Apparatus for preparation of pharmacologically-relevant compounds from botanical sources
OwnerJose Rivasinventor
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Abstract
In a system and process for selectively purifying various pharmacologically-relevant components of a source plant such as cannabis, an initial step provides a low-temperature, robust essential oil/terpene capture that also dehydrates and decarboxylates the starting product—fresh raw cannabis—by means of a vacuum-assisted microwave distillation process. By doing the terpene capture under vacuum distillation temperature may be kept low. The low distillation temperature maximizes yields of thermally-sensitive components such as terpenes and cannabinoids. The system includes an oil/water separator configured to prevent leakage of ambient air into the system.
Claims4
A method for distilling an essential oil from raw cannabis comprising:
- providing a distillation vessel having a gravity drain;
- placing a portion of fresh cannabis in the distillation vessel;
- heating the distillation vessel in a microwave oven under at least a partial continuous vacuum for a time period and at a power level sufficient to substantially dry and decarboxylate the cannabis;
- as the distillation vessel is heated, continuously draining accumulated liquid and vapor under at least a partial continuous vacuum from the distillation vessel into a condenser;
- draining a resulting distillate from the condenser into an oil/water separator capable of maintaining the at least partial continuous vacuum;
- and
- draining a resulting essential oil layer into a collection vessel, as an aqueous layer is pumped from the oil-water separator in a continuous flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.