Traditional Chinese medicine extraction device capable of recycling volatile oil

Abstract

This utility model discloses a traditional Chinese medicine extraction device for recovering volatile oils, including an extraction tank that holds distilled water and a mixture of crushed traditional Chinese medicines. One side of the extraction tank is connected to a filter container via a conduit. The upper part of the filter container is a support plate, and a funnel-shaped filter screen is detachably installed in the middle of the support plate. The lower part of the filter container is a multi-layered oleophobic separation membrane, and the bottom of the oleophobic separation membrane is a support liner. The support liner is detachably installed and removed from the filter container. A conical flask is connected to a collection container via a conduit. The filter container and the circular flask are connected to the extraction tank via a recovery conduit. The mixed distilled water filtered by the filter container and the mixed distilled water separated by the separation container are recycled and reused. The mixed distilled water is recycled back to the extraction tank for reuse via the recovery conduit. This achieves pressure equalization inside the filter container, improves the separation of distilled water by the oleophobic separation membrane, and increases the purity of the volatile oils.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of volatile oil extraction technology of traditional Chinese medicine, and specifically to a traditional Chinese medicine extraction device that can recover volatile oil. Background Technology

[0002] Volatile oil is a common and important active ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine, possessing pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antidepressant effects. Cyperus rotundus (Xiangfu) is known for its ability to regulate qi and relieve depression, as well as its ability to regulate menstruation and alleviate pain, earning it the reputation of "the general manager of qi-related diseases and the commander-in-chief of gynecology." Vinegar-processed Cyperus rotundus is the main type of processed Cyperus rotundus used clinically, often in compound prescriptions to exert its effects of regulating qi and relieving pain, soothing the liver and relieving depression, and regulating qi flow. Existing research indicates that volatile oil is the main active ingredient responsible for the clinical efficacy of vinegar-processed Cyperus rotundus; however, due to its low content, how to efficiently obtain it and conduct in-depth mechanistic studies remains a bottleneck in dosage form improvement research.

[0003] Steam distillation is a traditional method for extracting and separating volatile oils from traditional Chinese medicine. It boasts advantages such as simple operation, low cost, and high extraction rate, making it suitable for large-scale production. However, the extraction process generates a large amount of volatile oil emulsion, resulting in a low yield. Organic solvent extraction yields volatile oils with more impurities, fewer active ingredients, and is prone to leaving organic reagent residues. Supercritical CO2 extraction often requires entrainers, resulting in volatile oils that differ significantly from those obtained by traditional steam distillation. Membrane separation can enrich volatile oils, avoiding organic solvent residues and allowing separation from the oil-water mixture obtained by steam distillation within the same phase. This method holds promise as a low-carbon and environmentally friendly separation approach.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a traditional Chinese medicine extraction device that can recover volatile oils. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a traditional Chinese medicine extraction device that can recover volatile oils, with the aim of solving the aforementioned technical problems.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model is implemented through the following technical solution: a traditional Chinese medicine extraction device for recovering volatile oils, comprising an extraction tank that carries distilled water and a mixture of crushed traditional Chinese medicines, one side of the extraction tank being connected to a filter container via a conduit, the upper part of the filter container being configured as a support plate, the middle part of the support plate being detachably fitted with a bucket-shaped filter screen, the lower part of the filter container being configured as a multi-layered oleophobic separation membrane, the bottom of the oleophobic separation membrane being configured as a support liner, the support liner being detachably installed and removed from the filter container, the filter container being connected to a separation container via a conduit two, the bottom of the conduit two being positioned above the oleophobic separation membrane, the separation container comprising a circular bottle and a conical bottle, the circular bottle and the conical bottle being sealed and installed via a flange, the conical bottle being connected to a collection container via a conduit three, and the filter container and the circular bottle being connected to the extraction tank via a recovery conduit.

[0007] Preferably, the conduit at the inlet end of the extraction tank is configured as an oleophobic filter layer.

[0008] Preferably, the filter screen is coated with an oleophobic layer.

[0009] Preferably, the oleophobic separation membrane is an alumina ceramic membrane.

[0010] Preferably, the filter container is equipped with a pressure relief valve and a pressure gauge on one side of the bottom of the filter screen, and an air pressure regulating device on the other side.

[0011] Preferably, the extraction tank is equipped with multiple vibrators on its exterior.

