Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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AEROSOL GENERATION
Technical Field
The present invention relates, without limitation, to a consumable for use in
an
assembly for generating an inhalable medium. It also relates to an aerosol
generating
assembly comprising a consumable, a method of generating an inhalable medium,
use
of a vapour and/or aerosol, and a kit.
Background
Smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigars and the like burn tobacco during
use to
create tobacco smoke. Alternatives to these types of articles, release
compounds
without burning to form an inhalable medium.
Examples of such products are heating devices, including e-cigarette / heat-
not-burn
hybrid devices, also known as electronic tobacco hybrid devices. These hybrid
devices
contain a liquid that is vaporised by heating to produce an inhalable vapour
and/or
aerosol. The liquid may contain flavourings and/or aerosol-generating
substances, such
as glycerol and in some instances, nicotine. The vapour and/or aerosol passes
through
a substrate in the device and entrains one or more constituents of the
substrate to
produce the inhaled medium. The substrate material may be, for example,
tobacco,
other non-tobacco products or a combination, such as a blended mix, that may
or may
not contain nicotine.
Summary
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
consumable for
use in an assembly for generating an inhalable medium, the consumable
comprising a
liquid comprising an acid having a pH of at least 2 and less than 7, and a
solid,
nicotine-containing material having a pH of at least 7.
In some embodiments, the liquid comprising an acid has a pH of from 4 to 5 or
from 4.3
to 4.8.
In some embodiments, the difference between the pH of the solid nicotine-
containing
material and the pH of the liquid comprising an acid is from 3 to 5.5.
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According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
consumable
for use in an assembly for generating an inhalable medium, the consumable
comprising
a liquid comprising an acid having a pKa greater than 0.5, and a solid,
nicotine-
containing material having a pH of at least 7.
In some embodiments, the pKa of the acid is greater than 3, or is from 3.7 to
4.3.
In some embodiments, the pH of the solid, nicotine-containing material is from
8 to 9.5
or from 8.5 to 9.
In some embodiments, the acid has a vapour pressure at 25 C of from 0.1 Pa to
2.5
kPa.
In some embodiments, the liquid comprising an acid comprises from 0.001 to 5 %
acid
by weight.
In some embodiments, the solid, nicotine-containing material comprises a
tobacco
material. In some embodiments, the tobacco is cut rag or tobacco granules.
In some embodiments, the consumable comprises a carrier material that is
impregnated with the liquid comprising an acid. In some embodiments, the
carrier
material is a wicking material.
In some embodiments, the consumable is a cartridge and wherein the liquid
comprising
an acid is in a first chamber and the solid, nicotine-containing material is
in a second
chamber.
In some embodiments, the consumable is a rod comprising a first section
comprising
the liquid comprising an acid and a second section comprising the solid
nicotine-
containing material.
In some embodiments, the rod further comprises a cooling section, optionally
in the
form of a tube.
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In some embodiments, the rod further comprises a filter section, optionally
comprising
cellulose acetate filter material.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an
aerosol
generating assembly comprising a consumable according the first or second
aspect,
wherein the assembly is configured to form an inhalable medium by heating at
least
part of the consumable and to form one or more nicotine salts by reacting the
free
nicotine from the solid, nicotine-containing material with the acid.
/0 In some embodiments, the assembly is configured to heat the liquid
comprising an acid
to form a vapour and/or an aerosol comprising an acid, wherein the solid,
nicotine-
containing material is contacted with the vapour/aerosol comprising an acid to
entrain
one or more components of the solid, nicotine-containing material in the
inhalable
medium. In some embodiments, the assembly is configured such that the solid,
nicotine-containing material is heated only by the vapour/aerosol.
In some embodiments, the assembly is configured to heat the solid, nicotine-
containing
material to form a vapour and/or an aerosol comprising nicotine, wherein the
liquid
comprising an acid is contacted with the vapour/aerosol comprising free
nicotine from
the solid, nicotine-containing material so that the acid and free nicotine
react to form
one or more nicotine salts.
In some embodiments, the solid, nicotine-containing material is heated by a
vapour or
an aerosol formed by heating an aerosolisable liquid other than the liquid
comprising an
acid.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
method of
generating an inhalable medium using an aerosol generating assembly comprising
a
consumable according to the first or second aspect, the method comprising
heating at
least part of the consumable to form an inhalable medium comprising one or
more
components of the solid, nicotine-containing material including free nicotine,
wherein
the free nicotine reacts with the acid to form one or more nicotine salts.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a use
of an acidic
vapour and/or aerosol to extract nicotine from a solid, nicotine-containing
material
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having a pH of more than 7, wherein the rate of nicotine extraction exceeds
the rate of
nicotine-salt formation in the solid, thereby providing an increased nicotine
content in
the vapour and/or aerosol as compared to using a neutral vapour and/or
aerosol.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit
comprising:
(i) a liquid pod, containing a liquid comprising an acid and having a pH of
from at least
2 and less than 7; and (ii) a nicotine-containing pod, containing a solid,
nicotine-
containing material having a pH of at least 7; wherein the liquid and nicotine-
containing
pods are configured for use in an assembly for use in generating an inhalable
medium,
lo the assembly being such that in use, an inhalable medium is generated by
contacting
the aerosolisable liquid in the form of a vapour and/or an aerosol with the
solid,
nicotine-containing material to entrain one or more components thereof.
To the extent that they are compatible, features described in relation to one
aspect of
the invention are explicitly disclosed in combination with each and every
other aspect.
For instance, features described in relation to the assembly, cartridge,
nicotine-
containing pod, liquid pod or kit are explicitly disclosed in combination with
the each of
the others of the assembly, cartridge, nicotine-containing pod, liquid pod and
kit.
Specifically, features of the solid, nicotine-containing material and
aerosolisable liquid
comprising an acid as described herein are explicitly disclosed in combination
with the
assembly, cartridge, nicotine-containing pod, liquid pod, and kit embodiments
of the
invention. Similarly, features described in relation to apparatus are
explicitly disclosed
in combination with method and use aspects of the invention, and vice versa.
Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the
following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, given by way
of
example only, which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Examples of assemblies and cartridges for generating an inhalable medium
according
to the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in
which:
Figure 1 shows a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of an example of
an
assembly for generating an inhalable medium;
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Figure 2 shows a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of another
example of an
assembly for generating an inhalable medium;
Figure 3 shows a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of another
example of an
assembly for generating an inhalable medium;
Figure 4 shows a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of an example of
a
cartridge having a liquid chamber and an integral chamber for solid material;
Figure 5 shows a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of an example of
a
cartridge having a liquid chamber and a detachable chamber for solid material;
Figure 6 shows nicotine delivery from assemblies according to embodiments of
the
/0 invention, and a comparative assembly; and
Figure 7 shows a schematic view of an example of a consumable rod according to
embodiment of the invention.
Detailed Description
In some aspects, the present invention relates to improving the taste of an
inhalable
aerosol, and increasing the amount of nicotine contained within the inhalable
aerosol.
The invention provides consumables to be heated in an aerosol generating
assembly
for use in a hybrid device, where the nicotine has been pH-treated to raise
its pH.
At its most general, the consumable described herein includes a liquid
comprising an
acid having a pH of at least 2 and less than 7, and a solid, nicotine-
containing material
having a pH of at least 7. Within the consumable, the liquid comprising an
acid and the
solid, nicotine-containing material are kept apart from one another. Upon use
of the
consumable in an aerosol generating assembly, the acid adjusts the pH of the
nicotine.
In some embodiments, the liquid comprising an acid is heated to form a vapour
and/or
an aerosol that passes through the solid nicotine-containing material so as to
produce
an inhalable medium that contains one or more constituents, such as nicotine,
derived
from the solid. In other embodiments, a vapour and/or an aerosol is formed and
contains one or more constituents derived from the solid, nicotine-containing
material,
and this vapour and/or aerosol contacts the liquid comprising an acid.
In some embodiments, the assembly described herein volatilises an
aerosolisable
liquid to form a vapour and/or an aerosol that passes through a solid nicotine-
containing material so as to produce an inhalable medium that contains one or
more
constituents, such as nicotine, derived from the solid.
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In some embodiments, base-treated nicotine may be included in the solid,
nicotine-
containing material. The nicotine reacts with the base; this reaction
deprotonates
nicotine, increasing its volatility and releasing it from its bound state to
provide nicotine
in its deprotonated basic form (herein referred to as "deprotonated nicotine"
or simply
"free nicotine"). As a result, base-treated nicotine will be more readily
volatilised upon
heating. The present inventors have found, however, that inhalable aerosols
(sometimes referred to herein as "inhalable medium") containing free nicotine
have a
less desirable taste, in comparison to those containing nicotine salts.
In some embodiments, the inhalable aerosol produced from the consumable may
have
improved sensory qualities, such as taste. In some embodiments, the inhalable
aerosol may have a higher amount of nicotine delivery, and may promote the
extraction
of nicotine from a nicotine source, where the nicotine source has been treated
with
base to raise its pH, in comparison to other inhalable aerosols.
The inventors have determined that by including a liquid comprising an acid,
better
tasting inhalable aerosols are produced. In some embodiments, the acid in the
vapour/aerosol produced by heating the liquid comprising an acid reacts with
the free
nicotine from the solid, nicotine-containing material to provide nicotine in
its better
tasting, salt form. That is, the acid and free nicotine undergo an acid-base
salt
formation to produce nicotine salts in the vapour/aerosol.
