Electronic aerosol provision system

Abstract

To provide a method of reducing the quantity of a first constituent in an aerosol generating material using an aerosol generating device configured to deliver inhalable aerosol to a user.SOLUTION: A method of reducing the quantity of a first constituent in an aerosol generating material comprises a step of performing a first aerosolization process on one portion of the aerosol generating material comprising the first constituent so as to generate aerosol for user inhalation, and a step of performing a second aerosolization process on at least the one portion of the aerosol generating material until the at least one portion of the aerosol generating material is substantially free of the first constituent.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a non-combustion aerosol delivery system.

[0002] Electronic aerosol delivery systems, such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), generally include a reservoir of liquid feedstock, typically including a formulation that includes nicotine, from which an aerosol is generated, for example by thermal vaporization. Thus, an aerosol source for an aerosol delivery system may include a heater having a heating element arranged to receive the liquid feedstock from the reservoir, for example by wicking / capillary action. As a user inhales on the device, power is provided to the heating element to vaporize the liquid feedstock adjacent the heating element, thereby generating an aerosol for inhalation by the user. Such devices are typically provided with one or more air inlet holes located away from the mouthpiece end of the system. When a user inhales on a mouthpiece connected to the mouthpiece end of the system, air is drawn through the aerosol source through the inlet holes. There is a flow path connecting the aerosol source and an opening in the mouthpiece, such that the air drawn through the aerosol source continues along the flow path to the mouthpiece opening, carrying with it a portion of the aerosol from the aerosol source. The air carrying the aerosol exits the aerosol delivery system through the mouthpiece opening for inhalation by the user.

[0003] Some aerosol delivery devices generate an aerosol from a solid material, such as tobacco or a tobacco derivative. Such devices operate in a manner generally similar to the liquid-based systems described above, in that the solid tobacco material is heated to a vaporization temperature to generate an aerosol, which is then inhaled by the user.

[0004] Many aerosol delivery systems are modular in that they include reusable parts and consumable parts, the consumable parts including or consisting of aerosol-generating material. When such a consumable part runs out of aerosol-generating material, in the sense that it is unable to generate sufficient aerosol from the aerosol-generating material, the user may typically dispose of the consumable part. However, trace amounts of certain components may be present in the consumable. In some cases, it may be necessary to dispose of the consumable part in a specialized disposal site to prevent certain components from causing damage to the environment. This may be troublesome for the user, especially if the user is not always located near a specialized disposal site.

[0005] Various approaches are described that seek to help address some of these problems.

[0006] According to a first aspect of certain embodiments, there is provided a method for reducing an amount of a first component in an aerosol-generating material using an aerosol generating device configured to deliver an inhalable aerosol to a user, the method comprising: subjecting a portion of the aerosol-generating material containing the first component to a first aerosolization process to generate an aerosol for user inhalation; and subjecting at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material to a second aerosolization process until at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of the first component.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first component is nicotine.

[0008] In some embodiments, after subjecting at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material to the second aerosolization process until at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of the first component, the concentration of nicotine in at least a portion of the aerosol-generating material is less than 0.05 mg / ml when dissolved in 100 ml of solvent.

[0009] In some embodiments, after subjecting at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material to the second aerosolization process until at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of the first component, the concentration of nicotine in at least a portion of the aerosol-generating material is less than 0.02 mg / ml when dissolved in 100 ml of solvent.

[0010] In some embodiments, the aerosol-forming material is an amorphous solid. In some embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises 0.5-60 wt % gelling agent, 5-80 wt % aerosol generating agent, and 5-60 wt % of at least one active agent, such as nicotine, all weights calculated on a dry weight basis.

[0011] In some embodiments, subjecting the portion of the aerosol-generating material containing the first component to a first aerosolization process to generate an aerosol for user inhalation comprises aerosolizing the portion of the aerosol-generating material for a first period of time, and subjecting at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material to a second aerosolization process until at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of the first component comprises aerosolizing at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material for a second period of time, the second period of time being longer than the first period of time.

[0012] In some embodiments, the second period of time is greater than 1 minute.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first period of time does not exceed 10 seconds.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first aerosolization process and the second aerosolization process are performed by heating.

[0015] In some embodiments, the temperature to which the aerosol-forming material is heated does not exceed 350°C.

[0016] In some embodiments, heating the portion of the aerosol-generating material containing the first component to generate an aerosol for user inhalation comprises heating the portion of the aerosol-generating material to a first maximum temperature, and heating at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material until at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of the first component comprises heating at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material to a second maximum temperature, the second maximum temperature being greater than the first maximum temperature.

[0017] In some embodiments, heating the portion of the aerosol-generating material including the first component to generate an aerosol for user inhalation comprises heating the portion of the aerosol-generating material to a first maximum temperature, and heating at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material until at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of the first component comprises heating at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material to a second maximum temperature, the second maximum temperature being approximately the same as the first maximum temperature.

[0018] In some embodiments, the control circuitry is configured to monitor activation parameters for each of a plurality of portions of the aerosol generating material, the activation parameters indicating one or a combination of the individual number of times the portion is heated based on the temperature to which the respective portion is heated, the cumulative heating time the portion is heated, and the weighted cumulative heating time the portion is heated.

[0019] In some embodiments, the method includes calculating a heating duration for heating each of the portions of the aerosol generating material until the portions of the aerosol generating material are substantially free of the first component, the calculation taking into account the monitored startup parameters.

[0020] In some embodiments, the method further includes providing a warning when subjecting at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material to the second aerosolization process until at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of the first component, the warning indicating to a user not to inhale into the device.

[0021] In some embodiments, the method further includes blocking an air outlet in the device while subjecting at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material to the first aerosolization process until at least the portion of the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of the first component.

[0022] According to a second aspect of certain embodiments, there is provided an aerosol generating device for use with an aerosol product article comprising an aerosol generating material, the aerosol generating material comprising a first component, the device comprising: an aerosol generating component that performs an aerosolization process on a portion of the aerosol generating material; and control circuitry configured to activate the aerosol generating component, the control circuitry configured to perform a first aerosolization process on the portion of the aerosol generating material comprising the first component to generate an aerosol for user inhalation, and to perform a second aerosolization process on the portion of the aerosol generating material until the portion is substantially free of the first component.

[0023] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating device further comprises a warning unit configured to output a warning when at least the portion of the aerosol generating material is aerosolized until the portion is substantially free of the first component, the warning indicating to a user not to inhale into the device.

[0024] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating device further comprises an air flow blocking member configured to block an air outlet in the device when at least the portion of the aerosol generating material is aerosolized until the portion is substantially free of the first component.

[0025] According to a third aspect of certain embodiments, there is provided an aerosol delivery system comprising the aerosol delivery device of the second aspect of certain embodiments and an aerosol product article including an aerosol generating material having the first component described above.

[0026] In some embodiments, the aerosol product comprises multiple portions of aerosol-forming material, with at least one portion comprising the first component.

[0027] According to a fourth aspect of certain embodiments, there is provided an aerosol generating device for use with an aerosol product article comprising an aerosol generating material, the aerosol generating material comprising a first component, the device comprising: aerosolization means for performing an aerosolization process on a portion of the aerosol generating material; and control means configured to activate the aerosolization means, the control means configured to perform a first aerosolization process on the portion of the aerosol generating material comprising the first component to generate an aerosol for user inhalation, and to perform a second aerosolization process on the portion of the aerosol generating material until the portion is substantially free of the first component.

[0028] It will be understood that the features and aspects of the invention described above in relation to the first and other aspects of the invention are equally applicable to and can be combined with embodiments of the invention according to the other aspects of the invention, as appropriate, not just in the specific combinations described above.

[0029] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol delivery device and an aerosol delivery article (e.g., an aerosol product), the device comprising multiple heating elements and the article comprising multiple portions of an aerosol-generating material. [Figure 2A] 2 is one of various views of the aerosol delivery article of FIG. 1 from a variety of different angles. [Figure 2B] 2 is one of various views of the aerosol delivery article of FIG. 1 from a variety of different angles. [Figure 2C] 2 is one of various views of the aerosol delivery article of FIG. 1 from a variety of different angles. [Diagram 3] 2 is a top cross-sectional view of a heating element of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 1 is a top view of an exemplary touch-sensitive panel for actuating various functions of the aerosol delivery system. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 illustrates a first method for substantially removing a first component from an aerosol-forming material. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 illustrates a second method for substantially removing a first component from an aerosol-forming material. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an example of an aerosol delivery system comprising an aerosol delivery device and an aerosol delivery article (e.g., an aerosol product article), the device comprising a plurality of inductive work coils, the article including a plurality of portions of aerosol-generating material and corresponding susceptor portions. [Figure 8A] 8 is one of various views of the aerosol delivery article of FIG. 7 from a variety of different angles. [Figure 8B] 8 is one of various views of the aerosol delivery article of FIG. 7 from a variety of different angles. [Figure 8C]8 is one of various views of the aerosol delivery article of FIG. 7 from a variety of different angles. Detailed Description

[0031] Aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments are described / discussed herein. Some aspects and features of certain examples and embodiments may be implemented in a conventional manner and have not been described / discussed in detail for the sake of brevity. Thus, it will be understood that aspects and features of the apparatus and methods described herein that are not described in detail may be implemented according to any conventional technique for implementing such aspects and features.

[0032] The present disclosure relates to a "non-combustion" aerosol delivery system, one in which the constituent aerosolizable materials of the aerosol delivery system (or its components) are not combusted or burned to facilitate delivery of the aerosol to a user. Moreover, as is common in the art, the terms "vapor" and "aerosol," as well as related terms such as "vaporization," "volatilization," and "aerosolization," may generally be used interchangeably.

[0033] In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it should be noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosolizable material is not a requirement. Throughout the following description, the terms "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may be used, but these terms can be used interchangeably with aerosol (vapor) delivery system.

[0034] Typically, a non-combustion aerosol delivery system may comprise a non-combustion aerosol delivery device and an article (sometimes referred to as a consumable) for use with the non-combustion aerosol delivery device. However, it is contemplated that an article that itself comprises a means for powering an aerosol generating component may itself form a non-combustion aerosol delivery system.

[0035] The article, or a portion or all of the article, is intended to be consumed by a user at the time of use. The article may include or consist of an aerosolizable material (also called an aerosol-generating material). The article may include one or more other elements, such as a filter or an aerosol modifier (e.g., a component that flavors or otherwise alters the properties of the aerosol passing through or over the aerosol modifier).

[0036] A non-combustion aerosol delivery system often, but not always, comprises a modular assembly that includes both a reusable aerosol delivery device and a replaceable article. In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery device can comprise a power source and a controller (or control circuitry). The power source can be, for example, a power source such as a battery or a rechargeable battery. In some embodiments, the non-combustion aerosol delivery device can also comprise an aerosol generating component. However, in other embodiments, an article may comprise, in part or in whole, the aerosol generating component.

