Module 2 – The Cleaning Protocol
Part of the Purus Lumina Device Care Education Programme
Before you begin
This protocol applies to any dry herb device used to consume a Cannabis-Based Product for Medicinal use (CBPM). A dry herb device heats botanical material to a controlled temperature to produce vapour. It is distinct from vape pens, e-cigarettes, and liquid-based devices. If your prescribed CBPM is consumed via a dry herb device, this protocol applies to your device.
The step-by-step instructions in this module are based on the Storz & Bickel Mighty Medic+, the primary certified medical dry herb device within the UK clinical pathway. The protocol applies equally to all Storz & Bickel portable devices, including the Mighty+, Crafty+, Venty, and Veazy, and to any other dry herb device used within a prescribed CBPM pathway, regardless of model, manufacturer, or how the device was obtained.
A note on the grinder (Herbing Mill): The grinder, referred to by Storz & Bickel as the Herbing Mill, is part of the preparation pathway for the CBPM before it enters the device. A contaminated grinder or Herbing Mill introduces residue and particulate into every load before the device is involved. The documented standard is one grinder per strain, or a full clean to protocol standard between every strain change.
A note on hand-loading: Direct hand contact with the CBPM during loading is a contamination pathway. Hands must be washed and fully dried before handling. Gloves are appropriate. This curriculum documents the standard that should accompany that technique, a standard the official manufacturer content does not.
Vaporised cannabis and THC blood concentration: A government-commissioned report by NatCen Social Research for the Department for Transport confirmed that vaporised cannabis produces the highest maximum blood concentrations of THC, with the fastest onset of any consumption route. A contaminated device delivering an inconsistent dose creates an unpredictable THC blood level, directly relevant to the patient's legal obligations, including the 2μg/L driving threshold.
Device registration, warranty, and procurement
Device registration: Patients should register their device with Storz & Bickel upon receipt. The Mighty Medic+ carries a 3-year warranty when registered. No clinic or prescriber currently advises patients to register at the point of device handover. This curriculum documents that it should be standard practice.
Priority Services Register: Patients using a prescribed medical device at home that requires mains power or charging are eligible to register with their electricity supplier's Priority Services Register (PSR), a free service providing additional support during power outages. Register with both your electricity supplier and your network operator separately.
Off-label use: The MHRA defines off-label use of a medical device as any use that departs from the manufacturer's instructions. Failure to follow the cleaning protocol documented in this module constitutes off-label use under the Medical Devices Regulations 2002 and the Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021. Off-label use is at the patient's own risk.
Hand hygiene
Hands must be washed and fully dried before handling the device, the CBPM, dosing capsules, or any accessory. Wet hands introduce moisture into the chamber. Partially dried hands transfer surface contamination to every component touched. Single-use nitrile gloves are the appropriate standard where required. Hand hygiene applies equally to the cleaning process.
Airflow, draw resistance, and respiratory capacity
The Mighty Medic+ is engineered with a controlled, restricted draw, which is intentional, not a fault. The only inhalation guidance in the official manufacturer content is: "inhale slowly and evenly." This curriculum documents the standard that should accompany that instruction.
Blockage: If draw resistance increases during a session, stop. Allow the device to cool. Inspect the screens and airpath before continuing.
Respiratory capacity, a documented clinical gap: For patients with compromised respiratory function, including COPD, asthma, or reduced lung capacity, the designed draw resistance may present a genuine clinical barrier. A patient who cannot draw with sufficient force will not receive the full prescribed dose. This is a device-patient compatibility issue, not a patient technique failure. Patients with known respiratory limitations should raise this with their prescriber.
Temperature operation: Mighty Medic+
Allow a minimum of 90 seconds from power-on before use. Do not use the device before the vibration ready signal confirms it has reached the set temperature.
Temperature protocol, Storz & Bickel documented practice:
- Starting temperature: 180°C
- First increase: +15°C → 195°C as vapour production reduces
- Second increase: +15°C → 210°C, the manufacturer maximum. Hold until no visible vapour remains.
- End of session indicator: no visible vapour, or a burnt popcorn taste indicating the material is exhausted
Cannabinoid and terpene activation temperatures:
- THC, peak vaporisation 165–185°C
- CBD, activation from approximately 160–180°C
- CBN, above 185°C
Terpene vaporisation spectrum, documented by Purus Lumina:
Low Vaporisation: 149–171°C
- A-Pinene, 155°C / 311°F
- β-Caryophyllene, 165°C / 329°F
- β-Myrcene, 168°C / 334°F
Mid Vaporisation: 172–199°C
- d-Limonene, 176°C / 349°F
- Eucalyptol, 176°C / 349°F
- Terpinolene, 185°C / 365°F
- Linalool, 198°C / 388°F
- Humulene, 198°C / 388°F
High Vaporisation: 200–260°C
- Phytol, 204°C / 399°F
- Citronellol, 225°C / 437°F
- Caryophyllene Oxide, 257°C / 495°F
Device limitation, not patient error: Phytol, Citronellol, and Caryophyllene Oxide all vaporise above the Mighty Medic+ maximum operating temperature of 210°C. These terpenes will not be activated at any temperature the device can reach. This is a documented device ceiling, not a patient technique failure, and not information provided anywhere in the clinical pathway. No prescriber, no clinic, no patient advocacy organisation currently documents this gap. Purus Lumina is the first to do so.
Cleaning frequency
The official Storz & Bickel cleaning standard: "Clean the Cooling Unit with Mouthpiece no later than 7 days after your last use." This figure was not documented with high-frequency clinical use in mind.
- Light use (1–2 sessions daily): full strip-down every 7 days minimum
- Moderate use (3–5 sessions daily): full strip-down every 3–4 days
- Heavy use (6+ sessions daily): full strip-down every 1–2 days
Wipe-down after every session is non-negotiable regardless of use frequency.