It was thought that whilst the use of an acidic aerosol/vapour would improve
the taste, it
was expected that some reduction in the overall nicotine delivery would be
observed as
less volatile nicotine salts would form in the solid, nicotine-containing
material, upon
contact with the acidic vapour/aerosol.
Surprisingly, the inventors found that including an acid in the aerosol/vapour
actually
increases the overall nicotine delivery during use, in comparison to a neutral
aerosol/vapour. Without being limited by theory, it is thought that the
affinity between
the free nicotine and the acid in the vapour/aerosol may draw or extract the
nicotine out
of the solid, nicotine-containing material. It is thought that this extraction
occurs at a
rate that is faster than the rate of formation of nicotine salt in the solid.
Hence, an
inhalable aerosol with improved taste and higher nicotine content may be
provided.
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Using an acidic vapour/aerosol may also allow for a higher overall amount of
nicotine to
be extracted from the solid.
Solid, nicotine-containing material
In some cases, the invention provides consumable for use in an aerosol
generating
assembly to generate an inhalable medium, wherein the consumable includes a
solid,
nicotine-containing material (herein referred to as "nicotine source" or
simply "solid").
The nicotine source has a pH of at least 7. In some cases, the nicotine source
has a
pH of from 8 to 9.5, of 8.2 to 9.3, of 8.3 to 9.2, of 8.4 to 9.1. Suitably,
the pH may be of
from 8.5 to 9, or may be 8.5. This allows for the nicotine in the solid,
nicotine-
containing material to be provided in its deprotonated basic form (as free
nicotine),
thereby increasing the volatility of the nicotine so that it is more readily
volatilised on
heating.
In some cases, the pH of the nicotine source is selected such that there is a
difference
between the pH of the nicotine source and the pH of the aerosolisable liquid
of from 3
to 5.5, of 3.5 to 5, of 3.7 to 4.8, suitably from 4.1 to 4.2, suitably from
3.6 to 3.8.
Without being limited by theory, it is thought that a larger pH difference
will result in
higher affinity between the acidic vapour/aerosol and the free nicotine,
thereby
increasing the rate of extraction, to provide a higher amount of nicotine
delivery in the
inhalable medium.
The nicotine source may have been treated to raise its pH ¨ the pH measured
according to the CORESTA protocol for measuring the pH of tobacco, CORESTA
Recommended Method No. 69 (CRM-69). An example method of pH-treatment may
comprise the addition of a solution of base to the nicotine source. The
solution of base
may, in some cases, comprise an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide,
potassium
hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, sodium hydrogen carbonate, potassium hydrogen
carbonate, calcium hydrogen carbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate,
calcium carbonate or mixtures thereof, or other GRAS water-soluble bases, for
example.
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In some cases, the nicotine source comprises tobacco material. In some cases,
the
nicotine source is tobacco material. This may provide the inhalable medium
with
tobacco flavours.
As used herein, the term "tobacco material" refers to any material comprising
tobacco
or derivatives thereof. The term "tobacco material" may include one or more of
tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or
tobacco
substitutes. The tobacco material may comprise one or more of ground tobacco,
tobacco fibre, cut tobacco, extruded tobacco, tobacco stem, reconstituted
tobacco,
lo agglomerated tobacco, spheronised tobacco and/or tobacco extract.
The tobacco used to produce tobacco material may be any suitable tobacco, such
as
single grades or blends, cut rag or whole leaf, including Virginia and/or
Burley and/or
Oriental. It may also be tobacco particle 'fines' or dust, expanded tobacco,
stems,
expanded sterns, and other processed stem materials, such as cut rolled stems.
The
tobacco material may be a ground tobacco or a reconstituted tobacco material.
The
reconstituted tobacco material may comprise tobacco fibres, and may be formed
by
casting, a Fourdrinier-based paper making-type approach with back addition of
tobacco
extract, or by extrusion.
In some cases, the nicotine source may be porous, such that an aerosol and/or
vapour
can pass through the solid nicotine source. This provides a high contact area
for the
nicotine source to contact the aerosol and/or vapour. Thus, components of the
nicotine
source are efficiently entrained in the aerosol/vapour.
The nicotine source may additionally comprise flavourings and/or aerosol
generating
agents. As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to
materials that,
where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste or aroma
in a
product for adult consumers.
In some cases, the nicotine source may be provided in one of two or more
portions of a
consumable as described herein. In some embodiments, the consumable is a
cartridge
and the nicotine source is provided in one of two chambers.
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In some cases, the nicotine source may be provided in a nicotine-containing
pod,
configured for use in an assembly for use in generating an inhalable medium,
as part of
a kit as described herein.
Liquid comprising an acid
In some embodiments, the invention provides a consumable for use in an
assembly for
generating an inhalable medium, wherein the consumable includes a liquid
comprising
an acid (sometimes herein referred to as simply "liquid").
lo The liquid comprising an acid may, in some cases, comprise a gel and/or
liquid.
Suitably, the liquid comprising an acid comprises, substantially consists of,
or consists
of a liquid.
In some embodiments, the liquid comprising an acid is to be heated to form an
acidic
vapour and/or aerosol. In some embodiments, the liquid comprising an acid is
heated
by the assembly. In other embodiments, the liquid is heated as a result of
being
contacted with a heated aerosol or vapour.
The liquid comprising an acid may comprise liquids that are conventionally
used in
e-cigarette or Hybrid assemblies. In some cases, the liquid comprising an acid
may
comprise flavourings and/or aerosol-generating agents, including but not
limited to
propylene glycol and/or glycerol. In some cases, the liquid comprising an acid
does not
contain nicotine.
In some embodiments, the liquid comprising an acid is an aerosolisable liquid
intended
to be heated to form an aerosol and/or vapour upon use in an aerosol
generating
assembly. The aerosol sable liquid is typically volatilised at around 100-300
C, suitably
at around 150-250 C.
In some embodiments, the liquid comprises an acid, such that the liquid may
have a pH
of from at least 2 up to 7. In some cases, the liquid has a pH of from 2, 2.1,
2.2, 2.3,
2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9
or from 4 and of up
to 6.9, 6.8, 6.7, 6.6, 6.5, 6.4, 6.3, 6.2, 6.1, 6, 5.9, 5.8, 5.7, 5.6, 5.5,
5.4, 5.3, 5.2, 5.1, 5,
4.9,4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, 4.4, 4.3, 4.2, 4.1 or up to 4. VVithout being limited
by theory, it is
thought that this results in an affinity between the free nicotine from the
nicotine source
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and the acid in the vapour/aerosol; the affinity is such that the
vapour/aerosol may draw
or extract the nicotine out of the nicotine source. It is thought that a lower
pH of the
aerosolisable liquid will result in a higher affinity between the free
nicotine and the
aerosolisable liquid, and thus may increase the extraction rate.
The pH of the liquid is dependent upon various properties, such as pKa or
concentration of the acid, and the acidity or basicity of any other components
in the
liquid.
/0 In some cases, the pH of the liquid is selected such that there
is a difference between
the pH of the nicotine source and the pH of the liquid of from 3 to 5.5, of
3.5 to 5, of 3.7
to 4.8, suitably from 4.1 to 4.2, suitably from 3.6 to 3.8. Without being
limited by theory,
it is thought that a larger pH difference will result in higher affinity
between the acidic
vapour/aerosol and the free nicotine, thereby increasing the extraction rate
to provide a
higher amount of nicotine delivery in the inhalable medium.
In some cases, any characteristic of the liquid comprising an acid may be
altered or
selected in order to increase affinity of the liquid with the free
"deprotonated" nicotine in
the nicotine source, including but not limited to dipole moment, polarity, and
vapour
pressure. For example, a higher dipole moment, polarity or vapour pressure may
increase affinity of the liquid with the free "deprotonated" nicotine in the
nicotine source.
The addition of an acid may alter the polarity and vapour pressure
characteristics of the
liquid comprising an acid.
Acid
Any acid that is suitable for the protonation of nicotine may be used in the
liquid.
Examples of acids include, but are not limited to, inorganic acids such as
hydrochloric,
hydrobromic, or sulfuric acid, and organic acids including saturated and
unsaturated
aliphatic acids, saturated and unsaturated alicyclic acids, aromatic acids
(including
heterocyclic aromatic), polycarboxylic acids, hydroxy, alkoxy, keto, and oxo
acids,
thioacids, amino acids, and each of the preceding optionally substituted with
one or
more heteroatoms, including but not limited to halogens. In some cases, the
acid is a
carboxylic acid, suitably benzoic acid. In some cases, the carboxylic acid is
a hydroxy
acid, suitably lactic acid. In some cases, the acid is selected from the group
consisting
of benzoic acid, lactic acid, and combinations thereof. The selected acid may
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protonate the free nicotine, and promote acid-base salt formation upon contact
of the
aerosol/vapour with the nicotine source, thereby providing nicotine salts.
This
promotes extraction of the nicotine from the nicotine source to increase
nicotine
delivery of the assembly, and improves the taste of nicotine in the inhalable
medium.
In some cases, the acid selected has a pKa greater than 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5,
3, or
greater than 3.5, or suitably of from 3.7 to 4.3. Without being limited by
theory, it is
thought that this promotes the acid-base salt formation of free nicotine to
improve the
flavour and the amount of nicotine delivery by the inhalable medium; a lower
pKa, or a
stronger acid, for the same pH of a nicotine source, will increase the
affinity between
the liquid comprising an acid and the free nicotine, and may promote
extraction of
nicotine from the nicotine source to provide a higher nicotine delivery in the
inhalable
medium during use.
