WO2023030962A1 - Dispositif d'inhalation à jet de liquide - Google Patents

Dispositif d'inhalation à jet de liquide Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2023030962A1
WO2023030962A1 PCT/EP2022/073440 EP2022073440W WO2023030962A1 WO 2023030962 A1 WO2023030962 A1 WO 2023030962A1 EP 2022073440 W EP2022073440 W EP 2022073440W WO 2023030962 A1 WO2023030962 A1 WO 2023030962A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
generation assembly
assembly according
base part
vapour generation
vapour
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2022/073440
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Simon Dodd
James Alan Mott
David ELLEMENT
Bruce Michael Eckard
Jeffrey John GLASSETT
Original Assignee
Jt International Sa
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Jt International Sa filed Critical Jt International Sa
Publication of WO2023030962A1 publication Critical patent/WO2023030962A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/05—Devices without heating means
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M11/00—Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes
    • A61M11/04—Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes operated by the vapour pressure of the liquid to be sprayed or atomised
    • A61M11/041—Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes operated by the vapour pressure of the liquid to be sprayed or atomised using heaters
    • A61M11/042—Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes operated by the vapour pressure of the liquid to be sprayed or atomised using heaters electrical
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M15/00—Inhalators
    • A61M15/02—Inhalators with activated or ionised fluids, e.g. electrohydrodynamic [EHD] or electrostatic devices; Ozone-inhalators with radioactive tagged particles
    • A61M15/025—Bubble jet droplet ejection devices
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M15/00—Inhalators
    • A61M15/06—Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/10—Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
    • A61M16/00—Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes
    • A61M16/10—Preparation of respiratory gases or vapours
    • A61M16/1075—Preparation of respiratory gases or vapours by influencing the temperature
    • A61M16/108—Preparation of respiratory gases or vapours by influencing the temperature before being humidified or mixed with a beneficial agent

