Systems and methods for harvesting mycelia
AssigneeEcovative LLC
InventorsChristopher Michael Scully, Christopher William Werner, Ian Thomas Bonesteel, Maxwell Lee Carmack, Asa Trench Snyder
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods to harvest biopolymer material, such as a mycological material comprising mycelia. The mycelia products that are harvested can be used in the food industry (for example, as an animal-based meat-substitute) and in other industries, such as textiles, packaging, and others. The present invention provides mycelial harvesting methods and systems that are repeatable and energy efficient, while providing high quality and quantity mycelium-based products.
Claims29
A method of harvesting an aerial mycelium panel, comprising:
- providing a mycological growth web comprising a growth matrix, an extra-particle aerial mycelial growth, and a growing net;
- moving the web in a longitudinal direction;
- dividing the web along a separation zone to detach the extra-particle aerial mycelial growth from the growth matrix and form an aerial mycelium;
- cutting the aerial mycelium in a transverse direction and across a width of the aerial mycelium to form an aerial mycelium panel, wherein the cutting and the dividing are performed by the same cutting instrument;
- and
- compressing at least a portion of the aerial mycelium panel along at least one of the width of the panel and in the transverse direction.
A system for harvesting an aerial mycelium, comprising:
- a net pulling system configured to longitudinally move a mycological growth web;
- a dividing instrument configured to divide the web along a separation zone to detach the extra-particle aerial mycelial growth from the growth matrix and form an aerial mycelium;
- a cutting instrument configured to move in a transverse direction and cut across a width of the aerial mycelium to form an aerial mycelium panel, wherein the cutting instrument comprises a wire saw;
- and
- a compression tool configured to compress at least a portion of the aerial mycelium panel along at least one of the width of the panel and in the transverse direction.
A method of harvesting an aerial mycelium panel, comprising:
- providing a mycological growth web comprising a growth matrix, an extra-particle aerial mycelial growth, and a growing net;
- monitoring said mycological growth web by at least one monitoring device, in order to detect and record a deviant morphology in said mycological growth web;
- communicating a position of said deviant morphology in said mycological growth web to a downstream method step function;
- moving the web in a longitudinal direction;
- dividing the web along a separation zone to detach the extra-particle aerial mycelial growth from the growth matrix and form an aerial mycelium;
- cutting the aerial mycelium in a transverse direction and across a width of the aerial mycelium to form an aerial mycelium panel, whereby said cutting step avoids inclusion of deviant morphology in said web which position had been communicated from said monitoring device;
- and
- compressing at least a portion of the aerial mycelium panel along at least one of the width of the panel and in the transverse direction.
A method of harvesting an aerial mycelium panel, comprising:
- providing a mycological growth web comprising a growth matrix, an extra-particle aerial mycelial growth, and a growing net and a perforated sheet along a separation zone;
- moving the web in a longitudinal direction;
- and
- dividing the web along the separation zone to detach the extra-particle aerial mycelial growth from the growth matrix and the perforated sheet and form an aerial mycelium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.