In some cases, the acid has a pKa of greater than 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, or
greater than
3.5, or suitably of from 3.7 to 4.3, and provides a liquid with a pH of from 4
to 5, of 4.1
to 4.9, of 4.2 to 4.8, suitably from 4.3 to 4.8, suitably 4.37, suitably 4.8.
Thus, in some
embodiments, this promotes the acid-base salt formation of free nicotine to
provide
improved flavour and increase the amount of nicotine delivery by the inhalable
medium
during use.
In some cases, the liquid comprises an acid with a vapour pressure at 25 C of
from
0.05 to 3 kPa, from 0.1 to 2.5 kPa, from 0.1 to 2 kPa, from 0.1 to 1.5 kPa,
from 0.1 to 1
kPa, from 0.1 to 750 Pa, from 0.1 to 500 Pa, from 0.1 to 250 Pa, from 0.1 to
100 Pa,
from 0.1 to 90 Pa, from 0.1 to 80 Pa, from 0.1 to 70 Pa, from 0.1 to 60 Pa,
from 0.1 to
50 Pa, from 0.1 to 40 Pa, from 0.1 to 30 Pa, from 0.1 to 20 Pa, from 0.1 to 11
Pa,
suitably from 0.1 to 0.2, suitably from 9 to 11 Pa. An acid with a higher
vapour
pressure at 25 C will be more volatile. Thus, more acid may be present in the
aerosol/vapour and this may further increase the rate of extraction of free
nicotine from
the nicotine source during use.
In some cases, the liquid comprises an acid in an amount of from 0.001 to 5%
by
weight. In some embodiments, the liquid comprises an acid in an amount of at
least
0.01%, 0.1%. 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8% 0.9% or at least 1 % acid. In some
embodiments, the liquid comprises as acid in an amount of up to 4.5%, 4%,
3.5%, 3%,
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2.5%, 2%, 1.5%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1% or up to 0.01% by weight. Including the acid in
the
liquid at higher concentrations will increase the acidity and lower the pH of
the liquid.
Without being limited by theory, it is thought that a higher acidity of the
liquid may result
in it having a higher affinity to the free nicotine in the nicotine source,
thereby facilitating
the extraction of nicotine to increase the amount of nicotine delivery by the
inhalable
medium during use.
In some cases, the liquid comprising an acid may be provided in one of two or
more
portions of a consumable as described herein. In some cases, the consumable is
a
cartridge and the liquid comprising an acid may be provided in one of two
chambers of
a cartridge as described herein.
In some cases, the liquid comprising an acid may be provided in a liquid pod,
configured for use in an assembly for use in generating an inhalable medium,
as part of
a kit as described herein.
In some cases, the acid may be selected such that the conjugate acid-base salt
formed
upon reaction with the free nicotine in the aerosol/vapour has a high
volatility (i.e. has a
high vapour pressure). This may further increase the amount of nicotine
delivery in the
inhalable medium.
In some embodiments, the conjugate acid-base will have a vapour pressure
similar to
or slightly less than that of the acid used. Conjugate acid-base formation is
one
mechanism of elevating vapour pressure.
Consumable
The consumable may comprise two or more portions. In some embodiments, the
liquid
comprising an acid and the solid, nicotine-containing material are provided in
different
portions of the consumable, so that they are kept apart before the consumable
is used.
The consumable may be a disposable item that is replaced as a whole after use.
As an
alternative, the arrangement may be such that the user removes the first
and/or second
chamber from the consumable, replaces used material or tops up the material in
the
first and/or second chamber, and then places it back in the consumable.
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Upon use in an aerosol generating assembly, at least one portion of the
consumable is
heated to generate an aerosol and/or vapour. One or more further portion may
be
heated following contact with the generated aerosol and/or vapour.
In some embodiments, the portion comprising the solid, nicotine-containing
material is
positioned downstream of the portion comprising the liquid comprising an acid.
In other
embodiments, the portion comprising the liquid comprising an acid is
positioned
downstream of the portion comprising the solid, nicotine-containing material.
lo In some embodiments, the consumable is a cartridge or the like
comprising two or
more chambers.
In some embodiments, the consumable comprises a first chamber (referred to
herein
as the "liquid chamber") for housing the liquid comprising an acid, and a
second
chamber (referred to herein as the "solid chamber") for housing the solid,
nicotine-
containing material_
In an embodiment, the first and/or second chamber is in the form of a pot, pod
or the
like (that in some embodiments may be annular for example), and/or an
absorbent
wadding or the like.
In some embodiments, the consumable is a rod comprising two or more portions
which
may, for example, be arranged along the longitudinal axis of the rod. One
portion of
the rod may contain the solid, nicotine-containing material and another
portion may
comprise the liquid comprising an acid. The liquid may be provided in an
adsorbent
carrier material, such as an absorbent wadding or the like. Alternatively, the
liquid
comprising an acid may be provided in a rupturable capsule. Other portions of
the rod
may include a portion that cools the aerosol as it passes through, such as a
cooling
tube. Other portions of the rod may include a filter portion comprising filter
material.
Assembly
The assembly according to some examples of the invention may be configured
such
that in use, liquid volatilised by the heater passes, in the form of at least
one of a
vapour and an aerosol, through the solid nicotine source to thereby entrain
one or more
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components from the nicotine source to produce the inhalable medium. In some
cases, the inhalable medium passes out of an outlet.
The assembly may comprise components such as a first chamber (referred to
herein as
the "liquid chamber") for housing the aerosolisable liquid, and a second
chamber
(referred to herein as the "solid chamber") for housing the solid, nicotine-
containing
material. The assembly may further comprise an outlet, and a flow path between
the
chambers and the outlet.
/0 VVhen the vapour/aerosol passes through the nicotine source, it is
contacted with the
nicotine source to entrain one or more components thereof. Once entrained in
the
vapour/aerosol, the one or more components from the nicotine source may
undergo
reactions with components in the vapour/aerosol. For example, acid-base salt
formation reactions may occur. Without being bound by theory, it is thought
that the
acid-base salt formation reaction in the vapour/aerosol occurs at a higher
rate than the
acid-base salt formation reaction in the solid. The use of an acidic
vapour/aerosol may
result in a higher amount of nicotine to be extracted or drawn out of the
tobacco, when
compared to a vapour/aerosol with a neutral pH.
In some embodiments, the assembly heats the nicotine source in use,
encouraging
release of components thereof into the inhaled medium. In other embodiments,
the
assembly heats both the nicotine source and the aerosolisable liquid.
Suitably, the
assembly may be configured such that the heater only heats the aerosolisable
liquid
directly and the nicotine source is heated by warmth carried in the
vapour/aerosol
formed from the aerosolisable liquid (thereby volatilising components of the
nicotine
source that are then entrained in the vapour/aerosol flow). That is, the
assembly is
configured such that it directly heats the aerosolisable liquid, but does not
directly heat
the solid, nicotine-containing material.
In some cases, the invention provides a cartridge for use in an assembly for
generating
an inhalable medium, the cartridge comprising an aerosolisable liquid
comprising an
acid in a first chamber, the liquid corresponding to the liquid as described
hereinabove,
and a solid, nicotine-containing material in a second chamber, the solid,
nicotine-
containing material corresponding to the nicotine source described
hereinabove. The
cartridge is configured such that in use, a vapour and/or an aerosol generated
from the
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aerosolisable liquid passes through the second chamber containing the nicotine
source
and entrains one or more constituents of the nicotine source. Suitably, the
cartridge
may be adapted for use in the assembly for generating an inhalable medium
described
herein.
In some embodiments, the assembly comprises a cooler or cooling zone
downstream
of the heater and upstream of the second chamber containing a nicotine source,
the
cooler or cooling zone being arranged to cool vaporised material to form an
aerosol of
liquid droplets that, in use, pass through the nicotine source in the second
chamber. In
some embodiments, the cooler may be arranged in effect to act as a heat
exchanger,
allowing for recovery of heat from the vapour and/or aerosol. The recovered
heat may
be used, for example, to pre-heat the nicotine source and/or to assist in
heating the
aerosolisable liquid.
In an embodiment, the assembly is battery-operated.
In an embodiment, the or each heater is an electrically resistive heater.
In an embodiment, the heater is puff actuated. That is, the assembly includes
a puff-
detector and only heats the aerosolisable liquid on detection of a puff. This
means that
vapour/aerosol forms in the assembly only during puffs.
Kit
The invention also provides a kit comprising an aerosol-generating assembly
according
to embodiments of the invention. The kit comprises (i) a liquid pod containing
an
aerosolisable liquid according to the embodiments described herein, (ii) a
nicotine-
containing pod containing a solid, nicotine-containing material according to
the
embodiments described herein. Features described hereinabove in relation to
the
assembly are explicitly disclosed in combination with the kit aspect of the
invention.
Thus, for example, the assembly may include one or more puff actuators, a
cooling
element or cooling zone, actuation means such as a button, further heaters, a
pump for
the wetting agent, and so on.
Use
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There is also provided the use of an acidic vapour and/or aerosol to extract
nicotine
from a solid, nicotine-containing material having a pH of more than 7, wherein
the rate
of nicotine extraction exceeds the rate of nicotine-salt formation in the
solid, nicotine-
containing material, thereby providing an increased nicotine content in the
vapour
and/or aerosol as compared to using a neutral vapour and/or aerosol.
