DE102020115783A1 - Vaporizer cartridge, inhaler and method for vaporizing inhalation media - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an evaporator cartridge (10) as part of an inhaler (11), comprising a hollow body (12) with a continuous flow channel (13), a reservoir (14) for storing a composite formed from at least one active ingredient and matrix material as an inhalation medium (15) ), the reservoir (14) having at least one access opening (16) to the flow channel (13), and an evaporator unit (17), designed and set up to evaporate at least parts of the inhalation medium (15), namely to release the or each active ingredient the inhalation medium (15), which is characterized in that the vaporizer unit (17) comprises at least one laser light source (18) as the vaporizer organ, the laser light source (18) for emitting laser light pulses onto the composite formed from the active ingredient and matrix material as the inhalation medium (15) is trained and established. The invention also relates to a corresponding inhaler (11) and a method for vaporizing.

Description

description

The invention relates to an evaporator cartridge as part of an inhaler, comprising a hollow body with a continuous flow channel, a reservoir for storing a composite formed from at least one active ingredient and matrix material as an inhalation medium, the reservoir having at least one access opening to the flow channel, and an evaporator unit set up for vaporizing at least parts of the inhalation medium, namely for releasing the or each active ingredient from the inhalation medium.

Furthermore, the invention relates to an inhaler, designed and set up for inhaling active substances released from an inhalation medium, comprising a cartridge carrier comprising at least one electronic control unit and an energy source, as well as an evaporator cartridge.

The invention also relates to a method for vaporizing at least parts of an inhalation medium within a vaporizer cartridge as part of an inhaler, with the following steps: providing a reservoir in which the inhalation medium, which consists of a composite comprising at least one active ingredient and matrix material, is stored , and dissolving at least the or each active ingredient from the matrix material by means of a vaporizer unit, in such a way that at least parts of the active ingredient evaporate and are made available for inhalation.

Such vaporizer cartridges and inhalers are used in the luxury goods industry, in particular in connection with an electronic cigarette, the so-called e-cigarette, as well as in the pharmaceutical / medical field, in order to convert fluid and solid luxury goods and / or fluid and solid pharmaceutical / medical products into To be able to inhale vapor form or as aerosols. When consuming, a person usually sucks on a mouthpiece of the vaporizer cartridge or the inhaler, which creates a suction pressure in the continuous flow channel with an air inlet side and in the area of the mouthpiece with an air outlet side, which creates an air flow through the flow channel. The air flow can also be generated mechanically, e.g. by a pump. In the flow channel, a vaporized inhalation medium provided by the vaporization unit is added to the air flow in order to administer an aerosol or an aerosol-vapor mixture to the person consuming it. The inhalation medium is stored on or in the vaporizer cartridge. The inhalation medium can comprise at least one active ingredient with or without already existing pharmaceutical formulations. The or each of the aforementioned active ingredients can, however, also be provided as an inhalation medium in combination with matrix material, which can also be formed from active ingredient.

Different mixtures with different components of the same or different vapor densities are used as the inhalation medium. A typical mixture for use in an e-cigarette has, for example, components of glycerine and propylene glycol, possibly enriched with nicotine and / or almost any flavor. For use in the pharmaceutical / medical or therapeutic area, e.g. for the inhalation of systemically or pneumologically active drugs, the mixture can accordingly have pharmacological components and active ingredients as well as active ingredient combinations. In pharmaceutical / medical inhalation therapy, liquid or solid inhalation media often contain active ingredient molecules with a protein content. Particularly for use in the pharmaceutical / medical or therapeutic area, a high bioavailability, that is to say the proportion of the active ingredient that is available unchanged in the systemic circulation, is aimed for.

The individual components of the vaporizer cartridge, namely the hollow body, the reservoir and the vaporizer unit, can be combined in a common component, this component then being a disposable item that is designed for a finite number of inhalations by a consuming person and together with a cartridge carrier as a reusable reusable article, which comprises at least one electronic control unit and an energy source, forms an inhaler. The control unit and the energy source can also be part of the vaporizer cartridge, so that this itself forms the inhaler. The vaporizer cartridge can, however, only be formed by joining several components, with individual components, namely in particular the hollow body and the vaporizer unit, being arranged in the cartridge carrier as reusable items, and the reservoir forming the disposable item as a separate component. Ultimately, the inhaler can be used variably by exchanging the disposable article.

