WO2024115607A1 - Système comprenant un système de fourniture d'aérosol - Google Patents

Système comprenant un système de fourniture d'aérosol Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2024115607A1
WO2024115607A1 PCT/EP2023/083618 EP2023083618W WO2024115607A1 WO 2024115607 A1 WO2024115607 A1 WO 2024115607A1 EP 2023083618 W EP2023083618 W EP 2023083618W WO 2024115607 A1 WO2024115607 A1 WO 2024115607A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
aerosol
inhalation
aerosol generator
previous
time period
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2023/083618
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Joseph Peter Sutton
Original Assignee
Nicoventures Trading Limited
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 Nicoventures Trading Limited filed Critical Nicoventures Trading Limited
Publication of WO2024115607A1 publication Critical patent/WO2024115607A1/fr

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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
    • A24F40/50—Control or monitoring
    • 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
    • A24F40/50—Control or monitoring
    • A24F40/53—Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
    • 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

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates to electronic non-combustible aerosol provision systems such as nicotine delivery systems (e.g. electronic cigarettes and the like).
  • nicotine delivery systems e.g. electronic cigarettes and the like.
  • Electronic aerosol provision systems such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) generally contain an aerosol precursor material, such as a reservoir of a source liquid containing a formulation, typically including nicotine, or a solid material such as a tobacco-based product, from which an aerosol is generated, e.g. through heat vaporisation.
  • An aerosol source for an aerosol provision system may thus comprise an aerosol generator, e.g., a heating element, arranged to vaporise at least a portion of the aerosol precursor material. As a user inhales on the device and electrical power is supplied to the heating element, air is drawn into the device through inlet holes and into the aerosol generation chamber where the air mixes with the aerosolised precursor material and forms a condensation aerosol.
  • Such devices are usually provided with one or more air inlet holes located away from a mouthpiece end of the system.
  • air is drawn in through the inlet holes and past the aerosol source.
  • There is a flow path connecting between the aerosol source and an opening in the mouthpiece so that air drawn past the aerosol source continues along the flow path to the mouthpiece opening, carrying some of the aerosol from the aerosol source with it.
  • the aerosol-carrying air exits the aerosol provision system through the mouthpiece opening for inhalation by the user.
  • Such aerosol provision systems typically are operated in accordance with a predefined set of operating parameters or operating parameters which can be changed manually by a user.
  • the power supplied to the heater element may be fixed at a certain value or selectable from one of a plurality of options.
  • the user is required to alter their puffing characteristics. For example, a deep long draw provides more aerosol to a user than a short shallow draw.
  • this way of varying the aerosol delivered to the user is not necessarily conducive to a good user experience when using the aerosol provision system.
  • a system comprising an aerosol provision system for generating aerosol from an aerosol generating material for user inhalation, the system including: an aerosol generator for generating aerosol from aerosol generating material; a power supply for supplying power to the aerosol generator; an inhalation sensor for sensing a user inhalation on the aerosol provision system; and a controller.
  • the controller is configured to: identify previous inhalation information corresponding to at least one previous inhalation, the previous inhalation information comprising at least a duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation, the previous inhalation information indicative of an amount of aerosol generated during the at least one previous inhalation; compare the duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation to a target time period or a predetermined range of the target time period set in advance; depending on the comparison of the duration of operation of the aerosol generator with the target time period or the predetermined range of the target time period set in advance, identify one or more updated operating parameters for the aerosol generator for a subsequent inhalation, in dependence of the previous inhalation information; and operate the aerosol generator using the one or more updated operating parameters for a subsequent inhalation. Identifying the one or more updated operating parameters for the aerosol generator includes identifying one or more updated operating parameters for the aerosol generator such that an expected operational duration of the aerosol generator in the subsequent inhalation is closer to the target time
  • an aerosol provision device for use with an aerosol generating article comprising aerosol generating material, wherein the aerosol provision device and the aerosol generating article when engaged with one another form an aerosol generating system, wherein the aerosol generating system comprises an aerosol generator for generating aerosol from the aerosol generating material, the aerosol provision device including: a power supply for supplying power to the aerosol generator; an inhalation sensor for sensing a user inhalation on the aerosol provision system; and a controller.
  • the controller is configured to: identify previous inhalation information corresponding to at least one previous inhalation, the previous inhalation information comprising at least a duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation, the previous inhalation information indicative of an amount of aerosol generated during the at least one previous inhalation; compare the duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation to a target time period or a predetermined range of the target time period set in advance; depending on the comparison of the duration of operation of the aerosol generator with the target time period or the predetermined range of the target time period set in advance, identify one or more updated operating parameters for the aerosol generator for a subsequent inhalation, in dependence of the previous inhalation information; and operate the aerosol generator using the one or more updated operating parameters for a subsequent inhalation. Identifying the one or more updated operating parameters for the aerosol generator includes identifying one or more updated operating parameters for the aerosol generator such that an expected operational duration of the aerosol generator in the subsequent inhalation is closer to the target time
  • a non-therapeutic method for setting a power to be supplied to an aerosol generator of an aerosol provision system the aerosol generator configured to generate aerosol from aerosol generating material for user inhalation upon receiving power, the method including: identifying previous inhalation information corresponding to at least one previous inhalation, the previous inhalation information comprising at least a duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation, the previous inhalation information indicative of an amount of aerosol generated during the at least one previous inhalation; comparing the duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation to a target time period or a predetermined range of the target time period set in advance; depending on the comparison of the duration of operation of the aerosol generator with the target time period or the predetermined range of the target time period set in advance, identifying one or more updated operating parameters for the aerosol generator for a subsequent inhalation, in dependence of the previous inhalation information; and setting the one or more updated operating parameters for
  • a system comprising an aerosol provision means for generating aerosol from an aerosol generating material for user inhalation, the system including: aerosol generator means for generating aerosol from aerosol generating material; power supply means for supplying power to the aerosol generator means; inhalation sensing means for sensing a user inhalation on the aerosol provision means; and controller means, wherein the controller means is configured to: identify previous inhalation information corresponding to at least one previous inhalation, the previous inhalation information comprising at least a duration of operation of the aerosol generator means in the at least one previous inhalation, the previous inhalation information indicative of an amount of aerosol generated during the at least one previous inhalation; compare the duration of operation of the aerosol generator means in the at least one previous inhalation to a target time period or a predetermined range of the target time period set in advance; depending on the comparison of the duration of operation of the aerosol generator means with the target time period or the predetermined range of the target time period set in
  • an aerosol provision device means for use with an aerosol generating article means comprising aerosol generating material, wherein the aerosol provision device means and the aerosol generating article means when engaged with one another form an aerosol provision means, wherein the aerosol generating means comprises aerosol generator means for generating aerosol from the aerosol generating material, the aerosol provision device means including: power supply means for supplying power to the aerosol generator; inhalation sensing means for sensing a user inhalation on the aerosol provision means; and controller means, wherein the controller means is configured to: identify previous inhalation information corresponding to at least one previous inhalation, the previous inhalation information comprising at least a duration of operation of the aerosol generator means in the at least one previous inhalation, the previous inhalation information indicative of an amount of aerosol generated during the at least one previous inhalation; compare the duration of operation of the aerosol generator means in the at least one previous inhalation to a target time period or a predetermined range of the target time
  • Figure 1 schematically shows an aerosol provision system including a device and a replaceable cartridge comprising a liquid aerosol generating material in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure
  • Figure 2 shows a highly schematic, and example, arrangement of the control circuitry of the aerosol provision system of Figure 1;
  • Figure 3 shows a flow diagram depicting an example method for operating the aerosol provision system of Figure 1 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure
  • Figure 4 shows a flow diagram of a first implementation for calculating updated operating parameters for controlling the aerosol generator for a subsequent inhalation, where the method includes determining an amount or indication of an amount of aerosol to be delivered in a subsequent inhalation;
  • Figure 5 shows a flow diagram of a second implementation for calculating updated operating parameters for controlling the aerosol generator for a subsequent inhalation, where the method includes determining whether the duration of operation of a previous inhalation is greater than a target time period set in advance;
  • Figure 6 shows a flow diagram depicting a first variation to the method of Figure 3, whereby default operating parameters are set by the control circuitry in the absence of any previous inhalation information;
  • Figure 7 shows a flow diagram depicting a second variation to the method of Figure 3, whereby a notification is provided to the user based on the updated operating parameters;
  • Figure 8 shows a flow diagram depicting a third variation to the method of Figure 3, whereby the target time period is selected from a plurality of target time periods based on timer information.
