NL1017166C2 - Filter to remove carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, used e.g. for cigarettes or gas masks, comprises haemoglobin, haemin or myoglobin - Google Patents

Abstract

Filter (1) for selective absorption of carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide from smoke comprises porphyrin compounds containing iron. The porphyrin compound is a haemoglobin, haemin or myoglobin, or a derivative or variant of natural origin or obtained using recombinant DNA techniques, e.g. those found in the respiratory proteins in lower classes of cold-blooded animals, or those found in some plants. Filter (1) for selective absorption of carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide from smoke comprises porphyrin compounds containing iron. The porphyrin compound is a haemoglobin, haemin or myoglobin, or a derivative or variant of natural origin or obtained using recombinant DNA techniques, e.g. those found in the respiratory proteins in lower classes of cold-blooded animals, or those found in some plants. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) cigarettes with these filters; (2) a smoking device containing this filter, used for smoking tobacco or other plant materials; (3) a gas mask with this filter; and (4) a loose filter for use with cigarettes made by rolling shag tobacco, comprising the above filter.

Description

RQQK FILTER. LAKE IN PARTICULAR TOBACCO SMOKE FILTER

The invention relates to a filter for selective absorption of CO and HCN from smoke, more in particular tobacco smoke, comprising hemoglobin, myoglobin, their derivatives and variants, as well as O2-bearing respiratory proteins occurring naturally in lower, cold-blooded animals, al or non-ferrous or copper-containing, with their derivatives and / or variants, in addition to the hemoglobin-like substances that occur in some plants, with the property of being able to bind CO in any case. Hemoglobin can be obtained from natural blood, can be synthesized at the factory or can be made by Recombinant DNA Technology.

JP-A-1/317538 discloses an absorbent for mutagens from tobacco smoke in this connection. Mutagens are substances that can affect the genes, which can then cause cancer (they are then so-called.

15 oncogenes). CO is not a mutagenic substance.

This absorbent is prepared by coating β-1,4-glucan with Fe3 + containing porphirins or their complex salts. The absorbents thus prepared can be incorporated into cigarette filters. Crystalline cellulose powder (average diameter 12 µm) was treated with 20 MeOH-CH 3 Cl 2. (1: 1) containing 0.2 mol of hemine, the resulting solid was separated and dried to give hemine-bound cellulose powder (average diameter 15 µm, 12 mg hemine / 100 g cellulose). This absorbent was added to a cigarette filter to remove mutagens (see Chemical Abstracts 113: 56026g).

Following the abovementioned summary of JP-A-1/317538, it is noted that the cigarette filter in question relates to the removal of mutagens from tobacco smoke and not to the removal of CO or HCN.

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With regard to CO and HCN, the following is noted:

Regarding HCN first of all, it is known that 0.1% of this occurs in cigarette smoke and that this is not blocked by the filter, known from JP-A-1/317538, although this, due to its toxic properties, is extremely would be desirable.

CO is also not retained by the said filter.

It can be said that a large part of the annual 70,000 deaths from cardiovascular diseases in the Netherlands are caused by active and passive smoking of tobacco. A stiff smoker has deactivated up to 10% of his hemoglobin in the evening due to the CO intake and therefore lacks 10% activity of his blood.

The invention now has for its object to drastically improve the practically non-existent retention capacity of the currently existing filters by fitting hemoglobin as an absorber of CO and HCN in the tobacco smoke stream. In addition to filters for tobacco smoke, the filter according to the invention can be used in a broader sense in combustion processes wherein CO and / or HCN are released.

With regard to CO removal, cigarette filters are known in which it is intended to remove the CO in cigarette smoke by providing an intermediate layer of an oxidizing agent in the filter to oxidize CO to CO 2.

In JP-A-8/80182 this oxidizing intermediate layer is manganese oxide and in JP-A-8/89228 copper oxide.

