Botanical Drying via Flash Freezing and Sublimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drying methods for botanicals result in quick degradation of appearance and compounds, leading to inefficient use of cannabis leaves, which are often discarded, and require lengthy processing times.
Innovation Solution
The method involves flash freezing harvested botanicals to solidify moisture, followed by sublimation in a vacuum environment to remove moisture as a gas, maintaining the botanical's original dimensions and allowing for extended usability, with the option to extract oil, trim, or convert into powder for storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional slow drying methods are used to preserve botanical compounds, then degradation is minimized, but drying time becomes excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies freeze-drying technology that utilizes phase transitions of water (freezing to solid, then sublimation to gas) to remove moisture from botanicals. This process preserves thermally sensitive compounds while achieving complete drying, resolving the contradiction between maintaining compound stability and reducing drying time.
Solution Approach 2:
The botanical material is pre-frozen before the drying process begins. This preliminary freezing action prepares the material for sublimation drying, allowing moisture removal to proceed rapidly while preserving compound integrity from the outset.
2Device complexity
If conventional drying methods are used, then processing is simple, but the appearance and quality of dried botanicals degrade quickly
Solution Approach 1:
By utilizing the phase transition from solid ice directly to water vapor through sublimation, the process removes moisture without passing through the liquid phase that would cause cellular collapse and quality degradation. This maintains appearance and quality reliability while using a well-established scientific principle.
3Device complexity
If conventional drying is used, then equipment requirements are minimal, but shelf life of dried botanicals is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The freeze-drying process creates a highly stable dried product with preserved structural integrity and compound stability. The sublimation process removes all free water while maintaining the botanical matrix, resulting in extended shelf life through a process that uses standard laboratory equipment.
4Reliability
If slow drying is used to maintain botanical integrity, then quality is preserved, but trimming and processing become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The botanical material is frozen solid before drying, which maintains structural integrity during the process. After freeze-drying, the material can be easily trimmed and processed while maintaining quality, as the frozen state prevents degradation that would occur during prolonged slow drying.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method significantly improves the appearance, quality, and shelf life of dried botanicals, reducing drying time while preserving the botanical's integrity and allowing for efficient storage and future use.
Implementation Method 1
flash freezing a harvested botanical until the moisture content is solidified
Implementation Method 2
dried by sublimating the solidified moisture content to a gas
Data Source
AI summary
A method for drying to increase the useful life of botanicals and shorten the time to market after harvest of the botanicals. The method may include flash freezing the botanicals, at a desired optimal temperature range, soon after harvest. The method may include storing the frozen botanicals indefinitely prior to drying. The method may include drying the frozen botanicals using a lyophilizer at a desired optimal temperature and pressure.