System and method for determining the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol

• US 9,291,552 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2015
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Engineered Medical Technologies
• Original Assignee: Engineered Medical Technologies
• Inventors: Cowger, Bryan John, Babb, Megan Anzar
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Tarifur
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAHMAN, MD M
• Application Number:
  US14/631,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20150300947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 356/434
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/0367 Supports of cells, e.g. pivotable
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1751 Constructive features therefore, e.g. using two measurement cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/03 Cuvette constructions
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/13 Moving of cuvettes or solid samples to or from the investigating station handling materials for automatic analysis G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/33 using ultraviolet light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0446 Multicell plate, sequential
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/062 LED's

Abstract

The present describes a system and method for determining the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) including a tray comprising a first analyte including an infusion of a solvent and cannabis, a light emitting element configured to illuminate the first analyte, a light receiving element configured to receive a first light transmitted through the first analyte, and a control circuit configured to calculate a concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol in the first analyte based at least in part on the first light.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a tray comprising a top portion a top portion and a bottom portion to contain a first analyte in a first cavity and a second analyte in a second cavity, the first analyte comprising a solvent and tetrahydrocannabinol and the second analyte comprising the solvent, the first cavity having a first bottom with a first substantially concave surface and a first top having a first substantially convex surface, the second cavity having a second bottom with a second substantially concave surface and a second top having a second substantially convex surface;

at least one locking feature to lock the top portion of the tray to the bottom portion of the tray such that the first substantially convex surface substantially uniformly spreads the first analyte about the first substantially concave surface and such that the second substantially convex surface substantially uniformly spreads the second analyte about the second substantially concave surface;

a light emitting device configured to generate a light to illuminate the first analyte and the second analyte contained in the tray with a light;

a light receiving device configured to receive a first portion of the light transmitted through the first analyte and configured to receive a second portion of the light transmitted through the second analyte; and

a control circuit configured to determine a concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol in the first analyte based at least in part on a comparison of an intensity of the first portion of the light transmitted through the first analyte received by the light receiving device and the second portion of the light transmitted through the second analyte received by the light receiving device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the light emitting device is configured to generate the light to sequentially illuminate the first analyte followed by the second analyte.

3. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the top portion or the bottom portion comprise at least one horizontal alignment feature, or at least one vertical registration feature.

4. The apparatus of claim 3,

wherein the at least one horizontal alignment feature is configured to horizontally align the top portion relative to the bottom portion;

and

wherein the at least one vertical registration feature is configured to vertically space the top portion from the bottom portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first cavity or the second cavity comprises an optically clear material having a substantially biconvex outer surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol in the first analyte.

7. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the light emitting device comprises at least one light emitting diode;

and

wherein the light receiving device comprises at least one photodiode.

8. A method, comprising:

containing a first analyte in a first cavity of a tray having a top portion and a bottom portion, the first analyte comprising a solvent and tetrahydrocannabinol and the first cavity comprising a first bottom having a first substantially concave surface and a first top having a first substantially convex surface;

containing a second analyte in a second cavity of the tray, the second analyte comprising the solvent and the second cavity comprising a second bottom having a second substantially concave surface and a second top having a second substantially convex surface;

locking the top portion of the tray to the bottom portion of the tray using at least one locking feature such that the first substantially convex surface substantially uniformly spreads the first analyte about the first substantially concave surface and such that the second substantially convex surface substantially uniformly spreads the second analyte about the second substantially concave surface;

illuminating the first analyte with ultraviolet light;

measuring a first intensity of a first portion of the ultraviolet light transmitted through the first analyte;

illuminating the second analyte with ultraviolet light;

measuring a second intensity of a second portion of the ultraviolet light transmitted through the second analyte; and

determining a concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol in the first analyte by comparing the intensity of the first portion of the ultraviolet light transmitted through the first analyte to the intensity of the second portion of the ultraviolet light transmitted through the second analyte.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sequentially illuminating the first analyte followed by the second analyte with the ultraviolet light.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

illuminating the first analyte in parallel to illuminating the second analyte with the ultraviolet light.

11. The method of claim 8,

horizontally aligning the top portion to the bottom portion using at least one horizontal alignment feature;

and

vertically spacing the top portion from the bottom portion using at least one vertical registration feature.