# US 10,246,684 B2 · Cancer cell-trapping metal filter, cancer cell-trapping metal filter sheet, cancer cell-trapping device, and manufacturing methods therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,246,684 B2 - Document ID: US10246684B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/465,638 - Filed: 2017-03-22 - Published: 2017-08-31 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-14 - Assignees: Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd. - Inventors: Hisashige Kanbara; Yoshihito Kikuhara; Takahiro Suzuki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10246684B2 ## CPC - C12N 5/0694: {Cells of blood, e.g. leukemia cells, myeloma cells} - B01D 39/10: Filter screens essentially made of metal - B22D 25/02: by its peculiarity of shape; of works of art {(cylinders, pistons B22D15/02)} - B22D 29/00: Removing castings from moulds, not restricted to casting processes covered by a single main group; Removing cores; Handling ingots {(B22D13/10, B22D11/124, B22D17/00 take precedence)} - C08J 5/121: {by heating} - G01N 1/4077: {by other techniques involving separation of suspended solids} - G01N 33/49: Blood {(chemical methods for determining blood cell populations G01N33/5094; chemical analysis of blood groups or blood types G01N33/80)} - G03F 7/038: Macromolecular compounds which are rendered insoluble or differentially wettable (G03F7/075 takes precedence; macromolecular azides G03F7/012; macromolecular diazonium compounds G03F7/021) - G03F 7/039: Macromolecular compounds which are photodegradable, e.g. positive electron resists (G03F7/075 takes precedence; macromolecular quinonediazides G03F7/023) - G03F 7/2004: {characterised by the use of a particular light source, e.g. fluorescent lamps or deep UV light} - G03F 7/322: {Aqueous alkaline compositions} - G03F 7/405: {Treatment with inorganic or organometallic reagents after imagewise removal} - G03F 7/428: {using ultrasonic means only} - C08J 2300/12: Polymers characterised by physical features, e.g. anisotropy, viscosity or electrical conductivity - G01N 2001/4088: {filtration} - Y10T 29/49: Method of mechanical manufacture - Y10T 156/10: Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor - C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - B22D: CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES (shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29C; metallurgical processing, selection of substances to be added to metal C21, C22) - C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Provided are a cancer cell-trapping metal filter which has a high opening ratio, a cancer cell-trapping metal filter sheet, a cancer cell-trapping device using the cancer cell-trapping filter, and manufacturing methods therefor. According to a cancer cell-trapping metal filter 1, openings of connected through-holes 12 that are formed in a metal sheet 11 have a wave shape, and thus it is possible to extract a CTC from other components by utilizing a hole diameter on a short-side side of the openings, and it is possible to make the connected through-holes be closer to each other due to the wave shape while maintaining a CTC trapping ability. Accordingly, it is possible to further improve the opening ratio in the cancer cell-trapping metal filter 1. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping metal filter, comprising: laminating a photoresist on metal foil; overlapping a photomask including a wave-shaped light-transmitting portion on the photoresist and exposing the photoresist; removing an uncured portion of the photoresist by development to form photoresist patterns; performing metal plating between the photoresist patterns to form metal plating patterns having a height lower than a height of the photoresist patterns; removing the metal foil by chemical dissolution to obtain a structure including the metal plating patterns and the photoresist patterns; and removing the photoresist patterns from the structure to obtain the metal plating patterns having a through-hole corresponding to the light-transmitting portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping metal filter according to claim 1, wherein the metal foil is adhered to a carrier layer, and the method further comprises peeling the carrier layer after forming the metal plating patterns. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping metal filter according to claim 1, wherein an opening ratio of the through-hole is 10% to 50%. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping metal filter according to claim 1, further comprising: plating a surface of the metal plating patterns with gold after obtaining the metal plating patterns. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping device, comprising: providing the cancer cell-trapping metal filter according to claim 1 on a flow path inside a casing between an inlet channel and an outlet channel in such a manner that a hole diameter of the through-hole in a main surface of the cancer cell-trapping metal filter or on an upstream side becomes smaller than a hole diameter on a rear surface side of the cancer cell-trapping metal filter with respect to the main surface of the cancer cell-trapping metal filter, the casing including a cover member which is formed from a light-transmitting resin material and which has the inlet channel from which a liquid to be tested is introduced to the inside of the casing, and an accommodation member that includes the outlet channel through which the liquid to be tested is discharged to the outside of the casing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping device according to claim 5, wherein the cover member and the accommodation member are welded to each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping metal filter according to claim 1, wherein the metal plating patterns are formed to have a plurality of through-holes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping metal filter according to claim 7, wherein an opening ratio of the through-holes is 10% to 50%. ### Claim 9 A method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping metal filter sheet, comprising: laminating a photoresist on metal foil; overlapping a photomask including a plurality of blocks of wave-shaped light-transmitting portions on the photoresist and exposing the photoresist; removing an uncured portion of the photoresist by development to form photoresist patterns; performing metal plating between the photoresist patterns to form metal plating patterns having a height lower than a height of the photoresist patterns; removing the metal foil by chemical dissolution to obtain a structure including the metal plating patterns and the photoresist patterns; and removing the photoresist patterns from the structure to obtain the metal plating patterns having a through-hole corresponding to the light-transmitting portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping metal filter sheet according to claim 9, wherein the metal foil is adhered to a carrier layer, and the method further comprises peeling the carrier layer after forming the metal plating patterns. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping metal filter sheet according to claim 9, wherein in overlapping the photomask on the photoresist and exposing the photoresist, a photomask, which includes a second light-transmitting portion different from the light-transmitting portion at the periphery of the blocks of the wave-shaped light-transmitting portions, is used. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping metal filter sheet according to claim 9, wherein an opening ratio of the through-hole is 10% to 50%. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping metal filter sheet according to claim 9, further comprising: plating a surface of the metal plating patterns with gold after obtaining the metal plating patterns. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping metal filter according to claim 9, wherein the metal plating patterns are formed to have a plurality of through-holes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of manufacturing a cancer cell-trapping metal filter according to claim 14, wherein an opening ratio of the through-holes is 10% to 50%.