unit 212 receives the result of detecting a fluid leak in the flow path from the detection unit 206, it may output control data to the path control unit 216 and the pump control unit 218 to perform control corresponding to the waste operation.

[0062] The recovery unit 214 is connected to the path control unit 216 and the pump control unit 218. When the detection unit 206 detects a liquid leak in the flow path, the recovery unit 214 performs a recovery operation to recover at least a portion of the raw material fluid in the flow path. When the recovery unit 214 receives the result of detecting a liquid leak in the flow path from the detection unit 206, it may output control data to the path control unit 216 and the pump control unit 218 to perform control corresponding to the recovery operation.

[0063] The path control unit 216 is connected to the reaction unit 100 and controls the switching of the flow path in the reaction unit 100. In reaction control, the path control unit 216 opens and closes valves to form a flow path from the raw material tank to the target product tank 156. The path control unit 216 may switch the flow path of the reaction unit 100 by opening and closing valves in the flow path in accordance with control data from at least one of the waste unit 212 and the recovery unit 214. The path control unit 216 may also switch the flow path in the reaction unit 100 for reaction control in accordance with the reaction conditions.

[0064] The pump control unit 218 is connected to the reaction unit 100 and controls the operation of the pump in the reaction unit 100. In reaction control, the pump control unit 218 controls the output of the pump according to the set reaction conditions to flow the raw material fluid into the liquid delivery pipe. The pump control unit 218 may control operations such as stopping the pump in response to control data from at least one of the waste unit 212 and the recovery unit 214. In addition, the pump control unit 218 may control the output of the pump for reaction control in the reaction unit 100 according to the reaction conditions.

[0065] Figure 6 shows the reaction flow in the reactor 10 of this embodiment. In the reaction flow of Figure 6, as an example, the first raw material, the second raw material, and the third raw material may each be a liquid such as an organic solvent or water containing different amino acids in order to synthesize a peptide.

[0066] In step S11, the reaction condition setting unit 202 sets the reaction conditions. The reaction condition setting unit 202 may receive input of reaction conditions from the user or an external device. The reaction condition setting unit 202 may have a table showing the relationship between the optimal reaction conditions that yield the highest yield, obtained from experiments, etc., and the type of raw material fluid. The reaction condition setting unit 202 may receive a specification of the raw material fluid to be used from the user or an external device and set the optimal reaction conditions from the table. The reaction condition setting unit 202 outputs the set reaction conditions to the reaction control unit 210 and the detection unit 206. The reaction condition setting unit 202 may output data indicating the timing to start reaction control to the detection unit 206.

[0067] In step S12, the reaction control unit 210 controls the reaction section 100 to satisfy the reaction conditions. The reaction control unit 210 may control valves to form a flow path for the reaction, operate the pump with an output corresponding to the reaction conditions, and control the temperature of the flow path, etc. The reaction control unit 210 may perform feedback control to the reaction section 100 according to the measured values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 204. In reaction control, the path control unit 216 may open the first valve v1, the third valve v3, the fourth valve v4, and the sixth valve v6 in Figure 2, and close the second valve v2 and the fifth valve v5 to form a flow path.

[0068] In step S13, the detection unit 206 may instruct the acquisition unit 204 to acquire an image from the imaging unit 157 at the timing to start reaction control. The acquisition unit 204 may acquire an image captured from the imaging unit 157 in response to this instruction. The acquisition unit 204 may acquire a time-series of images from the imaging unit 157 at regular intervals.

[0069] The acquisition unit 204 may acquire at least one of the following images from the imaging unit 157 as an image of the flow path state: an image of the multiple components forming the flow path of the reaction unit 100 (pump, liquid delivery pipe, mixer, and reaction tube, etc.), an image of the first detection member 122, an image of the second detection member 149, and an image of the area around the flow path. The acquisition unit 204 may acquire an image of the frosted glass 310 as the image of the first detection member 122 or the image of the second detection member 149, in which case an image of only the frosted glass 310 may be acquired. The image acquisition unit 204 may acquire an image of the flow path state captured by the imaging unit 157 using at least one of near-infrared light, LED, laser, and light reflected by a diffuser plate as a light source. Using such a light source improves detection accuracy.

