Aerosol-generating device with improved airflow

Abstract

An aerosol-generating device including top and bottom molded parts assembled to form an airflow chamber extending between an air inlet and an air outlet, in the form of a mouthpiece, the air chamber including a solid drug film coated on at least one foil substrate and a plurality of airflow control features arranged throughout the inner walls of the airflow chamber.

Description

An aerosol generating device includes a top molded component and a bottom molded component assembled to form an airflow chamber extending between an air inlet and an air outlet in the form of a nozzle. The airflow chamber includes a solid drug film coated on at least one foil substrate and a plurality of airflow control features disposed on the inner wall of the airflow chamber.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An aerosol-generating device for generating a drug condensation aerosol by thermal vaporization of the drug, said device comprising: a top molded part; and a bottom molded part; said top and bottom molded parts assembled to form an airflow chamber extending between an air inlet located at a distal end thereof, and an air outlet, in the form of a mouthpiece, at a proximal end thereof, said airflow chamber comprising a solid drug film coated on an at least one foil substrate, said top molded part and / or bottom molded part comprising airflow control features, said airflow control features comprising a perforated bulkhead, having a plurality of through- holes, arranged flush with or adjacent to the air inlet portion of molded the parts, and a plurality of interspaced teeth, arranged upstream of the perforated bulkhead; or a bulkhead assembly comprising a perforated bulkhead, having a plurality of through-holes, and a plurality of airflow directing elements which lie flush with the proximal surface of the bulkhead, and wherein the plurality of through-holes is oriented orthogonally to the airflow directing elements.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of interspaced teeth from the top and bottom parts form a set of meshed teeth (having air gaps between the interspaced teeth.

3. The device according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the top molded part comprises six interspaced teeth and the bottom molded part comprises seven interspaced teeth.

4. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the top and bottom molded parts comprise additional airflow control features in the form of a plurality of longitudinal frets arranged on inner walls, upstream the plurality of interspaced teeth.

5. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the top and bottom molded parts are assembled by snap-fitting.

6. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one foil substrate is equidistantly supported from the top and bottom molded parts by a solid support.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the solid support is a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the top and bottom molded parts are assembled against the PCB assembly.

9. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the top and bottom molded parts comprise an elastic gasket.

10. The device according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the top and bottom molded parts do not include an elastic gasket .

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the top and bottom molded parts further comprise:- a plurality of first air channels extending along at least part of the length of inner walls of the top and bottom parts; and / or- a plurality of second air channels arranged throughout the bulkhead, over the through- holes.

12. The device according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality first air channels are angled with respect to the air inlet to air outlet axis.

13. The device according to claim 11 or 12, wherein at least part of the plurality of first air channels comprises guiding walls.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the effective length of the plurality of first air channels increases towards the air outlet.

15. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of through-holes is evenly spaced apart along the transverse direction of the bulkhead.

16. The device according to claims 1 or 15, wherein the plurality of through-holes is arranged in sets of three through-holes, having a triangular configuration, each set being evenly spaced apart along the transverse direction of the bulkhead.

17. The device according to any of claims 1 , 15 or 16, wherein the plurality of airflow directing elements is evenly spaced apart along the transverse direction of the bulkhead.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein each pair of continuous through-holes or each pair of three through-hole sets (has one of said plurality of airflow directing elements arranged in the gap therebetween.

19. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the transverse spacing of the plurality of through-holes is not even along the bulkhead assembly.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the transverse spacing of the plurality of through-holes is wider in the middle portion of the perforated bulkhead and gradually and symmetrically narrower to both ends of said perforated bulkhead.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the plurality of airflow directing elements is not evenly spaced throughout the transverse direction of the bulkhead.

22. The device according to any of claims 15 to 17 and 19 to 21 , wherein the bulkhead assembly comprises at least four airflow directing elements.

23. The device according to any of claims 1 and 15 to 22, wherein the bulkhead assembly (comprises from 3 to 15 through-holes, particularly, from 5 to 10 through-holes, particularly from 6 to 9 through-holes, and more particularly 7 through-holes.

24. The device according to any of claims 1 and 15 to 23, wherein the through-holes have a maximum diameter between 0.25 mm and 2 mm, in particular between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm, in particular between 0.75 mm and 1.25 mm, and more particularly 1 mm.

25. The device according to any of claims 1 and 15 to 24, wherein the plurality of airflow directing elements are L-shaped and the long part of the L is substantially parallel to the air inlet to air outlet axis.

26. The device according to claim 25, wherein the long part of the L overhangs the surface of a foil substrate support.

27. The device according to any of claims 1 and 15 to 26, wherein the airflow directing elements have a length of 3 mm and 15 mm, in particular of 7 mm.

28. The device according to any of claims 1 and 15 to 27, wherein the airflow directing elements have a width of between 0.25 mm and 2 mm, in particular of between 0.5 mm to 1 .5 mm, and more particularly of between 0.6 mm and 1 mm.

29. The device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said device is in the form of a disposable cartridge and wherein the disposable cartridge further comprises means for connecting the device to a handheld controller.

30. The device according to claim 29, wherein said means for connecting the cartridge to the handheld controller include one or more connectors to electrically connect the disposable cartridge to the handheld controller.31 . The aerosol-generating device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the airflow chamber comprises antistatic material.

32. The device according to any of the preceding claims for use in therapy, wherein when the drug in the solid drug film is:A) loxapine or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts, the condition or episode is agitation, comprising: i. rapidly control mild to moderate agitation in adults with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or ii. acute agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in adults;B) alprazolam, estazolam or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, the condition or episode is epilepsy, wherein epilepsy comprises seizures;C) fentanyl or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts, the condition or episode is breakthrough pain;D) zaleplon, almorexant or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts, the condition or episode is a sleep disorder comprising: i. middle of the night awakening, or ii. middle of the night insomnia;E) apomorphine, pergolide, ropinirole, pramipexole, or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts, the condition or episode is Parkinson’s disease, (including off-episodes in Parkinson’s disease, and / or idiopathic Parkinson’s disease);F) granisetron, ondansetron, palonosetron or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, the condition or episode is: i. nausea, ii. vomiting or ill. cyclic vomiting syndrome;G) nicotine or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts including nicotine metasalicylate, the condition or episode is nicotine craving and / or effecting cessation of smoking; orH) ropinirole, pramipexole, or, rotigotine or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, the condition or episode is restless legs syndrome.

Images