Illustrative embodiments
Examples of consumables including cartridges, liquid pods, nicotine-containing
pods
and rods, and assemblies for generating an inhalable medium according to some
embodiments of the invention will now be described, with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
Referring to Figure 1, there is shown an example of an assembly 1 for
generating an
inhalable medium. In broad outline, the assembly 1 volatilises an
aerosolisable liquid
comprising an acid to form a vapour and/or an aerosol which passes through a
nicotine
source so as to produce an inhalable medium that contains one or more
components
derived from the nicotine source.
In this respect, first it may be noted that, in general, a vapour is a
substance in the gas
phase at a temperature lower than its critical temperature, which means that
for
example the vapour can be condensed to a liquid by increasing its pressure
without
reducing the temperature. On the other hand, in general, an aerosol is a
colloid of fine
solid particles or liquid droplets, in air or another gas. A "colloid" is a
substance in which
microscopically dispersed insoluble particles are suspended throughout another
substance.
Returning to Figure 1, the assembly 1 of this example has a generally hollow
cylindrical
outer housing 2. The housing 2 has an open end 3. In this example, a tubular
mouthpiece 4 is provided in the open end 3. The mouthpiece 4 in this example
is
removable by a user from the housing 2. An 0-ring or other seal 5 assists in
sealing
the mouthpiece 4 in the housing 2. At or towards the other end 6 of the
housing 2 is a
battery 7 for powering various components of the assembly 1, as will be
discussed
further below. The battery 7 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable
battery. A
controller 8 is also provided in the housing 2 for controlling the operation
of various
components of the assembly 1, as will be discussed further below.
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The housing 2 has a chamber 9 (sometimes referred to herein as "liquid
chamber") for
holding or containing an aerosolisable liquid (sometimes referred to herein as
simply
"liquid") 10. The liquid 10 corresponds to the liquid described hereinabove
and may
have a pH of from 4 to 5, and/or may comprise an acid with a pKa greater than
3, for
example. Various different forms for the liquid chamber 9 may be used. In the
example
of Figure 1, the liquid chamber 9 is in the form of an annular chamber 9
provided in the
housing 2 between the open end 3 and the other end 6. In this particular
example, the
housing 2 is in two parts, a first part 2a being towards the open end 3 and a
second
/0 part 2b towards the other end 6. The first and second parts 2a,2b of the
housing 2 may
connect to each other via a screw thread, a bayonet fitting or the like. In
use, a user
can separate the first and second parts 2a,2b of the housing 2 to allow the
aerosolisable liquid 10 to be replenished or replaced as necessary.
Alternatively, the
mouthpiece 4 can be removed to provide access to the liquid chamber 9. It will
be
understood however that other arrangements are possible. For example, the
liquid 10
may be provided in a discrete annular pot-like liquid chamber which can be
removed as
a whole from the housing 2. Such a discrete liquid chamber may be disposable
so that
the user replaces the liquid 10 by fitting a new liquid chamber with liquid 10
in the
housing 2. Alternatively, such a chamber may be reusable. In such a case, the
user
may replenish or replace liquid 10 in the liquid chamber whilst it has been
removed
from the housing 2 and then replace the refilled liquid chamber in the housing
2. It will
be understood that the housing 2 need not be in two parts and that other
arrangements
enabling access for the user may be provided, for example, to enable refilling
in situ.
A heater 11 is provided generally centrally of the housing 2, that is,
centrally along the
length and width of the housing 2 in this example. In this example, the heater
11 is
powered by the battery 7 and is therefore electrically connected to the
battery 7. The
heater 11 may be an electrically resistive heater, including for example a
nichrome
resistive heater, a ceramic heater, etc. The heater 11 may be for example a
wire,
which may for example be in the form of a coil, a plate (which may be a multi-
layer
plate of two or more different materials, one or more of which may be
electrically
conductive and one or more of which may be electrically non-conductive), a
mesh
(which may be woven or non-woven for example, and which again may be similarly
multi-layer), a film heater, etc. Other heating arrangements may be used,
including
non-electrical heating arrangements.
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This heater 11 is provided for volatilising the liquid 10. In the example
shown, an
annular wick 12 surrounds the heater 11 and is in (thermal) contact with the
heater 11.
The outermost surface of the annular wick 12 is in contact with liquid 10
contained in
the liquid chamber 9. The wick 12 is generally absorbent and acts to draw in
liquid 10
from the liquid chamber 9 by capillary action. The wick 12 is preferably non-
woven and
may be for example a cotton or wool material or the like, or a synthetic
material,
including for example polyester, nylon, viscose, polypropylene or the like.
Whilst this
will be described more fully below, it may be noted here that in use, liquid
10 drawn into
/0 the wick 12 is heated by the heater 11. The liquid 10 may be volatilised
so as to
produce an aerosol of liquid droplets or sufficiently heated to produce a
vapour. The
aerosol and/or vapour so produced exits the wick 12 and passes towards the
mouthpiece 4 as shown by the arrows A under the action of the user drawing on
the
mouthpiece 4. The heater 11 and wick 12 may be provided as a single,
effectively
integral item, sometimes referred to as an "atomiser", such that the heating
and wicking
is effectively carried out by a single unit.
The housing 2 further contains a chamber (sometimes referred to herein as
"solid
chamber") 13 which holds or contains a solid, nicotine- containing material
(referred to
herein as "nicotine source") 14 in the assembly 1. The nicotine source 14
corresponds
to the nicotine source described hereinabove, is base-treated, and may have a
pH of
from 8 to 9.5, for example. In use, a user can access the solid chamber 13 to
replace or
replenish the nicotine source 14 through the open end 3 of the housing 2 by
removing
the mouthpiece 4 and/or by separating the two parts 2a,2b of the housing 2.
Various
different forms for the solid chamber 13 may be used. For example, the solid
chamber
13 may be a tube which is completely open at both ends and which contains the
nicotine source 14. As another example, the solid chamber 13 may be a tube
which
has one or more end walls which have through holes through which a vapour
and/or
aerosol can pass. The solid chamber 13 may remain in situ within the housing 2
whilst
the user removes and replaces the nicotine source 14. Alternatively, the solid
chamber
13 containing the nicotine source 14 may be a discrete item which in use is
inserted
into and removed from the housing 2 as a whole. A removable solid chamber 13
of this
type may be disposable so that the user replaces the nicotine source 14 by
fitting a
new solid chamber 13 containing a fresh nicotine source 14 into the housing 2.
As an
alternative, the solid chamber 13 may be reusable. In such a case, the user
may
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replace the nicotine source 14 in the solid chamber 13 whilst the solid
chamber 13 has
been removed from the housing 2 and then replace the refilled solid chamber 13
in the
housing 2. In yet another example, the solid chamber 13 may comprise clips or
the like
provided internally of the housing 2 and which retain the nicotine source 14
in position.
In some examples, the nicotine source 14 could simply fit snugly within the
solid
chamber 13. As another alternative, the chamber 9 for containing the liquid 10
may
itself be arranged to support or carry the nicotine source 14. For example,
the liquid
chamber 9 may have one or more clips or a tube or the like for receiving and
holding
the nicotine source 14 in position. Such a dual function liquid chamber
9/solid chamber
lo 13 for both containing the liquid 10 and receiving the nicotine source
14 may be in the
form of a cartridge or the like and may be a disposable item or may be re-
useable, with
the liquid 10 and nicotine source 14 being replaced or topped up by the user
as
required. In some cases, it may be that the user only needs to top up or
replace the
nicotine source 14 from time to time, with sufficient liquid 10 being provided
for several
uses. Once the liquid 10 has been consumed, the user disposes of the dual
function
liquid chamber 9/solid chamber 13 and uses a new one. Likewise, it may be that
the
user only needs to top up or replace the liquid 10 from time to time, with
sufficient
nicotine source 14 being provided for several uses. Once the nicotine source
14 has
been consumed, the user disposes of the dual function liquid chamber 9/solid
chamber
13 and uses a new one. Specific examples of dual function liquid
chambers/solid
chambers are discussed further below.
The nicotine source 14 is located in the housing 2 downstream of the location
where
the aerosol and/or vapour is produced from the liquid 10 and upstream of the
open end
3 of the housing 2 and the mouthpiece 4. In this particular example, the
nicotine source
14 is effectively provided in the same portion or chamber of the housing 2 as
the wick
12. The aerosol and/or vapour produced from the liquid 10 exits the wick 12
and
passes as shown by the arrows A towards the nicotine source 14 under the
action of
the user drawing on the mouthpiece 4. In particular embodiments, the nicotine
source
14 is porous so that the aerosol and/or vapour passes through the nicotine
source 14
and then through the open end 3 of the housing 2 and the mouthpiece 4.
In some embodiments, the nicotine source 14 and/or its chamber 13 are arranged
so
that there is no air gap between the nicotine source 14/solid chamber 13 and
the
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interior of the housing 2 so that the aerosol and/or vapour flows entirely
through the
nicotine source 14.
The liquid 10 is suitably a liquid that is volatilisable at reasonable
temperatures,
preferably of from 100-300 C or more particularly around 150-250 C, as that
helps to
keen down the power consumption of the assembly 1. Suitable materials include
those
conventionally used in e-cigarette assemblies, including for example propylene
glycol
and glycerol (also known as glycerine). The liquid 10 corresponds to the
liquid
described hereinabove and may have a pH of from 4 to 5, and/or may comprise an
acid
lo with a pKa greater than 3, for example.
