APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DEHYDRATING BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS

摘要

An apparatus and method for microwave vacuum-drying of temperature-sensitive biological materials on a continuous flow-through basis, in which the materials are frozen, ground to frozen particles, dehydrated to a powder, and the powder collected. The apparatus has a microwave generator and waveguide, a freezing chamber with a grinder, a rotatable dehydration chamber in or adjacent to the waveguide, and a powder collector to receive the powdered biological material. The apparatus operates under reduced pressure provided by a vacuum system coupled to the powder collector.

主权项

1. An apparatus for continuous throughput dehydration of an aqueous biological material, comprising:
(a) a microwave generator; (b) a waveguide to direct microwave radiation from the generator; (c) a freezing chamber for receiving the aqueous biological material and freezing it to form a frozen aqueous biological material; (d) means for feeding the aqueous biological material into the freezing chamber; (e) means for forming a particulate frozen aqueous biological material from the frozen aqueous biological material; (f) a rotatable dehydration chamber in fluid communication with the freezing chamber, the dehydration chamber being positioned in the waveguide to receive microwave radiation produced by the generator, the dehydration chamber having a wall that is transparent to microwave radiation; (g) means for rotating the dehydration chamber; (h) a powder collector in fluid communication with the dehydration chamber; (i) a vacuum system; and (j) means for operatively connecting the vacuum system to the powder collector for applying a vacuum to the freezing chamber, the dehydration chamber and the powder collector whereby the vacuum conveys dehydrated biological material from the dehydration chamber to the powder collector on a continuous throughput basis.