Correspondingly, the disposable article and the reusable article are releasably connected to one another. The cartridge carrier as a reusable article usually comprises at least one electronic control unit and an energy source. The energy source can, for example, be a disposable electrochemical battery or a rechargeable electrochemical battery, for example a Be Li-ion battery, by means of which the evaporator unit is supplied with energy via electrical contacts. The electronic and / or electrical control unit is used to control the evaporator unit within the evaporator cartridge. The cartridge carrier can, however, also comprise components of the evaporator cartridge. The disposable article can be designed as a clip-on part so that it can be attached to the reusable article or can be inserted into the reusable article as an insert part. Instead of a plug connection, screw connections, snap connections or other quick connections can also be used. With the connection of disposable and reusable items, a mechanical and electrical coupling is established to form a functional inhaler.

For particularly effective inhalation, especially in the pharmaceutical / medical field, accompanied by a uniform and as small as possible size of the aerosol particles to be inhaled, it is necessary to convert the active substance molecules into the gas phase. The evaporation of biologically active ingredients, namely in particular biopharmaceuticals with a protein content, turns out to be particularly difficult because the application of electrical energy to the active ingredients can lead to thermal decomposition of the active ingredients. Previous solutions for forming the aerosols are not able, on the one hand, to form the active ingredient in molecule size and, on the other hand, to transfer the molecules into the gas phase without damaging the active ingredients or active ingredient molecules, namely in particular thermally decomposing them.

In known solutions, namely, an electrical heating element and a wick element form the evaporator unit. The inhalation medium penetrates through the wick organ and hits the heating element, where it evaporates through the application of heat / heat. As already described, this leads to thermal decomposition, particularly in the case of biologically active ingredients, namely in particular biopharmaceuticals with a protein content.

Other solutions use mechanical driving forces to avoid thermal decomposition during the generation of the active ingredient aerosol in connection with the suction air created by inhaling the person using them, which are triggered e.g. by manual actuation. Propellants are also used in combination with the suction air. The use of compressors is also known as an option to generate the medicinal mist with fine droplets. However, these known solutions have the disadvantage of low metering accuracy. For a high bioavailability of the active ingredients and an efficient inhalation therapy, it is necessary to provide the active ingredients in the smallest possible form, which is not sufficiently achieved by mechanical atomization. In addition, the handling of such mechanical solutions is difficult due to the necessary hand-breath coordination, which creates the risk of incorrect or incomplete treatments, especially in the pharmaceutical / medical field.

The invention is therefore based on the object of creating a compact evaporator cartridge which ensures that gaseous active ingredients are provided gently. With gentle is described in particular that the active ingredient molecules and those with protein content are transferred into the gas phase without damage, i.e. without thermal decomposition. The task is still to propose a corresponding inhaler and a corresponding method.

This object is achieved by an evaporator unit of the type mentioned at the outset in that the evaporator unit comprises at least one laser light source as an evaporator element, the laser light source being designed and set up as an inhalation medium for emitting laser light pulses onto the composite formed from active ingredient and matrix material. As a result, the inhalation medium is bombarded directly with laser light pulses. The organic molecules of the matrix material absorb the laser light, as a result of which parts of the surface of the matrix material including the active substance molecules embedded therein are detached explosively from the rest of the matrix material due to lattice relaxation and thrown into the environment. In the present case, the environment is formed by the flow channel. In other words, gaseous particles, that is to say gaseous molecules of the matrix material with an embedded active ingredient molecule and / or isolated active ingredient molecules, shoot into the flow channel, from where they are inhaled by a person using them sucking / inhaling. Because the molecules of the matrix material and / or the active ingredient are made available in the gas phase, high bioavailability is achieved during lung uptake without thermal decomposition, so that an efficient inhalation therapy is achieved. Another advantage of the solution according to the invention is that the user-friendliness or user safety is increased, that is to say the handling is made easier, since hand-breath coordination can be dispensed with or is dispensed with. The triggering of the laser light pulses can, for example, be controlled by the suction pressure so that inhalation takes place exclusively through suction. The laser light hitting and penetrating the matrix material causes the drug molecules to be ionized with the same type of charge when they are released, which on the one hand prevents "clumping" of the gaseous drug molecules and on the other hand enables targeted control of target sites for the drug molecules is by putting an opposing Charge or an electric field could be applied to the respective target region on the patient (e.g. by means of thin needles, such as those used in acupuncture).