  • the present disclosure relates to non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an aerosol-generating material without combusting or burning the aerosolgenerating material in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user, such as electronic cigarettes (or e-cigarettes), tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials.
  • a user such as electronic cigarettes (or e-cigarettes), tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials.
  • vapour and “aerosol” and related terms such as “vaporise”, “volatilise” and “aerosolise” may generally be used interchangeably.
  • Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and/or flavourants. In some implementations, the aerosol-generating material may comprise an “amorphous solid”, which may alternatively be referred to as a “monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some implementations, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some implementations, the aerosol-generating material may for example comprise from about 50wt%, 60wt% or 70wt% of amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or 100wt% of amorphous solid.
  • the aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and/or flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional material.
  • the active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response.
  • the active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives.
  • the active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained.
  • the active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof.
  • the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.
  • the active substance comprises nicotine.
  • the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.
  • the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol, for example, glycerol or propylene glycol.
  • constituents capable of forming an aerosol for example, glycerol or propylene glycol.
  • the terms "flavour” and “flavourant” refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste or aroma in a product for adult consumers.
  • the one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and/or antioxidants.
  • the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.
  • END electronic nicotine delivery system
  • the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an aerosolgenerating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system.
  • An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.
  • the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated.
  • Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine.
  • the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosolgenerating material.
  • the solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.
  • the aerosol provision systems comprise a modular assembly including an aerosol provision device (sometimes referred to as a reusable part) and an article comprising aerosol-generating material (sometimes referred to as a consumable or a replaceable part).
  • the aerosol provision systems may comprise a one-piece arrangement where the article and aerosol provision device are integrally formed.
  • the non-combustible aerosol provision system such as a non-combustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise a power source and a controller.
  • the power source may, for example, be an electric power source.
  • the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and/or an aerosol-modifying agent.
  • the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and/or an aerosolmodifying agent.
  • An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material.
  • the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol.
  • the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material without heating.
  • the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.
  • the aerosol provision system is one in which a source liquid as the aerosol-generating material is vaporised to generate an aerosol for user inhalation.
  • the article is more commonly referred to as a cartridge.
  • the cartridge mechanically engages with the aerosol provision device as described above.
  • the principles of the present disclosure are applicable to aerosol provision systems capable of vaporising different aerosol-generating materials, such as tobacco and/or gels, as described above.
  • the present disclosure relates to an aerosol provision system which is configured to adapt the delivery of aerosol to a user in a way that tries to guide the user’s physical interaction with the aerosol provision system (e.g., their inhalation) to a suitable or more comfortable interaction.
  • this is achieved through adapting the operating parameters of the aerosol generator such that the aerosol generator is capable of delivering a desired amount of aerosol over an expected operational duration of the aerosol generator which coincides with a target time period set in advance.
  • Previous inhalation information indicative of the user’s previous interaction with the aerosol provision system is used to help identify a previously delivered amount of aerosol to the user (or an indication thereof) such that user is provided with a consistent amount of aerosol (or close thereto) from inhalation to inhalation.
  • Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view through an aerosol provision system 1 provided in accordance with certain aspects of the disclosure.
  • the aerosol provision system 1 shown in Figure 1 comprises two main components, namely an aerosol provision device 2 and a replaceable / disposable cartridge 4 (which is an example of a consumable or article).
  • the aerosol provision system 1 of Figure 1 is an example of a modular construction of an aerosol provision system 1.
  • the aerosol provision device 2 and the cartridge 4 are able to engage with or disengage from one another at an interface 6.
  • the principles of the present disclosure also apply to other constructions of the aerosol provision system 1, such as one- part or unitary constructions where the device 2 and cartridge 4 may be integrally formed (or in other words, the aerosol provision device 1 is provided with an integrally formed aerosolgenerating material storage area).
  • the aerosol provision system 1 is generally elongate and cylindrical in shape.
  • the aerosol provision system 1 may be sized so as to approximate a conventional cigarette. However, it should be understood that the general size and shape of the aerosol provision system 1 is not significant to the principles of the present disclosure.
  • the aerosol provision system 1 may conform to different overall shapes; for example, the aerosol provision device 2 may be based on so-called box-mod high performance devices that typically have a more box-like shape.
  • the device 2 comprises components that are generally intended to have a longer lifetime than the cartridge 4. In other words, the device 2 is intended to be used, sequentially, with multiple cartridges 4.
  • the cartridge 4 comprises components (such as aerosol-generating material) that are consumed when forming an aerosol for delivery to the user during use of the aerosol provision system 1.
  • the device 2 and the cartridge 4 are releasably coupled together at the first interface 6.
  • the cartridge 4 may be removed from the device 2 and a replacement cartridge 4 attached to the device 2 in its place.
  • the interface 6 provides a structural connection between the device 2 and cartridge 4 and may be established in accordance with broadly conventional techniques, for example based around a screw thread, latch mechanism, bayonet fixing or magnetic coupling.
  • the interface 6 may also provide an electrical coupling between the device 2 and the cartridge 4 using suitable electrical contacts. The electrical coupling may allow for power and / or data to be supplied to / from the cartridge 4.
  • the cartridge 4 may be refillable. That is, the cartridge 4 may be refilled with aerosol-generating material when the cartridge 4 is depleted, using an appropriate mechanism such as a one-way refilling valve or the like. The cartridge 4 may be removed from the device 2 in order to be refilled. In other examples, the cartridge 4 may be configured so as to be refilled while attached to the device 2.
  • the aerosol provision system 1 may be designed to be disposable once the aerosol-generating material is exhausted.
  • the aerosol provision system 1 may be provided with a suitable mechanism, such as a one-way valve of the like, to enable the integrated cartridge 4 (or integrated aerosol-generating material storage area) to be refilled with aerosol-generating material.
  • the cartridge part 4 comprises a cartridge housing 42, an aerosol-generating material storage area 44, an aerosol generator 48, an aerosol-generating material transport component 46, an outlet or opening 50, and an air path 52.
  • the cartridge housing 42 supports other components of the cartridge 4 and provides the mechanical interface 6 with the device 2.
  • the cartridge housing 42 is formed from a suitable material, such as a plastics material or a metal material.
  • the cartridge housing 42 is generally circularly symmetric about a longitudinal axis along which the cartridge 4 couples to the device 2.
  • the cartridge 4 has a length of around 4 cm and a diameter of around 1.5 cm.
  • the cartridge 4 comprises a first end, broadly defined by the interface 6, and a second end which is opposite the first end and includes the opening 50.
  • the second end including the opening is intended to be received in / by a user’s mouth and may be referred to as a mouthpiece end of the cartridge 4.
