Method of drying botanicals

{
  "publication_number": "US11980304B2",
  "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: harvesting a cannabis botanical having flowers and leaves; separating the leaves from the botanical; flash freezing the leaves to solidify moisture content contained therein; and sublimating the solidified moisture content from the flash frozen leaves to form substantially moisture free flash frozen leaves.",
    "2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: forming a mulch from the moisture free flash frozen leaves.",
    "3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of: packaging the mulch into at least one container.",
    "4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step 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.",
    "5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of: separating said terpene oil from said water; and collecting said separated terpene oil.",
    "6. A method comprising: harvesting a cannabis botanical having leaves and flowers; separating the leaves from the botanical; forming a mulch from the leaves; flash freezing the mulch to solidify moisture content contained therein producing a flash frozen mulch; and sublimating the solidified moisture from the flash frozen mulch to form a substantially moisture free flash frozen mulch.",
    "7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of; packaging the moisture free flash frozen mulch into at least one container.",
    "8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of: converting the sublimated moisture content to liquid form, said liquid form being comprised of water and terpene oil being lighter in weight than said water.",
    "9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of: separating said terpene oil from said water; and collecting said separated terpene oil."
  ],
  "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 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 hemps and cannabis. Examples of new and useful drying methods relevant to the needs of 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 its 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": [
    "A47G 1/20",
    "A61K 36/00",
    "A61K 36/185",
    "A61K 9/20",
    "A61K 9/48",
    "F16B 23/00"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Eric Young"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2021-12-03",
  "publication_date": "2024-05-14",
  "grant_date": "2024-05-14",
  "priority_date": "2018-06-18",
  "application_number": "US-202117541724-A",
  "family_id": "68838898",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
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