The optionally solid or liquid matrix material and the or each active ingredient are advantageously present in cocrystalline form, the matrix material comprising organic molecules with active ingredient molecules bound thereto. This composite as an inhalation material is particularly suitable for transferring the active ingredients into the flow channel in the form of gaseous active ingredient molecules by exposure to laser light. The inhalation medium can be a liquid wetted with active ingredients or a liquid mixture formed from liquid basic substance and active ingredient. The inhalation medium can, however, also consist of a solid material or a mixture of materials.

The matrix material is preferably designed and set up as an absorption element for absorbing the laser light. The double function of the matrix material, namely as a carrier for the or each active ingredient on the one hand and as an absorption organ without chemical changes to the matrix material on the other hand, results in a particularly compact and simple design.

In a preferred embodiment, the inhalation medium consists of a solid substrate formed from matrix material, to which either the same active ingredient is applied in different areas or different active ingredients are applied. This also describes the embedding of an active ingredient or several active ingredients in the matrix material. The inhalation medium is particularly preferably a solid matrix material consisting of small organic molecules, which is in the form of strips and coated, mixed or otherwise provided with at least one active ingredient. This enables the mass spectrometric method to be dimensioned small within an evaporator cartridge. For example, a strip of inhalation medium can be provided in which the matrix material has a single area of an active ingredient. On or on the matrix material, however, two or more areas can also be provided, for example, which have different active ingredients, which can then be exposed to laser light one after the other and released accordingly.

A particularly advantageous development is characterized in that the laser light source is arranged inside the hollow body opposite the reservoir, in such a way that the laser light source on the one hand and the reservoir on the other hand are on opposite sides of the flow channel and the laser light source is directed through the access opening onto the reservoir. Specifically, the or each laser light source is part of the evaporator cartridge and as such is embedded in the flow channel. The embedding can take place in a recess in the flow channel or simply on an inner wall of the flow channel. The same applies to the reservoir. Direct bombardment of the inhalation medium by the laser light source, which leads to the evaporation of the inhalation medium, is thus implemented in a particularly compact manner. Both the laser light source and the reservoir can also be designed as a separate part, for example by means of a carrier, so that they can be placed on the flow channel or plugged into the flow channel, or can be functionally coupled in some other way.

The laser light source is preferably designed and set up to output electromagnetic waves with a wavelength between approximately 100 nm to 1000000 nm, preferably 150 nm to 50,000 nm, and particularly preferably 200 nm to 380 nm.

The laser light source is further preferably designed and set up to output laser light with a pulse duration of approximately 0.5 ns to 1000 ns and particularly preferably of 5 ns to 200 ns.

A particularly advantageous embodiment is characterized in that an aerosol generation unit formed from a laser light source and a reservoir provided with inhalation medium is arranged inside the hollow body in the area of an air inlet side of the flow channel. The unit can be arranged at the outermost free end of the flow channel. The unit can also be arranged at a distance from the free end, it being particularly advantageous if the aerosol generating unit is positioned closer to the air inlet side than to the air outlet side of the flow channel in order to be able to optimally use the flow effect within the flow channel.

An electric field is advantageously assigned to the flow channel, with a positive pole on the one hand and a negative pole being formed on the opposite sides of the flow channel for spreading the electric field on the other. The electric field can extend essentially along the entire flow channel. But there is also the possibility that an electric field is only partially formed. Several electric fields can also be formed, for example by forming two positive poles arranged at a distance from one another, each of which is assigned a separate negative pole. The or each electric field can cause the active substance molecules to be accelerated in the direction of the air outlet opening of the flow channel for a more efficient inhalation therapy.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the laser light source or at least the emitted laser light pulses are designed to be changeable with regard to their direction. With this option, different areas of the inhalation medium can be exposed to laser light in order to achieve uniform evaporation and / or sequential evaporation of different areas of the inhalation medium to release an active ingredient or different active ingredients. The direction of the laser light pulses can be controlled and / or deflected. In other embodiments, the laser light source itself can also be designed to be pivotable, rotatable, pendulum or otherwise movable. The laser light or the laser light pulses and / or the laser light source can be directed continuously or discontinuously onto the inhalation medium. Correspondingly, the movement can also be continuous or discontinuous.

The laser light source is particularly preferably designed to be stationary, with the laser light source being assigned a movable mirror element for aligning the laser light pulses. The mirror element is advantageously designed to be rotatable and / or linearly movable. By rotating and / or linear movement, a kind of pendulum movement of the laser light can be generated in such a way that the laser light pulses can be applied to different areas of the inhalation medium one after the other.