  • an aerosol-generating material storage area 44 which may be referred to herein as a reservoir 44.
  • the cartridge 42 of Figure 1 is configured to store a liquid aerosol-generating material, which may be referred to herein as a source liquid, e-liquid or liquid.
  • the source liquid may be broadly conventional, and may contain nicotine and / or other active ingredients, and / or one or more flavours, as described above. In some implementations, the source liquid may contain no nicotine.
  • the reservoir 44 is therefore configured to hold liquid.
  • the reservoir 44 in this example has an annular shape with an outer wall defined by the cartridge housing 42 and an inner wall that defines the air path 52 through the cartridge 4.
  • the reservoir 44 is closed at each end with end walls to contain the liquid.
  • the reservoir 44 may be formed in accordance with conventional techniques, for example it may comprise a plastics material and be integrally moulded with the cartridge housing 42.
  • the aerosol generator 48 is configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosolgenerating material.
  • the aerosol generator 48 is a heater 48.
  • the heater 48 is configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol.
  • the heater 48 may take the form of an electrically resistive wire or trace intended to have electrical current passed between ends thereof, or a susceptor element which is intended to generate heat upon exposure to an alternating magnetic field.
  • the aerosol generator 48 is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material without heating.
  • the aerosol generator 48 may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.
  • the aerosol-generating material transport element 46 is configured to transport aerosolgenerating material from the aerosol-generating material storage area 44 (reservoir 44) to the aerosol generator 48.
  • the nature of the aerosol-generating material may dictate the form of the aerosol-generating material transport element 46.
  • the aerosol-generating material transport element 46 is configured to transport the liquid or viscous gel aerosol-generating material using capillary action or a suitable pumping mechanism or the like.
  • the aerosol-generating material transport element 46 may comprise a porous material (e.g., ceramic) or a bundle of fibres (e.g., glass or cotton fibres) capable of transporting liquid / viscous gel using capillary action.
  • the aerosol generator 48 is a heater 48 taking the form of a coil of metal wire, such as a nickel chrome alloy (Cr20Ni80) wire.
  • the aerosolgenerating material transport element 46 in the implementation of Figure 1 is a wick 46 taking the form of a bundle of fibres, such as glass fibres.
  • the heater 48 is wound around the wick 46 as seen in Figure 1 such that the heater 48 is provided in the proximity of the wick 46 and therefore any liquid held in the wick 46.
  • the aerosol generator 48 may comprise a porous ceramic wick 46 and an electrically conductive track disposed on a surface of the porous ceramic wick acting as the heater 48.
  • the heater 48 and wick 46 may be combined into a single component, e.g., a plurality of sintered steel fibres forming a planar structure.
  • the heater 48 and wick 46 are located towards an end of the reservoir 44.
  • the wick 46 extends transversely across the cartridge air path 52 with its ends extending into the reservoir 44 of liquid through openings in the inner wall of the reservoir 44.
  • the openings in the inner wall of the reservoir are sized to broadly match the dimensions of the wick 46 to provide a reasonable seal against leakage from the liquid reservoir 44 into the cartridge air path 52 without unduly compressing the wick 46, which may be detrimental to its fluid transfer performance.
  • the wick 46 is therefore configured to transport liquid from the reservoir 44 to the vicinity of the heater 48 via a capillary effect.
  • the wick 46 and heater 48 are arranged in the cartridge air path 52 such that a region of the cartridge air path 52 around the wick 46 and heater 48 in effect defines a vaporisation region for the cartridge 4.
  • This vaporisation region is the region of the cartridge 4 where vapour is initially generated.
  • electrical power may be supplied to the heater 48 to vaporise an amount of liquid drawn to the vicinity of the heater 48 by the wick 46.
  • Aerosol is delivered to the user via the outlet 50 provided at the mouthpiece end of the cartridge 4.
  • the user may place their lips on or around the mouthpiece end of the cartridge 4 and draw air / aerosol through the outlet 50. More specifically, air is drawn into and along the air path 52, past the heater 48 where aerosol is entrained into the air, and the combined aerosol / air is then inhaled by the user through the opening 50.
  • Figure 1 shows the mouthpiece end of the cartridge 4 as being an integral part of the cartridge 4, a separate mouthpiece component may be provided which releasably couples to the end of the cartridge 4.
  • the device 2 comprises an outer housing 12, an optional indicator 14, an inhalation sensor 16 located within a chamber 18, a controller or control circuitry 20, a power source 26, an air inlet 28 and an air path 30.
  • the device part 2 comprises an outer housing 12 with an opening that defines an air inlet 28 for the aerosol provision system 1, a power source 26 for providing operating power for the aerosol provision system 1 , a controller or control circuitry 20 for controlling and monitoring the operation of the aerosol provision system 1, and an inhalation sensor (puff detector) 16 located in a chamber 18.
  • the device 2 further comprises an optional indicator 14.
  • the outer housing 12 may be formed, for example, from a plastics or metallic material and in this example has a circular cross-section generally conforming to the shape and size of the cartridge 4 so as to provide a smooth transition between the two parts at the interface 6.
  • the device 2 has a length of around 8 cm so the overall length of the aerosol provision system 1 when the cartridge 4 and device 2 are coupled together is around 12 cm.
  • the overall shape and scale of an aerosol provision system 1 implementing the present disclosure is not significant to the principles described herein.
  • the outer housing 12 further comprises an air inlet 28 which connects to an air path 30 provided through the device 2.
  • the device air path 30 in turn connects to the cartridge air path 52 across the interface 6 when the device 2 and cartridge 4 are connected together.
  • the interface 6 is also arranged to provide a connection of the respective air paths 30 and 52, such that air and/or aerosol is able to pass along the coupled air paths 30, 52.
  • the device 2 does not comprise an air path 30 and instead the cartridge 4 comprises the air path 52 and a suitable air inlet which permits air to enter into the air path 52 when the cartridge 4 and device 2 are coupled.
  • the power source 26 in this example is a battery 26.
  • the battery 26 may be rechargeable and may be of a broadly conventional type, for example of the kind normally used in aerosol provision systems and other applications requiring provision of relatively high currents over relatively short periods.
  • the battery 26 may be, for example, a lithium ion battery.
  • the battery 26 may be recharged through a suitable charging connector provided at or in the outer housing 12, for example a USB connector. Additionally or alternatively, the device 2 may comprise suitable circuitry to facilitate wireless charging of the battery 26.
  • the control circuitry 20 is suitably configured / programmed to control the operation of the aerosol provision system 1.
  • the control circuitry 20 may be considered to logically comprise various sub-units / circuitry elements associated with different aspects of the aerosol provision system's operation and may be implemented by provision of a (micro)controller, processor, ASIC or similar form of control chip.
  • the control circuitry 20 may be arranged to control any functionality associated with the system 1.
  • the functionality may include the charging or re-charging of the battery 26, the discharging of the battery 26 (e.g., for providing power to the heater 48), in addition to other functionality such as controlling visual indicators (e.g., LEDs) / displays, communication functionality for communicating with external devices, etc.
  • the control circuitry 20 may be mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB). Note also that the functionality provided by the control circuitry 20 may be split across multiple circuit boards and / or across components which are not mounted to a PCB, and these additional components and / or PCBs can be located as appropriate within the aerosol provision device. For example, functionality of the control circuit 20 for controlling the (re)charging functionality of the battery 26 may be provided separately (e.g. on a different PCB) from the functionality for controlling the discharge of the battery 26. As noted above, when the device 2 and the cartridge 4 are coupled together at interface 6, the interface 6 provides an electrical connection between the device 2 and the cartridge 4.
