Systems for extracting solute from a source material

Abstract

Systems for extracting solute from a source material are shown and described. The systems may include: a first fluid pathway comprising a solvent source arranged to receive and provide solvent and a solvent conditioner. The solvent conditioner is arranged to receive liquid solvent, condition received liquid solvent by maintaining or establishing a pressure and/or temperature of the received liquid solvent and provide conditioned liquid solvent. The systems may further include a canister adapted to contain plant material and arranged downstream of the first fluid pathway, thereby producing an extract solution of the conditioned liquid solvent and the essential oil extracted from the plant material.

1 . A system for extracting solute from a source material, the system comprising:
 a first fluid pathway comprising:
 a solvent source arranged to receive and provide a solvent; and 
 at least one solvent conditioner in fluid communication with the solvent source and arranged to:
 receive a liquid solvent, 
 condition the received liquid solvent by maintaining or establishing at least one of a pressure and a temperature of the received liquid solvent, and 
 provide a conditioned liquid solvent at the at least one pressure and temperature; 
 
   a plurality of detachable canisters adapted to contain a plant material, each of the plurality of canisters arranged downstream of the first fluid pathway for receiving the conditioned liquid solvent, thereby producing an extract solution of the conditioned liquid solvent and an essential oil extracted from the plant material;   a canister interface configured to detachably support the plurality of detachable canisters; and   at least one extract container arranged to be in selective fluid communication with at least one of the plurality of detachable canisters for receiving and collecting the extract solution from one or more of the plurality of detachable canisters.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , with the at least one solvent conditioner and the solvent source being consecutively arranged along the first fluid pathway. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , with the at least one solvent conditioner arranged to at least cool the received liquid solvent upstream of the solvent source. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , with the at least one solvent conditioner and the solvent source being consecutively arranged along the first fluid pathway. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising at least one of
 a valve arranged between the at least one solvent conditioner and the solvent source, and   a fluid line arranged between the at least one solvent conditioner and the solvent source.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , with the at least one solvent conditioner arranged to at least heat the received liquid solvent downstream of the solvent source. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , with the at least one solvent conditioner and the solvent source being consecutively arranged along the first fluid pathway. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising at least one of
 a valve arranged between the at least one solvent conditioner and the solvent source, and   a fluid line arranged between the at least one solvent conditioner and the solvent source.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , with the at least one solvent conditioner arranged to at least compress the received liquid solvent downstream of the solvent source to establish the pressure of the conditioned liquid solvent. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  with the at least one solvent conditioner comprising at least one of a solvent container and a solvent compressor. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , with the at least one solvent conditioner comprising a solvent compressor arranged to receive the liquid solvent; the solvent compressor configured to compress the liquid solvent to a predetermined pressure; and the solvent compressor further arranged to communicate the conditioned solvent at the predetermined pressure to one or more of the plurality of canisters. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , with the at least one solvent conditioner arranged to selectively communicate the conditioned solvent to each canister of the plurality of canisters. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , with the canister interface comprising:
 an input valve for an associated canister of the plurality of canisters, the input valve operable to selectively adjust between at least an open position for allowing fluid to enter the associated canister and a closed position for restricting fluid from entering the associated canister; and   an output valve for the associated canister, the output valve operable to selectively adjust between at least an open position for allowing fluid to leave the associated canister and a closed position for restricting fluid from leaving the associated canister.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a heating element thermally coupled with an associated canister of the plurality of canisters, the heating element operable to apply heat to the associated canister. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , with the heating element comprising a heating pad. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , with the heating element operable to apply heat to the associated canister according to a distilling temperature, the distilling temperature being at least a boiling point of the liquid solvent. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a solvent collection container in fluid communication with the extract container and the solvent source, the solvent collection container arranged to receive a post-extraction portion of the solvent and direct the post-extraction solvent towards the first fluid pathway. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1  with the at least one extract container arranged to be in selective fluid communication with each of the plurality of canisters for selectively collecting the extract solution from each of the plurality of canisters. 
     