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to inhalation devices with at least one liquid j et device for producing drops of a liquid on demand . More particularly, the present invention relates to such inhalation devices in the form of electronic cigarettes , cigalikes , e-cigarettes , vapour inhalers and related devices .
  • inhalation devices that serve a broad range of purposes including medical and therapeutic applications and also leisure and pleasure devices such as electronic cigarettes .
  • Existing inhalation devices either change the phase of a fluid before inhalation with for example a wick and a coil so as to signi ficantly raise the vapor temperature above human body temperature or deliver drops a room temperature by, for example , employing an ultrasonic mesh .
  • the vapor can be perceived as 'warm' by a user in the mouth, whereas in the ultrasonic mesh systems , the vapor is usually perceived as ' cold' .
  • Such inhalation devices are oftentimes portable and pocket- si ze devices that can easily fit in the user' s hand or can be handled by the user' s fingers alone . In this way, the devices can be convenient for use and can be carried by a user for regular or emergency use .
  • a user can conveniently carry an inhalation device in the form of an e- cigarette to use and enj oy it whenever and wherever desired, whereas in the latter case a medical or therapeutic inhalation device may be ready to use when needed .
  • liquid j et droplet generators in the form of , for example , micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS ) that provide compact units for generating droplets of a liquid in a well-defined, reproducible and reliable fashion .
  • MEMS micro electro-mechanical systems
  • the generation of an inhalation vapour does also require further medium and gas management which is usually not implemented in a MEMS droplet generator and thus still requires substantial space in the device - which of course works against compact designs .
  • a vapour generation assembly for generating a vapour that can be inhaled by a user, the assembly comprising a base part providing at least one surface for mounting a plurality of components ; a first component mounted on said base part and forming a liquid j et device comprising a fluid chamber, an ej ection noz zle and a supply channel embedded in a substrate , said first component being configured to generate drops of a liquid on demand; at least one second component mounted on said base part and forming an air flow management device , said second component being configured to manage air that is to be mixed with said drops to generate the vapour to be inhaled by the user .
  • FIGS 1A to 1C show schematic views of an inhalation device and vapour generation assemblies according to respective embodiments of the present invention
  • Figure 2 shows a schematic view of a MEMS configuration of liquid j et devices as part of the embodiments of the present invention
  • Figures 3A & 3B show schematic views of a MEMS configuration of liquid j et devices together with a second component according to embodiments of the present invention.
  • FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a mixing chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention .
  • FIG. 1A shows a schematic view of an inhalation device according to an embodiment of the present invention .
  • the inhalation device 1 comprises an elongate housing 101 with a proximal end toward a mouthpiece 108 and a distal end .
  • a battery or power source 102 Inside the housing 101 there may be accommodated a controller circuitry 103 and a compartment 104 for holding some reservoir 105 of a liquid to be vapori zed .
  • a liquid conduit 106 providing liquid to a vapour generation assembly 10 that is as such explained in greater detail in conj unction with the respective embodiments .
  • FIGS IB and 1C show schematic views of a vapour generation assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, and speci fically in an embodiment in which it can be integrated into the inhalation device as shown and described in conj unction with Figure 1A.
  • a vapour generation assembly 10 is for generating a vapour that can be inhaled by a user an shown in a top view in Figure IB and a corresponding side view in Figure 1C .
  • the vapour generation assembly 10 comprises a base part 11 providing at least one surface 110 for mounting a plurality of components .
  • the vapour generation assembly 10 comprises at least one second component 22 mounted on said base part 11 and forming an air flow management device .
  • the second component 22 is configured to manage air that is to be mixed with said drops to generate the vapour to be inhaled by the user .
  • the common arrangement of the first component 21 and the second component 22 on the same base part 11 allows for a close integration of functionalities that manage air and the ej ection of the droplets 205 that are to be mixed with that air .
  • the base part 11 can in particular form with its surface 110 form a space 3 atop the base part in which the droplets 217 can interact and mix with air 30 and thus form at least in part a mixing chamber .
  • the common arrangement on the base part 11 thus provides not only mounting of the involved components but also close proximity therefor and delimitation of a mixing chamber .
  • the close proximity of the second component 22 can speci fically provide an advantageous direct and quick interaction with the droplets 205 formed and ej ected by the liquid j et device 21 .
  • the base part 11 is planar and can moreover be formed as one piece .
  • the base part 11 is formed from a printed circuit board ( FOB ) , preferably a planar printed circuit board .
  • FOB printed circuit board
  • the base part 11 is formed from a flexible printed circuit board which does of course not exclude a still planar configuration but allows in principle the formation and realization of further mechanical and physical structures such as air guides , impedances , cavities , tubes , etc . as well as contributing to compactness since a flexible printed circuit board can adapt to and interact with any further elements and components of the inhalation device .
  • FIG. 2 show a schematic view of a MEMS configuration of liquid j et devices as part of the embodiments of the present invention .
  • the liquid j et device 11 is formed as a MEMS in a substrate 210 of any suitable material , for example silicon .
  • RECTIFIED SHEET (RULE 91 ) ISA/EP
  • substrate 210 there is formed a fluid chamber 211, an ejection nozzle 212, and a supply channel 213 in liquid communication with a reservoir for providing liquid 214 to the fluid chamber 211 so as to be vaporized or atomized.
  • An ejection heating element 215 is arranged in the vicinity of the fluid chamber 211 so as to heat up a portion of the liquid 214 to vaporized and form a gas bubble 216.
  • said ejection heating element 215 can be a resistor arranged in a vicinity of said fluid chamber 211 and configured to heat a an amount of the liquid 214 to at least a vaporization temperature, so that a vapour bubble expels a drop of the liquid through the ejection nozzle. So, the resulting expansion leads to the ejection of an amount of the liquid in the form of a drop or droplet 217 that then can form in the mixing chamber a vapour or aerosol.
  • a heating element arranged to pre-heat said liquid 214 to a predetermined temperature prior to ejection through said ejection nozzle 212.
  • the heating element can be a resistor embedded in the substrate 210 so as to pre-heat to the predetermined temperature at least a part of the liquid 214 present in the fluid chamber 211 or supply channel 214.
  • the resistor embedded in a substrate of said MEMS can pre-heat to a predetermined temperature at least a part of the liquid present in cavities formed in the substrate 210.
  • the overall control e.g.
  • control unit 103 may be configured to drive said resistor so that an amount of the liquid 214 is pre-heated before entering the fluid chamber 211 to a predetermined temperature, and then subsequently the amount of the liquid is heated to at least the vaporization temperature. In this way, the temperature of the liquid can be raised just before being ejected.
  • said resistors can be a temperature sense resistor, TSR, embedded in the substrate.
  • the resistor is a temperature sense resistor, TSR, embedded in the substrate, which can then be used for heating.
  • TSR trace to measure the temperature of the substrate (e.g. silicon) and, in steady state, the temperature of the liquid being ejected. This can be a trace with high current carrying capability. By putting voltage to the TSR, heat can be generated through resistance.
  • FIG. 2B shows a schematic view of a MEMS layout in a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. There is specifically shown an exemplary position of the TSR on a MEMS device. By means of the TSR solution, there can be obtained a reduction on the particle/droplet size.
  • Figure 3A shows a schematic view of a MEMS configuration of liquid jet devices together with a second component according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • the at least one second component 22 comprises an air pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure p of air to be mixed with the drops and/or air mixed with the drops.
  • the pressure of the air next to the ejection of droplets can be measured so as to react instantly and/or appropriately to specific pressures or pressure ranges by controlling the liquid jet device.
  • a relatively low pressure may indicate that a user is inhaling and that accordingly droplets should be ej ected
  • a relatively high pressure - or pressure close to the room pressure - may indicate that the ej ection of droplets should be stopped .
  • the magni fied inset of Figure 3A depicts a further embodiment in which the air pressure sensor comprises a membrane 221 arranged co-planar in an opening 222 of the base part 11 when for example implemented as printed circuit board ( PCB ) .
  • PCB printed circuit board
  • the configuration as a PCB may directly allow the routing of conducting lines on the base part toward the membrane 221 so as to detect its pressure-induced deflection by an accordingly varying electric resistance , capacitance or voltage . Further, this embodiment allows for an implementation even of a larger number of pressure sensors in the very vicinity of the liquid j et device so as to detect for example homogeneity or flow direction of the air/droplet mixture .
  • Figure 3B shows a schematic view of a MEMS configuration of liquid j et devices together with a second component according to an embodiment of the present invention .
  • the at least one second component 22 comprises heating arrangement 223 configured to pre-heat air before it is mixed with said drops .
  • the second component 22 can heat the air in the vicinity of the liquid j et device to a predetermined temperature T .
  • the temperature of the inhaled aerosol/air mixture can be of substantial importance :
  • the absorption by the body of any active medical agents may highly depend on temperature .
  • the temperature of the inhaled mixture may greatly af fect user experience .
  • the temperature of the inhaled mixture may of course also be subj ect to individual taste and preferences , which can all be addressed ef ficiently and in a compact device by the respective embodiments of the present invention .
  • the magni fied inset of Figure 3B depicts a further embodiment in which the heating arrangement comprises a heating wire 223 formed as a trace on said printed circuit board which can be replaced or accompanied by heating wire being through-hole mounted to said printed circuit board 11 .
  • the printed circuit board 11 comprises one or more openings 224 arranged to guide an air flow in thermal vicinity to said heating wire .
  • the layout of the openings may be adj usted to the layout of the heating traces so that traces partially surround an opening on the surface 111 of the printed circuit board 11 .
  • this can be used to form a plurality of openings with optionally selectable heating traces at their respective openings .
  • FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a mixing chamber according to an embodiment of the present invention .
  • the vapour generation assembly 10 further comprises a cover 300 arranged to form a mixing chamber 3 together with said base part 11 .
  • the cover 300 may be arranged atop the surface 111 of the base part 10 so as to form an enclosure having fluid access to an air inlet and toward a mouthpiece .
  • the liquid j et device as the first component 21 may ej ect the droplets 217 into the so formed chamber 3 .
  • the cover 300 may comprise features 301 that guide and/or restrict air flow inside the chamber 3 .
  • these features 301 may interact with openings 224 in the base part 11 so as to guide the air flow from an under side of the base part 11 to a top side of the base part in a meandering and/or alternating fashion .
  • the air may be guided ef ficiently along a surface of the base part 11 which can exchange heat to the air when for example heated by traces 223 on or in the base part 11 , e . g . in the form of a printed circuit board .
  • the traces may be replaced or complemented by heating wire and/or coils that can be surface soldered or through-hole mounted to or in the PCB .