[0012] In summary, this utility model provides a traditional Chinese medicine extraction device for recovering volatile oils. The device filters the volatile oil through a multi-layered oleophobic membrane for water and oil separation, sieving out volatile oils of preliminary purity. The preliminary purity volatile oil is then connected to a separation container via a second conduit, and further separated into layers in a conical flask. A small amount of distilled water is separated inside the circular flask. The interior of the conical flask is connected to a collection container via a third conduit. After the volatile oil is collected, the mixed distilled water filtered in the filtration container and separated in the separation container are recycled. The mixed distilled water is then connected to an extraction tank via a recovery conduit for reuse.

[0013] In this embodiment, an alumina ceramic membrane with a diameter of 1 μm is preferably used. The pressure inside the filter container that matches the membrane diameter is 0.03 MPa. By setting a pressure relief valve and a pressure gauge on one side of the filter container located at the bottom of the filter screen, and setting an air pressure regulating device on the other side, the pressure inside the filter container is balanced, which improves the separation of distilled water by the oleophobic separation membrane and improves the purity of volatile oil. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the recyclable volatile oil extraction device for traditional Chinese medicine according to this utility model;

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the oleophobic separation membrane and the supporting liner of this utility model;

[0016] In the diagram: 1. Extraction tank; 2. Filter container; 3. Support plate; 4. Filter screen; 5. Oil-repellent separation membrane; 6. Support liner; 7. Separation container; 11. Round bottle; 12. Conical bottle; 13. Oil-repellent filter layer; 14. Pressure relief valve; 15. Pressure gauge; 16. Air pressure regulating device; 17. Vibrator; 21. Collection container; 22. Sealing groove; 23. Insert plate. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown:

[0019] This utility model discloses a traditional Chinese medicine extraction device for recovering volatile oils. To address the technical problem of improving the purity of volatile oils extracted from traditional Chinese medicines and avoiding excessive impurities, this utility model patent employs the following technical approach: An extraction tank 1 is used to hold distilled water and a mixture of crushed traditional Chinese medicines. One side of the extraction tank 1 is connected to a filter container 2 via a conduit. The upper part of the filter container 2 is configured as a support plate 3, and a bucket-shaped filter screen 4 is detachably installed in the middle of the support plate 3. The lower part of the filter container 2 is configured as a multi-layered oleophobic separation membrane 5, and the bottom of the oleophobic separation membrane 5 is configured as a supporting liner 6. The supporting liner 6 is detachably installed and removed from the filter container 2. The filter container 2 is connected to a separation container 7 via a second conduit, the bottom of which is located above the oleophobic separation membrane 5. The separation container 7 includes a circular bottle 11 and a conical bottle 12, which are sealed together by a flange. The conical bottle 12 is connected to a collection container 21 via a third conduit. The filter container 2 and the circular bottle 11 are connected to the extraction tank 1 via a recovery conduit.

[0020] The operating principle is as follows: The Chinese herbs are pre-crushed and sieved for cleaning. They are then added to an extraction tank 1 containing distilled water, mixed thoroughly, and soaked for at least six hours. After the volatile oil and distilled water separate into layers, a conduit connects to a filter container 2 to extract the initial volatile oil. The upper layer inside the filter container 2 is set with a filter screen 4 for further sieving. To ensure rapid filtration of the volatile oil, the filter screen 4 adopts a bucket-type structure and is connected to the support plate 3 via a threaded installation method, allowing for detachable installation and easy removal of the filter screen 4 to empty impurities, thus improving the filtration efficiency of the volatile oil. The filtered volatile oil is filtered through a multi-layered oleophobic membrane 5 for water and oil separation, and volatile oil of preliminary purity is screened out. The preliminary pure volatile oil is connected to the separation container 7 through the second conduit, and the volatile oil is separated into layers through the conical flask 12. A small amount of distilled water is separated inside the round bottle 11. The inside of the conical flask 12 is connected to the collection container 21 through the third conduit. After the volatile oil is collected, the mixed distilled water filtered by the filtration container 2 and the mixed distilled water separated by the separation container 7 are recycled and reused. The mixed distilled water is recycled to the extraction tank 1 through the recovery conduit for reuse.