In a preferred embodiment, a mouthpiece is arranged at an end of the flow channel opposite the aerosol generation unit in the region of an air outlet side. The vaporizer cartridge itself thus forms an inhaler with a compact design.

The laser light source is advantageously connected to an electronic control unit, which in turn is connected to an energy source. The control unit and energy source can be an integral part of the vaporizer cartridge, the control unit being connected to the or each laser light source via lines. The unit formed from the energy source and control unit can, however, also be designed to be plugged into the evaporator cartridge, e.g. by means of a carrier, with the establishment of an electrical contact to the laser light source.

The object is also achieved by an inhaler of the type mentioned at the outset in that the vaporizer cartridge is designed and set up according to one or more of claims 1 to 13. The advantages resulting from this have already been described in connection with the evaporator cartridge, which is why reference is made to the corresponding passages in order to avoid repetition.

The object is also achieved by a method with the aforementioned steps in that at least one laser light source is directed at the inhalation medium to vaporize the active substance bound in the matrix material, and that the inhalation medium is then acted upon with laser light pulses such that the matrix material emits the light is absorbed and thereby at least partially converted from a liquid or solid phase into a gas phase. The advantages resulting from this have already been described in connection with the evaporator cartridge, which is why reference is made to the corresponding passages in order to avoid repetition.

Advantageously, parts of the matrix material with the active substance molecules embedded therein are detached on the surface from the remaining matrix material located in the reservoir and thrown explosively into the environment due to lattice relaxation.

Inhalation medium is particularly preferably bombarded directly with laser light pulses with a pulse duration between approx. 0.5 ns to 1000 ns and particularly preferably between approx. 5 ns to 200 ns.

The inhalation medium is advantageously acted upon directly by electromagnetic waves with a wavelength between approximately 100 nm to 1000000 nm, preferably 150 nm to 50,000 nm, and particularly preferably 200 nm to 380 nm.

The active substance molecules are preferably ionized during the phase transition from solid and / or liquid to gaseous form. The laser light absorbed by the matrix material leads to a proton being transferred to an active substance molecule. Ionization effectively prevents the active ingredient molecules from clumping together. Furthermore, the transport of the gaseous aerosols can be accelerated and controlled in a targeted manner, which means that target points can be reached more precisely.

In an expedient development, an electric field is applied to the gaseous active substance molecules obtained during evaporation in such a way that the transport of the active substance molecules in the gas phase in the direction of an air outlet side of an evaporator cartridge or an inhaler is accelerated. The electrical field is applied after the inhalation medium has been converted into the gas phase, i.e. when the gaseous active substance molecules are in the flow channel. In addition to accelerating the drug molecules in the direction of the person using it, there is also a targeted control in the direction of the user guaranteed.

The method is carried out particularly advantageously with a vaporizer cartridge according to one or more of claims 1 to 14 or an inhaler according to claim 15.

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung einer ersten Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Verdampferkartusche im Schnitt, und
• 2 eine weitere Ausführungsform einer einen Inhalator bildendenden Verdampferkartusche im Schnitt.

Further useful and / or advantageous features and developments relating to the vaporizer cartridge, the inhaler and the method for vaporizing emerge from the dependent claims and the description. Particularly preferred embodiments are explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawing shows:

• 1 a schematic representation of a first embodiment of an evaporator cartridge according to the invention in section, and
• 2 a further embodiment of a vaporizer cartridge forming an inhaler in section.

The vaporizer cartridges or inhalers shown in the drawing are used to inhale pharmaceutical active ingredients with a protein content. However, the invention is also designed and set up in the same way for inhaling other active ingredients and active ingredient combinations for pharmaceutical / medical and / or therapeutic purposes and for inhaling tobacco products or the like containing nicotine and / or flavorings. In the illustrated embodiments, the inhalation medium is provided as a solid substance prior to evaporation. However, the invention can be applied in a corresponding manner to liquid inhalation media.

In the drawing is an evaporator cartridge 10 as part of an inhaler 11th shown. The evaporator cartridge 10 comprises a hollow body 12th with a continuous flow channel 13th , a reservoir 14th for storing a composite formed from at least one active ingredient and matrix material as an inhalation medium 15th , the reservoir 14th at least one access opening 16 to the flow channel 13th has, and an evaporator unit 17th , designed and set up for vaporizing at least parts of the inhalation medium 15th , namely to dissolve the or each active ingredient from the inhalation medium 15th .

