Enwave Corporation

The University of British Columbia

1140522 B.c. Ltd.

Li-chan, Eunice

Nakai, Shuryo

Durance, Timothy

Timothy D Durance

Jun Fu

Parastoo Yaghmaee

Richard S Meyer

Robert L Pike

Guopeng Zhang

Jian Hua Wang

Dragan Macura

Fang Liu

Christine H Scaman

Binh Pham

Shuryo Nakai

Shafique Ahmad

Ziba Vaghri

Jaya Sundaram

Chun Hu

Mareike Ressing

Eunice Li-Chan

Vu Truong

Jianhua (Linda) Wang

Alex N Yousif

Li Bing Cao

Gary Sandberg

David D Kitts

Reihaneh Noorbakhsh

Natalia E Saenz Garza

This invention was designed to condense, separate and collect volatile compounds from the vapor steam as they exit the dehydrator. Bulk condensate is allowed to accumulate and separate in a separator vessel under vacuum. The undesirable water phase condensate is periodically drained into a water vessel, which is also held under vacuum instead of atmospheric pressure to avoid agitation and mixing of the contents of the separator vessel arising from purging the separator vessel to atmosphere. The separated and desirable oily condensates can then be easily recovered from the separator vessel.

Condensate separator system for vacuum microwave dehydrators

A process for making a shelf-stable food, not requiring preservatives or refrigeration and in a form that is convenient for use as a snack food. A block of tofu or wheat gluten is first frozen so as to cause the formation of ice crystals that form cavities within the block. The frozen block is then thawed, cut into smaller pieces and drained of excess water. The thawed pieces are dried in a microwave-vacuum dehydrator to produce a crunchy food product.

Method of making dried food products

A method and apparatus for pasteurizing and drying cannabis plant materials using a microwave-vacuum chamber. The pasteurizing and drying are carried out with no use of ionizing radiation and with rapid drying. Pasteurization is done at a temperature and for a time period that are sufficient to reduce microorganisms to an acceptably low level, while not significantly reducing the psychoactive compounds in the material. In the process, the pressure inside a vacuum chamber is reduced to a first pressure less than atmospheric. The material is maintained in the vacuum chamber at the first pressure at a pasteurizing temperature while irradiating the material with microwave radiation. The pressure is then reduced to a second pressure lower than the first pressure and the material is maintained in the vacuum chamber at the second pressure for a time period at a dehydrating temperature lower than the pasteurizing temperature while irradiating the material with microwave radiation. The pasteurizing and dehydrating steps can be done in the reverse order.

Method and apparatus for pasteurizing and dehydrating cannabis

An apparatus and method for dehydrating biological materials, such as vaccines and microorganism cultures, in which the materials are dehydrated in an evacuated container which is in a microwave waveguide that is open to the atmosphere. The apparatus comprises means for freezing the container of biological material, a microwave generator, a waveguide, means for introducing the container into the waveguide, means for applying a vacuum to the container and means for removing the dehydrated material from the waveguide. In the method of the invention, the container of biological material is put in a microwave waveguide open to the atmosphere, a vacuum is applied to the container, the material is frozen and is radiated to dehydrate it. The dehydrated material is then removed from the waveguide.

Apparatus and method for dehydrating biological materials with freezing and microwaving

An apparatus and method for microwave vacuum-drying of organic materials such as food products. The dehydration apparatus () has a vacuum chamber () with a loading module () at one end and a discharge module () at the other. The vacuum chamber has access doors () spaced between the input end () and the discharge end () which provide operator and maintenance access. Microwave generators () are mounted on each access door and arranged to radiate through a microwave chamber and microwave-transparent window on the access door into the vacuum chamber. The waveguides on a respective access door are oriented to minimize microwave interference between the magnetrons on that door. A conveyor () in the vacuum chamber moves the organic material () on trays () through the vacuum chamber.

