Vapor trap

Abstract

A method of capturing a vaporized component or components, and apparatus for same is provided. The method involves vaporization of desired components, and capture of the vaporized components in a material using a vapor trap device. Once captured, the material with the component stored therein may be used for any number of purposes including ingestion, topical administration, and/or aromatization.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for capturing volatile components from plant material comprising:
 a vaporizer, a quantity of plant material loaded into the vaporizer;   a vapor trap attached to the vaporizer, the vapor trap comprising:
 a reservoir containing a quantity of vapor trapping media, a vapor inlet providing an inlet path to the reservoir, and a vapor outlet providing an outlet path from the reservoir, the reservoir being between the vapor inlet and vapor outlet; 
 a first container positioned at or near the vapor inlet, the first container configured to allow a vapor inlet flow and prevent or limit escape of the vapor trapping media through the vapor inlet; 
 a second container positioned at or near the vapor outlet, configured to allow a vapor outlet flow and to prevent or limit escape of the vapor trapping media through the vapor outlet; 
   wherein the vaporizer is configured to heat a quantity of air and pass the heated air past the plant material within the vaporizer, the heated air configured to vaporize a volatile component of the plant material forming a vapor flow, the vaporizer configured to allow the vapor flow to pass into the vapor inlet of the vapor trap, into the vapor trap reservoir and through and in contact with the vapor trapping media, and exiting the vapor trap from the vapor outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The device for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 1  wherein the vapor trapping media is configured to capture a portion of the volatile component of the vapor flow by at least one of condensation, absorption, and adsorption of the volatile component. 
     
     
         3 . The device for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 1  wherein the vapor inlet and vapor outlet being on opposite sides of the vapor trap. 
     
     
         4 . The device for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 1  wherein the first container is positioned just downstream of the vapor inlet and the second container is positioned just upstream of the vapor outlet. 
     
     
         5 . The device for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 1  wherein the first or second container is at least one of a filter, membrane, mesh, check valve, a porous polyethylene layer, and a porous piece of glass. 
     
     
         6 . The device for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 1  wherein the vapor trapping media is a liquid. 
     
     
         7 . The device for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 1  wherein the vapor trapping media is a granular material. 
     
     
         8 . The device for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 1  wherein the vapor trapping media is selected from the group consisting of: an edible oil, essential oils, dimethyl sulfoxide, activated charcoal, silica, cellulose, polymers, functionalized silica, functionalized cellulose, functionalized polymers, porous ceramics, sugar, flour, water, alcohol-water solutions, and alcohols. 
     
     
         9 . The device for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 1  wherein the volatile component is a cannabinoid. 
     
     
         10 . A vapor trap for capturing volatile components from plant material configured to be attached to a plant component vaporizer, the vapor trap comprising:
 a reservoir containing a quantity of vapor trapping media, a vapor inlet providing an inlet path to the reservoir, and a vapor outlet providing an outlet path from the reservoir, the reservoir being between the vapor inlet and vapor outlet;   a first container positioned at or near the vapor inlet, the first container configured to allow a vapor inlet flow and prevent or limit escape of the vapor trapping media through the vapor inlet;   a second container positioned at or near the vapor outlet, configured to allow a vapor outlet flow and to prevent or limit escape of the vapor trapping media through the vapor outlet;   wherein a vapor flow from the vaporizer is able to pass into the vapor inlet of the vapor trap, through the container and into the vapor trap reservoir and through and in contact with the vapor trapping media, and exiting the vapor trap through the container from the vapor outlet.   
     
     
         11 . The vapor trap for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 10  wherein the vapor trapping media is configured to capture a portion of a volatile component of the vapor flow by at least one of condensation, absorption, and adsorption of the volatile component. 
     
     
         12 . The vapor trap for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 10  wherein the vapor inlet and vapor outlet being on opposite sides of the vapor trap. 
     
     
         13 . The vapor trap for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 10  wherein the first container is positioned just downstream of the vapor inlet and the second container is positioned just upstream of the vapor outlet. 
     
     
         14 . The vapor trap for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 10  wherein the first or second container is at least one of a filter, membrane, mesh, check valve, a porous polyethylene layer, and a porous piece of glass. 
     
     
         15 . The vapor trap for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 10  wherein the vapor trapping media is a liquid. 
     
     
         16 . The vapor trap for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 10  wherein the vapor trapping media is a granular material. 
     
     
         17 . The vapor trap for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 10  wherein the vapor trapping media is selected from the group consisting of: an edible oil, essential oils, dimethyl sulfoxide, activated charcoal, silica, cellulose, polymers, functionalized silica, functionalized cellulose, functionalized polymers, porous ceramics, sugar, flour, water, alcohol-water solutions, and alcohols. 
     
     
         18 . The vapor trap for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 10  wherein the volatile component is a cannabinoid. 
     
     
         19 . The vapor trap for capturing volatile components from plant material of  claim 18  wherein the vapor trapping media is selected to dissolve, absorb, adsorb or condense the cannabinoid. 
     
     
         20 . A method of capturing volatile components from plant material comprising the steps of:
 loading a quantity of plant material into a vaporizer;   removably attaching a vapor trap to the vaporizer, the vapor trap comprising:
 a reservoir, a vapor inlet providing an inlet path to the reservoir, and a vapor outlet providing an outlet path from the reservoir, the vapor inlet and vapor outlet being on opposite sides of the vapor trap, the reservoir being between the vapor inlet and vapor outlet; 
 a first container positioned just downstream of the vapor inlet, the container configured to allow a vapor inlet flow and prevent escape of the vapor trapping media through the vapor inlet; 
 a second container positioned just upstream of the vapor outlet, configured to allow a vapor outlet flow and to prevent escape of the vapor trapping media through the vapor outlet; 
   loading a quantity of vapor trapping media into the reservoir the vapor trapping media being contained in the reservoir by the reservoir and the first and second containers;   continuously heating a quantity of air and continuously passing the quantity of air past the plant material within the vaporizer;   wherein the passing of heated air causing a volatile component of the plant material to vaporize, forming a vapor, the vapor mixing with the quantity of air to form a vapor flow containing the volatile component, the vapor flow exiting the vaporizer and passing into the vapor inlet of the vapor trap;   selecting a quantity of the vapor trapping media based on a chemical property of the volatile component of the vaporizing material desired to be captured;   wherein the step of removably attaching the vapor trap to the vaporizer comprises attaching the vapor trap such that the vapor flow passes from the vaporizer outlet, through the vapor inlet connected to the vaporizer outlet by the adaptor and into the vapor trap reservoir, the vapor flow passing through and contacting the vapor trapping media, the vapor flow exiting the vapor trap from the vapor outlet after the step of passing through and contacting the vapor trapping media;   capturing the volatile component vaporized by the vapor trapping media, the step of capturing comprising at least one of condensation, absorption and adsorption of the volatile component by the vapor trapping media.