[0070] The acquisition unit 204 may further acquire measurement values ​​from various sensors installed in the reaction unit 100. The detection unit 206 may receive measurement values ​​at regular intervals from each of the following: the first pressure gauge 160, the second pressure gauge 162, the third pressure gauge 164, the first temperature measuring unit 170, the second temperature measuring unit 172, the third temperature measuring unit 176, the fourth temperature measuring unit 174, and the fifth temperature measuring unit 178. The acquisition unit 204 may output the acquired data to the detection unit 206.

[0071] In step S15, the detection unit 206 detects liquid leakage from the flow path from the acquired image. The detection unit 206 may detect liquid leakage from the flow path if at least one change in the feature quantity, brightness, and color of the image indicating the state of the flow path exceeds a threshold. The detection unit 206 may compare the current image with a reference image and calculate at least one change in brightness and color in at least one part of the current image. The detection unit 206 may use as the reference image an image acquired from the imaging unit 157 at the timing of starting reaction control, or an image acquired in time series before the acquisition of the current image (for example, immediately before acquisition). When detecting liquid leakage from multiple images taken at different locations in the flow path, the detection unit 206 may use multiple reference images corresponding to each image.

[0072] The detection unit 206 may detect liquid leakage in the flow path using images of the first detection member 122 and the second detection member 149. The detection unit 206 may detect liquid leakage in the flow path by detecting a change in at least one of the color and brightness in the image of the frosted glass 310, which is a detection member. For example, a part of the frosted glass 310 may become transparent when wet with liquid leaked from the flow path, allowing more light from the light source to pass through. The detection unit 206 may detect that liquid leakage has occurred when the change in brightness in that part of the frosted glass 310 (the difference between the brightness of the current image and the brightness of the reference image) exceeds a threshold.

[0073] The detection unit 206 may detect liquid leakage in the flow path based on an image of the detection liquid 420 in the containment unit 410, which is a detection member. For example, when raw material fluid or reaction fluid leaks from the flow path to the outside and mixes with the detection liquid 420, at least one of the color and brightness of the detection liquid 420 in the area where it mixes changes in the captured image. The detection unit 206 may detect that liquid leakage has occurred when the change in at least one of the color and brightness of the detection liquid 420 (the difference between the brightness / color of the current image and the brightness / color of the reference image) in at least a portion of the image exceeds a threshold.

[0074] The detection unit 206 may detect liquid leakage in a flow path by detecting fluctuations in the light around the flow path. For example, the heat or reflection of fluid leaking from the flow path to the outside may cause the light from the light source to fluctuate in the captured image. The detection unit 206 may detect that liquid leakage has occurred if the change in brightness in at least a part of the image due to the fluctuation of light (the difference between the brightness of the current image and the brightness of the reference image) exceeds a threshold. The detection unit 206 may also detect liquid leakage in flow paths where no detection member is placed, by detecting fluctuations in light.

[0075] The detection unit 206 may detect liquid leakage in the flow path from an image of the flow path taken with an infrared camera. For example, the heat of the raw material fluid or reaction fluid leaking from the flow path to the outside changes the heat distribution, causing a change in the leaked area in the captured image. The detection unit 206 may detect liquid leakage when such a change occurs in the image, or when the area of ​​change in the image exceeds a threshold. The detection unit 206 may also detect liquid leakage in areas of the flow path where no detection member is placed, using an image taken with an infrared camera.

[0076] The detection unit 206 may have a table showing the correspondence between coordinates in the image or detection members and each component of the reaction unit 100. The detection unit 206 may use this table to determine the component (pump, liquid delivery pipe, mixer, or reaction pipe, etc.) where the liquid leak occurred, based on the location (or detection member) where the liquid leak was detected.

[0077] The detection unit 206 may further detect abnormalities in the reaction. The detection unit 206 may compare a plurality of measured values ​​acquired by the acquisition unit 204 with a corresponding threshold value for the reaction condition, and if at least one of the plurality of measured values ​​exceeds or falls below the threshold value, it may detect that the fluid reaction is abnormal.