[0037] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating component is a heater capable of interacting with the aerosolizable material to release one or more volatile substances from the aerosolizable material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generating component is capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without heating. For example, the aerosol generating component may be capable of generating an aerosol from the aerosolizable material without applying heat to the aerosolizable material, for example by one or more of vibrational, mechanical, pressurized or electrostatic means. The heater (or heating element) may include one or more electrical resistance heaters, including, for example, one or more nichrome resistance heaters and / or one or more ceramic heaters. The one or more heaters may include one or more induction heaters having a configuration that includes one or more susceptors that may form a chamber into which an article containing the aerosolizable material is inserted or otherwise disposed during use.

[0038] Alternatively or additionally, one or more susceptors may be provided in the aerosolizable material.Other heating configurations may also be used.

[0039] Articles for use with non-combustion aerosol delivery devices generally include an aerosolizable material. An aerosolizable material, sometimes referred to herein as an aerosol-generating material, is a material capable of generating an aerosol when excited, for example, by heating, radiation, or in any other manner. The aerosolizable material may be in the form of, for example, a solid, liquid, or gel, which may or may not include nicotine and / or flavorings. In the following disclosure, the aerosolizable material is described as including an "amorphous solid," which may alternatively be referred to as a "monolithic solid" (i.e., non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dry gel. An amorphous solid is a solid material that can hold some fluid, such as a liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosolizable material may include, for example, about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, or 70 wt% amorphous solid to about 90 wt%, 95 wt%, or 100 wt% amorphous solid. However, it should be understood that the principles of the present disclosure may be applied to other aerosolizable materials, such as tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, liquids such as e-liquids, and the like.

[0040] Optionally, the aerosolizable material or amorphous solid may contain any one or more of an active ingredient, a carrier ingredient, a flavoring agent, and one or more other functional ingredients. An active ingredient as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. An active ingredient may be selected from, for example, a dietary supplement, a nootropic, a psychoactive substance. An active ingredient may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. An active ingredient may include, for example, nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or components, derivatives, or combinations thereof. An active ingredient may include one or more components, derivatives, or extracts of tobacco, cannabis, or another botanical material. As mentioned herein, an active ingredient may include one or more components, derivatives, or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.

[0041] In some embodiments, the active ingredient comprises nicotine, hi some embodiments, the active ingredient comprises caffeine, melatonin, or vitamin B12.

[0042] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating material comprises one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabivarin (CBV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CBGM), and cannabielsoin (CBE), cannabicitran (CBT). The aerosol generating material may comprise one or more cannabinoid compounds selected from the group consisting of cannabidiol (CBD) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). The aerosol generating material may comprise cannabidiol (CBD). The aerosol-forming material may include nicotine and cannabidiol (CBD).

[0043] As mentioned herein, the active ingredient may include or be derived from one or more botanical substances, or their components, derivatives or extracts. As used herein, the term "botanical substances" includes any material derived from botanical substances, including but not limited to extracts, leaves, bark, fibers, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husks, shells, etc. Alternatively, the material may include synthetically obtained active compounds naturally occurring in the botanical substances. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, chips, strips, sheets, etc. Examples of botanical substances are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo, hazel, hibiscus, bay leaf, licorice, matcha, yerba mate, orange peel, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, cloves, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed, basil, bay leaf, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, Lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, wintergreen, perilla, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, blackcurrant, valerian, pimento, mace, damiene, oregano, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, fennel, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint may be selected from the following mint varieties: corn mint, Moroccan mint, Egyptian mint, peppermint, cologne mint, candy mint, curly mint, Kentucky kernel mint, horse mint, pineapple mint, pennyroyal mint, English spearmint and apple mint.

[0044] In some embodiments, the active ingredient comprises or is derived from one or more botanical substances or components, derivatives or extracts thereof, and the botanical substance is tobacco.

[0045] In some embodiments, the active ingredient comprises or is derived from one or more botanical substances or components, derivatives or extracts thereof, and the botanical substances are selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.

[0046] In some embodiments, the active ingredient comprises or is derived from one or more botanical substances or components, derivatives or extracts thereof, and the botanical substances are selected from rooibos and fennel.

[0047] In some embodiments, the aerosolizable material comprises a fragrance (or flavoring). As used herein, the terms "flavor" and "flavoring agent" refer to materials that can be used to create a desired taste, odor, or other somatic sensation in products intended for adult consumers, where local regulations permit.They may be any naturally occurring flavoring material, plant material, extract of plant material, synthetically derived material, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice, hydrangea, eugenol, magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese peppermint, aniseed, cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herbs, wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, toro, citronellol ... Pical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grapes, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel quid, shisha, pine, honey extract, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, konjac, jasmine, ira Other than these, the following may be used: linseed, sage, fennel, wasabi, pimento, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, peppermint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo, hazel, hibiscus, bay, yerba mate, orange peel, rose, tea such as green or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, shiso, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, black currant, valerian, pimento, melon, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, perilla, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, black currant, valerian, pimento, melon. The compositions may also include other additives such as sucralose, damien, oregano, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chives, fennel, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavor enhancers, bitter taste receptor site blockers, sensory receptor site activators or stimulants, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath fresheners.These may be of imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients, or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, a liquid such as an oil, a solid such as a powder, or a gas.

[0048] In some embodiments, the flavoring comprises menthol, spearmint, and / or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavoring comprises cucumber, blueberry, citrus, and / or red berry flavor ingredients. In some embodiments, the flavoring comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavoring comprises flavor ingredients extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavoring comprises flavor ingredients extracted from cannabis.

[0049] In some embodiments, the fragrance may include a sensory elicitor intended to achieve somatic sensations that are usually chemically induced and recognized by stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve) in addition to or instead of the aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents that produce a warming, cooling, tingling, or numbing effect. A suitable heat agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether, and a suitable cooling agent may be, but is not limited to, eucalyptol, WS-3.

[0050] The carrier component may include one or more components capable of forming an aerosol (e.g., an aerosol forming agent). In some embodiments, the carrier component may include one or more of glycerin, glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, tributin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate. The aerosol-generating material or amorphous solid may include an aerosol forming agent. In some embodiments, the aerosol forming agent comprises one or more polyhydric alcohols, such as propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, and glycerin; esters of polyhydric alcohols, such as glycerol monoacetate, glycerol diacetate, or glycerol triacetate; and / or aliphatic esters of mono-, di-, or polycarboxylic acids, such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate.

[0051] The one or more other functional ingredients may include one or more of a pH adjuster, a colorant, a preservative, a binder, a filler, a stabilizer, and / or an antioxidant.

[0052] The aerosolizable material can be present on or in a carrier support (or carrier component) that forms a substrate, which can be, for example, paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, recycled aerosolizable material, a plastic material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy.

[0053] In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device can include an aerosolizable material or an area for receiving an aerosolizable material. In some embodiments, an article for use with a non-combustion aerosol delivery device can include a mouthpiece, or alternatively, the non-combustion aerosol delivery device can include a mouthpiece in communication with the article. The area for receiving an aerosolizable material can be a storage area for storing the aerosolizable material. For example, the storage area can be a reservoir.

[0054] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a schematic diagram of an aerosol delivery system 1 according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. The aerosol delivery system 1 comprises two main components: an aerosol delivery device 2 and an aerosol delivery article 4 (also referred to as an aerosol product item).

[0055] The aerosol delivery device 2 comprises an outer housing 21, a power source 22, a control circuit 23, a number of aerosol generating components 24, a receiver 25, an inhalation or mouthpiece end 26, an air inlet 27, an air outlet 28, a touch-sensitive panel 29, an inhalation sensor 30, and an indicator, such as an end-of-use indicator 31.

[0056] The outer housing 21 can be formed from any suitable material, such as a plastic material. The outer housing 21 is arranged such that the power source 22, control circuitry 23, aerosol generating components 24, receptacle 25, and inhalation sensor 30 are located within the outer housing 21. The outer housing 21 also defines an air inlet 27 and an air outlet 28, which are described in more detail below. A touch-sensitive panel 29 and an end-of-use indicator are located on the exterior of the outer housing 21.

[0057] The outer housing 21 may further comprise an inhalation or mouthpiece end 26. The outer housing 21 and the mouthpiece end 26 may be formed as a single component (i.e., the mouthpiece end 26 may form part of the outer housing 21). The inhalation or mouthpiece end 26 is defined as a region of the outer housing 21 that includes the air outlet 28 and may be shaped to allow a user to comfortably place their lips around the mouthpiece end 26 to interface with the air outlet 28. In FIG. 1, the thickness of the outer housing 21 tapers toward the air outlet 28 to provide a relatively thin portion of the device 2 against which the user's lips may be more easily placed. However, in other embodiments, the mouthpiece end 26 may be a removable component that is separate from the outer housing 21 but can be coupled to the outer housing, and may be removed for cleaning and / or replacement with another mouthpiece end 26. The mouthpiece end 26 may be formed as part of the aerosol delivery article 4, for example.

[0058] Power source 22 is configured to provide operating power to aerosol delivery device 2. Power source 22 can be any suitable power source, such as a battery. For example, power source 22 can include a rechargeable battery, such as a lithium ion battery. Power source 22 can be removable or can form an integral part of aerosol delivery device 2. In some embodiments, power source 22 can be charged by connecting device 2 to an external power source (such as a mains power source) through an associated connection port, such as a USB port (not shown), or via a suitable wireless receiver (not shown).

[0059] The control circuitry 23 is suitably configured / programmed to control the operation of the aerosol delivery device to provide a particular operational function of the aerosol delivery device 2. The control circuitry 23 may be considered to logically include various subunits / circuit elements associated with various different aspects of the operation of the aerosol delivery device. For example, the control circuitry 23 may include a logical subunit that controls the charging of the power source 22. In addition, the control circuitry 23 may include a logical subunit for communication, for example, to facilitate data transfer from or to the device 2. However, the primary function of the control circuitry 23 is to control the aerosolization of the aerosol generating material, as described in more detail below. It will be appreciated that the functionality of the control circuitry 23 may be provided in a variety of different ways, for example, using one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s) and / or one or more suitably configured application specific integrated circuit(s) / circuit(s) / chip(s) / chipset(s) configured to provide the desired functionality. Control circuitry 23 may be connected to power source 23 and configured to receive power from power source 22 and distribute or control the power to other components of aerosol delivery device 2 .

[0060] In the depicted embodiment, the aerosol delivery device 2 further comprises a receiver 25 positioned to receive the aerosol delivery article 4 .

[0061] Aerosol-delivery article 4 comprises carrier component 42 and aerosol-generating material 44. Aerosol-delivery article 4 is shown in more detail in Figures 2A-2C. Figure 2A is a top view of article 4, Figure 2B is an end view along the longitudinal (length) axis of article 4, and Figure 2C is a side view along the width axis of article 4.

