Method of drying botanicals

{
  "publication_number": "US11191797B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Method of drying botanicals",
  "abstract": "A method for drying to increase the useful life of botanicals and shorten the time to market after harvest of the botanicals. The method may include flash freezing the botanicals, at a desired optimal temperature range, soon after harvest. The method may include storing the frozen botanicals indefinitely prior to drying. The method may include drying the frozen botanicals using a lyophilizer at a desired optimal temperature and pressure.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method comprising: flash freezing a Cannabis flower, having an initial volumetric dimension, to solidify moisture content within the flower; sublimating the solidified moisture content from the flower until the flower is substantially dried while having substantially the same volumetric dimension as the initial volumetric dimension of the flower.",
    "2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: converting the sublimated moisture content to liquid form, said liquid form being comprised of water and terpene oil, said terpene oil being lighter in weight than said water; separating said terpene oil from said water; and collecting said terpene oil.",
    "3. The method of claim 1, wherein the substantially dried flower is placed in an airtight container for future use.",
    "4. The method of claim 1, wherein the substantially dried flower is trimmed to form a residue of particles, and the trimmed particles are packaged for future use.",
    "5. The method of claim 1, wherein the substantially dried flower is converted into powdered form and is packaged for future use.",
    "6. The method of claim 1, wherein oil is extracted from the dried flower, and the extracted oil is stored in capsule form.",
    "7. The method of claim 1, wherein oil is extracted from the dried flower, the extracted oil is converted into pill form.",
    "8. A method comprising: flash freezing a Cannabis flower, having an initial volumetric dimension, to solidify moisture content within the flower; sublimating the solidified moisture content from the flower until the flower is substantially dried while having substantially the same volumetric dimension as the initial volumetric dimension of the flower: and converting the sublimated moisture content to liquid form, said liquid form being comprised of water and terpene oil, said terpene oil being lighter in weight than said water.",
    "9. A method comprising: flash freezing a Cannabis flower, having an initial volumetric dimension, to solidify moisture content within the flower; sublimating the solidified moisture content from the flower until the flower is substantially dried while having substantially the same volumetric dimension as the initial volumetric dimension of the flower: and separating the substantially dried flower from the sublimated moisture content, the sublimated moisture content being comprised of water and terpene oil, said terpene oil being lighter in weight than said water."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates generally to processing botanical items. In particular, methods of drying the botanical items are described.\n\nConventional techniques for drying botanicals involve slowly drying the harvested botanicals by hanging them in a cool, dry room for several weeks. This process leads to quicker degradation of the appearance and compounds in the botanical. Once the botanical is dry, trimming it is difficult. Where the botanical is Cannabis, the leaves are generally considered useless and are discarded.\n\nThus, there exists a need for drying that improves upon and advance the design of known method for processing botanicals, which also includes hemp and Cannabis. Examples of new and useful drying methods relevant to the needs existing in the field are discussed below.\n\nThe methods discussed below dramatically improve the overall appearance, quality, and shelf life of dried botanicals, while decreasing the drying time. According to one aspect of the invention, the improved dried botanical is produced by flash freezing a harvested botanical until the moisture content is solidified. The frozen botanical is dried by sublimating the solidified moisture content to a gas, while continuously removing the gas from the botanical. The resulting dried botanical generally maintains it original volumetric dimensions and maintains its usability for an extended period of time. The botanical can then be placed in a sealed container for future use. The removed gas can be converted to liquid form comprising of water and terpene oil, wherein the lighter terpene oil is separated from the heavier water and collected.",
  "cpc": [
    "A61K 36/3482",
    "A47G 1/1633",
    "A47G 1/20",
    "A61K 2236/00",
    "A61K 2236/17",
    "A61K 2236/33",
    "A61K 2236/37",
    "A61K 2236/51",
    "A61K 36/185",
    "A61K 9/20",
    "A61K 9/2059",
    "A61K 9/48",
    "A61K 9/4841",
    "F16B 23/0023"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A61K 36/00",
    "A61K 36/185",
    "A61K 9/20",
    "A61K 9/48"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Eric Young"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2020-02-20",
  "publication_date": "2021-12-07",
  "grant_date": "2021-12-07",
  "priority_date": "2018-06-18",
  "application_number": "US-202016796031-A",
  "family_id": "68838898",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "KR20040099183A",
    "CN104096023A"
  ]
}