[0078] The detection unit 206 may output the detected result to the reaction control unit 210. If the detection unit 206 detects a leak, it may output the detection result to the reaction control unit 210, including data indicating which component the leak was detected in. The flow proceeds to step S15 if the detection unit 206 detects that a leak has occurred in the reaction unit 100. If the detection unit 206 does not detect a leak in the reaction unit 100, i.e., if the reaction is normal, the flow proceeds to step S12 and continues reaction control.

[0079] In step S15, the reaction control unit 210 controls the reaction unit 100 to perform waste disposal and recovery operations. If a leak occurs in the flow path, the waste unit 212 collects the reaction fluid in the first waste tank 144 and the second waste tank via the waste line. The waste unit 212 may control the reaction unit 100 via the pump control unit 218 and the path control unit 216. When the detection unit 206 detects a leak, the waste unit 212 stops the first pump 104, the second pump 114, and the third pump 136, and controls the valves to switch the flow path from the first reaction tube 132 to the first waste tank 144, and further switches to the flow path from the second reaction tube 150 to the second waste tank 154. The waste unit 212 may also display instructions on the display screen to instruct the user to stop the first pump 104, the second pump 114, and the third pump 136 and open and close the valves.

[0080] The waste section 212 may contain the first reaction fluid in the first reaction tube 132 into the first waste tank 144 by flowing cleaning fluid (an organic solvent, water, or a solution containing an acidic or alkaline substance) into the flow path of the first mixer 120 from the first inflow line 180 provided in the first mixer 120. For example, before the cleaning fluid flows in, the waste section 212 may close the third valve v3, the fourth valve v4, and the sixth valve v6, and open the fifth valve v5. The waste section 212 may contain the second reaction fluid in the second mixer 148 and the second reaction tube 150 in the second waste tank 154 by flowing a cleaning solution (an organic solvent, water, or a solution containing an acidic or alkaline substance) into the flow path of the second mixer 148 from a second inflow line 190 provided in the second mixer 148. The first inflow line 180 may be connected to the first reaction tube 132 via an additional valve, in which case the cleaning solution can be directly flowed from the first inflow line 180 into the first reaction tube 132. The second inflow line 190 may be connected to the second reaction tube 150 via an additional valve, in which case the cleaning solution can be directly flowed from the second inflow line 190 into the second reaction tube 150.

[0081] The waste unit 212 does not need to perform a waste operation on a component detected by the detection unit 206 as leaking, or on a reaction tube directly connected to that component. For example, when the waste unit 212 receives data from the detection unit 206 indicating that the first mixer 120 is leaking, it may decide not to perform a waste operation on the first reaction tube directly connected to the first mixer 120, but to perform a waste operation on the other reaction tubes (i.e., the second reaction tube). This prevents further leakage of cleaning liquid or reaction fluid from the flow path during the waste operation.

[0082] If a fluid leak occurs in the flow path, the recovery unit 214 recovers at least a portion of the raw material fluid in the flow path upstream of the first mixer 120 and the second mixer 148, which are located in the flow path, via a recovery line. The recovery unit 214 may control the reaction unit 100 via the pump control unit 218 and the path control unit 216. The recovery unit 214 may recover at least a portion of the raw material fluid in the flow path upstream of at least one of the first pump 104, the second pump 114, and the third pump 136, which are used to circulate the reaction fluid in the flow path, by reversing the rotation of at least one of them. For example, the recovery unit 214 may control the reaction from a controlled state to close the first valve v1 and to open the second valve v2 and the third valve v3. The recovery unit 214 may control the first pump 104 to pump liquid in the opposite direction to that used during reaction control, thereby flowing the first raw material fluid from the first liquid delivery pipe 106 into the first recovery tank 108 for storage.

[0083] The recovery unit 214 does not need to perform a recovery operation for components in which leakage has been detected by the detection unit 206, or for raw material fluid in the liquid delivery pipe directly connected to such components. For example, when the recovery unit 214 receives data from the detection unit 206 indicating that the first mixer 120 is leaking, it may decide not to reverse the rotation of the first pump 104 and the second pump, but may perform a recovery operation for the other liquid delivery pipes (i.e., the third liquid delivery pipe).

[0084] The reaction apparatus 10 may perform the disposal operation and the recovery operation simultaneously or sequentially. After the disposal operation and recovery operation, the reaction apparatus 10 may restart reaction control from step S12.

