Sterilization of plant material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sterilization methods for plant materials, such as Cannabis, often degrade active constituents like cannabinoids and terpenes due to heat or toxic residues, posing health risks and quality issues.
Innovation Solution
A method involving sub-atmospheric pressure and non-toxic, non-polymerizable gases, combined with an electric field to create a cold plasma cloud, effectively sterilizes plant material without altering its active constituents by maintaining the plant in the plasma cloud until sterilized, using electrodes to generate a cold plasma.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If steam and heat treatment in autoclaves is used for sterilization, then microorganisms are killed, but active constituents (cannabinoids, terpenes) are heated and altered or destroyed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal sterilization methods (steam autoclaving) with a non-thermal plasma-based sterilization system. The plasma generator creates reactive species and energetic electrons that inactivate microorganisms through chemical reactions and direct cell membrane damage, avoiding thermal heating of the plant material and thus preserving heat-sensitive active constituents like cannabinoids and terpenes
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the sterilization mechanism from thermal energy (heat) to non-thermal energy (plasma). By controlling plasma parameters such as power input, treatment time, and gas composition, the system achieves effective microbial inactivation without significant temperature increase of the plant material, resolving the contradiction between sterilization effectiveness and temperature preservation
2Reliability
If gamma radiation or electron beam sterilization is used, then microorganisms are killed, but active constituents are altered and health risks increase due to residue deposition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces ionizing radiation methods (gamma radiation, electron beam) with non-ionizing cold plasma technology. The plasma system uses reactive chemical species and physical plasma interactions to inactivate microorganisms without penetrating deep into the plant material, thereby avoiding residue deposition and harmful effects on active constituents while maintaining sterilization effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts potentially harmful high-energy radiation into beneficial controlled plasma reactions. The plasma system uses moderate energy inputs to generate reactive species that selectively target microorganisms through chemical oxidation and cell membrane disruption, avoiding the harmful effects of ionizing radiation while achieving the same sterilization goal
3Temperature
If hydrogen peroxide vapour plasma treatment is used, then sterilization is achieved at low temperature, but hydrogen peroxide residue deposits on Cannabis and may pose health risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the gas composition parameter from hydrogen peroxide-based plasma to alternative gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon dioxide. This substitution maintains the low-temperature plasma sterilization benefits while eliminating harmful peroxide residues, as these alternative gases leave no toxic deposits on the plant material after treatment
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses inert or easily decomposable gases (nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide) as the plasma medium instead of persistent hydrogen peroxide. These gases either remain inert during the process or decompose completely into harmless substances, avoiding residue problems while maintaining effective sterilization at low temperatures
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
The method achieves effective sterilization of plant material by killing microorganisms without etching or depositing residues, preserving the active constituents and maintaining the plant's physical and chemical properties.
Implementation Method 1
applying an electric field to the gas to create a cold plasma cloud
Implementation Method 2
applying an electric field to the gas to create a cold plasma cloud
Implementation Method 3
disposing plant material in a sub-atmospheric pressure environment
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for sterilizing plant material include disposing plant material in a sub-atmospheric pressure environment, dispersing a non-toxic, non-polymerizable gas into the sub-atmospheric pressure environment, applying an electric field to change the gas into cold plasma, and maintaining exposure of the plant material to the cold plasma until substantially sterilized plant material is obtained, wherein an amount of at least one active constituent in the plant material is substantially unchanged by the sterilizing. The plant material may be Cannabis.