With regard to the use of inorganic oxides, it can be said that it is not known what further reactions occur during that oxidation and, on contact with the higher temperature of the cigarette fire front, with the complex mixture of gases and vapors of organic substances. in the cigarette. Cigarette smoke contains 900 organic and inorganic components.

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It is possible that more harmful substances will arise for health, such as precursors of carcinogenic substances.

Further to JP-A-8/80182 and JP-A-8/80228 it is further noted that nowhere in the Japanese descriptions is anything mentioned about the effect of the metal oxides on the reduction of the CO concentration in the tobacco smoke.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figure 1.

In Figure 1, a cigarette filter 1 comprises a single (2) capsule to be broken with hemoglobin solution or a two-piece snap-to-break capsule 4, part 3 of which is filled with water, whether or not under nitrogen and the other hemoglobin contains.

The capsule shown here as a whole can optionally consist of two or more separate capsules.

The freeze-drying of the hemoglobin has the advantage that all absorbed en2 and CO2 present, if any, are removed, whereby maximum space is created for capturing the CO and HCN. Freeze-dried, hemoglobin has a shelf life of one year.

By breaking the capsule (s) the freeze-dried hemoglobin 20 and the solvent - in this case water - come into contact with each other and a fresh hemoglobin solution is formed almost immediately, which has an excellent absorption capacity for CO and HCN.

The capsule (s) is (are) embedded in a compressible cellulose acetate cocoon with adequate porosity.

The two-part capsule is provided with a partition, which is placed at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the capsule and filter sleeve for easy breaking.

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The compressible cellulose 5 is surrounded by a watertight, elastic sleeve 6, which connects gas-tightly to the inner wall of the filter sleeve (not shown).

Preferably the cocoon lies between the front 1/3 part and the rear 2/3 part of the filter sleeve.

Instead of cellulose acetate, it is also possible to opt for a network polymer as described in Nature and Technology, pr. 1, January 2001, p. 9, which would capture more tar than the existing filters.

In order to activate the filter, the filter sleeve must be squeezed between the fingers at the location of the cocoon until it is clearly felt that the capsule is breaking. The cigarette is then ready for use. The glass fragments remain neatly stored in the cocoon.

The capsules are preferably made of glass, but it is conceivable that another brittle substance can also be used.

Preferably 1.4 g of hemoglobin is used to absorb 10 milligrams of CO dissolved in, for example, 1-2 ml of water. For cigarettes with 20 mg of CO, 2.8 g of hemoglobin must be dissolved. It is feasible to introduce an adjusted amount of hemoglobin into the capsule for each CO content of the different brands of cigarettes.

It is possible that as a result of the absorption of the hemoglobin into the cellular disease, a little effect is lost, so that a little more hemoglobin might be needed.

The generally used perforation of the cigarette sleeve ensures sufficient cooling (side-stream) of the so-called mainstream (which flows through the tobacco) into the filter sleeve, so that there is no need to be afraid of hemoglobin coagulation.

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The filter according to the invention can advantageously also be used in a smoking device for tobacco or vegetable substances, such as, for example, in a water pipe, tobacco pipe, cigar pipe or cigarette (disposable) pipe.

The use of the filter according to the invention in a gas mask can also be envisaged.

Loose filters according to the invention can be used for rolling in simultaneously with the tobacco in a tissue paper or by inserting it into a cigarette case filled with tobacco.

In addition to the aforementioned applications of a solution of, for example, hemoglobin for absorbing CO and / or HCN, changes can be made by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the claims, without going beyond their scope.

