PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and method of dehydrating a biological material which do not damage a biological material and do not cause remarkable deterioration of treatment efficiency.SOLUTION: An apparatus 2 for dehydrating a biological material is used which includes a closed container 3 which can store a biological material 1, vacuum suction means 41 which increases a degree of vacuum in the closed container 3, vacuum degree adjusting means which introduces gas into the closed container 3 to adjust the degree of vacuum, heat input means which inputs required heat to the biological material 1, mass measurement means 6, and control means 8 which is electrically connected to at least the mass measurement means 6 and the vacuum degree adjusting means. The control means 8 calculates a mass decrease speed per unit time from a measured value of the mass of the biological material 1, and adjusts the degree of vacuum in the closed container 3 by controlling at least one of the vacuum degree adjusting means and the vacuum suction means 41 so that the mass decrease speed per unit time is within a required range.COPYRIGHT: (C)2015,JPO&INPIT【課題】生体物質を破損させることがなく、かつ、処理効率を著しく低下させることがない生体物質の脱水装置及び脱水方法を提供する。【解決手段】生体物質1を収納可能な密封容器3と、密封容器3内の真空度を上昇させる真空吸引手段41と、密封容器3内に気体を導入して真空度を調整する真空度調整手段と、生体物質1に所要の熱量を入熱する入熱手段と、質量測定手段6と、少なくとも質量測定手段6及び真空度調整手段と電気的に接続された制御手段8と、を備え、制御手段8が、生体物質1の質量の測定値から単位時間当りの質量低下速度を算出するとともに、単位時間当りの質量低下速度が所要の範囲内となるように、真空度調整手段及び真空吸引手段の少なくとも一方を制御して密封容器3内の真空度を調整する、生体物質の脱水装置2を採用する。【選択図】図1
