Patent ID: 6909017

Claim:
A process for isolating and purifying (1RS,2RS)-2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexanol as the saccharinate from a mixture consisting of the diastereomers (1RS,2RS)-2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)-cyclohexanol and (1SR,2RS)-2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-1-(3-methoxyphenyl) cyclohexanol and also in some cases impurities, characterized in that the mixture is reacted with saccharin in a reaction medium which is liquid at 20° C. and atmospheric pressure and has a polarity of at least 38 kcal/mol, and removing the thus-obtained crystalline precipitate of the saccharinate of (1RS,2RS)-2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-1-(3-methoxy-phenyl)cyclohexanol diastereomers from the mother liquor.