[0085] If the detection unit 206 detects that a liquid leak has occurred, the control unit 200 may display information regarding the liquid leak in the flow path on the display screen of the reaction apparatus 10 or on an external display device. The external display device may be a personal computer or tablet owned by the operator operating the reaction unit 100. The information regarding the liquid leak in the flow path may include information indicating that a liquid leak has occurred, and information indicating the location or component where the leak occurred.

[0086] The reactor 10 of this embodiment can more reliably detect even small amounts of liquid leakage that are difficult to discern from the pressure in the flow path. Furthermore, the reactor 10 of this embodiment can efficiently perform a series of operations from detecting liquid leakage in the flow path to discarding the reaction fluid and recovering the raw materials, and can quickly restart the reactor 10 while suppressing increases in raw material costs.

[0087] Furthermore, the detection member may correspond to the entire flow path, and one detection member may be capable of detecting liquid leakage from the entire reaction section 100. For example, the frosted glass 310, which is the detection member, may be arranged to cover an area corresponding to the entire reaction section 100, and the housing section 410, which is the detection member, may house the entire reaction section 100 in the detection liquid.

[0088] The control unit 200 in this embodiment may be a leak detection device that does not control the reaction unit 100. In this case, the control unit 200 does not need to have a recovery unit 214, a waste unit 212, a path control unit 220, and a pump control unit 222. Furthermore, the components of the reaction unit 100 are not limited to this embodiment, and the reaction unit 100 may have more flow paths, mixers, etc.

[0089] Furthermore, various embodiments of the present invention may be described with reference to flowcharts and block diagrams, where a block may represent (1) a stage in a process in which an operation is performed or (2) a section of a device having the role of performing an operation. Specific stages and sections may be implemented by dedicated circuits, programmable circuits supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, and / or processors supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. Dedicated circuits may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. Programmable circuits may include reconfigurable hardware circuits, including logical AND, logical OR, logical XOR, logical NAND, logical NOR, and other logic operations, flip-flops, registers, memory elements such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), etc.

[0090] Computer-readable media may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions to be executed by a suitable device, and as a result, computer-readable media having instructions stored therein will comprise a product that includes instructions that can be executed to create means for performing operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multipurpose disc (DVD), Blu-ray (RTM) disc, memory stick, integrated circuit card, etc.

[0091] Computer-readable instructions may include assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk®, Java®, C++, and traditional procedural programming languages ​​such as the C programming language or similar programming languages.

[0092] Computer-readable instructions may be provided locally or via a wide area network (WAN), such as a local area network (LAN) or the internet, to a processor or programmable circuit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable processing device, and these instructions may be executed to create means for performing operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, and the like.

[0093] Figure 7 shows an example of a computer 2200 in which multiple aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part. A program installed on the computer 2200 can cause the computer 2200 to function as an operation or one or more sections of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, or to execute such operation or one or more sections, and / or to cause the computer 2200 to execute a process or a stage of such process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Such a program may be executed by the CPU 2212 to cause the computer 2200 to perform a particular operation associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0094] The computer 2200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 2212, RAM 2214, a graphics controller 2216, and a display device 2218, which are interconnected by a host controller 2210. The computer 2200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 2222, a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM drive 2226, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 2210 via an input / output controller 2220. The computer also includes legacy input / output units such as a ROM 2230 and a keyboard 2242, which are connected to the input / output controller 2220 via an input / output chip 2240.

[0095] The CPU 2212 operates according to programs stored in the ROM 2230 and RAM 2214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 2216 acquires image data generated by the CPU 2212 from the frame buffer provided in RAM 2214 or from itself, and displays the image data on the display device 2218.

[0096] The communication interface 2222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The hard disk drive 2224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2212 in the computer 2200. The DVD-ROM drive 2226 reads programs or data from the DVD-ROM 2201 and provides them to the hard disk drive 2224 via the RAM 2214. The IC card drive reads programs and data from the IC card and / or writes programs and data to the IC card.

[0097] The ROM 2230 stores boot programs and / or hardware-dependent programs of the computer 2200, which are executed by the computer 2200 upon activation. The input / output chip 2240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 2220 via parallel ports, serial ports, keyboard ports, mouse ports, etc.