[0062] The article 4 includes a carrier component 42, which in this embodiment is in the shape of a card. The carrier component 42 forms the majority of the article 4 and serves as a base on which the aerosol-forming material 44 rests.

[0063] The carrier component 42 has a shape having a length l, a width w and a thickness t, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. c As a specific example, the length of the carrier component 42 may be 30-80 mm, the width may be 7-25 mm, and the thickness may be 0.2-1 mm. However, it should be understood that the above are exemplary dimensions of the carrier component 42, and in other embodiments, the carrier component 42 may have a variety of different dimensions as needed. In some embodiments, the carrier component 42 may include one or more protrusions extending along the length and / or width of the carrier component 42 to aid a user in easily handling the article 4.

[0064] In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the article 4 comprises a plurality of individual portions of aerosol-generating material 44 disposed on a surface of a carrier member 42. More specifically, the article 4 comprises six individual portions of aerosol-generating material 44, labeled 44a-44f, arranged in a 2×3 array. However, it should be understood that in other embodiments, a greater or lesser number of individual portions may be provided and / or the portions may be arranged in a different array (e.g., a 1×6 array). In the illustrated example, the aerosol-generating material 44 is disposed in individual, separate locations on one side of the carrier member 42. Although the individual portions of aerosol-generating material 44 are shown as having circular footprints, it should be understood that the individual portions of aerosol-generating material 44 may take on any other footprint, such as a square, triangular, hexagonal, or rectangular, as desired. The individual portions of aerosol-generating material 44 have a diameter d and a thickness t as shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. a The thickness t a can have any suitable value, and the thickness ta can be, for example, in the range of 50 μm to 1.5 mm. In some embodiments, the thickness t aIn another embodiment, the thickness t a can be, for example, from about 50 μm to about 400 μm, or up to about 1 mm, or up to about 1.5 mm, or greater than 200 μm.

[0065] The individual portions of aerosol-generating material 44 are separate from one another such that each of the individual portions can be individually / selectively excited (e.g., heated) to generate an aerosol. In some embodiments, the portions of aerosol-generating material 44 can have a mass that does not exceed 20 mg, such that the amount of material aerosolized by a given aerosol-generating component 24 at any one time is relatively low. For example, the mass per portion can be 20 mg or less, or 10 mg or less, or 5 mg or less. Of course, it should be understood that the total mass of article 4 can be greater than 20 mg.

[0066] In the described embodiment, the aerosol-generating material 44 is an amorphous solid. In general, the aerosol-generating material or amorphous solid may include a gelling agent (sometimes referred to as a binder) and an aerosol generating agent (which may include, for example, glycerol). The gelling agent may include one or more compounds selected from cellulosic gelling agents, non-cellulosic gelling agents, guar gum, acacia gum, and mixtures thereof. In some embodiments, the cellulosic gelling agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, cellulose acetate (CA), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB), cellulose acetate propionate (CAP), and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the gelling agent includes (or is) one or more of hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethylcellulose, guar gum, or acacia gum. In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises (or is) one or more non-cellulosic gelling agents, including, but not limited to, agar, xanthan gum, gum arabic, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin, carrageenan, starch, alginate, and combinations thereof. In preferred embodiments, the non-cellulosic gelling agent is alginate or agar.

[0067] The gelling agent may further comprise a hardening agent (e.g., a calcium source). In certain embodiments, the hardening agent comprises or consists of calcium acetate, calcium formate, calcium carbonate, calcium bicarbonate, calcium chloride, calcium lactate, or a combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the hardening agent comprises or consists of calcium formate and / or calcium lactate. In certain examples, the hardening agent comprises or consists of calcium formate. The inventors have recognized that the use of calcium formate as a hardening agent generally results in an amorphous solid having higher tensile strength and higher elongation resistance.

[0068] The aerosol-forming material or amorphous solid may include one or more of the following: an active agent (which may include tobacco extract), a flavoring agent, an acid, and a filler. Other ingredients may also be present as desired. In certain embodiments, the aerosol-forming material or amorphous solid includes a gelling agent, including a cellulosic and / or non-cellulosic gelling agent, an active agent, and an acid.

[0069] The acid may be an organic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be at least one of a monobasic acid, a dibasic acid, and a tribasic acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may include at least one carboxyl functional group. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of an alpha hydroxy acid, a carboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, a tricarboxylic acid, and a keto acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be an alpha keto acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of succinic acid, lactic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, levulinic acid, acetic acid, malic acid, formic acid, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, propanoic acid, and pyruvic acid. The acid is preferably lactic acid. In other embodiments, the acid is benzoic acid. In other embodiments, the acid may be an inorganic acid. In some of these embodiments, the acid may be a mineral acid. In some such embodiments, the acid may be at least one of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, boric acid, and phosphoric acid. In some embodiments, the acid is levulinic acid. The inclusion of an acid is particularly preferred in embodiments in which the aerosol-generating material includes nicotine. In such embodiments, the presence of an acid can stabilize dissolved species in the slurry from which the aerosol-generating material is formed. The presence of an acid can reduce nicotine loss during production by reducing or substantially preventing evaporation of nicotine upon drying of the slurry. The amorphous solid may include a colorant. The addition of a colorant can alter the visual appearance of the amorphous solid. The presence of a colorant in the amorphous solid can enhance the visual appearance of the amorphous solid and the aerosol-generating material. By adding a colorant to the amorphous solid, the amorphous solid can be color-matched with other components of the aerosol-generating material or with other components of an article that includes the amorphous solid.

[0070] A variety of colorants can be used depending on the desired color of the amorphous solid. The color of the amorphous solid may be, for example, white, green, red, purple, blue, brown, or black. Other colors are also contemplated. Natural or synthetic colors, such as natural or synthetic dyes, food colors, and pharmaceutical colors may be used. In certain embodiments, the colorant is a caramel color, which may give the amorphous solid the appearance of brown. In such embodiments, the color of the amorphous solid may be similar to the color of other components in the aerosol-forming material that includes the amorphous solid, such as the tobacco material. In some embodiments, the addition of a colorant to the amorphous solid renders the amorphous solid visually indistinguishable from other components in the aerosol-forming material.

[0071] The colorant may be incorporated into the amorphous solid during its formation (e.g., when forming a slurry containing the materials that will form the amorphous solid) or may be applied to the amorphous solid after its formation (e.g., by spraying the colorant onto the amorphous solid).

[0072] Amorphous solid aerosolizable materials offer several advantages over other types of aerosolizable materials commonly found in some electronic aerosol delivery devices. For example, the likelihood that the amorphous solid will leak or otherwise flow from where it is stored is greatly reduced, as compared to electronic aerosol delivery devices that aerosolize liquid aerosolizable materials. This means that the aerosol delivery device or article can be manufactured more cheaply, as components do not necessarily require the same liquid-tight seals, etc. to be used.

[0073] Compared to electronic aerosol delivery devices that aerosolize solid aerosolizable materials, such as tobacco, a relatively low mass of amorphous solid material can be aerosolized to generate an equivalent amount of aerosol (or to deliver an equivalent amount of a component, such as nicotine, in the aerosol). This is due in part to the fact that the amorphous solid can be adapted to not contain undesirable components (e.g., cellulosic materials, such as in tobacco) that may be found in other solid aerosolizable materials. For example, in some embodiments, the mass of the amorphous solid per portion is not more than 20 mg, or not more than 10 mg, or not more than 5 mg. Thus, the aerosol delivery device can provide less power to the aerosol generating components, and / or the aerosol generating components can be smaller to generate a similar aerosol, which means that the energy requirements for the aerosol delivery device can be reduced.

[0074] In some embodiments, the amorphous solid comprises a tobacco extract. In these embodiments, the amorphous solid may have the following composition (on a dry weight basis, DWB): a gelling agent (preferably including alginate) in an amount of about 1 wt% to about 60 wt%, or about 10 wt% to about 30 wt%, or about 15 wt% to about 25 wt%, a tobacco extract in an amount of about 10 wt% to about 60 wt%, or about 40 wt% to about 55 wt%, or about 45 wt% to about 50 wt%, and an aerosol generating agent (preferably including glycerol) in an amount of about 5 wt% to about 60 wt%, or about 20 wt% to about 40 wt%, or about 25 wt% to about 35 wt% (DWB). The tobacco extract may be from a single tobacco species or may be from a blend of extracts from various different tobacco species. Such amorphous solids may be referred to as "tobacco amorphous solids" and may be intended to deliver a smoking-like experience when aerosolized.

[0075] In one embodiment, the amorphous solid comprises about 20 wt% alginate gelling agent, about 48 wt% Virginia tobacco extract, and about 32 wt% glycerol (DWB).

[0076] The amorphous solids of these embodiments may have any suitable water content, for example, the amorphous solids may have a water content of about 5 wt% to about 15 wt%, or about 7 wt% to about 13 wt%, or about 10 wt%.

[0077] In any of these embodiments, the amorphous solid has a thickness t of about 50 μm to about 200 μm, or about 50 μm to about 100 μm, or about 60 μm to about 90 μm, preferably about 77 μm. a It is preferred that the .alpha.-methyl-.alpha.

[0078] In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may comprise 0.5-60 wt% of gelling agent and 5-80 wt% of aerosol generating agent, these weights being calculated on a dry weight basis. Such amorphous solids may be completely devoid of flavors, acids and actives. Such amorphous solids may be referred to as "aerosol generating agent rich" or "aerosol generating agent amorphous solids". More generally, this is an example of an aerosol generating agent rich aerosol generating material, which, as the name suggests, is the portion of the aerosol generating material that is intended to deliver the aerosol generating agent when aerosolized.

[0079] In these embodiments, the amorphous solid may have the following composition (DWB): gelling agent in an amount of about 5 wt% to about 40 wt%, or about 10 wt% to 30 wt%, or about 15 wt% to about 25 wt%, and aerosol generating agent in an amount of about 10 wt% to about 50 wt%, or about 20 wt% to about 40 wt%, or about 25 wt% to about 35 wt% (DWB).

[0080] In some other embodiments, the amorphous solid may comprise 0.5-60 wt% gelling agent, 5-80 wt% aerosol generating agent, and 1-60 wt% flavoring, these weights calculated on a dry weight basis. Such amorphous solids may contain flavorings, but may not contain any actives or acids. Such amorphous solids may be referred to as "flavoring-rich" or "flavoring amorphous solids." More generally, this is an example of a flavoring-rich aerosol-generating material, which, as the name suggests, is the portion of the aerosol-generating material that is intended to deliver flavorings when aerosolized.