The nicotine source 14 imparts a flavour to the aerosol and/or vapour produced
from
the liquid 10 as the aerosol and/or vapour passes through the nicotine source
14. As
the acidic aerosol and/or vapour passes through and over the nicotine source
14, the
hot aerosol and/or vapour entrains organic and other compounds or constituents
from
the nicotine source 14 that lend the nicotine source its organoleptic
properties, thus
imparting the flavour to the aerosol and/or vapour as it passes to the
mouthpiece 4. In
particular, the free "deprotonated" nicotine in the nicotine source 14
undergoes acid-
base salt formation with the acidic vapour and/or aerosol from the liquid 10.
In this way,
nicotine may be drawn out or extracted by the acidic vapour and/or aerosol
from the
nicotine source 14 to increase the amount of nicotine delivery in the
inhalable medium.
Furthermore, by passing the acidic vapour/aerosol through and over the
nicotine
source 14, nicotine is provided in its better tasting, salt form.
The assembly 1 provides nicotine for the user. The nicotine is obtained from
the
nicotine source 14, or it may be provided as a coating or the like on the
nicotine source
14, or a combination of these. Likewise, flavourings may be added to the
nicotine
source 14 and/or to the liquid 10.
In the example shown in Figure 1, the only heat source for heating the
nicotine source
14 in the assembly 1, which is required so as to generate the organic and
other
compounds or constituents from the nicotine source 14, is the hot aerosol
and/or
vapour produced from heating the liquid 10.
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Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown another example of an assembly for
generating an inhalable medium. In the following description and in Figure 2,
components and features that are the same as or similar to the corresponding
components and features of the example described with reference to Figure 1
have the
same reference numeral but increased by 200. For the sake of brevity, the
description
of those components and features will not be repeated in its entirety here. It
will be
understood that the arrangements and alternatives, etc. described above in
relation to
the example of Figure 1 are also applicable to the example of Figure 2. Again,
in broad
outline, the assembly 201 of Figure 2 heats a liquid comprising an acid to
form a
lo vapour and/or an aerosol which passes through a nicotine source 214 so
as to produce
an inhalable medium that contains one or more components derived from the
nicotine
source 214.
The assembly 201 of this example has a generally hollow cylindrical outer
housing 202
with an open end 203 and a tubular mouthpiece 204. The mouthpiece 204 in this
example is removable by a user from the housing 202 and an 0-ring or other
seal 205
assists in sealing the mouthpiece 204 in the housing 202. A battery 207 for
powering
various components of the assembly 201 and a controller 208 are provided at or
towards the other end 206 of the housing 202. The housing 202 of this example
is in
two parts, a first part 202a being towards the open end 203 and a second part
202b
towards the other end 206.
The housing 202 has a chamber (sometimes referred to herein as "liquid
chamber")
209 for holding or containing an aerosolisable liquid (sometimes referred to
herein as
simply "liquid") 210. The liquid 210 corresponds to the liquid described
hereinabove
and may have a pH of from 4 to 5, and/or may comprise an acid with a pKa
greater
than 3, for example. The liquid chamber 209 may be of any of the types
described
above in relation to the example of Figure 1. A heater 211 is provided
generally
centrally (lengthwise and widthwise) of the housing 202 for volatilising the
liquid 210. In
this example, the heater 211 is powered by the battery 207 and is therefore
electrically
connected to the battery 207. The heater 211 may be an electrically resistive
heater, a
ceramic heater, etc. The heater 211 may be for example a wire, which may for
example
be in the form of a coil, a plate (which may be a multi-layer plate of two or
more
different materials, one or more of which may be electrically conductive and
one or
more of which may be electrically non-conductive), a mesh (which may be woven
or
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non-woven for example, and which again may be similarly multi-layer), a film
heater,
etc. Other heating arrangements may be used, including inductive heating
arrangements or non-electrical heating arrangements. An annular wick 212
surrounds
the heater 211 and is in (thermal) contact with the heater 211. The outermost
surface of
the annular wick 212 is in contact with liquid 210 contained in the liquid
chamber 209.
The liquid 210 may be heated so as to produce an aerosol of liquid droplets or
sufficiently heated to produce a vapour. The aerosol and/or vapour so produced
exits
the wick 212 and passes towards the mouthpiece 204 as shown by the arrows A
under
the action of the user drawing on the mouthpiece 204. The heater 211 and wick
212
/0 may be provided as a single, effectively integral item such that the
heating and wicking
is effectively carried out by a single unit.
The housing 202 further contains a chamber (sometimes referred to herein as
"solid
chamber) 213 which holds or contains a nicotine source 214 in the assembly
201. The
nicotine source 214 corresponds to the nicotine source described hereinabove,
is base-
treated, and may have a pH of from 8 to 9.5, for example. The solid chamber
213 may
be of any of the types described above in relation to the example of Figure 1.
The
nicotine source 214 is located in the housing 202 downstream of the location
where the
aerosol and/or vapour is produced from the liquid 210 and upstream of the open
end
203 of the housing 202 and the mouthpiece 204. In this particular example, the
nicotine
source 214 is effectively provided in the same portion or chamber of the
housing 202
as the wick 212. The aerosol and/or vapour produced from the liquid 210 exits
the wick
212 and passes as shown by the arrows A towards the nicotine source 214 under
the
action of the user drawing on the mouthpiece 204. In particular embodiments,
the
nicotine source 214 is porous so that the aerosol and/or vapour passes through
the
nicotine source 214 and then through the open end 203 of the housing 202 and
the
mouthpiece 204.
In some embodiments, the nicotine source 214 and/or its chamber 213 are
arranged so
that there is no air gap between the nicotine source 214/chamber 213 and the
interior
of the housing 202 so that the aerosol and/or vapour flows entirely through
the nicotine
source 214. As the aerosol and/or vapour passes through and over the nicotine
source
214, the hot aerosol and/or vapour entrains organic and other compounds or
constituents from the nicotine source 214 that lend the nicotine source its
organoleptic
properties, thus imparting the flavour to the aerosol and/or vapour as is
passes to the
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mouthpiece 204. In particular, the free "deprotonated" nicotine in the
nicotine source
214 undergoes acid-base salt formation with the acidic vapour and/or aerosol
from the
liquid 210. In this way, nicotine may be drawn out or extracted by the acidic
vapour
and/or aerosol from the nicotine source 214 to increase the amount of nicotine
delivery
in the inhalable medium. Furthermore, by passing the acidic vapour/aerosol
through
and over the nicotine source 214, nicotine is provided in its better tasting,
salt form.
The liquid chamber 209 for containing the liquid 210 may itself be arranged to
support
or carry the nicotine source 214. For example, the liquid chamber 209 may have
one or
/0 more clips or a tube or the like for receiving and holding the nicotine
source 214 in
position. Such a dual function liquid chamber 209/solid chamber or receptacle
213 for
both containing the liquid 210 and receiving the nicotine source 214 may be in
the form
of a cartridge or the like and may be a disposable item or may be re-useable,
with the
liquid 210 and nicotine source 214 being replaced or topped up by the user as
required. In some cases, it may be that the user only needs to top up or
replace the
nicotine source 214 from time to time, with sufficient liquid 210 being
provided for
several uses. Once the liquid 210 has been consumed, the user disposes of the
dual
function liquid chamber 209/solid chamber 213 and uses a new one. Likewise, it
may
be that the user only needs to top up or replace the liquid 210 from time to
time, with
sufficient nicotine source 214 being provided for several uses. Once the
nicotine source
214 has been consumed, the user disposes of the dual function liquid chamber
209/solid chamber 213 and uses a new one.
In the example assembly 201 of Figure 2, a second heater 215, such as an oven
heater, is provided in thermal contact with the nicotine source 214 to pre-
heat the
nicotine source 214 and/or provide additional heat to the nicotine source 214
throughout use of the assembly 201. This encourages release of constituents
from the
nicotine source 214 as the vapour and/or aerosol passes through the nicotine
source
214 in use. The amount of heated liquid 210 to achieve desirable heating of
the
nicotine source 214 may be reduced. The second heater 215 may be an
electrically
resistive heater, a ceramic heater, etc., powered by for example the battery
207. The
second heater 215 may be for example a wire, which may for example be in the
form of
a coil, a plate (which may be a multi-layer plate of two or more different
materials, one
or more of which may be electrically conductive and one or more of which may
be
electrically non-conductive), a mesh (which may be woven or non-woven for
example,
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and which again may be similarly multi-layer), a film heater, etc. The second
heater 215
may be an inductive heater powered by for example the battery 207. Nicotine
source
214 may include materials susceptible to inductive heating. Other heating
arrangements may be used for the second heater 215, including non-electrical
heating
arrangements.
In the example assembly 201 of Figure 2, the heater 215 for heating the
nicotine
source 214 is provided externally of the nicotine source 214 and heats the
nicotine
source 214 by heat conduction from the exterior of the nicotine source 214.
The heater
/0 215 in this example is generally cylindrical. The heater 215 may
in effect be an integral
part of the assembly 201 and be provided as part of the housing 202. As an
alternative,
the heater 215 may be provided integrally with the solid chamber 213 which
holds or
contains the nicotine source 214. In this alternative, in the case that the
solid chamber
213 is disposable, the heater 215 will be replaced when a new solid chamber
213 with
fresh nicotine source is loaded into the assembly 201 by the user.
Referring now to Figure 3, there is shown another example of an assembly for
generating an inhalable medium. In the following description and in Figure 3,
components and features that are the same as or similar to the corresponding
components and features of the example described with reference to Figure 1
have the
same reference numeral but increased by 300. For the sake of brevity, the
description
of those components and features will not be repeated in its entirety here. It
will be
understood that the arrangements and alternatives, etc. described above in
relation to
the examples of Figure 1 and Figure 2 are also applicable to the example of
Figure 3.