[0098] The program is provided on a computer-readable medium such as a DVD-ROM 2201 or an IC card. The program is read from the computer-readable medium and installed on a hard disk drive 2224, RAM 2214, or ROM 2230, which are examples of computer-readable mediums, and executed by the CPU 2212. The information processing described within these programs is read by the computer 2200, resulting in coordination between the program and the various types of hardware resources described above. The apparatus or method may be configured to realize the manipulation or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 2200.

[0099] For example, when communication is performed between a computer 2200 and an external device, the CPU 2212 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 2214 and, based on the processing described in the communication program, instruct the communication interface 2222 to perform communication processing. Under the control of the CPU 2212, the communication interface 2222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in a recording medium such as RAM 2214, a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM 2201, or an IC card, transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes received data received from the network to a reception buffer processing area provided on the recording medium.

[0100] Furthermore, the CPU 2212 may read all or necessary parts of files or databases stored on external storage media such as the hard disk drive 2224, DVD-ROM drive 2226 (DVD-ROM 2201), or IC card into the RAM 2214, and perform various types of processing on the data in the RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 then writes the processed data back to the external storage media.

[0101] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and subjected to information processing. The CPU 2212 may perform various types of processing on the data read from RAM 2214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgments, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information retrieval / replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the program instruction sequence, and write the results back to RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 may also retrieve information in files, databases, etc., within the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries are stored in the recording medium, each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute, the CPU 2212 may search among the multiple entries for an entry that matches the condition for which the attribute value of the first attribute is specified, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in that entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0102] The programs or software modules described above may be stored on or near computer 2200 on a computer-readable medium. Alternatively, recording media such as hard disks or RAM provided within a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as computer-readable media, thereby providing programs to computer 2200 via the network.

[0103] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It will be clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0104] It should be noted that the execution order of operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the apparatus, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not explicitly stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and that these can be implemented in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operation flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using phrases such as "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is essential to perform the operations in that order. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0105] 10 Reactor 100 reaction section 102 First raw material tank 104 First pump 106 First liquid delivery pipe 107 First collection line 108 First recovery tank 112 Second raw material tank 114 Second pump 116 Second liquid delivery pipe 117 Second collection line 118 Second recovery tank 120 First Mixer 122 First detection member 132 First reaction tube 134 Third raw material tank 136 The third pump 138 Third liquid delivery pipe 140 Third collection line 142 Third recovery tank 143 First waste line 144 First waste tank 148 Second Mixer 149 Second detection member 150 Second reaction tube 152 Second waste line 154 Second waste tank 156 Target Tank 157 Imaging Unit 180 First inflow line 182 First washing tank 184 First check valve 186 First inflow pump 190 Second inflow line 192 Second washing tank 194 Second check valve 196 Second inflow pump 200 Control Unit 204 Acquisition Department 202 Reaction Condition Setting Unit 206 Detection unit 210 Reaction Control Unit 212 Waste Disposal Section 214 Recovery Section 216 Route Control Unit 218 Pump Control Unit 310 Frosted glass 410 Storage Unit 420 Liquid for detection 2200 Computers 2201 DVD-ROM 2210 Host Controller 2212 CPU 2214 RAM 2216 Graphics Controller 2218 Display Devices 2220 Input / Output Controller 2222 Communication Interface 2224 Hard Disk Drive 2226 DVD-ROM drive 2230 ROM 2240 Input / Output Chip 2242 keyboard

Claims

1. An image acquisition unit acquires images of the state of the flow path within a flow reactor, where a fluid is flowed and reacted, captured by an imaging unit. A detection unit that detects liquid leakage in the flow path based on the acquired image, The system includes a detection member for detecting liquid leakage in the aforementioned flow path, The detection member is positioned below the flow path, between the flow path and the imaging unit that images the detection member. Device.

2. An image acquisition unit that acquires images of the state of the flow path inside a flow reactor where a fluid is flowed and reacted, A detection unit that detects liquid leakage in the flow path based on the acquired image, The system includes a detection member that, when liquid leakage occurs from the aforementioned flow path, exhibits a change in transparency, color, or brightness in at least a portion of it. The image acquisition unit acquires an image of the detection member as the state of the flow path. The detection unit detects liquid leakage in the flow path based on the image of the detection member. The detection member includes frosted glass. Device.