[0081] In these embodiments, the amorphous solid may have the following composition (DWB): gelling agent in an amount of about 5 wt% to about 40 wt%, or about 10 wt% to 30 wt%, or about 15 wt% to about 25 wt%, aerosol generating agent in an amount of about 10 wt% to about 50 wt%, or about 20 wt% to about 40 wt%, or about 25 wt% to about 35 wt%, and flavoring in an amount of about 30 wt% to about 60 wt%, or about 40 wt% to 55 wt%, or about 45 wt% to about 50 wt% (DWB).

[0082] In some other embodiments, the amorphous solid may comprise 0.5-60 wt% of a gelling agent, 5-80 wt% of an aerosol generating agent, and 5-60 wt% of at least one active agent, these weights being calculated on a dry weight basis. Such an amorphous solid may comprise an active agent, but may not comprise any flavoring or acid. Such an amorphous solid may be referred to as "active agent-rich" or "active agent amorphous solid." For example, in one embodiment, the active agent may be nicotine, and as such, an amorphous solid as described above containing nicotine may be referred to as a "nicotine amorphous solid." More generally, this is an example of an active agent-rich aerosol generating material, which, as the name suggests, is the portion of the aerosol generating material that is intended to deliver the active agent when aerosolized.

[0083] In these embodiments, the amorphous solid may have the following compositions (DWB): gelling agent in an amount of about 5 wt% to about 40 wt%, or about 10 wt% to 30 wt%, or about 15 wt% to about 25 wt%, aerosol generating agent in an amount of about 10 wt% to about 50 wt%, or about 20 wt% to about 40 wt%, or about 25 wt% to about 35 wt%, and active agent in an amount of about 30 wt% to about 60 wt%, or about 40 wt% to 55 wt%, or about 45 wt% to about 50 wt% (DWB).

[0084] In some other embodiments, the amorphous solid may comprise 0.5-60 wt% gelling agent, 5-80 wt% aerosol generating agent, and 0.1-10 wt% acid, these weights calculated on a dry weight basis. Such amorphous solids may comprise acid, but may be completely devoid of actives and flavorings. Such amorphous solids may be referred to as "acid-rich" or "acid amorphous solids." More generally, this is an example of an acid-rich aerosol-generating material, which, as the name suggests, is the portion of the aerosol-generating material that is intended to deliver acid when aerosolized.

[0085] In these embodiments, the amorphous solid may have the following compositions (DWB): gelling agent in an amount of about 5 wt% to about 40 wt%, or about 10 wt% to 30 wt%, or about 15 wt% to about 25 wt%, aerosol generating agent in an amount of about 10 wt% to about 50 wt%, or about 20 wt% to about 40 wt%, or about 25 wt% to about 35 wt%, acid in an amount of about 0.1 wt% to about 8 wt%, or about 0.5 wt% to 7 wt%, or about 1 wt% to about 5 wt%, or about 1 wt% to about 3 wt% (DWB).

[0086] The thickness of these amorphous solids may exceed the thicknesses mentioned above, for example up to 2 mm, or up to 1.5 mm, in part because a user may choose to repeatedly heat multiple portions to extract the desired aerosol from those portions.

[0087] Article 4 may include multiple portions of aerosol-generating material 44, all formed from the same aerosol-generating material (e.g., one of the amorphous solids described above). Alternatively, article 4 may include multiple portions of aerosol-generating material 44, at least two of the portions being formed from different aerosol-generating materials (e.g., one of the amorphous solids described above).

[0088] The receptacle 25 is suitably sized to removably receive the article 4. Although not shown, the device 2 may include a hinged door or removable part of the outer housing 21 to allow access to the receptacle 25 so that the user can insert and / or remove the article 4 from the receptacle 25. The hinged door or removable part of the outer housing 21 may also serve to retain the article 4 in the receptacle 25 when closed. When the aerosol delivery article 4 is used up or the user simply desires to replace it with another aerosol delivery article 4, the aerosol delivery article 4 can be removed from the aerosol delivery device 2 and a replacement aerosol delivery article 4 can be placed in its place within the receptacle 25. Alternatively, the device 2 may include a permanent opening in communication with the receptacle 25 through which the article 4 can be inserted into the receptacle 25. In such an embodiment, a retention mechanism may be provided to retain the article 4 in the receptacle 25 of the device 2.

[0089] As can be seen in Fig. 1, the device 2 comprises a number of aerosol-generating components 24. In the embodiment shown, the aerosol-generating components 24 are heating elements 24, more specifically resistive heating elements 24. The resistive heating elements 24 receive an electric current and convert the electrical energy into heat. The resistive heating elements 24 may be formed from or include any suitable resistive heating material, such as nichrome (Ni20Cr80), that generates heat when subjected to an electric current. In one embodiment, the heating elements 24 may include an electrically insulating base on which a resistive track is disposed.

[0090] 3 is a top cross-sectional view of the aerosol delivery device 2 showing the arrangement of the heating element 24 in more detail. In Figures 1 and 3, the heating element 24 is arranged such that a surface of the heating element 24 forms part of the surface of the receptacle 25. That is, the outer surface of the heating element 24 is flush with the inner surface of the receptacle. More specifically, the outer surface of the heating element 24, which is flush with the inner surface of the receptacle 25, is the surface of the heating element 24 that is heated (i.e., its temperature increases) when an electric current is passed through the heating element 24.

[0091] The heating elements 24 are positioned such that when the article 4 is received within the receptacle 25, each heating element 24 aligns with a corresponding individual portion of the aerosol-generating material 44. Thus, in this example, six heating elements 24 are arranged in a 2×3 array that generally corresponds to the 2×3 array arrangement of the six individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. However, as noted above, the number of heating elements 24 may vary in various different embodiments, such as, for example, there may be eight, ten, twelve, fourteen, etc. heating elements 24. In some embodiments, the number of heating elements 24 is greater than six but does not exceed twenty.

[0092] 3, it should be understood that each heating element 24 is positioned to align with a corresponding portion of aerosol-generating material 44, as indicated by the corresponding letter following the reference numeral 24 / 44. Thus, each of the heating elements 24 can be individually activated to heat a corresponding portion of the aerosol-generating material 44.

[0093] Although heating element 24 is shown flush with the inner surface of receptacle 25, in other embodiments, heating element 24 may protrude into receptacle 25. Either way, when article 4 is within receptacle 25, it contacts the surface of heating element 24 such that heat generated by heating element 24 is conducted through carrier component 42 to aerosol-forming material 44.

[0094] In some embodiments, to improve heat transfer efficiency, the receiver may include a component that applies a force to a surface of the carrier component 42 to press the carrier component 42 against the heater element 24, thereby improving the efficiency of heat transfer by conduction to the aerosol-forming material 44. Additionally or alternatively, the heater element 24 may be configured to move toward / away from the article 4 and may be pressed against a surface of the carrier component 42 that does not include the aerosol-forming material 44.

[0095] In use, the device 2 (more specifically the control circuitry 23) is configured to deliver power to the heating element 24 in response to a user input. Broadly speaking, the control circuitry 23 is configured to selectively apply power to the heating element 24 to subsequently heat a corresponding portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 and generate an aerosol. When a user inhales on the device 2 (i.e., inhales at the mouthpiece end 26), air is drawn into the device 2 through the air inlet 27 and into the receptacle 25, where it mixes with the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol-generating material 44, and is then drawn into the user's mouth via the air outlet 28. That is, the aerosol is delivered to the user via the mouthpiece end 26 and the air outlet 28.

[0096] 1 includes a touch-sensitive panel 29 and an inhalation sensor 30. Collectively, the touch-sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30 serve as a mechanism for receiving user input to cause the generation of aerosol, and may therefore be more broadly referred to as a user input mechanism. The received user input may be taken to be indicative of a user's desire to generate aerosol.

[0097] The touch-sensitive panel 29 may be a capacitive touch sensor and may be activated by a user of the device 2 placing their finger or another suitable conductive object (e.g., a stylus) on the touch-sensitive panel. In the described embodiment, the touch-sensitive panel includes an area that the user can press to initiate aerosol generation. The control circuitry 23 may be configured to receive signaling from the touch-sensitive panel 29 and use this signaling to determine whether the user is pressing (i.e., activating) an area of ​​the touch-sensitive panel 29. When the control circuitry 23 receives this signaling, the control circuitry 23 is configured to power one or more of the heating elements 24 from the power source 22. Power may be provided for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 3 seconds) from the moment a touch is detected or in response to the length of time that a touch is detected. In other embodiments, a user-actuable button or the like may be used in place of the touch-sensitive panel 29.

[0098] The inhalation sensor 30 may be a pressure sensor or a microphone or the like configured to detect a pressure drop or air flow caused by a user inhaling on the device 2. The inhalation sensor 30 is disposed in fluid communication with the air flow path (i.e., in fluid communication with the air flow path between the inlet 27 and the outlet 28). In a similar manner as described above, the control circuit 23 may be configured to receive signaling from the inhalation sensor and use this signaling to determine whether a user is inhaling on the aerosol delivery system 1. When the control circuit 23 receives this signaling, the control circuit 23 is configured to power one or more of the heating elements 24 from the power source 22. Power may be provided for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 3 seconds) from the moment inhalation is detected or in response to the length of time inhalation is detected.

[0099] In the described example, both the touch-sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30 detect a user's desire to begin generating aerosol for inhalation. The control circuitry 23 may be configured to power the heating element 24 only if signaling is detected from both the touch-sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30. This may help prevent inadvertent activation of the heating element 24 from unexpected activation of one of the user input mechanisms. However, in other embodiments, the aerosol delivery system 1 may have only one of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30.

[0100] These aspects of the operation of the aerosol delivery system 1 (i.e., puff detection and touch detection) can themselves be performed in accordance with established techniques (e.g., using conventional inhalation sensors and inhalation sensor signal processing techniques, and using conventional touch sensors and touch sensor signal processing techniques).

[0101] In some embodiments, in response to detecting signaling from either or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30, the control circuit 23 is configured to sequentially power each of the individual heating elements 24.

[0102] More specifically, the control circuit 23 is configured to sequentially power each of the individual heating elements 23 in response to a sequence of detections of signaling received from either or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30. For example, the control circuit 23 may be configured to power a first heating element 24 of the plurality of heating elements 24 when signaling is first detected (e.g., from when the device 2 is first turned on). When the signaling ceases or in response to a predetermined time having elapsed since the signaling was detected, the control circuit 23 indicates that the first heating element 24 has been activated (and thus the corresponding respective portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 has been heated). In response to receiving subsequent signaling from either or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30, the control circuit 23 determines that the second heating element 24 should be activated. Thus, when signaling from either or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30 is received by the control circuit 23, the control circuit 23 activates the second heating element 24. This process is repeated for the remaining heating elements 24 such that all heating elements 24 are activated in sequence.