  • PCB printed circuit board
  • electrical contacts on the device 2, which are coupled to the power source 26, are electrically coupled to electrical contacts on the cartridge, which are coupled to the heater 48. Accordingly, under suitable control by the control circuitry 20, electrical power from the power source 26 is able to be supplied from the power source 26 to the heater 48, thereby allowing the heater 48 to vaporise liquid in the proximity of the heater 48 held in the wick 46.
  • the aerosol provision device 2 comprises a chamber 18 containing the inhalation sensor 16, which in this example is a pressure sensor 16.
  • the inhalation sensor 16 may be any suitable sensor, such as an air flow sensor, for sensing when a user inhales on the mouthpiece end of the cartridge 4 and subsequently draws air along the air paths 30, 52. Accordingly, the presence of the chamber 18 is optional and its presence may depend on the characteristics of the selected inhalation sensor 16.
  • the pressure sensor 16 is in fluid communication with the air path 30 in the device 2 (e.g. the chamber 18 branches off from the air path 30 in the device 2). Thus, when a user inhales on the opening 50, there is a drop in pressure in the chamber 18, which if sufficient, is detected by the pressure sensor 16.
  • the aerosol provision system 1 is controlled to generate aerosol in response to detecting an inhalation by a user. That is, when the pressure sensor 16 detects a drop in pressure in the pressure sensor chamber 18, the control circuitry 20 responds by causing electrical power to be supplied from the battery 26 to the aerosol generator 48 sufficient to cause vaporisation of the liquid held within the wick 46. This is an example of an aerosol provision system which is said to be “puff actuated”.
  • the pressure sensor 16 may be used to start and / or end the power supply to the heater 48 (e.g., when the pressure sensor detects the absence of an inhalation).
  • the aerosol provision system 1 includes a button or other user actuatable mechanism.
  • the control circuitry 20 caused power to be supplied to the heater 48 as described above.
  • the button may be used to start and / or end power supply to the heater 48 (e.g., when the button is released by the user).
  • both a button (or other user actuatable mechanism) and an inhalation sensor 16 may be used to control the delivery of power to the heater 48, e.g., by requiring both the button press and a pressure drop indicative of an inhalation to be present before supplying power to the heater 48.
  • the aerosol provision system 1 (or the control circuitry 20 thereof) is configured to adapt the operating parameters for operating the aerosol generator 48 in response to information obtained regarding the previous inhalations of a user on the aerosol generating system 1.
  • the operation of the aerosol generator is adapted such that the user’s interaction with the aerosol provision system (e.g., their characteristics associated with their inhalation) are guided toward a target interaction or inhalation with the system.
  • this includes the duration of inhalation, and therefore the abovementioned system 1 is configured to guide a user toward a target inhalation duration based on their previous inhalation information.
  • a “natural” inhalation may be considered as an inhalation that requires the least effort by the user to produce. This may be both a physical effort (e.g., inhaling for ten seconds requires more physical effort than two to three seconds) and a mental effort (e.g., inhaling for one second or less may require less physical effort that a two to three second inhalation, but requires the user to consciously control their inhalation more than for a two to three second inhalation). Accordingly, the present disclosure seeks to guide a user towards a target inhalation which is broadly aligned with a natural inhalation.
  • the system 1 is capable of adapting the operation of the aerosol generator 48 to not only guide the user to their target inhalation but also to deliver a comparable experience in terms of the aerosol / active to the user as delivered in previous inhalations.
  • the aerosol provision system 1 is capable of adapting its operation to meet the needs of individual users whilst providing a more natural user experience.
  • FIG. 2 is a highly schematic representation of the control circuitry 20 described above.
  • Figure 2 shows the various components or modules making up the control circuitry 20.
  • the functionality of the various modules will be described herein.
  • the modules may be provided as separate components (e.g., separate ASICs) that form a part of the control circuitry 20.
  • the functionality of one or more of the modules may be realised by the control circuitry 20 itself.
  • the control circuitry 20 of Figure 2 is an example only, illustrating the principles of the present disclosure, and should not be considered limiting. It should also be understood that certain other functionality of the control circuitry 20 (e.g., such as circuitry for recharging the power supply 26) are omitted for clarity.
  • the control circuitry 20 of Figure 2 includes a gating module 201, a timing module 202, a previous inhalation information determining module 203, an operating parameter determination module 204, and an aerosol generator control module 205. Also seen in Figure 2 is the pressure sensor 16 and heater 48 of Figure 1 (with other elements of Figure 1 being omitted).
  • the pressure sensor 16 is communicatively coupled to the gating module 201 of the control circuitry 20.
  • the pressure sensor 16 outputs a signal to the gating module 201 indicative of the pressure (relative pressure or absolute pressure) sensed by the pressure sensor 16.
  • the user inhales on the mouthpiece end of the aerosol provision system 1 to draw air through the air inlet 28. As described above, this flow of air alters the pressure around the pressure sensor 16 in the pressure chamber 18 and as such the signal output by the pressure sensor 16 varies.
  • the gating module 201 is configured to receive the signal indicative of the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor 16 and to output a signal (to the timing module 202 and to the aerosol generator control module 205) when it is determined that the pressure signal indicates a user inhalation is detected.
  • the gating module 201 may be configured to compare the received pressure signal from the pressure sensor 16 to a threshold pressure value and when the pressure signal drops below the threshold pressure value, signifying a user inhalation, the gating module 201 outputs a signal indicative of this to the timing module 202. Equally, when the user stops inhaling and the signal output by the pressure sensor 16 subsequently rises above the threshold pressure value, the gating module 201 may stop outputting the signal indicative of a user inhalation to the timing module 202.
  • the gating module 201 has been described as forming part of the control circuitry 201, in other implementations, the gating module 201 may form part of the pressure sensor 16, such that the pressure sensor 16 only outputs a signal in the presence of a user inhalation.
  • the timing module 202 is configured to provide timing information concerning the duration of a particular user inhalation. More specifically, in response to receiving the signal output from the gating module 201, the timing module 202 is configured to start a timer (or counter or the like) and, in response to no longer receiving the signal output from the gating module 201, to stop the timer. The duration of the inhalation is then output by the timing module 202 to the previous inhalation information determining module 203.
  • the previous inhalation information determining module 203 is configured to determine or generate the previous inhalation information. The previous inhalation information is based at least on the inhalation duration as measured by the timing module 202.
  • the previous inhalation information is based on the most recent inhalation - that is, the inhalation corresponding to the signal output by the timing module 202 (which, for certainty, is the time between the start and end of the inhalation). In this case, the previous inhalation information may simply be an indication (or even the exact value) of the duration of the previous inhalation. In other implementations, the previous inhalation information is based on a plurality of previous inhalations. For example, the previous inhalation information may be based on the most recent previous inhalation in addition to the five, ten, etc. inhalations prior to the most recent previous inhalation.
  • the previous inhalation information may be an average inhalation duration (based on the duration information for the relevant previous inhalations) or it may be a cumulative total across the plurality of inhalations.
  • the previous inhalation information may also be determined based on other factors, which is represented by the second arrow pointing to the previous inhalation information determining module 203 in Figure 2.
  • the previous inhalation information is passed to the operating parameter determination module 204.
  • the operating parameter determination module 204 is configured to determine the operating parameters to be used to control the aerosol generator 48 for at least the subsequent activation of the aerosol generator 48.
  • the operating parameter determination module 204 may determine a set of operating parameters for the aerosol generator 48 which are the precise values for the operating parameters to be used, or the operating parameter determination module 204 may calculate a set of adjustments to be made to the current operating parameters (e.g., an adjustment such as increase power by 10%, for example).