This evaporator cartridge 10 is characterized according to the invention in that the evaporator unit 17th at least one laser light source 18th comprises as an evaporator organ, wherein the laser light source 18th for emitting laser light pulses onto the composite formed from active ingredient and matrix material as an inhalation medium 15th is trained and established.

The features and developments described below represent preferred embodiments considered individually and in combination with one another. It is expressly pointed out that features that are summarized in the claims and / or the description and / or the drawing or are described in a common embodiment The evaporator cartridge described above is also functionally independent 10 can educate.

The flow channel 13th has an air inlet side 19th and an air outlet side 20th on. The hollow body 12th itself can be made in one piece or in several pieces. The reservoir 14th can be a storage tank for liquid inhalation media 15th being. In the illustrated embodiment, the reservoir is 14th a depression 21 (see e.g. 1 ), in the solid inhalation medium 15th is stored and kept. The recess 21 can in the hollow body 12th be incorporated. Optionally, the reservoir 14th also be a pluggable body that is designed to be interchangeable. In other embodiments, the reservoir 15th also by directly applying or introducing the solid inhalation material 15th eg on / in a flow channel 13th delimiting inner wall 22nd of the hollow body 12th be educated. The size of the reservoir 14th , its position or its accessibility for exposure to laser light on the one hand and for emitting the active substance vapor generated to the flow channel 13th on the other hand can vary. In the embodiments shown, the inhalation medium is 15th with its entire surface directly or via the access opening 16 the flow channel 13th facing. The inhalation medium 15th but can also be stored partially shielded.

As mentioned, the inhalation medium 15th also be liquid, the reservoir then being provided, for example, with a light- and vapor-permeable cover and facing the flow channel 13th is delimited. In the embodiments shown is a solid inhalation medium 15th used. The solid matrix material and the or each active ingredient are in cocrystalline form, the matrix material comprising organic molecules with active ingredient molecules bound thereto. In other words, specific pharmaceutical and, in particular, systemically and / or pneumologically active active ingredients or active ingredient molecules with protein content are embedded in the matrix material by way of example. This composite is at least partially in this way in the reservoir 14th positioned that the laser light source 18th or their laser light pulses have direct access to the surface of the inhalation medium 15th have in such a way that the pulsed or continuously generated laser light pulses directly onto the inhalation medium 15th meet and can be at least partially absorbed by this.

The matrix material is accordingly a component of the inhalation medium 15th designed and set up as an absorption element for absorbing the laser light. The wavelength of the laser light is matched to the respective matrix material in such a way that the matrix material together with the bound / embedded active ingredient molecules is detached on the surface and transferred into the gas phase.

The inhalation medium is optional 15th from a solid substrate formed from matrix material to which the same active ingredient is optionally applied in different areas or different active ingredients are applied. “Applied” is used in the same way to describe attached, introduced, mixed, embedded or otherwise composed. In the embodiment according to 1 For example, a powdery substrate is shown which is enriched with one or more active ingredients. In the embodiment according to 2 A strip of solid substrate is shown attached to the inner wall 22nd of the flow channel 13th eg is glued or otherwise attached. This substrate can be evenly mixed with active ingredient molecules. However, there is also the possibility, for example, that the substrate strip is provided with a first active ingredient in a first area and with a second active ingredient in a second area. Strips in more than two areas with more than two active ingredients can also be used.

The location of the or each laser light source 18th and the or each reservoir 14th inside the evaporator cartridge 10 can vary as long as the impingement of the laser light or the laser light pulses at least on parts of the inhalation medium 15th is ensured. A particularly simple arrangement provides that the laser light source 18th inside the hollow body 12th the reservoir 14th is arranged opposite one another in such a way that the laser light source 18th one hand and the reservoir 14th on the other hand, on opposite sides of the flow channel 13th lie and the laser light source 18th directly or through the access opening 16 on the reservoir 14th is directed. The light source 18th can the reservoir 14th diametrically opposite. In other developments, light source 18th and reservoir 14th are also offset from one another in such a way that the laser light or the laser light pulses hit the inhalation medium at an oblique angle 15th meeting.