Full Strip-Down Cleaning Protocol
Safety, before you begin cleaning: Work in a well-ventilated area. Isopropanol is flammable, so keep away from open flames, heat sources, and sparks during cleaning. Soak components in a lidded container at room temperature only. Do not apply heat to accelerate soaking. Rinse components thoroughly with warm water after soaking to remove all solution residue before air drying.
Step 1: Cool, unplug, and disassemble
Wash and fully dry hands. Allow the device to cool fully. Disconnect from mains power. Remove dosing capsules and dispose of any spent material. Spent material (already been vaped material) must not be consumed. Your prescription is to vaporise your CBPM, and any residual material remaining after vaporisation should be disposed of safely as household waste. Use the filling chamber tool to loosen remaining material.
Removing the mouthpiece: Rotate the mouthpiece to the fully open position. Once fully open, wiggle it back and forward, do not pull straight, to work it free from the cooling unit. Once the mouthpiece body is removed, take out the O-ring separately.
Removing the cooling chamber cap: Pull the cap back away from the unit, then press in from the side to release it. Do not force it: the cap releases with a combination of pull-back and lateral pressure.
Remove all seals and both screens, the fine screen from the base of the filling chamber, and the coarse screen from the cooling unit.
The Filling Chamber Tool: disassembly guide
The filling chamber tool is stored in the base of the device. Pull it out from the bottom before you begin disassembly. It is a two-ended instrument with distinct functions at each end.
Disc end, capsule and chamber packing: The circular disc end is used to press material down into the dosing capsule or filling chamber during loading. It seats material evenly and reduces spillage.
Pointed end, coarse screen removal (cooling unit): With the cooling unit cap removed, insert the pointed end from inside the cooling unit and push the coarse screen outward. The screen is designed to be removed this way, so do not attempt to pull it from the outside.
Pointed end, fine screen removal (filling chamber): Press the pointed tip around the outer edge of the fine screen in a circular motion. Work around the full circumference until the screen deforms sufficiently to be removed. This is the correct technique: the screen is not designed to lift out directly.
Main seal, cooling unit housing: The cooling unit housing has a dedicated insert point for the tool. Position the tip at this point and use it to lever the main seal free. Do not use improvised tools: the insert point is designed specifically for this instrument.
Storz & Bickel demonstrate the full disassembly process on their official YouTube channel.
Contamination risk, the filling chamber tool: The filling chamber tool contacts residue, screens, and seals directly during every disassembly. If the tool itself is not cleaned between sessions, it becomes a contamination vector, transferring residue back into a freshly cleaned device. The tool must be cleaned with Purus Lumina solution as part of your standard protocol. This is documented in Step 4 below.
Step 2: Clean the cooling unit
Submerge the cooling unit in a lidded container with solution for a minimum of 30 minutes (60 minutes for heavy residue). Work through each channel methodically after soaking. Use a cotton bud with solution to clean around the airpath channels, joints, and any recessed areas the cloth cannot reach. Replace the cotton bud as it becomes saturated with residue. Rinse under warm running water for a minimum of 60 seconds. Place on a clean lint-free cloth, blue roll, or absorbent paper to air dry fully. No heat source.
Step 3: Clean the filling chamber and screens
Wipe interior walls of the filling chamber with solution on a lint-free cloth. Use a cotton bud with solution to clean around the screen seat and the inner rim of the filling chamber where the cloth cannot reach. Submerge both screens, the fine screen and the coarse screen, separately in a lidded container with solution for a minimum of 30 minutes (60 minutes for heavy residue). Rinse each screen individually under warm running water for 60 seconds. Place on a clean lint-free cloth, blue roll, or absorbent paper to air dry fully. If either screen is damaged, deformed, or in any doubt, replace it before the device is used again.
Step 4: Clean the mouthpiece, seals, and filling chamber tool
Submerge in a lidded container with solution for a minimum of 30 minutes. Rinse each component individually under warm running water for 60 seconds. Inspect every seal: replace if in any doubt. Place on a clean lint-free cloth, blue roll, or absorbent paper to air dry fully.
Step 5: Clean all accessories
Clean all accessories that have contacted the CBPM or device components: Dosing Capsules, Filling Aid, Dosing Capsule Magazine, Capsule Caddy, Plunger for Dosing Capsules, Spatula, Dosing Capsule Filling Set, and Herbing Mill (Grinder). Apply solution, rinse under warm running water for 60 seconds, place on a clean lint-free cloth, blue roll, or absorbent paper to air dry fully.
Get the Solution
The Purus Lumina Device Purification Solution is purpose-formulated for the components, seals, and materials of dry herb devices. 99.9% pharmaceutical-grade. UK-made. No plastic. No compromise.
Available in 30ml, 100ml, 250ml, 500ml, 750ml, and 1L, in recyclable aluminium with a silver screw cap.
Isopropanol is available in three common grades: 70%, 91%, and 99.9%. Only 99.9% pharmaceutical-grade is the correct standard for medical device care. 70% and 91% contain water, which slows evaporation and can leave water residue in device components.
A purpose-formulated solution is not a preference. It is the correct standard.
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This module forms part of the Purus Lumina Device Care Curriculum, the world's first documented device care education programme for patients prescribed botanical medicine. Published as a matter of public record. Preserved in perpetuity.
This module was published on 27 June 2026 and exists in perpetuity as part of the Purus Lumina Device Care Curriculum, the world's first documented device care education programme for patients prescribed botanical medicine. It will not be removed.
Glenn Hailes · Director · Purus Lumina Ltd · 3rd Floor, 86–90 Paul Street · London EC2A 4NE · United Kingdom · Registered in England and Wales