  • the operating parameter determination module 204 may determine that the most suitable operating parameters to use are those that are currently in use.
  • the operating parameter determination module 204 subsequently outputs the determined operating parameters (or adjustments thereto) to the aerosol generator control module 205.
  • the aerosol generator control module 205 receives and stores the operating parameters for controlling the aerosol generator 48 for at least the subsequent inhalation based on the output from the operating parameter determination module 204.
  • the aerosol generator control module 205 is configured to cause the aerosol generator 205 to be operated in accordance with the set operating parameters.
  • the one or more operating parameters may include a power level of power to be supplied to the aerosol generator 48 (e.g., heater 48), and the aerosol generator control module 205 is configured to cause that power level to be supplied to the aerosol generator 48.
  • the gating module 201 sends a signal both to the timing module 202 and to the aerosol generator control module 205. While the timing module 202 is timing the duration of the current inhalation, the aerosol generator control module 205 is controlling the aerosol generator 48 to generate aerosol according to the parameters that are currently set in the aerosol generator control module 205. Only once the current inhalation is completed can the timing module 202 output its signal indicative of the duration of that current inhalation to be used to determine the operating parameters for the subsequent inhalation.
  • the timing information generated by the timing module 202 is indicative of a duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48. That is, in the example described above, the inhalation duration and the duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 are the same. However, in some implementations, this may not be the case.
  • a pressure sensor 16 instead of a pressure sensor 16, other user input mechanisms, such as a button, may be implemented.
  • the button may be communicatively coupled to the aerosol generator control module 205 such that, when the button is depressed, the aerosol generator control module 205 causes the aerosol generator 48 to be operated according to the set operating parameters.
  • the duration of the button press will likely correspond to the duration of a user inhalation, but it may not be exactly the duration of inhalation.
  • the duration of operation of the aerosol generator is a proxy for the duration of the corresponding inhalation. Accordingly, in these implementations, the duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 is controlled so as to be guided towards a target duration (which may be based on the target duration inhalation as described above).
  • the duration of operation of the aerosol generator for a given inhalation is measured, and this forms at least a part of the previous inhalation information.
  • this duration of operation of the aerosol generator is equivalent to the duration of the inhalation, but not in every case.
  • timing module 202 is shown as being coupled to the gating module 201 in Figure 2, the timing module 202 may instead be coupled to the aerosol generator control module 205 and subsequently measure the duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 directly.
  • Figure 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method for determining the operating parameters for operating the aerosol generator 48 according to the present disclosure. The method of Figure 3 is generally implemented by the control circuitry 20.
  • the method starts at step S1 where the control circuitry 20 identifies the previous inhalation information. More specifically, the previous inhalation information determining module 203 of the control circuitry 20 identifies the previous inhalation information.
  • the previous inhalation information may be representative of the previous inhalation or a plurality of previous inhalations and the previous inhalation information includes at least an indication of a duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 (e.g., the duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the previous inhalation, an average duration of operation of the aerosol generator over a plurality of previous inhalations or a cumulative duration of operation of the aerosol generator over the plurality of previous inhalations).
  • timing information which is a direct measure of the operational duration of the aerosol generator 48 or an indirect measure of the operational duration of the aerosol generator 48 (e.g., the duration of a button press or the duration for which a pressure sensor indicates a user inhalation).
  • the control circuitry 20 is configured to determine whether or not the duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 in the at least one previous inhalation is within a predetermined range of a target time period set in advance. More specifically, the operating parameter determination module 204 of the control circuitry 20 is configured to determine whether or not the duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 in the at least one previous inhalation is within a predetermined range of a target time period set in advance.
  • the target time period is set in advance and is a time period which corresponds to the natural inhalation for a given user on the aerosol provision system 1.
  • the target time period may depend on certain factors associated with the aerosol provision system 1, such as the resistance to draw (RTD).
  • RTD resistance to draw
  • the target time period is selected from the range of between 2 to 3 seconds, or 2.2 to 2.8 seconds, or 2.4 to 2.6 seconds.
  • the target time period may take different values as appropriate.
  • the specific target time period for a given aerosol provision system 1 may be found empirically, e.g., by requiring users to inhale naturally on the aerosol provision system 1 or a model thereof, in the absence of any aerosol generation.
  • the target time period may be programmed or otherwise provided to the aerosol provision system 1 during manufacture or via a set-up or registration process of the aerosol provision system 1 (e.g., downloaded from a server).
  • the target time period may be set as a multiple (based on the number of previous inhalations considered) of the target time period for a single inhalation.
  • the control circuitry 20 is configured to compare the indication of the duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation with the target time period set in advance. More specifically, the control circuitry 20 determines whether indication of the duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 is within a predetermined range of the target time period.
  • the predetermined range is provided so as to facilitate some flexibility or tolerance around the target time period. For instance, if the target time period is 2.50 seconds, there may only be a slim chance that the measured duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 is exactly equal to 2.50 seconds.
  • the control circuitry 20 is configured to compare the indication of the duration of operation of the aerosol generator to the target time period set in advance, and identify the one or more updated operational parameters, based on the comparison with the target time period. (This may alternatively be considered as the predetermined range being set to zero).
  • the control circuitry 20 identifies whether the duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 in the at least one previous inhalation is within the predetermined range of the target time period set in advance. If it is, i.e. , in accordance with the above example that the duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 is between 2.325 to 2.675 seconds, then step S2 is answered in the affirmative (i.e., a YES at step S2) and the method proceeds to step S3. Alternatively, the control circuitry 20 may compare the duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation with the target time period, and answer step S2 in the affirmative if the duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation is equal to the target time period.
  • the control circuitry 20 is configured to set the operational parameters for operating the aerosol generator 48 for a subsequent inhalation (e.g., to be used by the aerosol generator control module 205) to the operating parameters used for the previous inhalation. In other words, the control circuitry 20 makes no changes to the current operating parameters to be used for controlling the aerosol generator 48. In some implementations, in this event, the operating parameter determination module 204 may simply not output a signal to the aerosol generator control module 205 such that the aerosol generator control module 205 simply functions as before.
  • step S2 is answered in the negative (i.e. , a NO at step S2) and the method proceeds to step S4.
  • the control circuitry 20 may compare the duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation with the target time period, and answer step S2 in the negative if the duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation is not equal to the target time period.
  • the control circuitry 20 (more specifically the operating parameter determination module 204) is configured to identify updated operating parameters for controlling the aerosol generator 48 in the at least one subsequent inhalation.
  • step S5 the control circuitry 20 is configured to set the operating parameters for operating the aerosol generator 48 for a subsequent inhalation (e.g., to be used by the aerosol generator control module 205) to the updated operating parameters identified at step S4.
  • step S6 the aerosol generator 48 of the aerosol provision system 1 is operated in accordance with the set operating parameters.
  • step S6 (or rather the time at which this step occurs) is dependent on the user’s subsequent interaction with the aerosol provision system 1. That is to say, steps S1 to S5 occur a time after a given inhalation has finished (e.g., immediately after the inhalation has finished). However, step S6 may not occur until a later time when the user subsequently decides they wish to perform a subsequent inhalation on the aerosol provision system 1 (e.g., this may be anywhere between 30 seconds to several hours).
  • the control circuitry 20 in response to the control circuitry 20 receiving an indication that the subsequent inhalation has started (which again may be from the pressure sensor 16 or from another input such as a button), the control circuitry 20 (or more specifically the aerosol generator control module 205) is configured to cause the aerosol generator 48 to be operated in accordance with the set operating parameters.
