Inhaling harmful byproducts is a persistent concern for people who use traditional vaporizers. But there is a better way. One evening, a simple question—“Why is oxygen causing so many issues in vaporizing devices – and why does oxygen need to be present at all?”—led to a flash of inspiration and a trip to the hardware store. Below, we examine how this idea took shape and what it might mean for future vaporization technology.
1. The Spark of Inspiration
- A Nighttime Epiphany
I was nearly asleep when I started pondering the risks associated with inhaling oxidized materials from conventional vaporizers. My mind drifted to the usual core culprit: oxygen. - Capturing the Thought
Knowing how easily good ideas slip away, I made sure to jot this concept down. Within days, I was testing it with simple materials from the local hardware store. “Simple materials” included plastic and metal piping and adapters, a helium tank (from a party store), and a blow torch.
2. Rethinking Vaporization
- Oxygen as the Issue
Standard vaporizers expose heated materials to oxygen, potentially creating byproducts that users don’t want in their lungs. Keeping the vaporizer at a low enough temperature to avoid substantial oxidation is effective, but also means that a significant amount of biologically active materials are left not vaporized and therefore wasted. By removing oxygen from the process, I hypothesized I could eliminate or vastly reduce these harmful substances while still extracting nearly 100% of biologically active substances from the material being vaporized. - Combustion as the Issue for some cannabinoids
The combustion temperature of cannabis is around 200° C. However, there are a lot of cannabinoids that do not evaporate/boil until they are above combustion temperature. Below is a table taken from one of my patent applications related to anoxic vaporization. As you can see, there are many substances that are either too close to combustion temperature to extract without oxidation (e.g. Linalool) or above combustion temperature (e.g. CBC). Did you ever wonder why there is no market for tobacco vaporizers? Simple. The boiling point of nicotine is 247 °C, well above the combustion temperature for tobacco. A vaporizer with an oxygen-free heating chamber can reach temperatures sufficient to boil off all of these compounds (of course, materials science and power delivery issues come into play, and are particularly tough to solve with a consumer-priced device for compounds like CBCA, where a temperature of 435 to 525 °C must be achieved). People who have tested the prototypes of the device with cannabis report that the psychoactive effects are quite different than standard vaporizers or combustion, likely as a result of the additional cannabinoids that are made bioavailable.
Home Depot Experimentation
The first prototype involved pumping compressed helium (later experimenting with nitrogen and argon) gas (instead of the normal ~21% oxygen in atmospheric air) through a pipe over plant material. This gas flow allowed the material to “boil off” active compounds without combustion or oxidation.
3. From Pipe to Prototype
- Resistance Heating
After the initial tests, I introduced a resistance heating element to maintain better temperature control—important for consistent vaporization, but really important in moving away from the far more dangerous blowtorch method. - Industrial Design
With early successes, the concept moved into a more refined phase, incorporating safety features and user-friendly ergonomics. This evolution took it from a rough DIY project to a near market-ready product.
4. The Power of Dissociative Thinking
- Creative Flow State
The story highlights how late-night, relaxed brain states—sometimes called “dissociative states”—often unlock innovative ideas. Note that the dissociative state was achieved naturally. - Document Every Idea
Keep a notebook or device handy. Even the most brilliant concept can vanish if not quickly recorded.
5. Looking Ahead
- Future Applications
Oxygen-free vaporization could have implications beyond personal devices—think industrial processes, laboratory equipment, or specialized medical uses. I’ve experimented with using it to heat cannabis, bubble it through ethanol, and create concentrates that way. Easy results are very promising. Note that this is patented in Canada and patent pending in the US and Canada. - Staying Curious
My experience shows the importance of curiosity: a single question can lead to a cutting-edge invention if you’re willing to explore the answer.
Want More Details?
Check out the accompanying Innovation Cafe video, where Gary shares how a simple question about harmful byproducts became a prototype for a brand-new vaporizing method.