The wavelength of the laser light is selected so that the preferably organic matrix molecules absorb the laser light without any chemical change. The laser light source is preferably 18th designed and set up for outputting / emitting electromagnetic waves of wavelengths between approximately 100 nm to 1000000 nm, preferably 150 nm to 50000 nm, and particularly preferably 200 nm to 380 nm. However, other wavelengths can also be used in coordination with the respective matrix material in order to detach the matrix material on the surface from the matrix material underneath and to lead it into the gas phase. Irradiating / bombarding the inhalation medium 15th with laser light can be done continuously or discontinuously. A pulse-like application preferably takes place. The laser light source is optional 18th designed and set up to output laser light with a pulse duration of approximately 0.5 ns to 1000 ns and particularly preferably of 5 ns to 200 ns. Of course, other pulse durations can also be used.

The or each laser light source 18th forms together with the inhalation medium 15th provided reservoir 14th an aerosol generation unit 35 . This can be inside the evaporator cartridge 10 be placed in different positions. The aerosol generating unit is preferred 35 inside the hollow body 12th in the area of the air inlet side 19th of the flow channel 13th arranged (see 1 ). In the execution according to 2 the position is selected more centered. It is preferably within the flow channel 13th an electric field is created. For this purpose, for example, on opposite sides of the flow channel 13th on the one hand a positive pole 23 and on the other hand a negative pole 24 designed to span the electric field. The poles extend in the longitudinal direction of the evaporator cartridge almost over the entire length of the flow channel 13th from the air inlet side 19th up to the air outlet side 20th .

The or each laser light source 18th can be designed to be stationary and with a fixed direction of the laser light. In the embodiment according to 1 is a single laser light source 18th provided, their laser light beams 25th constant and permanent alignment in the direction of the access opening 16 of the reservoir 14th exhibit. The laser light source is optional 18th or at least the emitted laser light pulses, that is to say the laser light beams 25th designed to be changeable with regard to their direction. The or each laser light source can do this 18th be designed to be movable, for example pendulum. The laser light source is preferably 18th however, designed to be stationary, the laser light source 18th a movable (not explicitly shown) mirror element for aligning the laser light pulses is assigned. This mirror element or any other deflection and / or control element for the targeted directing of the laser light is preferably designed to be rotatable and / or linearly movable.

To complete the evaporator cartridge 10 this can be done at one of the aerosol generation units 35 opposite end of the flow channel 13th in the area of the air outlet side 20th a mouthpiece 26th be assigned. The mouthpiece 26th can be made in one piece with the hollow body 12th be trained. The mouthpiece 26th can also be formed separately and can be plugged or otherwise fastened to the hollow body 12th be connected. There is also the option of creating a functional inhaler 11th that the laser light source 18th to an electronic control unit 27 is connected, which in turn is connected to an energy source 28 connected is. The control unit 27 and the energy source 28 can in the hollow body 12th be integrated. Optionally, these components can also be placed in a separate cartridge carrier 29 be arranged to form an electrical link / connection to the light source 18th on the one hand and with continuation of the flow channel 13th on the other hand with the evaporator cartridge 10 can be plugged together or otherwise securely connected.

As mentioned, the evaporator cartridge 10 even the inhaler 11th form. Optionally, the evaporator cartridge 10 but also part of a multi-part inhaler 11th be that for inhalation from an inhalation medium 15th released active ingredients formed and set up and at least one electronic control unit 27 and a source of energy 28 comprehensive cartridge carrier 29 as well as an evaporator cartridge 10 includes. The cartridge carrier, for example 29 be designed as a reusable part, while the evaporator cartridge 10 is a disposable part. The evaporator cartridge is particularly preferred 10 of such an inhaler 11th designed and set up according to one or more of claims 1 to 13.

The following is the method for vaporizing at least parts of an inhalation medium 15th inside an evaporator cartridge 10 as part of an inhaler 11th described in more detail. First is a reservoir 14th provided in which the inhalation medium 15th , which consists of a composite comprising at least one active ingredient and matrix material, is stored. The or each active ingredient is then extracted from the matrix material by means of an evaporator unit 17th dissolved in such a way that at least parts of the active ingredient evaporate and are made available for inhalation. In other words, it becomes the inhalation medium 15th at least partially evaporated, wherein the or each evaporated active ingredient in a flow channel 13th or the like, from where it can be sucked up and inhaled by a person using it.