[0103] Essentially, this operation means that for each inhalation, a different one of the individual portions of aerosol-generating material 44 is heated and an aerosol is generated therefrom. In other words, only one individual portion of the aerosol-generating material is heated by the user inhaling.

[0104] In other embodiments, the control circuit 23 may be configured to activate the first heating element multiple times (e.g., twice) before determining that the second heating element 24 should be activated in response to subsequent signaling from either or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30, or to activate each of the multiple heating elements 24 once, and once all heating elements 24 have been activated once, detection of subsequent signaling causes the heating elements to be activated sequentially again.

[0105] Such sequential activation may be referred to as a "sequential activation mode" and is primarily intended to deliver a consistent aerosol per inhalation (e.g., as may be measured in terms of total aerosol generated or total components delivered). Thus, this mode may be most effective when each portion of aerosol-generating material 44 of aerosol product article 4 is substantially identical, i.e., portions 44a-44f are formed from the same material.

[0106] In some other embodiments, in response to detecting signaling from either or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30, the control circuit 23 is configured to simultaneously power one or more of the heating elements 24.

[0107] In such an embodiment, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to power selected ones of the heating elements 24 according to a predetermined configuration. The predetermined configuration may be a configuration selected or determined by a user. For example, the touch-sensitive panel 29 may include an area that allows a user to individually select which of the heating elements 24 should be activated when signaling from either or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30 is received by the control circuitry 23. In some embodiments, the user may also be able to set for each heating element 24 the power level to be provided to that heating element 24 in response to receiving the signaling.

[0108] FIG. 4 is a top view of a touch-sensitive panel 29 according to such an embodiment. FIG. 4 shows a schematic of the outer housing 21 and the touch-sensitive panel 29 as described above. The touch-sensitive panel 29 includes six regions 29a-29f corresponding to each of the six heating elements 24, and region 29g corresponding to an area for indicating a user's desire to begin inhaling or generating aerosol as described above. Each of the six regions 29a-29f corresponds to a touch-sensitive area that a user can touch to control power delivery to each of the six corresponding heating elements 24. In the described embodiment, each heating element 24 can have multiple states, for example, an off state in which no power is provided to the heating element 24, a low power state in which a first level of power is provided to the heating element 24, and a high power state in which a second level of power is provided to the heating element 24, the second level of power being higher than the first level of power. However, in other embodiments, fewer or more states may be available for the heating element 24. For example, each heating element 24 may have an off state in which no power is supplied to the heating element 24 , and an on state in which power is supplied to the heating element 24 .

[0109] Thus, a user can set which heating elements 24 (and subsequently which portions of aerosol-generating material 44) should be heated (and, optionally, to what extent they should be heated) prior to generation of the aerosol by interacting with touch-sensitive panel 29. For example, a user can repeatedly tap regions 29a-29f to cycle through various different states (e.g., off, low power, high power, off, etc.). Alternatively, a user can press or grasp regions 29a-29f to cycle through various different states, with the duration of the press determining the state.

[0110] The touch-sensitive panel 29 may be provided with one or more indicators for each of the regions 29a-29f to indicate what state the heating element 24 is currently in. For example, the touch-sensitive panel may include one or more LEDs or similar lighting elements, where the intensity of the LED indicates the current state of the heating element 24. Alternatively, colored LEDs or similar lighting elements may be provided, where the color indicates the current state. Alternatively, the touch-sensitive panel 29 may include a display element (e.g., under the transparent touch-sensitive panel 29 or adjacent to the regions 29a-29f of the touch-sensitive panel 29) that displays the current state of the heating element 24.

[0111] When the user sets a configuration for the heating element 24 in response to detecting signaling from either or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 (more specifically, area 29g of the touch-sensitive panel 29) and the inhalation sensor 30, the control circuit 23 is configured to power the selected heating element 24 in accordance with the preset configuration.

[0112] Such simultaneous activation of heating elements 24 may therefore be referred to as a "simultaneous activation mode," which is primarily intended to deliver customizable aerosols from a given article 4, with the aim of allowing a user to customize their experience from session to session or even puff to puff. Thus, this mode may be most effective when multiple portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 of the aerosol product article 4 are different from each other. For example, portions 44a and 44b are formed from one material, portions 44c and 44d are formed from a different material, etc. Thus, with this mode of operation, a user can select which portions to aerosolize at any given moment, and therefore which combination of aerosols should be delivered.

[0113] In both the simultaneous activation mode and the sequential activation mode, the control circuit 23 may be configured to generate an alert signal indicating the end of use of the article 4, for example, when each of the heating elements 24 is activated sequentially a predetermined number of times, or when a given heating element 24 is activated a predetermined number of times and / or for a given cumulative activation time and / or with a given cumulative activation power. In FIG. 1, the device 2 includes an end-of-use indicator 31, which in this embodiment is an LED. However, in other embodiments, the end-of-use indicator 31 may include any mechanism capable of providing an alert signal to a user, i.e., the end-of-use indicator 31 may be an optical element that delivers a light signal, an audio source that delivers an audio signal, and / or a vibrator that delivers a tactile signal. In some embodiments, the indicator 31 may be combined with a touch-sensitive panel, or may be provided by the touch-sensitive panel in other cases (e.g., when the touch-sensitive panel includes a display element). The device 2 may prevent subsequent activation of the device 2 when the alert signal is output. When the user replaces the item 4 and / or switches the alert signal off via manual means such as a button (not shown), the alert signal can be switched off and the control circuit 23 can be reset.

[0114] More specifically, in embodiments in which a sequential activation mode is used, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to count the number of times signaling from either or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30 is received during use, and when the count reaches a predetermined number, the article 4 is determined to have reached the end of its life. The predetermined number may be equal to or different from the number of portions. For example, for an article 4 that includes six individual portions of aerosol-forming material 44, the predetermined number may be six, twelve, eighteen, etc., depending on the exact embodiment at hand.

[0115] In embodiments where the simultaneous activation mode is used, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to count the number of times one or each of the individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 is heated. For example, the control circuitry 23 may count how many times the nicotine-containing portion is heated and determine the end of life of the article 4 when a predetermined number is reached. Alternatively, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to count each individual portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 separately as it is heated. Each portion may be considered to be the same or a different predetermined number, and the control circuitry 23 determines the end of life of the article 4 when any one of the counts for each of the multiple portions of the aerosol-generating material reaches the predetermined number.

[0116] In any of the embodiments, control circuitry 23 may also take into account the length of time that portion of the aerosol-generating material was heated and / or the temperature to which that portion of the aerosol-generating material was heated. In this regard, rather than counting individual activations, control circuitry 23 may be configured to calculate an accumulated parameter indicative of the heating conditions to which each of the multiple portions of aerosol-generating material 44 was subjected. The parameter may be, for example, an accumulated time, whereby the length of time added to the accumulated time is adjusted depending on the temperature at which the material is used. For example, a portion heated at 200° C. for 3 seconds may contribute 3 seconds to the accumulated time, while a portion heated at 250° C. for 3 seconds may contribute 4.5 seconds to the accumulated time. The above techniques for determining the end of life of item 4 should not be understood as an exhaustive list of methods for determining the end of life of item 4, and indeed any other suitable method may be used in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure.

[0117] Each of the multiple portions of aerosol-generating material described above generally has some component, e.g., nicotine, to be delivered into an aerosol for inhalation by a user when heated. In some circumstances, during use of the article 4, each and every individual portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 may not be heated by the corresponding heating element 24 (e.g., in a simultaneous activation mode) and / or each and every individual portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 may not be fully heated (e.g., in a sequential activation mode). In other words, when the device 2 determines that the article 4 has reached the end of its usable life according to either of the above criteria, a portion of the component to be delivered may remain within that portion of the aerosol-generating material 44. It should be understood that even during a sequential activation mode, where each portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 is heated at least once before the article 4 is determined to be at the end of its life, an amount of the component may remain. This may be due in part to the fact that the component is effectively "trapped" within the aerosol-generating material 44 and requires heating to allow the component to be released from the aerosol-generating material 44. However, to ensure rapid release of a sufficient amount of aerosol-forming material 44 within the duration of a user's inhalation, the aerosol-forming material 44 may be provided with a higher concentration of components than will actually be delivered upon inhalation.

[0118] Some of the components remaining after the initial heating of the aerosol-generating material may have adverse effects on the environment if the item 4 is not disposed of properly. For example, nicotine is known to be toxic, and although the concentration of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material 44 may be provided at a generally safe level for human consumption, residual nicotine may cause harm to certain animals if it enters their food chain due to improper disposal of the item 4. The same may be true for other components, such as flavorings. While efforts can be made to ensure safe disposal of the item 4 after use, such methods may not be foolproof as they rely on the user to dispose of the item 4 properly. Accordingly, the inventors have devised an aerosol delivery system 1 that is intended to reduce the levels of certain constituents in the remaining portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 of an article 4 after the article 4 has been used.

[0119] In particular, the inventors have devised a method for reducing the amount of a first component (such as nicotine) in multiple portions of an aerosol-generating material 44, the method comprising heating the multiple portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 until the multiple portions of the aerosol-generating material are substantially free of the first component.

[0120] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary method according to the above for reducing the amount of a first component until the portions of the aerosol-generating material are substantially free of the first component. In this regard, "substantially free of the first component" should be understood to mean that the first component is present in an amount that is considered acceptable in terms of safe disposal of the article 4. This amount can vary depending on what the component is. For example, if nicotine is the first component, the level can be set such that after heating, the concentration of nicotine in at least one portion of the aerosol-generating material is less than 0.05 mg / ml, or less than 0.02 mg / ml when dissolved in 100 ml of solvent. To test the concentration, a method is performed in which a certain mass of material sample, such as 1 g, is taken and mixed with 100 ml of solvent (such as ethanol). The mixture is stirred for 3 hours and then passed through a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) to identify the components and concentrations. Other comparative techniques for analysis may also be used according to other embodiments.

[0121] FIG. 5 illustrates a method of reducing the amount of a first component in one or more portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 of the article 4 shown in FIGS. 2A-2C when a sequential activation method is used, more particularly when each portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 is heated once to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a user.

[0122] The method begins with step S1, in which the device 2 receives signaling from either or both of the touch-sensitive panel 29 and the inhalation sensor 30 indicating the user's intention to inhale an aerosol, as described above. The device 2 may already be in a "standby" state prior to step S1, and as such the control circuitry 23 is monitoring for signaling.

[0123] When the control circuitry 23 receives the signaling in step S1, the control circuitry 23 is configured to heat the corresponding portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 in step S2 according to the sequential activation mode as described above. In particular, in response to receiving a first signaling in step S1, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to cause heating of the portions 44a. The heating is performed according to a heating profile for the portions of the aerosol-generating material. The heating profile can be selected to generate an aerosol that is suitable in terms of quantity and also in terms of sensory quality (i.e., an aerosol having a quantity and quality sufficient to meet the user's requirements).