Again, in broad outline, the assembly 301 of Figure 3 heats a liquid to form a
vapour
and/or an aerosol which passes through a nicotine source 314 so as to produce
an
inhalable medium that contains one or more constituents derived from the
nicotine
source 314.
The assembly 301 of this example again has a generally hollow cylindrical
outer
housing 302 with an open end 303 and a tubular mouthpiece 304, which is
removable
by a user from the housing 302. 0-ring or other seal 305 assists in sealing
the
mouthpiece 304 in the housing 302. A battery 307 for powering various
components of
the assembly 301 and a controller 308 are provided at or towards the other end
306 of
the housing 302. The housing 302 of this example is again in two parts, a
first part
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302a being towards the open end 303 and a second part 302b towards the other
end
306.
The housing 302 has a chamber (sometimes referred to herein as "liquid
chamber")
309 for holding or containing an aerosolisable liquid (sometimes referred to
herein as
simply "liquid") 310. The liquid 310 corresponds to the liquid described
hereinabove
and may have a pH of from 4 to 5, and/or may comprise an acid with a pKa
greater
than 3, for example. The liquid chamber 309 may be of any of the types
described
above in relation to the examples of Figures 1 and 2. A heater 311 is provided
/0 generally centrally of the housing 302 for heating the liquid 310. The
heater 311 may
be any of the types described above. In this example, the heater 311 is
powered by the
battery 307 and is therefore electrically connected to the battery 307. An
annular wick
312 surrounds the heater 311 and is in (thermal) contact with the heater 311.
The
outermost surface of the annular wick 312 is in contact with liquid 310
contained in the
liquid chamber 309. The liquid 310 may be heated so as to produce an aerosol
of liquid
droplets or sufficiently heated to produce a vapour. The aerosol and/or vapour
so
produced exits the wick 312 and passes towards the mouthpiece 304 as shown by
the
arrows A under the action of the user drawing on the mouthpiece 304. The
heater 311
and wick 312 may be provided as a single, effectively integral item such that
the
heating and wicking is effectively carried out by a single unit.
The housing 302 further contains a chamber (sometimes referred to herein as
"solid
chamber") 313 which holds or contains a nicotine source 314 in the assembly
301. The
nicotine source 314 corresponds to the nicotine source described hereinabove,
is base-
treated, and may have a pH of from 8 to 9.5, for example. The solid chamber
313 may
be of any of the types described above in relation to the examples of Figures
1 and 2.
(In the example shown in Figure 3, the solid chamber 313 is in the form of a
tube which
has end walls 316 which have through holes 317 through which a vapour and/or
aerosol can pass, which was mentioned as an option above.) The nicotine source
314
is located in the housing 302 downstream of the location where the aerosol
and/or
vapour is produced from the liquid 310 and upstream of the open end 303 of the
housing 302 and the mouthpiece 304. In this particular example, again, the
nicotine
source 314 is effectively provided in the same portion or chamber of the
housing 302
as the wick 312. The aerosol and/or vapour produced from the liquid 310 exits
the wick
312 and passes as shown by the arrows A towards the nicotine source 314 under
the
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action of the user drawing on the mouthpiece 304. In particular embodiments,
the
nicotine source 314 is porous so that the aerosol and/or vapour passes through
the
nicotine source 314 and then through the open end 303 of the housing 302 and
the
mouthpiece 304.
In some embodiments, the nicotine source 314 and/or its chamber 313 are
arranged so
that there is no air gap between the nicotine source 314/chamber 313 and the
interior
of the housing 302 so that the aerosol and/or vapour flows entirely through
the nicotine
source 314. As the aerosol and/or vapour passes through and over the nicotine
source
/0 314, the hot aerosol and/or vapour entrains organic and other
compounds or
constituents from the nicotine source 314, thus imparting flavour to the
aerosol and/or
vapour as is passes to the mouthpiece 304. In particular, the free
"deprotonated"
nicotine in the nicotine source 314 may undergo acid-base salt formation with
the acidic
vapour and/or aerosol from the liquid 310. In this way, nicotine may be drawn
out or
extracted by the acidic vapour and/or aerosol from the nicotine source 314 to
increase
the amount of nicotine delivery in the inhalable medium. Furthermore, by
passing the
acidic vapour/aerosol through and over the nicotine source 314, nicotine may
be
provided in its better tasting, salt form.
The chamber 309 for containing the liquid 310 may itself be arranged to
support or
carry the nicotine source 314. For example, the liquid chamber 309 may have
one or
more clips or a tube or the like for receiving and holding the nicotine source
314 in
position. Such a dual function liquid chamber 309/solid chamber or receptacle
313 for
both containing the liquid 310 and receiving the nicotine source 314 may be in
the form
of a cartridge or the like and may be a disposable item or may be re-useable,
with the
liquid 310 and nicotine source 314 being replaced or topped up by the user as
required. In some cases, it may be that the user only needs to top up or
replace the
nicotine source 314 from time to time, with sufficient liquid 310 being
provided for
several uses. Once the liquid 310 has been consumed, the user disposes of the
dual
function liquid chamber 309/solid chamber 313 and uses a new one. Likewise, it
may
be that the user only needs to top up or replace the liquid 310 from time to
time, with
sufficient nicotine source 314 being provided for several uses. Once the
nicotine source
314 has been consumed, the user disposes of the dual function liquid chamber
309/solid chamber 313 and uses a new one.
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In the example assembly 301 of Figure 3, a second heater 318 is again provided
in
thermal contact with the nicotine source 314 to heat the nicotine source 314
to
encourage release of constituents from the nicotine source 314 as the vapour
and/or
aerosol passes through the nicotine source 314 in use. The second heater 318
may be
an electrically resistive heater, a ceramic heater, etc., powered by for
example the
battery 307. Other heating arrangements may be used for the second heater 318,
including non-electrical heating arrangements.
In the example assembly 301 of Figure 3, the heater 318 for heating the
nicotine
/0 source 314 is provided internally of the nicotine source 314 and heats
the nicotine
source 314 by heat conduction from the interior of the nicotine source 314.
The heater
318 in this example is generally in the form of a cylindrical rod located
along the central
longitudinal axis of the nicotine source 314. In other arrangements, the
heater 318 may
be a wire, which may for example be in the form of a coil, a plate (which may
be a
multi-layer plate of two or more different materials, one or more of which may
be
electrically conductive and one or more of which may be electrically non-
conductive), a
mesh (which may be woven or non-woven for example, and which again may be
similarly multi-layer), a film heater, etc. The nicotine source 314 in this
case is generally
tubular or otherwise has an internal aperture for receiving the heater 318.
The heater
318 may in effect be an integral part of the assembly 301 and be provided as
part of
the housing 302. In this case, as the nicotine source 314 is loaded into the
assembly
301 (for example, as the solid chamber 313 containing the nicotine source 314
is
loaded into the assembly 301), the nicotine source 314 surrounds the second
heater
318. As an alternative, the heater 318 may be provided integrally with the
solid
chamber 313 which holds or contains the nicotine source 314. In this
alternative, in the
case that the solid chamber 313 is disposable, the heater 318 will be replaced
when a
new solid chamber 313 with a fresh nicotine source is loaded into the assembly
301 by
the user.
In another example, plural internal heaters 318 may be provided, so as to
provide for
more efficient heating of the nicotine source 314. In another example, the
nicotine
source 314 may be heated by both one or more external heaters (like the second
heater 215 of the example of Figure 2) and by one or more internal heaters
(like the
second heater 318 of the example of Figure 3).
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Referring now to Figure 4, there is shown a schematic longitudinal cross-
sectional view
of an example of a cartridge 600 having a liquid chamber 601 for containing
aerosolisable liquid comprising an acid 602, and a receptacle or chamber
(sometimes
referred to herein as "solid chamber") 603 for a nicotine source 604. The
liquid 602
corresponds to the liquid described hereinabove and may have a pH of from 4 to
5,
and/or may comprise an acid with a pKa greater than 3, for example. The
nicotine
source 604 corresponds to the nicotine source described hereinabove, is base-
treated,
and may have a pH of from 8 to 9.5, for example. In this example, the liquid
chamber
601 and the nicotine source chamber 603 are provided as one integral
component,
/0 either by being formed integrally initially or being formed initially of
two parts which are
then assembled in a substantially permanent fashion. The cartridge 600 is
arranged so
that as the liquid 602 is volatilised so as to produce an aerosol of liquid
droplets or
sufficiently heated to produce a vapour, at least some and preferably all or
substantially
all of the aerosol and/or vapour passes through the nicotine source 604 to
pick up
flavour from the nicotine source 604. In particular, the free "deprotonated"
nicotine in
the nicotine source 604 may undergo acid-base salt formation with the acidic
vapour
and/or aerosol from the liquid 602. In this way, nicotine may be drawn out or
extracted
by the acidic vapour and/or aerosol from the nicotine source 604 to increase
the
amount of nicotine delivery in the inhalable medium. Furthermore, by passing
the acidic
vapour/aerosol through and over the nicotine source 604, nicotine may be
provided in
its better tasting, salt form.