[0021] To enable the oleophobic separation membrane 5 and the filter container 2 to be detachably replaceable, a support liner 6 is provided inside the filter container 2. The upper part of the support liner 6 is set as a sealing groove 22, and the bottom of the oleophobic separation membrane 5 is set with a matching sealing groove insert plate 23. The oleophobic separation membrane 5 can be detachably installed inside the filter container 2 by the tight fit between the insert plate 23 and the sealing groove 22.

[0022] In at least one embodiment, to achieve the initial collection of volatile oil impurities, an oleophobic filter layer 13 is set at the inlet end of the conduit located in the extraction tank 1.

[0023] In at least one embodiment, to achieve the adhesion of volatile oil to the filter screen 4, the filter screen 4 is coated with an oleophobic layer to keep the filter screen 4 clean and maximize the collection of volatile oil.

[0024] In at least one embodiment, the oleophobic separation membrane 5 is an alumina ceramic membrane. In this embodiment, a three-layer structure is preferably adopted to maximize the filtration of the mixture of volatile oil and distilled water and improve the separation and screening efficiency of volatile oil.

[0025] In at least one embodiment, to achieve efficient membrane separation of volatile oils, this embodiment preferably uses an alumina ceramic membrane with a diameter of 1 μm. The pressure inside the filter container 2 that matches the membrane diameter is 0.03 MPa. By setting a pressure relief valve 14 and a pressure gauge 15 on one side of the filter container 2 located at the bottom of the filter screen 4, and setting an air pressure regulating device 16 on the other side, the pressure inside the filter container 2 is balanced, which improves the separation of distilled water by the oleophobic separation membrane 5 and improves the purity of the volatile oils.

[0026] In at least one embodiment, in order to improve the oil yield of traditional Chinese medicine and quickly suspend it in the upper layer of distilled water, four vibrators 17 are set at the middle position of the outside of the extraction tank 1. Through vibration, the extraction efficiency of volatile oil is improved.

[0027] To achieve efficient collection of volatile oils in the experiment, an oleophobic coating was applied to the inside of extraction tank 1, filter container 2, and conduit 1, conduit 2, and conduit 3. Separation container 7 was made of an oleophobic material, which improved the recovery of volatile oils and reduced cleaning difficulty. To ensure the sealing of the experiment and the step-by-step experimental conditions, on-off valves were installed at the inlet and outlet of conduit 1, conduit 2, and conduit 3, which improved the sealing of the experiment and the orderliness of the steps.

[0028] The embodiments described in this utility model are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of the claims. Other substantially equivalent substitutions that can be conceived by those skilled in the art are all within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A traditional Chinese medicine extraction device capable of recovering volatile oils, characterized in that, The extraction tank (1) is used to hold distilled water and crushed Chinese medicine. One side of the extraction tank (1) is connected to the filter container (2) through a conduit. The upper part of the filter container (2) is set as a support plate (3). The middle part of the support plate (3) is detachably installed with a bucket-shaped filter screen (4). The lower part of the filter container (2) is set as a multi-layer oleophobic separation membrane (5). The bottom of the oleophobic separation membrane (5) is set as a support liner (6). The support liner (6) is detachably installed and removed from the filter container (2). The filter container (2) is connected to the separation container (7) through a conduit. The bottom of the conduit is set on the upper part of the oleophobic separation membrane (5). The separation container (7) includes a round bottle (11) and a conical bottle (12). The round bottle (11) and the conical bottle (12) are sealed by a flange. The conical bottle (12) is connected to the collection container (21) through a conduit. The filter container (2) and the round bottle (11) are connected to the extraction tank (1) through a recovery conduit.

2. The herbal extraction device for recovering volatile oils according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conduit is located at the inlet end of the extraction tank (1) and is configured as an oleophobic filter layer (13).

3. The herbal extraction device for recovering volatile oils according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filter screen (4) is coated with an oleophobic layer.

4. The herbal extraction device for recovering volatile oils according to claim 1, characterized in that, The oleophobic separation membrane (5) is an alumina ceramic membrane.

5. The herbal extraction device for recovering volatile oils according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filter container (2) is equipped with a pressure relief valve (14) and a pressure gauge (15) on one side at the bottom of the filter screen (4), and an air pressure regulating device (16) on the other side.

6. The herbal extraction device for recovering volatile oils according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple vibrators (17) are installed on the outside of the extraction tank (1).

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