The disclosure in some aspects relates to systems and related methods for the continuous freeze-drying of materials (e.g., pharmaceuticals) with high speed and control.

A method for drying at least one sample of material is provided. The method includes placing the at least one sample of material into a chamber and then sealing the chamber. The method includes applying a vacuum to the chamber in order to reduce the pressure therein. The method includes heating the at least one sample using electromagnetic energy while applying the vacuum to the chamber. The method includes measuring at least one condition of the chamber and determining that the sample is dry based on the at least one monitored condition.

Methods for preparing dried pellets of biological materials are described. The pellets can have a substantially spherical shape and are prepared by freezing droplets of a liquid composition of a desired biological material on a solid surface followed by microwave vacuum drying the frozen droplets. These methods are useful for preparing dried pellets having a high concentration of a desired biological material, in particular a therapeutic protein or vaccine, and which have a faster reconstitution time than lyophilized powder cakes prepared in vials.

In a system for performing a multi-step process for selectively purifying various pharmacologically-relevant components of a source plant such as cannabis, an initial step of the process provides a low-temperature, robust process for dehydrating and decarboxylating the starting productfresh raw cannabisby means of a vacuum-assisted microwave distillation process. An important by-product of the dehydration/decarboxylation is a terpene-rich distillate. By doing the terpene capture under vacuum, distillation temperature may be kept low. The low distillation temperature maximizes yields of thermally-sensitive components such as terpenes and cannabinoids.

The present invention is directed to a process for drying a material comprising at least one polysaccharide, said process comprising a step wherein the material is submitted to microwave irradiations under conditions which do not degrade said polysaccharide.

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.

A method of drying an organic material by microwave-vacuum drying below but close to the triple point of water has been determined to allow more conversion of microwaves to heat than would occur when microwave freeze-drying at lower pressures. The method comprises introducing the organic material into a microwave-vacuum dehydrator, exposing the organic material to microwave radiation in the dehydrator to dry the organic material by sublimation, and maintaining pressure in the dehydrator in the range of 0.5 Torr to 4.5 Torr. The method provides the benefits of reduced drying time, energy requirements and product temperatures, relative to dehydration done at lower vacuum pressures.

The disclosure in some aspects relates to systems and related methods for the continuous freeze-drying of materials (e.g., pharmaceuticals) with high speed and control.

A portable electromagnetic wave drying apparatus is provided for the in-situ reduction of moisture in structural members within a wood frame construction. The apparatus comprises at least one electromagnetic wave generation assembly and an electromagnetic wave applicator. Also provided is an electromagnetic wave treatment method for the in-situ reduction of moisture content in a structural member within a wood frame construction. The method comprises contacting a portion of the structural member with electromagnetic waves for a period of not more than 30 minutes and then allowing the structural member to rest for a period of not more than 90 minutes. The apparatus and method are useful in the remediation of wood frame structures that have been exposed to flood waters.

An apparatus and method for microwave vacuum-drying of organic materials such as food products. The dehydration apparatus (10) has a vacuum chamber (12) with a loading module (14) at one end and a discharge module (22) at the other. The vacuum chamber has access doors (80) spaced between the input end (16) and the discharge end (24) which provide operator and maintenance access. Microwave generators (86) 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 (60) in the vacuum chamber moves the organic material (96) on trays (18) through the vacuum chamber.