Abstract: There is disclosed a method of treating affected external or surface tissue comprising the steps of providing a source of affected external or surface tissue; generating a source of microwave energy; transmitting said microwave energy into said affected external or surface tissues; exposing said affected external and surface tissues to said microwave energy to raise the local temperature to thereby ablate, remove, coagulate or otherwise alter said affected external and surface tissues.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of treating affected external or surface tissue comprising the steps of providing a source of affected external or surface tissue; generating a source of microwave energy; transmitting said microwave energy into said affected external or surface tissues; exposing said affected external and surface tissues to said microwave energy to raise the local temperature to thereby ablate, remove, coagulate or otherwise alter said affected external and surface tissues.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of treating affected external or surface tissue comprising the steps of providing a source of affected external or surface tissue; generating a source of microwave energy; transmitting said microwave energy into said affected external or surface tissues; exposing said affected external and surface tissues to said microwave energy to raise the local temperature to thereby ablate, remove, coagulate or otherwise alter said affected external and surface tissues.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of treating affected external or surface tissue comprising the steps of providing a source of affected external or surface tissue; generating a source of microwave energy; transmitting said microwave energy into said affected external or surface tissues; exposing said affected external and surface tissues to said microwave energy to raise the local temperature to thereby ablate, remove, coagulate or otherwise alter said affected external and surface tissues.

Abstract: An effect is induced within a chemical system consisting of at least two substances having differing degrees of microwave transparency, by exposing the mixture to focused microwave energy having a generally uniform energy density level, and an energy density at a level exceeding the capacity of at least one of the substances to dissipate the energy as thermal energy. The treatment is carried out until the thermodynamic state of the system is in a non-equilibrium state. The rate at which the effect is carried out is substantially increased over that which would be expected under equilibrium thermodynamic conditions. The effect may consist of an exothermic or endothermic chemical reaction or a separation process including a volatilization process.

Abstract: The generation of volatiles from liquid or solid materials is enhanced and accelerated by exposure to microwave radiation. Normally the energy transfer is effected preferentially toward the liquid or solid materials over the generated gaseous volatiles. Sufficient energy is provided at a selected rate that enhances the generation of volatiles to effect removal as vapor or to produce a pressurized vapor phase. Flow-through separations from a matrix having a microwave-absorbing liquid component are conducted by exposing to microwave radiation to vaporize this component and processing the vapor either by flowing through a selective permeable membrane, or by enclosing the vapor and matrix in a confined space and flowing matrix through a selected separation medium, and recovering residual matrix. These separations are particularly useful in analysis contexts.

Abstract: The generation of volatiles from liquid or solid materials is enhanced and accelerated by exposure to microwave radiation. Normally the energy transfer is effected preferentially toward the liquid or solid materials over the generated gaseous volatiles. Sufficient energy is provided at a selected rate that enhances the generation of volatiles to effect removal as vapor or to produce a pressurized vapor phase. Flow-through separations from a matrix having a microwave-absorbing liquid component are conducted by exposing to microwave radiation to vaporize this component and processing the vapor either by flowing through a selective permeable membrane, or by enclosing the vapor and matrix in a confined space and flowing matrix through a selected separation medium, and recovering residual matrix. These separations are particularly useful in analysis contexts.

Abstract: The generation of volatiles from liquid or solid materials is enhanced and accelerated by exposure to microwave radiation. Normally the energy transfer is effected preferentially toward the liquid or solid materials over the generated gaseous volatiles. Sufficient energy is provided at a selected rate that enhances the generation of volatiles to effect removal as vapor or to produce a pressurized vapor phase. Flow-through separations from a matrix having a microwave-absorbing liquid component are conducted by exposing to microwave radiation to vaporize this component and processing the vapor either by flowing through a selective permeable membrane, or by enclosing the vapor and matrix in a confined space and flowing matrix through a selected separation medium, and recovering residual matrix. These separations are particularly useful in analysis contexts.

Abstract: The process involves improved route for expressing volatilizable components from a mixture containing such components. The improvement involves providing a sample having a mixture of volatile organic compounds and a microwave absorbing compound therein, contacting the mixture with the microwave energy to vaporize the microwave absorbing compound and subsequently volatilizing at least one volatile organic compound contained in the mixture by absorption of energy from the vaporized microwave compound.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for extraction of various substances from plant and animal and other material containing organic matter by exposure to microwave energy. The method involves exposure to microwaves of the material containing organic matter and a component which absorbs microwaves to disrupt the microstructure and to extract the substances into a suitable non-aqueous organic medium after disruption of the microstructure. The apparatus includes microwave applicators, solvent and starting material storage means and multiple stages of treatment resulting in a high quality extracted product.

Abstract: The generation of volatiles from liquid or solid materials is enhanced and accelerated by exposure to microwave radiation. Normally the energy transfer is effected preferentially toward the liquid or solid materials over the generated gaseous volatiles. Sufficient energy is provided at a selected rate that enhances the generation of volatiles to produce headspace samples. Alternatively, the rate can be selected so as to disrupt the equilibrium normally present between the liquid or solid phase and the gaseous phase and produce purge and trap samples; the latter process resulting from the selective energy transfer toward the liquid or solid phase over the gaseous phase. The rate of energy transfer can be chosen so as to bring the medium being subjected to microwave radiation to its supercritical state. The material having reached that state can further be used in numerous applications such as supercritical fluid extraction.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for extraction of essential and other such oils from plant and animal biological matter by exposure to microwave energy. The method involves exposure of microwaves to the oil containing cellular matter of the glandular system to extract the oil into a suitable non-aqueous organic medium after disruption of the oil containing cellular matter. The apparatus includes microwave applicators, solvent and starting material, storage means and multiple stages of treatment resulting in a high quality extracted product.

Abstract: The extraction of natural products from material of biological origin is enhanced and accelerated by concurrent contact with extractant medium and exposure to microwave radiation. Normally the extractant medium is selected to be transparent to the microwave and to remain at ambient temperature: however, if some heating of the medium is permissible it may be partially transparent. Sufficient extractant medium should be present to effect the desired extraction. The extraction products are recovered by standard procedures. Materials used for extraction include mint, sea parsley, cedar foilage and garlic. Extractants may be for instance hexane, dichloromethane or ethanol. Extractions may be in two or more stages with different extractants used in each stage. Some of these extraction products are found to be novel, and quite distinct from steam distillation products.