[0124] The temperature to which the portion of aerosol-generating material 44 is heated can be predetermined to provide a particular desired aerosol, but has been found to be in the range of 120° C. to 350° C. for amorphous solid aerosol-generating materials, depending on the exact blend of amorphous solids used. The duration of heating may be preset or may be dependent on the length of the user's puff, as previously described. Generally, however, the duration of heating is approximately 2 to 5 seconds, and in many embodiments, not longer than 10 seconds. In some embodiments in which the length of heating is based on the user's puff duration, an interruption may be implemented in which power to the heating element 24 is stopped after 10 seconds of inhalation to prevent abuse of the system 1. When a single portion of aerosol-generating material 44 is heated according to step S2, the single portion of aerosol-generating material 44 may be heated at a first temperature for a first duration.

[0125] Once the heating phase has taken place (ie the heating element 24 has been activated and deactivated once), in step S3 the control circuit 23 determines whether an end of life condition for the article 4 has been met.

[0126] If the end-of-life condition is not met (i.e., no at step S3), the method proceeds to step S4, where control circuitry 23 monitors for a subsequent signaling indicating that the user desires to generate aerosol again. If such a signaling is received (i.e., yes at step S4), control circuitry 23 causes heating of the corresponding portions of aerosol-generating material 44 in accordance with the selected activation method at step 2. In this example, control circuitry 23 is configured to sequentially cause heating of portions 44b, 44c, 44d, 44e, and finally 44f. If an end-of-life condition has not been detected, the method loops between steps S2, S3, and S4.

[0127] In this example embodiment, the end of life condition is determined when the count of the number of instances of signaling received by the control circuitry 23 exceeds a threshold. In this example, the threshold is six, so that when six separate instances of signaling are detected in steps S1 and S4 combined, the control circuitry 23 determines that the item 4 has reached its end of life. That is, when this criterion is met, the control circuitry 23 determines that the end of life condition is met (i.e., yes in step S3). In other words, this can be considered one way of determining when a usage session is complete, given that an item 4 is intended to be used during one session.

[0128] In response to the end-of-life condition being satisfied, control circuitry 23 is configured to initiate a “purge” or “burnout” mode at step S5. This involves control circuitry 23 causing heating of each of the portions of aerosol-generating material 44 at a second temperature for a second duration. The second duration and second temperature are selected such that the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of the first component, e.g., nicotine, after the aerosol-generating material has undergone this heating step.

[0129] In the case of a nicotine-containing amorphous solid containing 4.68 mg of nicotine (an 8×8 mm square patch of gel weighing a total of 0.1 g), after a 3 minute heating period at 170° C., the concentration of nicotine was found to be less than 0.02 mg / ml when dissolved in 100 ml of solvent, analyzed using a mixed analytical method, i.e., after heating for an extended period of time, nicotine is substantially removed from the aerosol-forming material.

[0130] However, it should be understood that different heating times (i.e., second durations) and different maximum temperatures can be implemented depending on the composition of the aerosol-generating material 44 and the components to be removed. Generally speaking, however, the higher the maximum temperature, the less heating time is required to substantially remove the first component from the portions of the aerosol-generating material. Similarly, the volatility of the first component may also play a role in determining the maximum temperature and heating duration. Various heating times and maximum heating temperatures can be determined empirically or by computer simulation.

[0131] In some embodiments, the heating time period / second duration may be greater than 60 seconds (1 minute), or greater than 90 seconds (1.5 minutes), or greater than 120 seconds (2 minutes), or greater than 150 seconds (2.5 minutes), or greater than 180 seconds (3 minutes). That is, the heating time period may be substantially longer, e.g., between 5 and 30 times longer, than the heating time period that generates an aerosol for one user inhalation, which may be less than 10 seconds long. Providing too short a heating time period may result in not all of the aerosol-generating material being substantially free of the first component after the heating period, while providing too long a heating period may result in the aerosol-generating material being heated beyond the extent that the aerosol-generating portion is free of the first component, thus unnecessarily using energy from the power source 22. The length of the heating period may depend on the thickness of the aerosol-generating material to be heated during the heating period (e.g., a thicker material may require a longer heating period). The above durations may be particularly suitable for aerosol-generating parts having a thickness between 400 μm and 1 mm.

[0132] In some embodiments, the maximum temperature is not more than 350°C, or not more than 300°C, or not more than 250°C. In some embodiments, the maximum temperature may be selected from the range of 150°C to 220°C. Providing a maximum temperature that is too low may result in not all of the aerosol-generating material being substantially free of the first component after the heating period, while providing a maximum temperature that is too high may result in charring or burning of the aerosol-generating material, which may produce undesirable components that may be difficult to dispose of in an environmentally friendly manner. In some embodiments, the maximum temperature used in step S5 may be the same as the maximum temperature used in step S3. That is, the maximum temperature used to heat the portion of the aerosol-generating material that contains the first component to generate an aerosol for user inhalation is about the same as the maximum temperature used to heat at least that portion of the aerosol-generating material until at least that portion of the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of the first component. In other embodiments, the maximum temperature used in step S5 may be higher than the maximum temperature used in step S3.

[0133] Although not shown, optionally, during step S5 the device 2 may be configured to output a signal to the user that the burnout mode is in progress using the indicator 31. For example, the indicator may be an LED and may be configured to output a flashing or blinking light during the heating period. Any other form of indicator unit capable of outputting a signal to the user as described above may also be used. During the burnout mode, the user should cease inhaling on the device 2 and the indicator 31 may help to guide the user in this regard.

[0134] Once the heating time period has elapsed in step S6, indicator 31 may output a different signal to the user indicating that burnout mode is complete. For example, indicator 31 may output a light indicating that burnout mode is complete and that the user may remove item 4 and dispose of item 4 using conventional means (e.g., a waste disposal bin). Similarly, indicator 31 may be any type of indicator and may output any type of signal, as the case may be.

[0135] In the above example of FIG. 5, the control circuitry 23 is configured to sequentially activate the heating elements 24 in sequence to heat corresponding portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 such that each portion of the aerosol-generating material is heated once. However, the same method can be applied if each portion is heated multiple times, for example twice. In these examples, the control circuitry 23 can be configured to sequentially heat each heating element 24, for example twice, before determining in step S3 that the end-of-life condition is met. The heating elements 24 can be activated in a sequence of 24a, 24b...24f, 24a, 24b...24f, or can be heated in a sequence of, for example, 24a, 24a, 24b, 24b...24f, 24f. However, other suitable heating sequences may be used depending on the circumstances.

[0136] Similarly, in step S5, the duration for which the heating elements 24 are heated until the portions of the aerosol-generating material are substantially free of the first component can be determined to take into account the number of times the heating elements 24 are activated. For example, if each heating element 24 is activated for 10 seconds, and it is found that an unused portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 should be heated at 250° C. for 90 seconds to render the portion substantially free of the first component, the control circuitry 23 can be programmed to heat the used portion of the aerosol-generating material 44 for the duration (e.g., 90 seconds) found to render the unused portion of the aerosol-generating material substantially free of the first component, minus the total heater activation duration (e.g., 10 seconds if each portion is heated once in this example, 20 seconds if each portion is heated twice, etc.). In some embodiments in which the maximum temperature used in step S3 is not the same as the maximum temperature used in step S5, the total heater activation time can be modified by the maximum temperature used. For example, if portions of aerosol-generating material 44 are heated to a maximum temperature of 170° C. for 10 seconds during step S3, this may be equated in terms of the amount of nicotine released to a corresponding heating period of approximately 5 seconds at the maximum temperature (e.g., 250° C.) in step S5. In this manner, the power provided by power source 22 can be used more efficiently.

[0137] In other embodiments, the heating duration used in step S5 to render the portions of the aerosol-generating material substantially free of the first component is set independent of the number(s) of heating element activations, for example to ensure that the portions of the aerosol-generating material will be substantially free of the first component when heated in accordance with step S5 if they are never heated to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a user.

[0138] In other embodiments, control circuitry 23 may be configured to track which portions of aerosol-generating material 44 are heated (optionally for how long), and may be configured to provide a customized heating profile for each of the multiple portions of aerosol-generating material 44 to ensure that each portion of the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of the first component. This method may be particularly suited to the simultaneous activation method described above, particularly (but not exclusively) when at least some of the multiple portions of aerosol-generating material 44 of article 4 are different from one another. Figure 6 is an example method detailing such a process.

[0139] The method begins with step S11, which is substantially similar to step S1 described above and whose description will not be repeated for the sake of brevity.

[0140] When the control circuitry 23 receives the signaling in step S11, the control circuitry 23 is configured to heat corresponding portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 according to the simultaneous activation mode (as described above) in step S12. As described, in the simultaneous activation mode, one or more of the portions of the aerosol-generating material 44, for example portions 44a and 44b, are selected to be heated to generate an aerosol for user inhalation. Each of these portions 44a, 44b can be heated to a specific temperature and for a specific duration to deliver a desired aerosol according to a preset heating configuration. For example, portion 44a can be heated to 200°C for 2 seconds, while portion 44b can be heated to 170°C for 3 seconds.

[0141] Either during or after step S12 (e.g., in step 12.5), control circuitry 23 is configured to track activation parameters for each of the multiple portions of aerosol-generating material 44. In practice, control circuitry 23 may keep an operational log for each heating element 24 (or portion of aerosol-generating material 44), and control circuitry 23 updates the operational log of activation parameters for the heating element(s) 24 or portion(s) of aerosol-generating material 44 that are heated during step S12.

[0142] The activation parameter may be any suitable parameter that monitors the activation of the portions of the aerosol-generating material. In one embodiment, the activation parameter may be a measure of the individual number of times the portions of the aerosol-generating material are heated. In these embodiments, the control circuitry 23 may store a number of activations for each of the heating elements 24 or each of the aerosol-generating portions 44, and each time a heating element or a portion is heated in step S12, the control circuitry increments the number by one. In other embodiments, the activation parameter may be the cumulative heating time the portions are heated. For example, in these embodiments, the control circuitry 23 may store a time for each of the heating elements 24 or each of the aerosol-generating portions 44. During or after step S12, the control circuitry 23 is configured to increment a time value associated with the corresponding heating element or portion based on the length of time each portion is heated during step S12. In yet other embodiments, the activation parameter may be a weighted cumulative heating time the portions are heated. For example, in these embodiments, the control circuitry 23 may store a time for each of the heating elements 24 or each of the aerosol-generating portions 44. During or after step S12, control circuitry 23 is configured to increment a time value associated with the corresponding heating element or portion based on the length of time that each portion is heated during step S12, and also based on the temperature to which the heating element or portion is heated, in a manner similar to that described above in connection with Figure 5. It should be understood that other methods of characterizing the activation of individual heating elements 24 and / or aerosol-generating portions 44 may be used in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure.

