Filter device, filter fixing tool, and filtering method

A filter fixing tool that fixes a cylindrical filter container provided with a filter for filtering a sample to an elastic body that is disposed on a downstream side of the filter container and that has a through-hole serving as a flow path of the sample that has passed through the filter, an inlet periphery of the through-hole being in contact with the filter container, the filter fixing tool comprising:

• a filter housing portion that houses at least part of the filter container;
• and
• a filter support portion that abuts on the filter container housed in the filter housing portion to support the filter container, that presses the filter container against the elastic body, and that has an opening of a larger inner diameter than the inner diameter of the filter container,
• wherein the filter support portion presses the filter container against the elastic body to hermetically seal the inlet periphery of the through-hole in the elastic body by means of a contact surface of the filter container which corresponds to the inlet periphery.

A filtering method, comprising:

• preparing a cylindrical filter container having a filter that collects an object contained in a sample, an elastic body having a through-hole serving as a flow path of the sample, an inlet periphery of the through-hole being in contact with the filter container, and a filter fixing tool for fixing the filter container and including a filter support portion that has an opening of a larger inner diameter than the inner diameter of the filter container;
• causing the filter support portion to abut on the filter container to support the filter container;
• pressing, against the elastic body, the filter container supported by the filter support portion to hermetically seal the inlet periphery of the through-hole in the elastic body by means of a contact surface of the filter container which corresponds to the inlet periphery;
• and
• introducing the sample to the filter container through the opening and collecting the object by means of the filter.