According to the invention, at least one laser light source is used to vaporize the active substance bound in the matrix material 18th on the inhalation medium 15th directed. The inhalation medium 15th is then acted upon with laser light pulses in such a way that the matrix material absorbs the light and is thereby at least partially converted from a liquid or solid phase into a gas phase. Laser light beams hit more precisely 25th directly or indirectly, for example deflected, onto the surface of the inhalation medium 15th . The matrix material absorbs the laser light, as a result of which the matrix material and the active substances embedded in it evaporate with transition to the gas phase. Simply put, it releases itself by bombarding the inhalation medium 15th with laser light a “cloud” 30 of active substance molecules transferred into the gas phase 31 . Parts of the matrix material with the active substance molecules embedded therein are superficially separated from the rest in the reservoir 14th The existing matrix material is detached and thrown explosively into the environment due to lattice relaxation.

The wavelength of the laser light can vary and also depends on the composition of the matrix material. The inhalation medium is preferred 15th shot directly with laser light pulses with a pulse duration between approx. 0.5ns to 1000ns and particularly preferably between approx. 5ns to 200ns. The pulse duration of the laser light pulses can also be varied. The inhalation medium is preferred 15th directly acted upon by electromagnetic waves of wavelengths between approximately 100 nm to 1000000 nm, preferably 150 nm to 50000 nm, and particularly preferably 200 nm to 380 nm.

At the phase transition of the inhalation medium 15th from solid and / or liquid to gaseous, the active ingredient molecules are at least partially ionized. In addition, there is the possibility of applying an electric field to the gaseous active substance molecules obtained during evaporation in such a way that the transport of the active substance molecules in the gas phase in the direction of an air outlet side 20th of the flow channel 13th an evaporator cartridge 10 or an inhaler 11th is accelerated.

This is the basic functional principle of the evaporator cartridge 10 according to 1 described. This functional principle applies in the same way to the evaporator cartridge 10 or the inhaler 11th according to 2 . With the laser light source 18th however, there are different areas of the inhalation material 15th formed strip to illuminate. For example, the laser light source 18th in a pendulum motion (indicated by the arrow 32 ) are guided over the strip so that different areas are always exposed to laser light pulses. This pendulum movement can be carried out continuously or discontinuously. The laser light source 18th even can be moved to do so. In other embodiments, the laser light can strike a mirror element that is rotated and / or moved linearly, for example. This means that the strip can, for example, start from the air inlet side 19th facing end in the direction of the air outlet side 20th are exposed to laser light in such a way that first a first area with a first active ingredient and then a second area with a second active ingredient is charged with laser light, so that different active ingredients or combinations of active ingredients can be converted into the gas phase one after the other by evaporation and inhaled.

The method with an evaporator cartridge is particularly preferred 10 according to one or more of claims 1 to 14 or an inhaler 11th carried out according to claim 15.

Claims (22)

