GB2461008A

GB2461008A - Nicotine inhaler with flavour source

Info

Publication number: GB2461008A
Application number: GB0624579A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Mcewen; Robert West; Matthew West
Original assignee: EXCHANGE SUPPLIES Ltd
Current assignee: EXCHANGE SUPPLIES Ltd
Priority date: 2006-12-08
Filing date: 2006-12-08
Publication date: 2009-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 2026-12-08
Also published as: GB0624579D0; GB2461008B

Abstract

There is provided a nicotine inhalation device comprising a tubular housing (2) and first and second end caps (18, 8), engageable with inlet and outlet ends (6, 4) of the housing (2) respectively. The second end cap (8) has a rod-like central core (14) extending from its inner face, and also has a plurality of holes (12); each hole (12) is for supporting a nicotine cartridge, wherein the nicotine cartridges are arranged to surround the central core (14) radially. A body (16), made of porous material, is supported between the first end cap (18) and the housing (2), and can be impregnated with menthol to improve the taste of the inhaled nicotine.

Description

NICOTINE INHALATION DEVICE

This invention relates to nicotine inhalation devices. Such devices are arranged to deliver nicotine to a user in an airflow, as a less harmful alternative to smoking cigarettes.

Smoking cigarettes, cigars, or other smoking articles is widely known to have detrimental effects on users' long term health. For example, smoking has been linked to lung cancer, heart disease and other serious health conditions.

However, regular smokers who wish to stop may experience difficulties due to the addictive nature of the drug nicotine, which is present in tobacco.

A number of systems are available to help smokers who wish to quit. In particular, several systems aim to make this process easier for smokers by supplying them with an alternative source of nicotine. Use of nicotine replacement therapy devices helps to substantially eliminate or reduce the withdrawal symptoms of giving up smoking. Some of these systems supply an initial dosage of nicotine to the user soon after they quit smoking, reducing this dosage gradually over time until the user is free from nicotine addiction.

Known techniques for supplying an alternative source of nicotine to smoking cigarettes include: patches that deliver nicotine to a user by iontophoresis; nicotine nasal sprays; nicotine chewing gum -or other oral substitutes; and nicotine inhalators where nicotine is absorbed via the buccal mucosa. One of the main problems with existing nicotine replacement therapy products is that compliance is low. This is because of a combination of the aversive taste of nicotine with oral products (including the inhalator), and because of the lag time between administration and peak blood nicotine levels for all products.

Nicotine inhalers may be considered a preferable substitute source of nicotine, since the action of using an inhaler mimics that of smoking. However a drawback associated with nicotine inhalation devices is that users may find the "taste" of nicotine undesirable, when not combined with that of tobacco. Additionally, the taste' of tobacco may act as a secondary reinforcer of the effects of nicotine and contribute towards continued smoking. Individuai users' preferences may vary, and it would be desirable to provide a mechanism for controlling the "taste" of the inhaled air to a user's preference.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the "taste" of inhaled air from a nicotine inhalation device and to improve the absorption of nicotine from a nicotine inhalation device.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a nicotine inhalation device having an inlet and an outlet for an airflow, and being arranged to support: at least one nicotine cartridge for delivering nicotine to the airflow; and a body for containing flavouring and delivering the flavouring to the airflow.

In this way a user of such a nicotine inhalation device may inhale gas from an airflow containing a mixture of air, nicotine and flavouring. The presence of a flavouring ingredient or additive may advantageously improve the "taste" of the inhaled air since even a mild flavouring may mask the "taste" of nicotine.

Additionally, the presence of a flavouring may encourage continued use of the device by acting as a secondary reinforcer. The relative and absolute concentrations of flavouring and nicotine in the inhaled air may also be varied.

S makers are used to titrating the amount of nicotine that they receive whilst smoking through finger tip control' of cigarettes: altering the depth, rate and number of inhalations per cigarette. The new device allows for a similar finger tip control'. This variation in dose can also be accomplished by changing the amount of flavouring in the body and/or the number of nicotine cartridges in the device. By changing the concentrations of nicotine and/or flavouring the "taste" of the inhaled air can be modified as desired. Possible examples of types of flavouring include menthol, eucalyptus, strawberry or raspberry, either alone or in combination.