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Anesthesiology (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
  • Hematology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Bioinformatics & Cheminformatics (AREA)
  • Pulmonology (AREA)
  • Nozzles (AREA)

Abstract

Un ensemble de génération de vapeur servant à générer une vapeur qui peut être inhalée par un utilisateur, l'ensemble comprenant une partie base fournissant au moins une surface pour le montage d'une pluralité de composants; un premier composant monté sur ladite partie base et formant un dispositif à jet de liquide comprenant une chambre de fluide, une buse d'éjection et un canal d'alimentation intégré dans un substrat, ledit premier composant étant conçu pour générer des gouttes d'un liquide à la demande; et au moins un second composant monté sur ladite partie base et formant un dispositif de gestion de flux d'air, ledit second composant étant conçu pour gérer l'air qui doit être mélangé avec lesdites gouttes pour générer la vapeur devant être inhalée par l'utilisateur.
PCT/EP2022/073440 2021-08-31 2022-08-23 Dispositif d'inhalation à jet de liquide WO2023030962A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP21194022.6 2021-08-31
EP21194022 2021-08-31

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2023030962A1 true WO2023030962A1 (fr) 2023-03-09

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2022/073440 WO2023030962A1 (fr) 2021-08-31 2022-08-23 Dispositif d'inhalation à jet de liquide

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WO (1) WO2023030962A1 (fr)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20050016550A1 (en) * 2003-07-17 2005-01-27 Makoto Katase Electronic cigarette
US20060077217A1 (en) * 2004-10-13 2006-04-13 Xiaofeng Yang Thermal drop generator
EP1882488A2 (fr) * 2006-07-25 2008-01-30 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Inhalateur de médicaments et procédé d'éjection de médicaments
EP3332657A1 (fr) * 2016-12-06 2018-06-13 Funai Electric Co., Ltd. Élément chauffant, dispositif de vaporisation et procédé de vaporisation de fluide éjecté par une tête d'éjection

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20050016550A1 (en) * 2003-07-17 2005-01-27 Makoto Katase Electronic cigarette
US20060077217A1 (en) * 2004-10-13 2006-04-13 Xiaofeng Yang Thermal drop generator
EP1882488A2 (fr) * 2006-07-25 2008-01-30 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Inhalateur de médicaments et procédé d'éjection de médicaments
EP3332657A1 (fr) * 2016-12-06 2018-06-13 Funai Electric Co., Ltd. Élément chauffant, dispositif de vaporisation et procédé de vaporisation de fluide éjecté par une tête d'éjection

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