In the example of Figure 4, the liquid chamber 601 is provided generally
centrally of the
cartridge 600. The liquid chamber 601 in the example shown is frustoconical in
shape,
but may have a different shape, such as conical, cylindrical, etc. The liquid
chamber
601 is surrounded by an outer shell 605 which defines an annular channel 606
around
the outside of the length of the liquid chamber 601 and which extends from one
end of
the liquid chamber 601 to the other. The outer shell 605 extends beyond a
first end wall
607 of the liquid chamber 601 to define a chamber 608 beyond the first end
wall 607 of
the liquid chamber 601. In the example shown, both the chamber 608 and the
annular
channel 606 contain the nicotine source 604 and so can be regarded as together
providing the solid chamber 603 for the nicotine source 604. In other
examples, the
nicotine source 604 may be provided only in the chamber 608, which therefore
defines
the solid chamber 603 for the nicotine source 604, and the annular channel 606
is
empty. The chamber 608 is closed off by an end wall 609 which is spaced from
the end
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wall 607 of the liquid chamber 601. The end wall 609 may be part of the outer
shell 605
or may be a separate plastics or rubber cap or the like. In yet other
examples, the
annular channel 606 contains the nicotine source 604 and there is no material
in the
chamber 608, and indeed the chamber 608 may be omitted and the channel 606
effectively terminates at the end wall 609. The channel 606 and/or chamber 608
may
be entirely filled with nicotine source 604 or may only contain a portion or
plug of
nicotine source 604. The end wall 609 is porous and/or has one or more through
holes
610 to enable the aerosol and/or vapour to exit the cartridge 600 to be
inhaled by a
user. The liquid chamber 601 and the solid chamber 603 may each be formed of
rigid,
/0 watertight and airtight materials, such as metal, suitable plastics,
etc.
The example cartridge 600 shown in Figure 4 is provided with a heater 611 and
a wick
612 in (thermal) contact with the heater 611. In this example, the heater 611
and the
wick 612 are provided as a single unit, often referred to as an "atomiser". In
this case,
where the cartridge 600 includes an atomiser, such a cartridge is often
referred to as a
"cartomiser". The orientation of the heater 611 is shown schematically and for
example
the heater 611 may be a coil having its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the cartridge 600 rather than parallel as shown in Figure
4.
The wick 612 is in contact with the liquid 602. This may be achieved by for
example the
wick 612 being inserted through a through hole (not shown) in the second end
wall 613
of the liquid chamber 601. Alternatively or additionally, the second end wall
613 may be
a porous member (shown schematically in Figure 4 by dashed lines) which allows
liquid
to pass through from the liquid chamber 601, and the wick 612 may be in
contact with
the porous second end wall 613. The second end wall 613 may be for example in
the
form of a porous ceramic disk. A porous second end wall 613 of this type helps
to
regulate the flow of liquid onto the wick 612. The wick 612 is generally
absorbent and
acts to draw in liquid 602 from the liquid chamber 601 by capillary action.
The wick 612
is preferably non-woven and may be for example a cotton or wool material or
the like,
or a synthetic material, including for example polyester, nylon, viscose,
polypropylene
or the like.
In use, the cartridge 600 is connected by the user to a battery section of an
assembly
(not shown) to enable the heater 611 to be powered. When the heater 611 of the
atomiser is powered (which may be instigated for example by the user operating
a
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button of the overall assembly or by a puff detector of the overall assembly,
as is
known per se), liquid 602 drawn in from the liquid chamber 601 by the wick 612
is
heated by the heater 611 to volatilise or vaporise the liquid. As the user
draws on a
mouthpiece of the overall assembly, the vapour and/or aerosol passes into the
annular
channel 606 around the outside of the length of the liquid chamber 601 and
into the
chamber 608 as shown by the arrows A. The vapour and/or aerosol picks up
flavour
from the nicotine source 604 and entrains one or more components thereof. When
the
vapour/aerosol contacts the nicotine source 604, the free "deprotonated"
nicotine in the
nicotine source 604 may undergo acid-base salt formation with the acidic
vapour and/or
lo aerosol from the liquid 602. In this way, nicotine may be drawn out or
extracted by the
acidic vapour and/or aerosol from the nicotine source 604 to increase the
amount of
nicotine delivery in the inhalable medium. Furthermore, by passing the acidic
vapour/aerosol through and over the nicotine source 604, nicotine may be
provided in
its better tasting, salt form. The vapour and/or aerosol can then exit the
cartridge 600
through the end wall 609 as shown by the arrow B. Optionally, a one way valve
614
may be provided inside the end wall 609 so that the vapour and/or aerosol can
only exit
the cartridge 600 and cannot back-flow to the heater 611 or the electronics of
the
assembly as a whole.
Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown a schematic longitudinal cross-
sectional view
of another example of a cartridge 700 having a chamber (sometimes referred to
herein
as "liquid chamber') 701 for containing aerosolisable liquid (sometimes
referred to
herein as simply "liquid") 702 and a chamber (sometimes referred to herein as
"solid
chamber") 703 which defines a chamber 708 for containing a nicotine source
704. The
liquid 702 corresponds to the liquid described hereinabove and may have a pH
of from
4 to 5, and/or may comprise an acid with a pKa greater than 3, for example.
The
nicotine source 704 corresponds to the nicotine source described hereinabove,
is base-
treated, and may have a pH of from 8 to 9.5, for example. In the following
description
and in Figure 5, components and features that are the same as or similar to
the
corresponding components and features of the example described with reference
to
Figure 4 have the same reference numeral but increased by 100. For the sake of
brevity, the description of those components and features will not be repeated
in its
entirety here.
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In this example, the liquid chamber 701 and the solid chamber 703 of the
cartridge 700
are provided as separate components, which are detachably connected to each
other
in use. The liquid chamber 701 and the solid chamber 703 may for example be
clipped
or otherwise detachably fixed to each other, or for example the solid chamber
703 may
simply rest on or be a tight friction fit on the liquid chamber 701. The
cartridge 700 is
arranged so that as the liquid 702 is volatilised so as to produce an aerosol
of liquid
droplets or sufficiently heated to produce a vapour, at least some and
preferably all or
substantially all of the aerosol and/or vapour passes through the nicotine
source 704 to
pick up flavour from the nicotine source 704 and entrains one or more
components
/0 thereof. VVhen the vapour/aerosol contacts the nicotine source 704, the
free
"deprotonated" nicotine in the nicotine source 704 may undergo acid-base salt
formation with the acidic vapour and/or aerosol from the liquid 702. In this
way, nicotine
may be drawn out or extracted by the acidic vapour and/or aerosol from the
nicotine
source 704 to increase the amount of nicotine delivery in the inhalable
medium.
Furthermore, by passing the acidic vapour/aerosol through and over the
nicotine
source 704, nicotine may be provided in its better tasting, salt form.
In this example, the liquid chamber 701 is surrounded by an outer shell 705
which
defines an annular channel 706 around the outside of the length of the liquid
chamber
701 and which extends from one end of the liquid chamber 701 to the other. The
outer
shell 705 extends beyond a first end wall 707 of the liquid chamber 701 and
terminates
in an end wall 709. The end wall 709 may be a separate plastics or rubber cap
or the
like. The end wall 709 is porous and/or has one or more through holes 710 to
enable
the aerosol and/or vapour to exit the annular channel 706. A one way valve 714
may
be provided inside the end wall 709 so that the vapour and/or aerosol can only
exit the
annular channel 706 at the end remote from the heater 711 and wick 712 and
cannot
back-flow to the heater 711 or the electronics of the assembly as a whole. The
nicotine
source chamber 703 is located in use over the end wall 709 so that vapour
and/or
aerosol exiting through the end wall 709 passed into the solid chamber 703.
The solid
chamber 703 has an exit aperture and/or or a porous end wall 715 to enable the
aerosol and/or vapour to exit the cartridge 700 to be inhaled by a user.
In use, the cartridge 700 is connected by the user to a battery section of an
assembly
(not shown) to enable the heater 711 to be powered. When the heater 711 of the
atomiser is powered (which may be instigated for example by the user operating
a
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button of the overall assembly or by a puff detector of the overall assembly
as is known
per se), liquid 702 drawn in from the liquid chamber 701 through the end wall
713 by
the wick 712 is heated by the heater 711 to volatilise or vaporise the liquid.
As the user
draws on a mouthpiece of the overall assembly, the vapour and/or aerosol
passes into
the annular channel 706 around the outside of the length of the liquid chamber
701
towards the end wall 709 of the outer shell 705 as shown by the arrows A. The
vapour
and/or aerosol then passes through the end wall 709 (via the one-way valve 714
if
present) and into the solid chamber 703 where it picks up flavour from the
nicotine
source 704 contained in the solid chamber 703, and entrains one or more
components
/0 of the nicotine source 704. When the vapour/aerosol contacts the
nicotine source 704,
the free "deprotonated" nicotine in the nicotine source 704 may undergo acid-
base salt
formation with the acidic vapour and/or aerosol from the liquid 702. In this
way, nicotine
may be drawn out or extracted by the acidic vapour and/or aerosol from the
nicotine
source 704 to increase the amount of nicotine delivery in the inhalable
medium.
Furthermore, by passing the acidic vapour/aerosol through and over the
nicotine
source 704, nicotine may be provided in its better tasting, salt form. The
vapour and/or
aerosol can then exit the cartridge 700 through the end wall 715 of the solid
chamber
703 as shown by the arrow B.
The examples shown in Figures 4 and 5 are particularly suitable for use with
so-called
modular or "e-go" products, in which the cartomiser is fitted to a battery
section (not
shown), typically by a screw thread, a bayonet fitting or the like. The
cartomiser as a
whole is typically discarded after use and a new, replacement cartomiser used.
As an
alternative, it may be possible for the user to re-use the cartridge by
refilling the liquid
and/or replacing the solid material from time to time as necessary.
