Hollow fiber membrane module and filtering method

A hollow fiber membrane module comprising:

• a bundle of hollow fiber membranes comprising a plurality of hollow fiber membranes;
• a housing that houses the bundle of hollow fiber membranes;
• an adhesive fixation layer that adhesively fixes the bundle of hollow fiber membranes to the housing at opposite ends of the bundle;
• an inlet and outlet for a fluid provided on the housing;
• at least one bias regulating member disposed in at least one end of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes in order to reduce a bias of a density distribution of the hollow fiber membranes in the bundle of hollow fiber membranes;
• and
• at least one straightening cylinder surrounding a part of one of the opposite ends of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes, wherein
• a part of the at least one straightening cylinder is fixed to the adhesive fixation layer,
• the at least one bias regulating member is contained in the adhesive fixation layer,
• the adhesive fixation layer comprises an outer end surface in which the hollow fiber membranes are open and an inner end surface disposed opposite the outer end surface and inside the at least one straightening cylinder,
• at the outer end surface of the adhesive fixation layer, at least some of spaces between the hollow fiber membranes formed as a result of disposition of the at least one bias regulating member are at least three times as large as an outer diameter of the hollow fiber membranes, and
• at the inner end surface of the adhesive fixation layer, all of spaces between the hollow fiber membranes and a space from the hollow fiber membranes to the at least one straightening cylinder are all less than three times as large as the outer diameter of the hollow fiber membranes.