[0143] Once the heating phase has taken place (i.e., each heating element(s) 24 has been activated and deactivated once), in step S13, control circuitry 23 determines whether an end-of-life condition for article 4 has been met. However, unlike step S3 of Figure 5, in step S13, each portion of aerosol-generating material may be associated with a corresponding end-of-life condition due to the fact that certain portions of the aerosol-generating material may be heated more than other portions in the simultaneous activation mode. The end-of-life conditions may be substantially the same or different for each composition of aerosol-generating material.

[0144] If the end-of-life condition is not met for any one of the portions of aerosol-generating material (i.e., no at step S13), the method proceeds to step S14, where control circuitry 23 monitors for a subsequent signaling indicating the user desires to generate aerosol again. If such a signaling is received (i.e., yes at step S14), control circuitry 23 causes heating of the corresponding portion of aerosol-generating material 44 in accordance with a selected heating configuration (which can be changed on a puff-by-puff basis, as described above). If an end-of-life condition has not been detected, the method loops between steps S12, S13, and S14.

[0145] In this example embodiment, the end-of-life condition may depend on the nature of the monitored activation parameter. For example, the end-of-life condition may be a count value (e.g., six counts indicating six separate heating events of the portion of aerosol-generating material) or a time period.

[0146] In this example, if it is determined that the end-of-life condition is met for any one of the portions of the aerosol-generating material (i.e., yes in step S13), the method proceeds to step S15 to activate the "purge" or "burnout" mode. However, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the yes in step S13 can be done only if a particular portion of the aerosol-generating material (e.g., the portion having nicotine) is determined to have reached its end of life, or only if all portions are determined to have reached their end of life. In these embodiments, the device 2 may be configured to indicate (e.g., via the touch-sensitive panel 29 or indicator 31) that the particular portion of the aerosol-generating material is no longer available to be heated, thus allowing the user the opportunity to change the heating configuration of the simultaneous activation mode for a subsequent puff.

[0147] In response to one (or all) end-of-life conditions being satisfied, control circuitry 23 is configured to activate a “purge” or “burnout” mode in step S15, which is generally similar to step S5 described in FIG. 5 above. The duration and temperature at which the portions of aerosol-generating material are heated in the burnout mode can be predetermined and can be applied regardless of the activation history of the heating element or portion of aerosol-generating material. However, in the described embodiment, the duration and temperature for each heating element or portion can be determined based on monitored activation parameters (e.g., by considering the total time required to heat an unused portion of aerosol-generating material and subtracting the monitored activation parameter or a possible time value from that total time), substantially in accordance with the principles described in connection with FIG. 5.

[0148] In some embodiments, the control circuitry may be configured to set the temperature to which each of the heating elements 24 is heated such that the heating period for all portions of the aerosol-generating material is approximately the same. For example, a portion having twice the nicotine may be heated to 200° C. for 60 seconds while another portion having half the nicotine may be heated to 150° C. for 60 seconds, allowing the burnout mode for each portion to be completed at approximately the same time.

[0149] Once the heating time period has elapsed in step S16, indicator 31 may output a different signal to the user indicating that burnout mode is complete. For example, indicator 31 may output a light indicating that burnout mode is complete and that the user may remove item 4 and dispose of item 4 using conventional means (e.g., a waste disposal bin). Similarly, indicator 31 may be any type of indicator and may output any type of signal, as the case may be.

[0150] Regardless of the method used, providing a burnout mode can allow a user to remove undesirable components from the aerosol-generating material so that the article 4 containing said material can be safely disposed of. Although not shown, the device 2 can include a storage portion to store the aerosol generated during the burnout process so that it can be properly disposed of at the appropriate time. In other embodiments, the aerosol can accumulate on the walls of the receptacle, requiring the user to clean the receptacle with an associated cleaning product. In any case, the user can dispose of the article 4 in any suitable or conventional manner (e.g., when away from suitable processing equipment) and then clean the device 2 when and if it is more appropriate to use suitable processing equipment.

[0151] While the above embodiments have focused on removing a first component from the aerosol-generating material, it should be understood that multiple components can be removed from the same portion or various different portions. For example, a burnout mode to remove flavorings may also be used. In these embodiments, multiple burnout modes may be performed in parallel. For multiple portions of the aerosol-generating material having both components, the control circuitry 23 may be configured to select a longer and / or higher temperature burnout mode to be applied to that portion to ensure that both components are substantially removed from the aerosol-generating material.

[0152] While the burnout mode (e.g., steps S5 and S15) has been described as being performed automatically, in other embodiments, a user may be given the option to manually initiate the burnout mode (i.e., the user may manually select to heat at least that portion of the aerosol-generating material until at least that portion of the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of the first component). In these embodiments, the user may be given an alert / warning, for example with indicator 31, that article 4 is approaching an end-of-life condition. The user may interact with, for example, touch-sensitive panel 29 to activate the burnout mode.

[0153] It should be appreciated that in some embodiments, the burnout mode may be applied only to the portion of the aerosol generating material that includes the first component (and any other selected components desired to be removed). In other words, control circuitry 23 may be configured to selectively apply the burnout mode to selected portions of the aerosol generating material.

[0154] In some embodiments, the device 2 may optionally include a blocking or flow restricting member 32. The flow restricting member 32 may be any suitable component that selectively seals the air flow path in the device 2. In FIG. 1, the flow restricting member 32 is a flap that can be moved from a stowed position that allows air flow to a blocking position that substantially seals the air flow path. However, in other embodiments, the flow restricting member may be, for example, a butterfly valve or an iris structure. Although the flow restricting member 32 is shown in FIG. 1 as being located at the air outlet 28 side, it can be located at any suitable location along the flow path downstream of the receptacle 25. During steps S5 and S15 of the method shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the control circuit 23 may be configured to seal the air flow path by activating the flow restricting member 32. In this case, when the user inhales at the mouthpiece end 26 of the device 2, the user cannot inhale air that is upstream of the flow restricting member 32. In this way, safety can be enhanced because the user cannot inhale when the burnout mode is activated.

[0155] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a schematic diagram of an aerosol delivery system 200 in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. The aerosol delivery system 200 includes components that are generally similar to those described with respect to Figure 1, but with reference numbers increased by 200. For efficiency, components having similar reference numbers should be understood to be generally the same as their counterparts in Figures 1 and 2A-2C, unless otherwise noted. The aerosol delivery device 202 comprises an outer housing 221, a power source 222, a control circuit 223, an inductive work coil 224a, a receiver 225, an inhalation or mouthpiece end 226, an air inlet 227, an air outlet 228, a touch-sensitive panel 229, an inhalation sensor 230, and an end-of-use indicator 231.

[0156] Aerosol-delivery article 204 comprises carrier component 242, aerosol-generating material 244, and susceptor element 244b, as shown in more detail in Figures 8A-8C. Figure 8A is a top view of article 4, Figure 8B is an end view along the longitudinal (length) axis of article 4, and Figure 8C is a side view along the width axis of article 4.

[0157] 7 and 8 show an aerosol delivery system 200 that uses induction to heat an aerosol-forming material 244 to generate an aerosol for inhalation.

[0158] In the described embodiment, the aerosol generating component 224 is formed from two parts: an inductive workcoil 224a disposed within the aerosol delivery device 202, and a susceptor 224b disposed within the aerosol delivery article 204. Thus, in the described embodiment, each aerosol generating component 224 includes an element disposed between the aerosol delivery article 204 and the aerosol delivery device 202.

[0159] Induction heating is a process in which an electrically conductive object, called a susceptor, is heated by the penetration of a fluctuating magnetic field into the object. The process is described by Faraday's law of induction and Ohm's law. An induction heater may comprise an electromagnet and a device for passing a fluctuating current, such as an alternating current, through the electromagnet. When the electromagnet and the object to be heated are suitably positioned relative to one another such that the resulting fluctuating magnetic field generated by the electromagnet penetrates the object, one or more eddy currents are generated inside the object. The object has a resistance to the flow of electric current. Thus, when such eddy currents are generated in the object, the object is heated by their flow against the electrical resistance of the object. This process is called Joule heating, Ohmic heating or resistive heating.

[0160] A susceptor is a material that is heatable by the penetration of a fluctuating magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The heating material may be a conductive material, such that the penetration of the fluctuating magnetic field into the heating material results in induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be a magnetic material, such that the penetration of the fluctuating magnetic field into the heating material results in magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The heating material may be both conductive and magnetic, such that the heating material is heatable by both heating mechanisms.

[0161] Magnetic hysteresis heating is a process in which an object made of a magnetic material is heated by the penetration of a fluctuating magnetic field into the object. A magnetic material can be thought of as containing many atomic-scale magnets or magnetic dipoles. When a magnetic field penetrates such a material, the magnetic dipoles align with the magnetic field. Thus, when a fluctuating magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field, for example as produced by an electromagnet, penetrates a magnetic material, the orientation of the magnetic dipoles changes with the applied fluctuating magnetic field. Such reorientation of the magnetic dipoles generates heat in the magnetic material.

[0162] If an object is both conductive and magnetic, then the penetration of a changing magnetic field into the object can produce both Joule heating and magnetic hysteresis heating in the object. Furthermore, the magnetic field can be strengthened by the use of magnetic materials, thereby enhancing Joule heating.

[0163] In the embodiment described, the susceptors 224b are formed from aluminum foil, although it should be understood that other metallic and / or conductive materials may be used in other embodiments. As seen in Figure 8, the carrier component 242 includes a plurality of susceptors 224b that correspond in size and position to the individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 244 disposed on the surface of the carrier component 242. That is, the susceptors 224b have a similar width and length as the individual portions of the aerosol-generating material 244.

[0164] The susceptor is shown embedded in the carrier component 242. However, in other embodiments, the susceptor 224b may be disposed on a surface of the carrier component 242.

[0165] The aerosol delivery device 202 comprises a number of inductive workcoils 224a, shown generally in Figure 7. The workcoils 224a are shown adjacent to the receiver 225 and are generally flat coils arranged such that the axis of rotation about which a given coil is wound extends into the receiver 225 and is generally perpendicular to the plane of the carrier component 242 of the article 204. The exact windings are not shown in Figure 7, but it should be understood that any suitable inductive coil can be used.

[0166] Control circuitry 223 includes a mechanism for generating an alternating current that is passed through any one or more of the induction coils 224a. The alternating current generates an alternating magnetic field, as described above, which in turn causes the corresponding susceptor(s) 224b to heat up. The heat generated by the susceptor(s) 224b is transferred to the portions of the aerosol-generating material 244 accordingly.

