Cannabinoid Purification via Functionalized Conveyor Belt
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for large-scale purification of cannabidiol (CBD) from Cannabis genus plant material are not economically viable due to high costs and lack of sophistication, with many purification strategies being anecdotal and not easily automated.
Innovation Solution
A system and method involving a capture/heating station, release stations with specific reagents, and a conveyor belt with functionalized surfaces to adsorb and release CBD, allowing for efficient concentration of CBD through controlled heating and mechanical processing of plant material, enabling continuous operation and reducing the need for costly reagents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If short path distillation format is used for CBD purification, then purification can be achieved, but the process cannot be easily automated and requires batch processing
Solution Approach 1:
The purification process is divided into distinct functional zones along the conveyor belt system: a capture zone with heating elements for volatilization, a transport zone for carrying the belt through the system, and a release zone with release reagents for product recovery. This segmentation enables continuous automated processing while maintaining effective purification at each stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor belt system enables continuous operation where plant material is constantly fed, heated, and processed through the purification stages without batch interruptions. The belt continuously cycles through capture and release zones, maintaining uninterrupted purification flow and significantly improving productivity compared to batch methods.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional purification strategies are used, then some purification can be achieved, but the cost is relatively high and the methods are not sophisticated
Solution Approach 1:
The system controls purification effectiveness by adjusting parameters such as heating temperature (to optimize volatilization of CBD versus other compounds), conveyor speed (to control residence time), and release reagent composition. These parameter optimizations achieve high purification quality while controlling operational costs.
Solution Approach 2:
A functionalized belt serves as an intermediary carrier that selectively adsorbs volatilized CBD from the heating zone and transports it to the release zone. This intermediary mechanism enables sophisticated separation of CBD from plant material without requiring complex equipment, improving both purification quality and cost-effectiveness.
3Productivity
If batch processing is used for CBD concentration, then purification can be performed, but the process is not easily automated and has lower productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor belt system performs multiple functions: it transports plant material through heating zones, serves as an adsorption medium for capturing volatilized CBD, acts as a transport carrier for moving concentrated CBD to release zones, and can be regenerated for continuous operation. This multi-functionality achieves high productivity without proportionally increasing system complexity.
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 approach enables the efficient and cost-effective concentration of CBD, converting inactive precursors to active forms, and allowing for high-quality, high-concentration CBD production suitable for medical applications, overcoming the limitations of existing methods by reducing batch processing and reagent costs.
Implementation Method 1
heating plant material to a volatilization temperature of a target product in the plant material to volatilize the target product
Implementation Method 2
adsorbing the volatilized target product to a functionalized belt
Implementation Method 3
contacting at least a portion of the functionalized belt with a release reagent to release the adsorbed target product from the belt into the release reagent
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are disclosed for concentrating a compound found in plant material from one or more species of the Cannabis genus. A system includes a capture/heating station having at least one heating element to heat a mass of material held within the capture/heating station; at least one release station in series with and liquidly isolated from the capture/heating station, each release station defining a volume at least partially filed by a release reagent formulated to release a target product from a substrate; and a conveyor configured to carry a belt through the capture/heating station and then the at least one release station.