Preferably the flavouring comprises menthol. Menthol may increase the degree of absorption of nicotine into the bloodstream, and thereby improve the efficiency of the inhalation device. Therefore by changing the concentration of menthol, the degree of absorption of nicotine may be modified as desired.

Preferably the device comprises a housing for containing the or each nicotine cartridge, for example an elongate cylindrical housing, the housing having a first removable end cap at the inlet or outlet of the device. By providing a removable cap, the inhalation device may be opened for the insertion and removal of a nicotine cartridge or a body for containing menthol. Also, the end cap may act as a suitable mouthpiece for the user. The cap may comprise a plurality of holes, each hole arranged to be aligned with one of the nicotine cartridges.

The housing may have a second removable end cap at the other of the inlet or outlet to the first end cap. In this way, the device may be opened at either end in order to access the body and nicotine cartridges.

Preferably the body is supported in or adjacent the first end cap, for example between the cap and the housing. The body may thus be located separately from the nicotine cartridges and may easily be removed for replacement.

The first end cap is preferably attachable to the housing at the inlet of the device.

Thus, the body may be supported closer to the inlet than the outlet. Thus the concentration of flavouring in the air is allowed to distribute evenly by the time it reaches the user.

The housing may comprise a detent portion, and the body may be supported between the detent portion and the first end cap. The detent portion may be a lip or seal that pushes against the body and holds it in or adjacent the first end cap.

This arrangement holds the body securely, and allows the body to be easily accessible for replacement when the first end cap is removed, The first end cap may be attachable to the housing by means of a screw thread, so as to achieve a tight fit and sandwich the body snugly between the detent portion and the cap. As an alternative, the first end cap may be attachable to the housing by means of a push fit.

Conveniently, the body comprises a sheet of porous material for holding a flavouring. Porous materials suitable for forming the body are those which are capable of being impregnated with flavouring. The airflow may filter through the porous body picking up traces of flavouring as it does so. This arrangement can create a desirable draw resistance and a convenient mechanism for delivering flavouring to the airflow. Porous material may be easily impregnated with menthol oil, which may act as a flavouring. In addition flavouring may be readily dispensed into an airflow by evaporation if it is held in the body as an oil.

The housing may be substantially tubular, and the or each nicotine cartridge may be supported axially between the inlet and outlet of air. By arranging the nicotine cartridges in this way air may be drawn through the inlet and into the nicotine cartridge. Thereafter the air may pass through the nicotine cartridge and pick up traces of nicotine. Finally the nicotine enriched air may pass through the air outlet and be delivered to a user. In this way, an appropriate dosage of nicotine can be delivered safely to a user.

Although this system is described with reference to nicotine cartridges, dummy cartridges may be used as an alternative, or in addition to nicotine cartridges. A dummy cartridge may have the same shape and draw resistance as a nicotine cartridge but by contrast contains no nicotine. A nicotine cartridge may be replaceable by a dummy cartridge in order to reduce the dosage of nicotine provided to a user. This may be advantageous to a user seeking to step down their nicotine dosage.

A central core member may be provided, extending axially within the device, for supporting the or each nicotine cartridge around the core. In this way the nicotine cartridges may be securely supported around the central core member, for example abutting one another and forming a tight pack.

The body may comprise a hole for receiving the central core, and so may be supported on the central core. This may be advantageous for keeping the body in the centre of the inhalation device.

The central core member may extend from one of the first and second end caps and the other end cap may comprise a receiving portion for supporting the central core. In this way the central core member is supported at opposite ends thereof by the first and second end caps to give rigidity to the central core and the internal structure of the device.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a nicotine inhalation device having an inlet and an outlet for an airflow, and being arranged to support: at least one cartridge for delivering nicotine and a flavouring to the airflow; wherein that flavouring does not comprise menthol.

Any of the features of the first aspect of the present invention may be provided with the second aspect of the invention and vice-versa.

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described, purely by way of example, with references to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a nicotine inhalation device according to one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a nicotine inhalation device according to another embodiment of the invention; and Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the nicotine inhalation device of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1, the nicotine inhalation device comprises a substantially tubular housing 2, open at either end thereof. The opposite ends of the housing 2 define an inlet end 6 and an outlet end 4 for an airflow.