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Claims (13)

A filter for selective absorption of CO and HCN from smoke, comprising ferrous porphirin compounds, characterized in that the ferrous porphirin compound is a hemoglobin, hemine or myoglobin with their derivatives and variants, and using both natural and Recombinant DNA Technology hemoglobin in any form whatsoever and in addition to all derivatives or variants and components thereof, in particular hemin, for the selective removal of CO and HCN from smoke in any form whatsoever. This also includes the naturally occurring oxygen-bearing, iron-containing or copper-containing breathing proteins occurring in lower, cold-blooded animals, their derivatives and variants, with the CO and / or HCN property. Behëvëhs are the hémóglobinèse substances that occur in some plants. Use is also made of the known, unique property of hemoglobin to have a 100 to 300-fold stronger affinity for CO and HCN than for O2 and CO2, such that already existing O2 and CO2 are completely absorbed by the CO and HCN driven out. In this application, it is an advantage that CO is odorless and tasteless, so that the lack thereof in the smoke does not affect the quality of the cigarette. Hemoglobin is also odorless, while the absence of the almond odor, of the only 0.1% HCN in the cigarette smoke, is negligible. 2. A filter according to claim 1, comprising a single capsule filled with an adequate amount of hemoglobin, already dissolved in a suitable solvent and made stable and sterilized by, for example, irradiation with gamma rays. A filter according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains hemoglobin, myoglobin, their derivatives and variants capable of binding CO and HCN. 1017iso A filter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a capsule (2) to be broken or a capsule consisting of two contiguous parts (3, 4), a part of which is filled with freeze-dried hemoglobin, preferably under vacuum or a suitable gas, for example nitrogen, whether or not under pressure 5 and another part filled with water or another suitable solvent, or from two or more separate capsules, these capsules (2 and 4) being embedded in cellulose acetate or another suitable absorbent with open porosity (6). 5. A filter according to claim 4, characterized in that the two-part capsule contains a partition at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the capsule. A filter according to claims 2, 4 and 5, characterized in that the capsules (2, 4) are contained in a so-called cocoon of a suitable absorbent, which is surrounded by an elastic, watertight tube (7) which connects in a gas-tight manner on the inner wall of the filter sleeve (8). Filter according to claims 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that it is a cigarette mouthpiece (1), comprising at the front 20-40% of a more or less conventional cigarette filter material (8), then a cocoon (6) of cellulose acetate or a network polymer or similar material, comprising a single or multiple capsule (2, 4) to be broken, comprising on the one hand freeze-dried vacuum-drawn hemoglobin, a partition and on the other a solvent for hemoglobin, such as water or another suitable solvent wherein the cocoon (6) is surrounded by a compressible, watertight elastic sleeve (7), which connects in a gas-tight manner to the filter sleeve inner wall (1) and finally 50-70% of the remainder of a more or less conventional cigarette filter material. A filter according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the capsule or capsules to be broken are preferably made of glass or another easily breakable material. 101 i 11 Cigarette filter according to claims 2 and 4, characterized in that 1 to 5 grams, preferably 1.4 to 2.8 grams, of hemoglobin is used for the binding of the current 10 to 20 milligram CO content of the cigarette smoke. or an equivalent amount of another CO or HCN binding substance. Cigarette, provided with small holes in known manner in the cigarette case and in the portion before the cocoon of the nozzle filter, characterized in that it is provided with a filter according to one or more of claims 1-9. A smoking device for tobacco or other vegetable material, characterized in that it is provided with a filter (1) according to one or more of claims 1 to 8. Gas mask, characterized in that it is provided with a filter (1) with an amount of hemoglobin adapted for long-term work (according to one or more of claims 1-7). 13. A separate filter applicable, for example, for rolling rolling tobacco into a rolling paper or for placing in a cigarette case filled with tobacco, characterized in that this is a filter according to one or more of claims 1-9. 1017166 SMOKE FILTER 2 Explanation reference scifles of the Figure 1. tobacco smoke filter 2. single or double capsule 3. capsule part with freeze-dried hemoglobin 4. capsule part with water 5. partition 6. cocoon of compressible cellulose acetate or network polymer 7. waterproof sleeve (not shown) 8. cigarettes hu Is with fine holes, front, 1/3 part 9. back of cigarette case, 2/3 part 10. cigarette tobacco 15 1017160