The examples shown in Figures 4 and 5 may easily be adapted for use with other
types
of an electronic tobacco hybrid device, which are known per se. There are for
example
so-called "look alike e-cigarette" or "cig-alike" assemblies which are
generally small and
have a form and appearance similar to a conventional cigarette. In such
assemblies,
the liquid chamber typically includes some wadding material, of for example
cotton or
the like, for holding the liquid. The cartridge or cartomiser in such known
assemblies is
typically disposable as a whole, but it may be possible to refill the liquid
and/or replace
the sold material in examples that use an embodiment of the present invention.
As
another example, there are so-called tank assemblies or personal vaporisers
which
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generally have large liquid chambers for holding relatively large volumes of
liquid and
also provide for advanced functions that allow users to control a number of
aspects of
the assembly.
As an alternative to any of the cartomiser arrangements discussed above, the
atomiser
(i.e. the heater and the wick) for the liquid may be provided separately of
the liquid and
solid chambers. The atomiser may for example be provided as part of the
battery
section of the overall assembly to which the cartridge is detachably fitted by
the user in
use.
In any of the examples described above in relation to Figures 4 and 5, there
may also
be provided a heater for the nicotine source so as to "pre-heat" it. This
heater may be
provided as part of the cartridge or as part of the battery section of the
assembly to
which the cartridge is fitted in use.
Referring now to Figure 7, there is shown an example of a consumable rod 801.
The
rod is formed from a number of abutting portions. In the illustrated
embodiment, the
rod 801 comprises a portion 802 comprising the liquid comprising an acid. In
the
embodiment illustrated, the portion 802 comprises a carrier material
impregnated with
an acidified aerosolisable liquid. The carrier material may be, for example,
cotton, solid
adsorbent or a paper filter. In some embodiments, the carrier material is a
wicking
material. Adjacent portion 803 comprises the solid, nicotine-containing
material. In this
example, the material is a tobacco substrate comprising cut rag and/or tobacco
granules. In use, the portion 802 comprising the liquid comprising an acid is
heated by
an aerosol generating assembly to form an acidic vapour and/or aerosol. This
is drawn
through the consumable rod and through portion 803 comprising the nicotine-
containing material. The heated aerosol/vapour heats the nicotine-containing
material
to release one or more constituents thereof, including nicotine which become
entrained
in the aerosol/vapour. In some embodiments, the portion 80 comprising the
nicotine-
containing material is also heated by the assembly. The aerosol/vapour then
passes
through portion 804 of the rod, which is cooling section. In this embodiment,
the
portion is a tube which cools the aerosol/vapour as it passes through.
Finally, the
mouth end portion 805 follows the cooling section and this is a filter
section. This
portion of the consumable rod comprises filter material such as cellulose
acetate tow,
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optionally with appropriate additives to enhance filtration or otherwise
change the
properties of the aerosol.
In an alternative embodiment, the liquid comprising an acid may be provided in
the
mouth end portion 805 of the consumable, rather than in the distal portion
802. In such
an embodiment, the liquid comprising an acid may be provided in a capsule, for
example embedded in filter material, or it may be impregnated in the filter
material. As
the free nicotine released by the solid, nicotine-containing material passed
through this
section, it will react with the acid and form one or more nicotine salts.
Examples
Several experiments were tested to evaluate the effects of using an acidic
vapour
and/or aerosol on nicotine extraction from a nicotine source to provide an
enhanced
amount of nicotine delivery in an inhalable medium.
In this example, the objective was to test whether using an acidic
aerosolisable liquid
would extract nicotine from pH-treated tobacco to increase the amount of
nicotine
delivery in the inhalable medium. Three aerosolisable liquids were prepared
for the
experiments:
- 1-C, a control sample with an e-liquid composition of glycerol (17% w/w),
propylene glycol (71% w/w) and water (12% w/w);
- 1-BA, a sample containing 0.04% by weight benzoic acid and the e-liquid;
and
- 1-LA, a sample containing 0.04% by weight lactic acid and the e-liquid.
The solid, nicotine containing material used was a tobacco blend, treated with
base to
have a pH of 8.5. The materials were loaded onto a standard test system as
pods and
the liquid was heated; the heater element had a power of 7.5 W. The
vapour/aerosol
formed from the liquid was then passed through or over the pH-treated tobacco
composition, entraining one or more components thereof to provide an inhalable
medium, which passes to a detector through an outlet.
During one experiment the system performed 60 puffs in total per pod, formed
of three
20 puff blocks, measuring the nicotine delivery at each 20-puff interval. The
puffing was
done using a 55/3/30 regime (55 ml puff of 3 second duration every 30
seconds). The
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measurements were repeated four times for each sample. A summary of the
results is
shown in the tables below.
Puff block = 20
Sample Mean Nicotine (pg/Puff) StDev (pg/Puff)
1-C 67.19 11.97
1-BA 78.58 5.80
1-LA 99.50 8.13
Puff block = 40
Sample Mean Nicotine (pg/Puff) StDev (pg/Puff)
1-C 50.91 8.13
1-BA 49.37 8.01
1-LA 60.38 t8.83
Puff block = 60
Sample Mean Nicotine (pg/Puff) StDev (pg/Puff)
1-C 24.92 3.20
1-BA 30.40 4.25
1-LA 28.50 8.88
Referring to Figure 6, a graph of the results from the experiments described
above are
shown, and demonstrates examples of nicotine delivery from assemblies
according to
embodiments of the invention, as well as a comparative assembly.
For the 1-20 puff block measurement on each sample, the nicotine delivery has
increased for the acidified liquids. For benzoic acid containing liquids, the
nicotine
delivery has increased from 67.2 pg/puff (control, 1-C) to 79 pg/puff (1-BA).
For lactic
acid containing liquids, the nicotine delivery has increased from 67.2 pg/puff
(control, 1-
C) to 100 pg/puff (1-LA).
Accordingly, the results of the experiments show that the use of an acidic
vapour/aerosol (such as one formed from a liquid containing benzoic acid or
lactic acid
in 1-BA or 1-LA, respectively) increases the amount of nicotine delivered to
the user,
compared to a neutral vapour/aerosol (such as the liquid used in 1-C).
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Furthermore, the above results show that the total nicotine content removed
from the
solid tobacco is higher when an acidic vapour/aerosol is used. That is, a
higher amount
of nicotine is extracted from the tobacco when using an acidic vapour/aerosol
(1-BA, 1-
LA) compared to a neutral vapour/aerosol (1-C). Thus, in some embodiments the
assembly allows for the rate of nicotine extraction to be increased, as well
as the total
amount of nicotine that is available to be extracted from the nicotine source
to be
increased
/0 As used herein, "aerosol generating agent" refers to a compound or
mixture that
promotes the generation of an aerosol. An aerosol generating agent may promote
the
generation of an aerosol by promoting an initial vaporisation and/or the
condensation of
a gas to an inhalable solid and/or liquid aerosol.
In general, any suitable aerosol generating agent or agents may be included in
the
aerosolisable liquid or nicotine source. Suitable aerosol generating agents
include, but
are not limited to: a polyol such as sorbitol, glycerol, and glycols like
propylene glycol or
triethylene glycol; a non-polyol such as monohydric alcohols, high boiling
point
hydrocarbons, acids such as lactic acid, glycerol derivatives, esters such as
diacetin,
triacetin, triethylene glycol diacetate, triethyl citrate or myristates
including ethyl
myristate and isopropyl myristate and aliphatic carboxylic acid esters such as
methyl
stearate, dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.
As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which,
where
local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or
other
somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include
naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals,
synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco,
cannabis,
licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf,
chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed
(anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, wintergreen,
cherry,
berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon,
lime,
tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber,
blueberry,
mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila,
rum,
spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla,
nutmeg,
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sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey
essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry
blossom,
cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment,
ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus
Mentha,
eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba,
hazel,
hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea,
thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika,
rosemary,
saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis,
valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil,
chive,
/0 carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavour
enhancers,
bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or
stimulators,
sugars and/or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium,
aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose,
sorbitol,
or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals,
botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or
natural
ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example,
liquid
such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas.
In some embodiments, the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and/or
peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components of
cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and/or redberry. In some embodiments, the
flavour comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour
components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises
flavour components extracted from cannabis.
In some embodiments, the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to
achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and
perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in
addition
to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents
providing
heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may
be, but
is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be,
but not
limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.
For the avoidance of doubt, where in this specification the term "comprises"
is used in
defining the invention or features of the invention, embodiments are also
disclosed in
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WO 2021/224597
PCT/GB2021/051048
- 38 -
which the invention or feature can be defined using the terms "consists
essentially of"
or "consists of' in place of "comprises".
The above embodiments are to be understood as illustrative examples of the
invention.
Further embodiments of the invention are envisaged. It is to be understood
that any
feature described in relation to any one embodiment may be used alone, or in
combination with other features described, and may also be used in combination
with
one or more features of any other of the embodiments, or any combination of
any other
of the embodiments. Furthermore, equivalents and modifications not described
above
lo may also be employed without departing from the scope of the invention,
which is
defined in the accompanying claims.
The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in
understanding
and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as a
representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or
exclusive. It
is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions,
features,
structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered
limitations on
the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on
equivalents to the
claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be
made
without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments
of the
invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of,
appropriate
combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps,
means,
etc, other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this
disclosure may
include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in
future.
CA 03172015 2022- 9- 15