A first end cap 18 is engageable with the inlet end 6 of the housing 2. As may be more readily visible in Figure 2, the housing 2 comprises an inner ring 24 extending from the inlet end 6. The inner ring 24 is surrounded by a peripheral flange 19 of the first end cap 18 when the two are brought together in a push-lit.

The first end cap 18 includes radial struts 28 defining holes 26 therebetween so that an airflow may be created through the holes 26 in the first end cap 18.

Fitting between the first end cap 18 and the housing 2 is a body 16, which is made of porous material. An annular detent 20 on the inner surface of housing 2 abuts the body 16 and prevents it from passing further into the housing 2. With reference to Figure 1, the lengths dl, d2 and d3 are all substantially the same so that when the first end cap 18 is fitted to the housing 2, the body 16 fits snugly between the detent 20 and the first end cap 18. As well as defining the holes 26 in the first end cap 18, the radial struts 28 prevent the body 16 from falling out of the device.

A second end cap 8 is engageable with the outlet end 4 of the housing 2. The inner radius ri of the second end cap 8 is substantially the same as the outer radius r2 of the housing 2 so that the two may form an air-tight push-fit. A rod-like central core 14 extends from the centre of the inside face of the second end cap S axially through the housing 2 to be received by a receiving portion or blind bore 22 in the first end cap 18. This arrangement supports the central core 14 at either end thereof and prevents the movement of the central core 14 within the housing 2. In this embodiment the body 16 has a central hole 17 for accommodating the central core 14. However, this need not be the case and for example, the body 16 could be thin enough to be deformable or frangible so as to allow the central core 14 to engage with the bore 22.

The second end cap 8 comprises a plurality of holes 12. Each hole 12 is for

I

supporting a nicotine cartridge (not shown). In normal operation a user may remove the second end cap 18, and the body 16 in order to gain access to the interior of the device. The user may then insert nicotine cartridges into the device by engaging the end of each cartridge with one of the holes 12. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 the device may support up to five nicotine cartridges. When five cartridges are present in the device they radially surround the central core 14 so that the cartridges abut one another and form a tight pack.

In this way there is no possibility for the cartridges to move and become loose within the device. I0

A user is able to choose how many nicotine cartridges to insert into the device in order to control the dosage of nicotine delivered by the device. However, if a nicotine cartridge were simply omitted then air would pass through the free holes without substantial resistance to avoid the resistance associated with passing through the nicotine cartridges, and the nicotine delivery would be less than anticipated. In addition, the cartridges would no longer abut one another and may become loose. For this reason rather than simply inserting fewer nicotine cartridges, a user may choose to replace a nicotine cartridge with a dummy cartridge which has a similar shape and draw resistance to a nicotine cartridge, but does not contain any nicotine. By providing a dummy cartridge with similar draw resistance to a nicotine cartridge, a substantially equal portion of the inhaled air passes through each of the cartridges present in the device. The dummy cartridge may contain a flavouring or additive such as menthol so that the flavouring is delivered to air that is drawn through the dummy cartridge.

The body 16 is made of porous material and is impregnated with a flavouring such as menthol oil. In use the body 16 is inserted into the first end cap 18, or against the inner ring 24 at the inlet end 6 of the housing 2, and the cap 18 is replaced.

When air passes through the first end cap 18 it diffuses through the porous body 16 and picks up traces of menthol by evaporation. Users have different preferences and for this reason the characteristics of the body 16 may be varied.

For example, instead of menthol alternative ulavourings may be used. These may include (purely by way of example) eucalyptus, strawberry or raspberry.

Furthermore it may be preferable to allow users to select bodies with different concentrations of flavourings to suit their tastes.

In normal use of the device shown in Figures 1 and 2, a user places the second end cap 8 to their lips and inhales through the device, as if they were smoking a cigarette. A pressure differential is created across the device by the user and air passes through the holes in the second end cap 18 and into the body 16 in the inlet 6. As described above, the air diffuses through the body 16 and picks up traces of menthol. The concentration of menthol in the air is dependent on the characteristics of the body 16 and a user may be able to choose between bodies which deliver different menthol doses. In order to pass through holes 12, the air then passes into each of the cartridges arranged in the housing 2, be they nicotine cartridges or dummy cartridges. In the case of nicotine cartridges, the air diffuses through the cartridge and picks up traces of nicotine. In the case of dummy cartridges, the air simply diffuses through the cartridge to the hole. Thereafter the mixture of at least air, nicotine, and menthol is delivered to the user via the holes 12 of the first end cap 8.