3. An image acquisition unit that acquires images of the state of the flow path inside a flow reactor where a fluid is flowed and reacted, A detection unit that detects liquid leakage in the flow path based on the acquired image, The system includes a detection member for detecting liquid leakage in the aforementioned flow path, The detection member has a housing portion that houses the flow path in a detection liquid, The image acquisition unit acquires an image of the detection liquid in the containment unit as the state of the flow path. The detection unit detects liquid leakage in the flow path based on an image of the liquid used for detection. Device.

4. When liquid leakage occurs from the flow path, the detection member exhibits a change in transparency, color, brightness, or shape in at least a portion of it. The apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The detection member is positioned below the flow path, The image acquisition unit acquires an image of the frosted glass of the detection member as the state of the flow path. The detection unit detects liquid leakage in the flow path by detecting a change in at least one of the color and brightness in the image of the frosted glass. The apparatus according to claim 2.

6. The detection unit detects liquid leakage in the flow path by detecting a change in at least one of the color and brightness in the image of the liquid. The apparatus according to claim 3.

7. The image acquisition unit acquires an image of the area around the flow path as the state of the flow path. The detection unit detects liquid leakage in the flow path in response to detecting fluctuations in the light surrounding the flow path. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The image acquisition unit acquires an image of the state of the flow path captured by an infrared camera. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. The image acquisition unit acquires a three-dimensional image of the flow path state captured by multiple cameras. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. The image acquisition unit acquires an image of the state of the channel, which is captured using at least one of near-infrared light, LED, laser, and light reflected by a diffuser plate as a light source. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

11. A step of acquiring an image of the state of the flow path in a flow reactor where a fluid is flowed and reacted, the step of acquiring an image of a detection member for detecting liquid leakage in the flow path, captured by an imaging unit, The system includes a step of detecting liquid leakage in the flow path based on the image of the detection member obtained, The detection member is positioned below the flow path, between the flow path and the imaging unit that images the detection member. method.

12. A step of acquiring an image of the state of the flow path in a flow reactor where a fluid is flowed and reacted, the step of acquiring an image of a detection member that, when liquid leakage occurs from the flow path, shows a change in transparency, color, or brightness in at least a part of it, and The system includes a step of detecting liquid leakage in the flow path based on the image of the detection member obtained, The detection member includes frosted glass. method.

13. A step of acquiring an image of the state of the flow path in a flow reactor where a fluid is flowed and reacted, the step of acquiring an image of a detection member for detecting liquid leakage in the flow path, The system includes the step of detecting liquid leakage in the flow path based on the acquired image, The detection member has a housing portion that houses the flow path in a detection liquid, The step of acquiring an image of the detection member includes the step of acquiring an image of the detection liquid in the containment as the state of the flow path, The detection step includes detecting liquid leakage in the flow path based on an image of the liquid used for detection. method.

14. Computers, An image acquisition unit acquires an image of the state of the flow path inside a flow reactor where a fluid is flowed and reacted, and an image of a detection member for detecting liquid leakage in the flow path, which is captured by the imaging unit. Detection unit that detects liquid leakage in the flow path based on the image of the detection member acquired above To make it function as, The detection member is positioned below the flow path, between the flow path and the imaging unit that images the detection member. program.

15. Computers, An image acquisition unit acquires an image of a detection member that, when liquid leakage occurs from the flow channel, exhibits a change in transparency, color, or brightness in at least a portion of the flow channel, as an image of the state of the flow channel within a flow reactor where a fluid is flowed and reacted. Detection unit that detects liquid leakage in the flow path based on the image of the detection member acquired above To make it function as, The detection member includes frosted glass. program.

16. Computers, An image acquisition unit acquires an image of a detection member for detecting liquid leakage in a flow reactor, which captures an image of the state of the flow path inside the flow reactor where a fluid is flowed and reacted. Detection unit that detects liquid leakage in the flow path based on the acquired image To make it function as, The detection member has a housing portion that houses the flow path in a detection liquid, The image acquisition unit acquires an image of the detection liquid in the containment unit as the state of the flow path. The detection unit detects liquid leakage in the flow path based on an image of the liquid used for detection. program.

Images