  • the control circuitry 20 in response to receiving an indication that the user inhalation has stopped (e.g., from the pressure sensor 16 or the other input such as a button), the control circuitry 20 (or rather the aerosol generator control module 205) is configured to cause the aerosol generator 48 to stop operating (that is, to cease the aerosol generation process).
  • control circuitry 20 may begin to implement the steps S1 to S5 of Figure 3. This is shown by the arrow from step S7 back to step S1 in Figure 3.
  • control circuitry 20 (or more specifically the timing module 202) is configured to obtain an indication of the duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 (i.e., the time between steps S6 and S7) and this information may be used by the control circuitry 20 for the purposes of step S1.
  • Figure 4 shows a flow diagram describing the process performed at step S4 in more detail according to a first implementation.
  • Figure 4 shows a method whereby an amount of aerosol generated in the at least one previous inhalation (or an indication thereof) is calculated, and this value is used to subsequently determine the operating parameters for the aerosol generator 48 for the at least one subsequent inhalation.
  • step S41 the control circuitry 20 (or more specifically the operating parameter determination module 204) is configured to receive information concerning the power supplied to the aerosol generator 48 during the at least one previous inhalation from the previous inhalation information.
  • the power to be supplied is an example of an operating parameter of the aerosol generator 48 which may be used.
  • the power supplied to the heater is proportional to the amount of aerosol generated per second by the aerosol generator 48, and in fact along with the operational duration of the heater, is one of the significant factors affecting aerosol generation using the heater.
  • the control circuitry 20 may be provided not only with the timing information from the timing module 202 but also an indication of the power supplied to the aerosol generator 48 during that inhalation. Accordingly, the previous inhalation information therefore contains an indication of a duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 as well as an associated power level supplied to the aerosol generator 48.
  • the power level of the previous inhalation information may correspondingly be the power level for the previous inhalation or an average power level over a number of previous inhalations, depending on the implementation at hand.
  • control circuitry 20 is configured to identify the duration of the operation of the aerosol generator 48 for the at least one previous inhalation from the previous inhalation information. It should be appreciated that the control circuitry 20 may already be in possession of this information as a result of the determination at step S2, and therefore this step may be omitted.
  • the control circuitry 20 (or more specifically the operating parameter determination module 204) is configured to determine a target amount (or indication thereof) of aerosol to be delivered to the user, for example, in a subsequent inhalation.
  • the target amount of aerosol to be generated is based on the power identified at steps S41 and the duration of operation identified at step S42.
  • the control circuitry 20 is configured to calculate the amount of aerosol delivered (or an indication thereof) for a previous inhalation, or an average if taken over a number of previous inhalations.
  • Determining the target amount of aerosol to be delivered may not necessarily involve calculating the exact amount of aerosol to be delivered but rather some indication of the amount of aerosol to be delivered. For example, multiplying the obtained power level and duration of operation equivalent to a single previous inhalation (e.g., an average if considering a plurality of previous inhalations) provides a value which is proportional to the amount of aerosol generated in a previous inhalation. Other factors, such as the rate of airflow through the device, an ambient temperature of the liquid aerosol-generating material, etc. may also influence the specific amount of aerosol generated, albeit to a lesser extent than the power supplied to the aerosol generator 48. In some implementations, the control circuitry 20 may be provided with the mechanism to obtain this additional information and include in any calculation for determining the target amount of aerosol to be delivered.
  • the control circuitry 20 (or more specifically the operating parameter determination module 204) is configured to determine one or more updated operating parameters for operating the aerosol generator 48 on the basis of the determined target amount of aerosol to be delivered. More specifically, the control circuitry 20 identifies updated operating parameters for the aerosol generator 48 which allows the aerosol generator to deliver the target amount of aerosol within the target time period set in advance. For example, if we assume the target time period set in advance is 2.5 seconds, taking the above example, the updated operating parameters should be set such that the target amount of aerosol to be delivered (or indication thereof) of 16.96 is capable of being delivered in a time period of 2.5 seconds (corresponding to the target time period set in advance).
  • an updated value for the power level can be calculated (e.g., of 6.78 W). Accordingly, in this example, by supplying the aerosol generator 48 with a power of 6.78 W, it is expected that the aerosol generator 48 is capable of delivering substantially the same amount of aerosol when being operated at 5.3 W for a duration of 3.2 s but in an inhalation duration which is closer to a natural inhalation duration on the aerosol provision system 1, in this case being 2.5 seconds.
  • control circuitry 20 (or more specifically the operating parameter determination module 204) is able to determine one or more updated operating parameters (such as the power level to supply) for operating the aerosol generator and consequently is able to set these one or more updated operating parameters at step S5, for use in the subsequent inhalation.
  • one or more updated operating parameters such as the power level to supply
  • the method of Figure 4 provides the step of determining a target amount of aerosol to be delivered (or an indication thereof) based on the previous inhalation information.
  • the target amount of aerosol to be delivered (or an indication thereof) is calculated based on the amount of aerosol delivered (or an indication thereof) during the at least one previous inhalation, and in some implementations, is identical to the amount of aerosol delivered (or an indication thereof) during the at least one previous inhalation.
  • the operating parameters for controlling the aerosol generator 48 can be updated in a manner such that the calculated amount of aerosol to be delivered can be delivered in a subsequent inhalation which has an expected duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 equal to the target time period set in advance (noting that the actual duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 is influenced by the user).
  • the control circuitry 20 is able to guide a user towards obtaining a desired amount of aerosol (which may equate to a desired amount of active or flavourant), which is specific to any given user and obtained based on the previous inhalation information, via an inhalation experience or interaction which is more comfortable / less strenuous for the user.
  • the updated operating parameters for controlling the aerosol generator 48 in a subsequent inhalation are set such that rate of aerosol generation is increased, while when the duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 is less than the target time period set in advance, the updated operating parameters for controlling the aerosol generator 48 in a subsequent inhalation are set such that rate of aerosol generation is decreased in order to bring the expected duration of operation closer to the target time period.
  • the power may be increased or decreased respectively.
  • a vibrating mesh may be characterised by the frequency of vibrations, whereby a higher frequency may correspond to a higher rate of aerosol generation.
  • the algorithm for determining the amount of aerosol generated in the at least one previous inhalation (or an indication thereof) for a given aerosol generator 48, and subsequently the way in which the operating parameter(s) may need to be altered are likely to depend on the specific aerosol generator 48 that is employed in the aerosol provision system 1.
  • Figure 5 shows a flow diagram describing the process performed at step S4 in more detail according to a second implementation.
  • the process of Figure 5 is a less complex process to arrive at a set of updated operating parameters for the aerosol generator 48.
  • step S411 which immediately proceeds step S2 (when answered in the negative).
  • the control circuitry 20 (or more specifically the operating parameter determination module 204) is configured to further determine whether the duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation obtained from the previous inhalation information is greater than the target time period. Note that as a result of step S2, the control circuitry 20 has already determined that the duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation obtained from the previous inhalation information is outside the predetermined range of the target time period or not equal to the target time period.
  • step S412 if step S411 is answered in the negative (i.e., a NO at step S411) or proceeds to step S413 if step S411 is answered in the affirmative (i.e., a YES at step S411).
  • Steps S412 and S413 are similar in nature and differ only in the extent to whether operating parameters are increased or decreased. Taking step S412, if it is determined that the duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation obtained from the previous inhalation information is not greater than the target time period (e.g. is less than the target time period), then this is suggestive of the fact that the user is obtaining a desired amount of aerosol / active / flavour at the current operating parameters too quickly. Accordingly, the operating parameters for the subsequent inhalation should be set such that the aerosol generator produces less aerosol per second for the subsequent inhalation (i.e. , the rate of aerosol generation is decreased).
