US 11,167,225 B2 · Plant trichome filtration and concentration

Abstract

Trichomes, lupulins and other plant parts can be efficiently separated from plant biomass by continuous filtration. In some embodiments plant biomass is collected and combined with water to form a plant biomass mixture. The plant biomass mixture is passed through a filtration device in which the plant biomass mixture is continuously flowed through a filter material. The device includes a cleaning apparatus that cleans the filter material during the process. In some embodiments greater than 90% of the plant parts are collected from the starting plant biomass. The plant parts can be subsequently processed to obtain desired compounds. For example, trichomes can be separated from other plant biomass and subsequently processed to extract one or more cannabinoids or terpenes, such as THC and/or CBD.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of collecting trichomes from plant biomass comprising:

providing a plant biomass mixture comprising greater than 500 ppm trichomes and water;
providing a filtration device comprising:
a housing having an unfiltered inlet and a filtered outlet;
an annular filter located within the housing comprising a filter material having a gap width of about 10 to 25 microns;
and
a rotating cleaning assembly located inside the annular filter and comprising a distributor;
filtering trichomes from the plant biomass by directing the mixture through the distributor to an inside surface of the filter;
passing the plant biomass mixture through the filter;
rotating the cleaning assembly inside the filter such that the inside surface of the filter is cleaned;
and collecting filtered material comprising trichomes at the filtered outlet,
wherein greater than 90% of the trichomes are removed from the liquid plant biomass mixture and collected in the filtered material.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Plant trichome filtration and concentration

Life of this patent

Plant trichome filtration and concentration

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20