     
         19 . A system for extracting solute from a source material, the system comprising:
 a first fluid pathway comprising:
 a solvent source arranged to receive and provide a solvent; and 
 at least one solvent conditioner in fluid communication with the solvent source and arranged to:
 receive a liquid solvent, 
 condition the received liquid solvent by maintaining or establishing at least one of a pressure and a temperature of the received liquid solvent, and 
 provide the conditioned liquid solvent at the at least one pressure and temperature; 
 
   a plurality of detachable canisters adapted to contain a plant material, each of the plurality of canisters being arranged downstream of the first fluid pathway for receiving the conditioned liquid solvent, thereby producing an extract solution of the conditioned liquid solvent and an essential oil extracted from the plant material;   a canister interface configured to detachably support the plurality of detachable canisters;   at least one extract container arranged to be in selective fluid communication with each of the plurality of detachable canisters for receiving and collecting the extract solution from one or more of the plurality of canisters;   a heating element thermally coupled with the at least one extract container for heating the at least one extract container to a distilling temperature, the distilling temperature being at least a boiling point of the liquid solvent, but below a boiling point of the essential oil, thereby separating, in the at least one extract container, the extraction solution into a post-extraction portion of the essential oil and at least a post-extraction portion of the liquid solvent; and   at least one pump arranged to receive the post-extraction portion of the solvent upstream or along the first fluid pathway.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising at least one condenser in fluid communication with the at least one pump. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19  with the at least one pump arranged to be in selective fluid communication with the solvent source, the solvent collection container, and the extract container. 
     
     
         22 . A system for extracting solute from a source material, the system comprising:
 a first fluid pathway comprising:
 a solvent source arranged to receive and provide solvent; and 
 at first solvent conditioner in fluid communication with the solvent source and arranged to:
 receive liquid solvent, 
 condition received liquid solvent by maintaining or establishing at least one of a pressure and temperature of the received liquid solvent, and 
 provide conditioned liquid solvent at the at least one pressure and temperature; 
 
   a plurality of detachable canisters adapted to contain plant material, each of the plurality of canisters being arranged downstream of the first fluid pathway for receiving the conditioned liquid solvent, thereby producing an extract solution of the conditioned liquid solvent and the essential oil extracted from the plant material;   a canister interface configured to detachably support the plurality of detachable canisters;   at least one extract container arranged to be in selective fluid communication with each of the plurality of detachable canisters for receiving and collecting the extract solution from one or more of the plurality of detachable canisters;   a heating element thermally coupled with the extract container for heating the extract container to a distilling temperature, the distilling temperature being at least a boiling point of the solvent, but below a boiling point of the essential oil, thereby separating, in the extract container, the extraction solution into a post-extraction portion of the essential oil and at least a post-extraction portion of the solvent; and   a second solvent conditioner in fluid communication with the extract container and the first fluid pathway, the second solvent conditioner arranged to receive the post-extraction portion of the solvent and direct the post-extraction solvent towards the first fluid pathway.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22  with the first solvent conditioner comprising at least one of a solvent container, a solvent compressor, and a solvent condenser. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22  with the second solvent conditioner comprising at least one of a solvent container, a solvent compressor, and a solvent condenser. 
     
     
         25 . A system for extracting solute from a source material, the system comprising:
 a first fluid pathway comprising:
 a solvent source arranged to receive and provide a solvent; and 
 at least one solvent conditioner in fluid communication with the solvent source and arranged to:
 receive a liquid solvent, 
 condition the received liquid solvent by maintaining or establishing at least one of a pressure and temperature of the received liquid solvent, and 
 provide a conditioned liquid solvent at the at least one pressure and temperature; 
 
   at least one canister adapted to contain plant material, the at least one canister arranged downstream of the first fluid pathway for receiving the conditioned liquid solvent, thereby producing an extract solution of the conditioned liquid solvent and the essential oil extracted from the plant material;   a canister interface configured to detachably support the at least one canister; and   
       at least one extract container arranged to be in selective fluid communication with the at least one canister for receiving and collecting the extract solution from the at least one canister. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , with the at least one canister adapted to contain lavender.