After several uses of the nicotine inhalation device the store of nicotine in the nicotine cartridges and/or the store of menthol in the body 16 may become depleted. The user may open the device by removing the second end cap 18 and the body 16 to gain access to the cartridges in the housing 2 for replacement. The user may also replenish the flavouring substance in the body 16, or may simply replace it.

A user who is a former smoker seeking to reduce gradually the amount of nicotine they are taking may reduce the number of nicotine cartridges with respect to dummy cartridges.

In the embodiment depicted in Figures 1 and 2 there are five holes 12 in the second end cap 8. Thus there is space for five nicotine cartridges in the device.

Nicotine cartridges are often cylindrical and usually have a diameter that is similar to, or slightly less than, a conventional cigarette. Therefore the inhalation device in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 has a comparatively large diameter to that of a cigarette. Inhaling through a wide bore inhalation device may force a user to inhale more deeply, thus increasing the flow rate of breathed air and also directing breathed air at the back of the throat. Nicotine may be more efficiently absorbed when breathed in this way, and therefore a wide bore device may produce more rapid nicotine absorption, and higher mean blood nicotine levels than conventional nicotine inhalation devices. Consequently this device may mimic the effects of smoking cigarettes more closely than conventional nicotine replacement methods.

Figures 3 and 4 show an alternative embodiment wherein the inlet end 30 of the housing 32, and the end cap 34 comprise screw threads, so that they may be screwed together. By screwing the cap onto the housing an air-tight seal may be created and the body 36 may be secured tightly between an inner ring 38 of the housing 32 and the cap 34.

Although the Figures represent the body 16, 36 as a thin disc, alternative embodiments may contemplate a menthol cartridge that could be used in place of a nicotine cartridge or dummy cartridge. Alternatively still, flavouring may be present in the nicotine cartridges themselves, obviating the need for a separate body.

Claims

Claims 1. A nicotine inhalation device having an inlet and an outlet for an airflow, and being arranged to support: at least one nicotine cartridge for delivering nicotine to the airflow; and a body for containing flavouring and delivering the flavouring to the airflow.
2. A nicotine inhalation device according to claim 1 wherein the flavouring comprises menthol.
3. A nicotine inhalation device according to claim 1 or claim 2 comprising a housing for containing the or each nicotine cartridge, the housing having a first removable end cap at the inlet or outlet of the device.
4. A nicotine inhalation device according to claim 3 in which the housing has a second removable end cap at the other of the inlet or outlet of the device.
5. A nicotine inhalation device according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the body is supported in or adjacent the first end cap.
6. A nicotine inhalation device according to any of claims 3 to 5 wherein the first end cap is attachable to the housing at the inlet of the device.
7. A nicotine inhalation device according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the housing comprises a detent portion, and wherein the body is supported between the detent portion and the first end cap.
8. A nicotine inhalation device according to any of claims 3 to 7 wherein the first end cap is attachable to the housing by means of a screw thread.
9. A nicotine inhalation device according to any of claims 3 to 7 wherein the first end cap is attachable to the housing by means of a push fit.
10. A nicotine inhalation device according to any of the preceding claims in which the body comprises porous material.
11. A nicotine inhalation device according to any of the preceding claims wherein the housing is substantially tubular, and the or each nicotine cartridge is supported axially between the inlet and outlet of air.
12. A nicotine inhalation device according to ciaim 11 wherein at least one of the inlet and outlet comprises a plurality of holes each arranged for being aligned with a nicotine cartridge.
13. A nicotine inhalation device according to claim 11 or claim 12 comprising a central core member extending axially within the housing, for supporting the or each nicotine cartridge around the core.
14. A nicotine inhalation device according to claim 13 wherein the central core member extends from one of the first and second end caps.
15. A nicotine inhalation device according to claim 14 wherein the other end cap comprises a receiving portion for supporting the central core.
16. A nicotine inhalation device having an inlet and an outlet for an airflow, and being arranged to support: at least one cartridge for delivering nicotine and a flavouring to the airflow; wherein that flavouring does not comprise menthol.
17. A nicotine inhalation device substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.