  • this may include reducing the power level supplied to the aerosol generator for the subsequent inhalation.
  • the precise amount by which the power level is decreased may be a fixed amount set in advance (e.g., it may be a fixed reduction of 0.5 W) or it may be set based on the current power level (e.g., a 5% decrease) or it may be proportional to the difference between the duration of operation of the aerosol generator and a target time period.
  • the power level for the subsequent inhalation is decreased compared to the power level as used in the at least one previous inhalation.
  • the power level to be supplied to the aerosol generator is only one operating parameter, and other operating parameters may additionally or alternatively be adjusted in a manner that reduces the rate of aerosol generation.
  • step S413 if it is determined that the duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation obtained from the previous inhalation information is greater than the target time period, then this is suggestive of the fact that the user is obtaining a desired amount of aerosol / active / flavour at the current operating parameters too slowly and therefore needing a relatively longer inhalation to obtain the desired level of aerosol / active / flavour.
  • the operating parameters for the subsequent inhalation should be set such that the aerosol generator produces more aerosol per second for the subsequent inhalation (i.e., the rate of aerosol generation is increased). For example, this may include increasing the power level supplied to the aerosol generator for the subsequent inhalation.
  • the precise amount by which the power level is increased may be a fixed amount set in advance (e.g., it may be a fixed increase of 0.5 W) or it may be set based on the current power level (e.g., a 5% increase) or it may be proportional to the difference between the duration of operation of the aerosol generator and a target time period. Put simply, the power level for the subsequent inhalation is increased compared to the power level as used in the at least one previous inhalation.
  • the power level to be supplied to the aerosol generator is only one operating parameter, and other operating parameters may additionally or alternatively be adjusted in a manner that increases the rate of aerosol generation.
  • step S5 the control circuitry 20 essentially acts to increase or decrease the aerosol generation rate by adjusting the operating parameters (e.g., power) accordingly.
  • the adjustment in Figure 5 may be considered to be a coarser adjustment of the operating parameters, which may lead to several recalculations by the control circuitry 20 of updated operating parameters as the user adapts their behaviour to the adjustments made. For example, it may take e.g., four adjustments by 0.5 W power increments before the actual duration of operation of the aerosol generator 48 is similar to the target time period set in advance. While the method of Figure 5 is coarser in this regard, it is computationally a less complex method which may be more easily and cheaply implemented in hardware and/or software than the method of Figure 4.
  • Figures 4 and 5 provide example methods for determining one or more updated operating parameters, particularly the power supplied to the aerosol generator 48, that allows for an expected operational duration of the aerosol generator 48 in a subsequent inhalation to be closer to the target time period set in advance.
  • the methods of Figure 4 and 5 act to guide the user toward a target time period for their inhalations on the aerosol provision system 1 by adjusting the delivery of the aerosol (through operation of the aerosol generator) such that the user can expect to receive the same or similar amount of aerosol with an inhalation that is closer to the duration of the target time period.
  • Figures 4 and 5 offer differing levels of precision in terms of adjusting the operating parameters, it should be appreciated that both may operate in effectively an iterative way. That is to say, it is unlikely that a single adjustment of the one or more operating parameters will satisfy a given a user, and it is likely that several adjustments will be required before the user’s interaction is relatively stable. For example, dropping the power supply (which decreases the rate of aerosol generation) may lead to the user drawing / inhaling on the device for with an inhalation longer than the target time. Accordingly, the control circuitry 20 may need to iteratively adjust the operating parameters again to slightly increase the aerosol generation rate.
  • Figure 6 is a flow diagram showing a variation on a part of the method of Figure 3, in particular step S1.
  • step ST it is asked whether or not previous inhalation can be identified. It is expected that previous inhalation information will be available in the majority of instances, but in scenarios where the aerosol provision system 1 is fresh out of the box, the aerosol provision system 1 may not yet have any previous inhalation information which can be used to adapt the delivery to given a user. Accordingly, when step ST is answered in the negative (i.e., NO at step ST), the method proceeds to step S8 where the control circuitry 20 (or more specifically the operating parameter determination module 204) is configured to set a default value for the one or more operating parameters for the aerosol generator 48.
  • the default values for the one of more operating parameters may be chosen in any suitable way.
  • the default values are selected to be the operating parameters that achieve maximum aerosol generation.
  • the power to be supplied to the aerosol generator 48 may be set to the maximum power achievable. Setting the operating parameters to provide the maximum aerosol generation available can provide a quicker adaptation to a suitable set of updated operating parameters (i.e., fewer iterations). For example, if the maximum level of aerosol generation on a user’s first puff is too much / too great, then the user is more likely to be able to respond and therefore to have a relatively shorter inhalation.
  • the default operating parameters can be set to values that correspond to any level of aerosol generation, and could also include a medium level of aerosol generation.
  • the default values may be implemented in any desired manner. That is, the default values for the operating parameters may be set at a value for the subsequent inhalation (for convenience we will refer to this as the first inhalation) and then for inhalations thereafter (for convenience we will refer to this as the second inhalation), the operating parameters may be based on the previous inhalation information. That is to say, the first inhalation which is generated using the default operating parameters subsequently forms the previous inhalation information, which influences the operating parameters for subsequent inhalations.
  • the default operating parameters may include multiple sets of default operating values which may be applied according to a particular scheme.
  • the default operating parameters for the first inhalation may be set so as to provide the maximum aerosol generation (e.g., a maximum level of power supplied to the aerosol generator).
  • the default operating parameters may be set so as to provide the minimum aerosol generation, or alternatively they may be set so as to provide a relatively lower level of aerosol generation (e.g., a minimum or lower level of power supplied to the aerosol generator).
  • the previous inhalation information may then be considered to comprise the information relating to the first inhalation (power level and operation duration for that inhalation) and information relating to the second inhalation (power level and operation duration for that inhalation), and the control circuitry 20 may be configured to utilise this previous inhalation information to calculate the operational parameters for the third inhalation (e.g., by determining an average duration and an average power level from the duration and power levels of the above).
  • the default operating parameters therefore provide a way which may be used to gain some information regarding the user’s use of the aerosol provision system 1 to thereby obtain previous inhalation information.
  • step S8 the method proceeds to step S6 of Figure 3 as indicated in Figure 6.
  • Figure 6 also shows that when step ST is answered in the affirmative (i.e., a YES at step ST) the method proceeds directly to step S2.
  • Figure 7 is a flow diagram showing a variation on a part of the method of Figure 3.
  • Figure 7 includes the optional step S10.
  • the aerosol provision system is configured to supply a notification to the user.
  • the notification may be provided through the indicator 14 (or more generally referred to as a notification mechanism), which as noted above may be part of the aerosol provision system 1 or a remote device, such as a smartphone.
  • the notification is provided to the user primarily in the event of being unable to further adjust any one or more of the operating parameters. For example, taking the case of power to be supplied to the aerosol generator 48, the maximum power may be between 5 to 7 W and the minimum power may be between 1 to 2 W. During the determination of the updated operating parameters, and in particular the power, the power may be set to 1 W or 7 W. This may be sufficient for a given user or it may not be.
  • the power is set to be at the maximum or minimum, it means that the power can no longer be adjusted to a lower or greater value, respectively.
  • the aerosol provision system 1 is set to supply the maximum power to the aerosol generator 48 and the user continues inhaling for longer than the target time period (e.g., longer than 2.5s), the aerosol provision system 1 is unable to further increase the rate of aerosol generation by increasing the power to be supplied to the aerosol generator.
