Fiber-containing crystal, method of preparing fiber-containing crystal, apparatus for preparing fiber-containing crystal, and medicine soaking apparatus

• US 10,640,886 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toray Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Toray Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Nakabayashi, Iori, Tsuchikura, Hiroshi, Kuwabara, Atsushi, Adachi, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kunemund, Robert M
• Application Number:
  US15/766,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20190177877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 1/306 by crystallization
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/09 Recombinant DNA-technology
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/58 Macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 7/00 Single-crystal growth from solutions using solvents which are liquid at normal temperature, e.g. aqueous solutions from molten solvents C30B9/00; by normal or gradient freezing C30B11/00; under a protective fluid C30B27/00

Abstract

A fiber-containing crystal includes a crystal body which is a crystal of a biological substance and a plurality of fibers at least partially incorporated in the crystal body; and a fiber-containing crystal includes a crystal body which is an easy-disintegrating crystal and a plurality of fibers at least partially incorporated in the crystal body.

Claims

1. A fiber-containing crystal comprising a crystal body which is a crystal of a biological substance and a plurality of fibers at least partially incorporated in the crystal body,

wherein the fiber is a polyolefin-based fiber selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, a nylon-based fiber, a polyester-based fiber, an acryl-based fiber, an aramid fiber, a cellulose-based fiber and a polyarylate fiber.

3. The fiber-containing crystal according to claim 1, wherein the biological substance is a biopolymer, a protein, a peptide, a nucleic acid, or a sugar chain.

4. The fiber-containing crystal according to claim 3, wherein the biological substance is selected from a natural protein, a synthetic protein, an artificial protein, a natural peptide, a synthetic peptide, an artificial peptide, a natural nucleic acid, a synthetic nucleic acid, an artificial nucleic acid, a natural sugar chain, a synthetic sugar chain, and an artificial sugar chain.

5. The fiber-containing crystal according to claim 1, wherein the fiber has a thickness of 1 nm to 0.1 mm.

6. The fiber-containing crystal according to claim 1, which is for structural analysis.

7. The fiber-containing crystal according to claim 6, wherein the structure analysis is x-ray crystal structure analysis, neutron crystal structure analysis, or electron microscope observation.

2. A fiber-containing crystal comprising a crystal body which is an easy-disintegrating crystal and a plurality of fibers at least partially incorporated in the crystal body,

wherein the fiber is a polyolefin-based fiber selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, a nylon-based fiber, a polyester-based fiber, an acryl-based fiber, an aramid fiber, a cellulose-based fiber and a polyarylate fiber.

8. A method of preparing a fiber-containing crystal, comprising:

a preparation step of preparing a plurality of fibers;

an addition step of adding a solution in which a biological substance is dissolved to the plurality of fibers;

a crystallization step of precipitating a crystal by increasing the concentration of the biological substance in the solution; and

an extraction step of extracting, out of the obtained crystals, a fiber-containing crystal incorporating at least a part of a plurality of fibers inside,

wherein the fiber is a polyolefin-based fiber selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, a nylon-based fiber, a polyester-based fiber, an acryl-based fiber, an aramid fiber, a cellulose-based fiber and a polyarylate fiber.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a chemical immersion step for immersing the fiber-containing crystal, which is extracted, in a chemical solution in which a chemical is dissolved.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a freezing step of freezing the fiber-containing crystal after the extraction step.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising a freezing step of freezing the fiber-containing crystal after the chemical immersion step.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the freezing step is a step of freezing the fiber-containing crystal after the fiber-containing crystal is immersed in an anti-freeze agent.