Evaporator cartridge (10) as part of an inhaler (11), comprising a hollow body (12) with a continuous flow channel (13), a reservoir (14) for storing a composite formed from at least one active ingredient and matrix material as an inhalation medium (15), wherein the Reservoir (14) has at least one access opening (16) to the flow channel (13), and an evaporator unit (17), designed and set up for evaporating at least parts of the inhalation medium (15), namely for releasing the or each active ingredient from the inhalation medium (15) ), characterized in that the vaporizer unit (17) comprises at least one laser light source (18) as the vaporizer element, the laser light source (18) being designed and set up for emitting laser light pulses onto the composite formed from active ingredient and matrix material as an inhalation medium (15). Evaporator cartridge (10) Claim 1 , characterized in that the optionally solid or liquid matrix material and the or each active ingredient are in cocrystalline form, the matrix material comprising organic molecules with active ingredient molecules bound thereto. Evaporator cartridge (10) Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the matrix material is designed and set up as an absorption element for absorbing the laser light. Evaporator cartridge (10) according to one or more of the Claims 1 until 3 , characterized in that the inhalation medium (15) consists of a solid substrate formed from matrix material, to which the same active ingredient is optionally applied in different areas or different active ingredients are applied. Evaporator cartridge (10) according to one or more of the Claims 1 until 4th , characterized in that the laser light source (18) is arranged inside the hollow body (12) opposite the reservoir (14) in such a way that the laser light source (18) on the one hand and the reservoir (14) on the other hand are on opposite sides of the flow channel (13) and the laser light source (18) is directed through the access opening (16) onto the reservoir (14). Evaporator cartridge (10) according to one or more of the Claims 1 until 5 , characterized in that the laser light source (18) is designed and set up to output electromagnetic waves with a wavelength between approximately 100 nm to 1000000 nm, preferably 150 nm to 50000 nm, and particularly preferably 200 nm to 380 nm. Evaporator cartridge (10) according to one or more of the Claims 1 until 6th , characterized in that the laser light source (18) is designed and set up to output laser light with a pulse duration of approximately 0.5 ns to 1000 ns and particularly preferably of 5 ns to 200 ns. Evaporator cartridge (10) according to one or more of the Claims 1 until 7th , characterized in that an aerosol generation unit (35) formed from a laser light source (18) and a reservoir (14) provided with inhalation medium (15) is arranged within the hollow body (12) in the region of an air inlet side (19) of the flow channel (13). Evaporator cartridge (10) according to one or more of the Claims 1 until 8th , characterized in that an electric field is assigned to the flow channel (13), with a positive pole (23) on the one hand and a negative pole (24) for spreading the electric field being formed on the opposite sides of the flow channel (13). Evaporator cartridge (10) according to one or more of the Claims 1 until 9 , characterized in that the laser light source (18) or at least the emitted laser light pulses are designed to be changeable with regard to their direction. Evaporator cartridge (10) according to one or more of the Claims 1 until 10 , characterized in that the laser light source (18) is designed to be stationary, the laser light source (18) being assigned a movable mirror element for aligning the laser light pulses. Evaporator cartridge (10) Claim 11 , characterized in that the mirror element is designed to be rotatable and / or linearly movable. Evaporator cartridge (10) according to one or more of the Claims 8 until 12th , characterized in that a mouthpiece (26) is arranged at an end of the flow channel (13) opposite the aerosol generation unit (35) in the region of an air outlet side (20). Evaporator cartridge (10) according to one or more of the Claims 1 until 13th , characterized in that the laser light source (18) is connected to an electronic control unit (27), which in turn is connected to an energy source (28). Inhaler (11), designed and set up for inhaling active substances released from an inhalation medium (15), comprising a cartridge carrier (29) comprising at least one electronic control unit (27) and an energy source (28) and an evaporator cartridge (10), characterized in that, that the evaporator cartridge (10) according to one or more of the Claims 1 until 13th is trained and established. A method for vaporizing at least parts of an inhalation medium (15) within a vaporizer cartridge (10) as part of an inhaler (11), comprising the steps of: - providing a reservoir (14) in which the inhalation medium (15), which consists of at least one The composite comprising active ingredient and matrix material is stored, - dissolving at least the or each active ingredient from the matrix material by means of an evaporator unit (17), in such a way that at least parts of the active ingredient evaporate and are made available for inhalation, characterized in that - to evaporate the in the active substance bound to the matrix material at least one laser light source (18) is directed onto the inhalation medium (15), and - that the inhalation medium (15) is then acted upon with laser light pulses in such a way that the matrix material absorbs the light and thereby at least partially consists of a liquid or solid Phase is converted into a gas phase. Procedure according to Claim 16 , characterized in that parts of the matrix material with the active substance molecules embedded therein are detached on the surface from the remaining matrix material in the reservoir (14) and thrown explosively into the environment due to lattice relaxation. Procedure according to Claim 16 or 17th , characterized in that the inhalation medium (15) is bombarded directly with laser light pulses with a pulse duration between approx. 0.5ns to 1000ns and particularly preferably between approx. 5ns to 200ns. Method according to one or more of the Claims 16 until 18th , characterized in that the inhalation medium (15) is acted upon directly by electromagnetic waves with a wavelength between approximately 100 nm to 1000000 nm, preferably 150 nm to 50000 nm, and particularly preferably 200 nm to 380 nm. Method according to one or more of the Claims 17 until 19th , characterized in that the active ingredient molecules are ionized during the phase transition from solid and / or liquid to gaseous. Method according to one or more of the Claims 17 until 20th , characterized in that an electric field is applied to the gaseous active ingredient molecules obtained during evaporation in such a way that the transport of the active ingredient molecules in the gas phase in the direction of an air outlet side (20) of an evaporator cartridge (10) or an inhaler (11) is accelerated. Method according to one or more of the Claims 16 until 21 , characterized in that it is equipped with an evaporator cartridge (10) according to one or more of the Claims 1 until 14th or an inhaler (11) Claim 15 is performed.

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