  • the controller is configured to cause the notification mechanism to notify the user.
  • the controller is configured to cause the notification mechanism to notify the user.
  • the notification generated by the notification mechanism includes a suggestion to alter the aerosol-generating material provided to the aerosol generating system 1. Indeed, when the power is set to a maximum or minimum this may be suggestive that the concentration of the active or flavourant in the aerosol-generating material is too low or high respectively.
  • the aerosol provision system 1 and control circuitry 20 may be recalibrated by performing the steps described above (e.g., Figure 3) on the basis of this new aerosol-generating material.
  • Figure 7 shows a variety of lines running from before step S6, during step S6, after step S6 and before step S7, or during step S7. This signifies that the notification may be provided at any one or more of these locations in the method of Figure 3.
  • the user may choose to take action or not depending on the user’s preferences.
  • the target time period is selected, by the control circuitry 20, based on timing information.
  • the aerosol provision system 1 is provided with timing information which is indicative of a particular time period, such as a time of day or a day of the week or the like.
  • the aerosol provision system 1 may be provided with an inbuilt mechanism to provide this information (such as a clock) or it may be provided with the means (such as wireless communication hardware) to be able to obtain this information from a remote location.
  • a “natural” inhalation duration such a natural inhalation duration may be dependent on the user’s intended use of the aerosol provision system 1, which has been closely linked to the time of day or week that the aerosol provision system 1 is being used.
  • the target time period may be selected from one of a plurality of target time periods corresponding to different time periods of the day and/or week, as determined by the timing information.
  • step S2 the method proceeds to step S2 as shown above and the method proceeds as per the description of Figure 3.
  • the principles of the present disclosure are also applicable more generally to systems that comprise the aerosol provision system but which provide the, or aspects of, the controller on a remote computing device (such as a smartphone or the like).
  • a remote computing device such as a smartphone or the like.
  • the control circuitry 20 shown in Figure 2 may be provided on a smartphone (or other remote device) and a communications link may be provided between the smartphone and the aerosol provision system 1.
  • the aerosol provision system 1 may transmit data concerning the duration of activation of the heater (as detected by the sensor 16, for example) to control circuitry provided in the smartphone.
  • the control circuitry in the smartphone may include the gating module 201, the timing module 202, the previous inhalation information determining module 203, and the operating parameter determination module 204.
  • the control circuitry in the smartphone may include the previous inhalation information determining module 203, and the operating parameter determination module 204, with the timing module 202 being provided in the aerosol provision device 2 and providing the timing information to the smartphone.
  • the output of the operating parameter determination module 204 may be passed from the smartphone to the aerosol generator control module 205 located in the aerosol provision device 2, which subsequently operates in the manner disclosed above. That is to say, the aerosol provision device 2 receives control information, for controlling the aerosol generator 48, from the remote device, whereby the remote device has performed some of the more complex processing.
  • an aerosol provision system for generating aerosol from an aerosol generating material for user inhalation
  • the system including: an aerosol generator for generating aerosol from aerosol generating material; a power supply for supplying power to the aerosol generator; an inhalation sensor for sensing a user inhalation on the aerosol provision system; and a controller.
  • the controller is configured to: identify previous inhalation information corresponding to at least one previous inhalation, the previous inhalation information comprising at least a duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation, the previous inhalation information indicative of an amount of aerosol generated during the at least one previous inhalation; compare the duration of operation of the aerosol generator in the at least one previous inhalation to a target time period or a predetermined range of the target time period set in advance; depending on the comparison of the duration of operation of the aerosol generator with the target time period or the predetermined range of the target time period set in advance, identify one or more updated operating parameters for the aerosol generator for a subsequent inhalation, in dependence of the previous inhalation information; and operate the aerosol generator using the one or more updated operating parameters for a subsequent inhalation.
  • Identifying the one or more updated operating parameters for the aerosol generator includes identifying one or more updated operating parameters for the aerosol generator such that an expected operational duration of the aerosol generator in the subsequent inhalation is closer to the target time period set in advance. Also described is an aerosol provision device for use with an aerosol generating article and a non-therapeutic method for setting a power to be supplied to an aerosol generator of an aerosol provision system.

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  • Medicinal Preparation (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention propose un système comprenant un système de fourniture d'aérosol pour générer un aérosol à partir d'un matériau de génération d'aérosol pour une inhalation d'utilisateur, le système comprenant un générateur d'aérosol pour générer un aérosol à partir d'un matériau de génération d'aérosol ; une alimentation électrique pour alimenter en électricité le générateur d'aérosol ; un capteur d'inhalation pour détecter une inhalation d'utilisateur sur le système de fourniture d'aérosol ; et un dispositif de commande, le dispositif de commande étant configuré pour : identifier des informations d'inhalation précédentes correspondant à au moins une inhalation précédente, les informations d'inhalation précédentes comprenant au moins une durée de fonctionnement du générateur d'aérosol pendant l'au moins une inhalation précédente, les informations d'inhalation précédentes indiquant une quantité d'aérosol générée pendant l'au moins une inhalation précédente ; comparer la durée de fonctionnement du générateur d'aérosol pendant l'au moins une inhalation précédente à une période cible ou à une plage prédéterminée de la période cible définie à l'avance ; en fonction de la comparaison de la durée de fonctionnement du générateur d'aérosol avec la période cible ou la plage prédéterminée de la période cible définie à l'avance, identifier un ou plusieurs paramètres de fonctionnement mis à jour pour le générateur d'aérosol pour une inhalation ultérieure, en fonction des informations d'inhalation précédentes ; et faire fonctionner le générateur d'aérosol à l'aide du ou des paramètres de fonctionnement mis à jour pour une inhalation ultérieure, l'identification du ou des paramètres de fonctionnement mis à jour pour le générateur d'aérosol comprenant l'identification d'un ou de plusieurs paramètres de fonctionnement mis à jour pour le générateur d'aérosol de telle sorte qu'une durée de fonctionnement attendue du générateur d'aérosol pendant l'inhalation ultérieure est plus proche de la période cible définie à l'avance.
PCT/EP2023/083618 2022-11-30 2023-11-29 Système comprenant un système de fourniture d'aérosol WO2024115607A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB2218000.4 2022-11-30
GBGB2218000.4A GB202218000D0 (en) 2022-11-30 2022-11-30 Electronic aerosol provision system

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WO2024115607A1 true WO2024115607A1 (fr) 2024-06-06

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Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2021074608A1 (fr) * 2019-10-16 2021-04-22 Nicoventures Trading Limited Système comprenant un système d'administration d'aérosol et un ordinateur
WO2021074577A1 (fr) * 2019-10-16 2021-04-22 Nicoventures Trading Limited Appareil et procédé de prédiction de distribution
WO2021074581A1 (fr) * 2019-10-16 2021-04-22 Nicoventures Trading Limited Système et procédé de fourniture d'aérosol
WO2022008899A1 (fr) * 2020-07-10 2022-01-13 Nicoventures Trading Limited Système de fourniture d'aérosol

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2021074608A1 (fr) * 2019-10-16 2021-04-22 Nicoventures Trading Limited Système comprenant un système d'administration d'aérosol et un ordinateur
WO2021074577A1 (fr) * 2019-10-16 2021-04-22 Nicoventures Trading Limited Appareil et procédé de prédiction de distribution
WO2021074581A1 (fr) * 2019-10-16 2021-04-22 Nicoventures Trading Limited Système et procédé de fourniture d'aérosol
WO2022008899A1 (fr) * 2020-07-10 2022-01-13 Nicoventures Trading Limited Système de fourniture d'aérosol

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