Microwave vacuum-drying of organic materials

An apparatus and method for microwave vacuum-drying of organic materials, such as food products. The apparatus has a microwave vacuum chamber, a loading moduleto load containersof the organic material into the vacuum chamber, a rotatable cylindrical cagein the vacuum chamber for rotating the containers, a pistonfor moving the rotating containers through the vacuum chamber, and means for unloading the containers of dehydrated material from the vacuum chamber. The apparatus may include an equilibration chamberfor cooling the dehydrated material under reduced pressure, and a transfer moduleto transfer the containers from the vacuum chamber to the equilibration chamber. The apparatus has a microwave transparent windowfor transmission of radiation into the vacuum chamber, and a gas jetfor blowing a stream of gas, such as air or nitrogen, into the vacuum chamber adjacent to the window.

Apparatus and method for microwave vacuum-drying of organic materials

An apparatusfor microwave vacuum-drying organic materials such as foods and bioactives has a plurality of microwave generatorsactuated so as to cause interference between their respective microwave streams and evenly distribute the microwave energy across the vacuum chamber. The microwave-transparent windowin the chamber is arranged so the organic material to be dried is moved across it on a conveyor beltand the microwave energy passing into the chamberimmediately encounters the organic materials, thus attenuating the energy and reducing arcing.

An apparatus () for dehydrating organic material in batches has a processing unit () having a microwave-vacuum chamber (), an input module () and an output module (), with a conveyor () for moving the material through the chamber on a microwave-transparent window. A material reservoir () is arranged to receive the material exiting the output module. A conveyor () external to the vacuum chamber conveys material that exits the reservoir to the input module. The vacuum chamber (), reservoir () and external conveyor () are in fluid communication to operate at a common, reduced pressure. The organic material passes through the vacuum chamber multiple times to equilibrate and dry to the desired degree.

An apparatus and method for microwave vacuum-drying of organic materials such as food products. The dehydration apparatus () has a vacuum chamber () with an input module () at one end and a discharge module () at the other. The vacuum chamber has access doors () spaced between the input end () and the discharge end () which provide operator and maintenance access. Microwave generators () are mounted on each access door and arranged to radiate through a microwave chamber and microwave-transparent window on the access door into the vacuum chamber. A pair of rollers () in the vacuum chamber rotates the container of organic material () about a horizontal axis, and a chain drive () pulls the containers along the rollers through the vacuum chamber.

A method for producing foams containing biological materials is described. A solid or semi-solid paste is formed by combining biologically active material with a protecting agent in an aqueous solvent. The paste formed is allowed to set, and may optionally then be apportioned into the desired shape. The paste may be frozen to allow formation of ice crystals to act as porogens. Subsequently, the paste is exposed to travelling wave radiant energy under vacuum (t-REV) for drying. This causes the solvent to boil off, leaving dried material containing the biologically active material, the protecting agent, and a relatively low water content. Biologically active materials which can be used include cells, microbial cultures, live attenuated microbes, probiotics, yeasts, enzymes, vaccines, proteins, and any heat-sensitive biological material. By directing energy via a travelling wave through a sample, good control of temperature and process conditions can be achieved. The method provides an alternative to the conventional methods of particulate leaching or freeze drying.

Method of drying biological material

A method for producing foams, such as sponges, from hydrocolloids is described. A solid or semi-solid gel is formed by dissolving polymeric material in an aqueous solvent. The gel formed is allowed to set, and may optionally then be cut into the desired shape. The gel may be frozen to allow formation of ice crystals to act as porogens. Subsequently, the gel is exposed to a radiant energy field for drying under vacuum. This causes the solvent to boil and the foam or sponge is formed. Medicinally active ingredients may be included in the process, so that the sponge or foam formed contains the active ingredient dispersed within the structure. The method described provides an alternative to the conventional methods of particulate leaching or freeze drying.

Growing community of inventors

Vancouver, Canada

Timothy D Durance