About the Authors

Akiko Yusa

Affiliations Aichi Science and Technology Foundation, Knowledge Hub Aichi, Priority Research Projects, Japan, Department of Micro-Nano Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Japan, Division of Oncological Pathology, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Japan

Makoto Toneri

Affiliations Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Central Hospital, Japan, Division of Oncological Pathology, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Japan

Taisuke Masuda

Affiliation Department of Micro-Nano Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Japan

Seiji Ito

Affiliation Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Central Hospital, Japan

Shuhei Yamamoto

Affiliation Department of Biotechnogloy, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Japan

Mina Okochi

Affiliation Department of Biotechnogloy, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Japan

Naoto Kondo

Affiliation Department of Breast Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center Central Hospital, Japan

Hiroji Iwata

Affiliation Department of Breast Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center Central Hospital, Japan

Yasushi Yatabe

Affiliation Department of Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics, Aichi Cancer Center Central Hospital, Japan

Yoshiyuki Ichinosawa

Affiliation Optnics Precision Co., Ltd., Japan

Seichin Kinuta

Affiliation Optnics Precision Co., Ltd., Japan

Eisaku Kondo

Affiliation Division of Oncological Pathology, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Japan

Hiroyuki Honda

Affiliation Department of Biotechnogloy, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Japan

Fumihito Arai

Affiliation Department of Micro-Nano Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Japan

Hayao Nakanishi

hnakanis@aichi-cc.jp

Affiliation Division of Oncological Pathology, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Japan

Competing Interests

Yoshiyuki Ichinosawa and Seichin Kinuta are employed by Optnics Precision Co., Ltd. These coauthors collaborated with us and contributed importantly to the 3D Pd filter production and characterization. A. Yusa, H. Nakanishi, S. Ito, Y. Ichinosawa, S. Kinuta, M. Okochi and H. Honda have applied for a patent related to the 3D Pd filter CTC isolation system: Invention Name: Circulating tumor cells and other rare cell isolation device, patent application number: JP 2013-153717. There are no further patents, products in development or marketed products to declare. This does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials, as detailed online in the guide for authors.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: AY HN SI. Performed the experiments: AY MT HN. Analyzed the data: TM SY MO. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: YI SK NK HI YY. Wrote the paper: AY HN HH EK FA.