[0167] 1 and 2A-2C, the control circuit 223 is configured to supply current to the work coil 224a in response to receiving signaling from the touch-sensitive panel 229 and / or the inhalation sensor 230. Any of the techniques for selecting which heating element 24 is heated by the control circuit 23 as discussed above may be similarly applied to selecting which work coil 224a is energized (and thus which portion of the aerosol-generating material 244 is subsequently heated) in response to receiving signaling from the touch-sensitive panel 229 and / or the inhalation sensor 230 by the control circuit 223 to generate an aerosol for user inhalation.

[0168] While the above describes an inductively heated aerosol delivery system in which the workcoil 224a and the susceptor 224b are disposed between the article 204 and the device 202, an inductively heated aerosol delivery system may be provided in which the workcoil 224a and the susceptor 224b are disposed solely within the device 202. For example, with reference to Figure 7, the susceptor 224b may be provided above the inductive workcoil 224a, and the susceptor 224b may be positioned such that it contacts the underside of the carrier component 242 (in a manner similar to the aerosol delivery system 1 shown in Figure 1).

[0169] Accordingly, FIG. 7 describes a more specific embodiment in which inductive heating can be used in an aerosol delivery device 202 to generate an aerosol for user inhalation, to which the techniques described in this disclosure can be applied.

[0170] In the embodiments of the aerosol delivery system 1, 201 described above, multiple (individual) portions of aerosol-generating material 44, 244 are provided that can be selectively aerosolized using the aerosol generating component 24, 224. Such an aerosol delivery system 1, 201 offers advantages over other systems intended to heat larger amounts of material. In particular, for a given inhalation, only a selected portion (or portions) of the aerosol-generating material is aerosolized, resulting in a more energy-efficient system overall.

[0171] Several parameters affect the overall effectiveness of a heating system in delivering a sufficient amount of aerosol to the user per puff. On the one hand, the thickness of the aerosol-generating material is important because it affects how quickly the aerosol-generating material reaches the operating temperature (and subsequently generates aerosol). This can be important for several reasons, but it can result in a more efficient use of energy from the power source 22, 222, since the heating element does not need to be active as long as compared to heating a thicker portion of the material. On the other hand, the total mass of the aerosol-generating material that is heated affects the total amount of aerosol that can be generated and subsequently delivered to the user. Furthermore, the temperature to which the aerosol-generating material is heated can affect both how quickly the aerosol-generating material reaches the operating temperature and the amount of aerosol generated. The target temperature (sometimes called the operating temperature) is the temperature that the control circuit 23 causes the heating element to reach in order to generate aerosol. The operating temperature can therefore be one or more constant values.

[0172] Amorphous solids (e.g., as described above) are particularly suitable for the above applications, in part because they can be designed to be formed from selected ingredients / ingredients, such that a relatively high percentage of the mass is useful (or deliverable) ingredients (e.g., nicotine and glycerol). As such, amorphous solids can generate a relatively high percentage of aerosol from a given mass compared to some other aerosol-generating materials (e.g., tobacco), meaning that a relatively smaller portion of amorphous solid can yield a comparable amount of aerosol. Furthermore, amorphous solids do not flow easily (if at all), meaning that leakage-based problems are greatly reduced when using, for example, liquid aerosol-generating materials.

[0173] Although the above describes a system in which an array of aerosol generating components 24 (e.g., heater elements) are provided to excite individual portions of aerosol generating material, in other embodiments, the article 4 and / or the aerosol generating components 24 may be configured to move relative to one another. That is, there may be fewer aerosol generating components 24 than individual portions of aerosol generating material 44 provided on the carrier component 42 of the article 4, such that relative movement between the article 4 and the aerosol generating components 24 is required to be able to excite each of the individual portions of aerosol generating material 44 individually. For example, a movable heating element 24 may be provided within the receiver 25 such that the heating element 24 can move relative to the receiver 25. In this manner, the movable heating element 24 can be translated (e.g., across the width and length of the carrier component 42) such that the heating element 24 can be aligned with each portion of the individual portions of aerosol generating material 44. This approach may reduce the number of aerosol generating components 42 required while still providing a similar user experience.

[0174] While the above describes embodiments in which individual, spatially distinct portions of the aerosol-generating material 44 are disposed on the carrier component 42, it should be understood that in other embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may not be provided in individual, spatially distinct portions, but may instead be provided as a continuous sheet of aerosol-generating material 44. In these embodiments, certain regions of the sheet of aerosol-generating material 44 may be selectively heated to generate an aerosol in generally the same manner as described above. However, regardless of whether the portions are spatially distinct, the present disclosure describes heating (or otherwise aerosolizing) multiple portions of the aerosol-generating material 44. In particular, an area (corresponding to one portion of the aerosol-generating material) may be defined on the continuous sheet of aerosol-generating material (or more specifically, the surface of the heating element 24 that is intended to increase in temperature) based on the dimensions of the heating element 24. In this regard, the corresponding area of ​​the heating element 24 when projecting into the sheet of aerosol-generating material may be considered to define one area or one portion of the aerosol-generating material. In accordance with the present disclosure, each region or portion of the aerosol-forming material can have a mass not exceeding 20 mg, although the entire continuous sheet may have a mass greater than 20 mg.

[0175] Although the above describes a "burnout mode" in which portions of the aerosol-generating material are heated to reduce the concentration of the component to a relatively low level, it should be understood that in some embodiments, a different form of aerosolization, such as a vibrating mesh, may be used. Thus, the above-mentioned principles can be applied to a method of reducing the amount of a first component in an aerosol-generating material using an aerosol generating device configured to deliver an inhalable aerosol to a user, the method comprising: subjecting a portion of the aerosol-generating material containing the first component to a first aerosolization process to generate an aerosol for user inhalation; and subjecting at least that portion of the aerosol-generating material to a second aerosolization process until at least that portion of the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of the first component. An aerosolization process should be understood as any suitable process capable of generating an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material.

[0176] Although the above describes an embodiment in which the device 2 can be configured or operated using a touch-sensitive panel 29 attached to the device 2, the device 2 may instead be configured or controlled remotely. For example, the control circuitry 23 may be provided with corresponding communication circuitry (e.g. Bluetooth) that allows the control circuitry 23 to communicate with a remote device such as a smartphone. Thus, the touch-sensitive panel 29 may actually be implemented using an App or the like running on the smartphone. In that case, the smartphone may send user input or configuration to the control circuitry 23, and the control circuitry 23 may be configured to operate based on the received input or configuration.

[0177] Although the above describes an embodiment in which an aerosol that is subsequently inhaled by a user is generated by exciting (or heating) the aerosol-generating material 44, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the generated aerosol may be passed through or over an aerosol-modifying component to modify one or more properties of the aerosol before being inhaled by a user. For example, the aerosol delivery device 2, 202 may include an air-permeable insert (not shown) that is inserted into the air flow path downstream of the aerosol-generating material 44 (e.g., the insert may be disposed in the outlet 28). The insert may include a material that modifies any one or more of the flavor, temperature, particle size, nicotine concentration, etc. of the aerosol as it passes through the insert before entering the user's mouth. For example, the insert may include tobacco or treated tobacco. Such a system may be referred to as a hybrid system. The insert may include any suitable aerosol-modifying material that may incorporate the aerosol-generating material described above.

[0178] Although it has been described above that the heating element 24 is configured to supply heat to a portion of the aerosol-generating material at an operating temperature at which an aerosol is generated from that portion, in some embodiments, the heating element 24 is configured to preheat portions of the aerosol-generating material to a preheat temperature (lower than the operating temperature). When the portions are heated at the preheat temperature, a smaller amount of aerosol or no aerosol is generated at the preheat temperature. However, a smaller amount of energy is required to raise the temperature of the aerosol-generating material from the preheat temperature to the operating temperature. This may be particularly suitable for relatively thick portions of the aerosol-generating material, e.g., having a thickness of more than 400 μm, where a relatively large amount of energy is required to be supplied to reach the operating temperature. However, in such embodiments, the energy consumption (e.g., from the power source 22) may be relatively high.

[0179] Although the above describes an embodiment in which the aerosol delivery device 2 includes an end-of-use indicator 31, it should be understood that the end-of-use indicator 31 may be provided by another device remote from the aerosol delivery device 2. For example, in some embodiments, the control circuitry 23 of the aerosol delivery device 2 may include a communication mechanism that allows data transfer between the aerosol delivery device 2 and a remote device, such as a smartphone or smartwatch. In these embodiments, when the control circuitry 23 determines that the item 4 has reached the end of its use, the control circuitry 23 is configured to transmit a signal to the remote device, which is configured to generate an alert signal (e.g., using a display on the smartphone). Other remote devices and other mechanisms for generating an alert signal may be used, as described above.

[0180] In some embodiments, the article 4 may include an identifier, such as a readable bar code or RFID tag, and the aerosol delivery device 2 may include a corresponding reader. When the article is inserted into the receptacle 25 of the device 2, the device 2 may be configured to read the identifier on the article 4. The control circuitry 23 may be configured to recognize the presence of the article 4 (and thus authorize heating and / or reset an end-of-life indicator) or may be configured to identify the type and / or location of the portions of aerosol-generating material relative to the article 4. This may affect which portions the control circuitry 23 aerosolizes and / or how the portions are aerosolized, for example, by adjusting the aerosol generation temperature and / or heating duration. Any suitable technique for recognizing the article 4 may be used.

[0181] Thus, a method has been described for reducing the amount of a first component in an aerosol-generating material using an aerosol generating device configured to deliver an inhalable aerosol to a user. The method includes subjecting a portion of the aerosol-generating material containing the first component to a first aerosolization process to generate an aerosol for user inhalation, and subjecting at least that portion of the aerosol-generating material to a second aerosolization process until at least that portion of the aerosol-generating material is substantially free of the first component. An aerosol delivery device and an aerosol delivery system are also provided.

[0182] Furthermore, when multiple portions of aerosol-generating material are provided on the carrier component 42, these portions may, in some embodiments, include weakened areas, e.g., through holes, or areas of relatively thin aerosol-generating material, in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the carrier component 42. This may be the case when the hottest part of the aerosol-generating material is the area that is in direct contact with the carrier component (in other words, in a scenario where heat is applied primarily to the surface of the aerosol-generating material that is in contact with the carrier component 42). Thus, the through holes may provide a channel for the generated aerosol to escape and be released into the surroundings / airflow through the device 2, rather than allowing aerosol to potentially accumulate between the carrier component 42 and the aerosol-generating material 44. Such an accumulation of aerosol may reduce the heating efficiency of the system, since the accumulation of aerosol may, in some embodiments, cause the aerosol-generating material to bulge from the carrier component 42, thus reducing the efficiency of heat transfer to the aerosol-generating material. Each portion of the aerosol-generating material may be provided with one or more weakened areas, as required.

[0183] While the embodiments described above have in some respects focused on some specific example aerosol delivery systems, it will be appreciated that the same principles can be applied to aerosol delivery systems using other techniques, i.e., the specific manner in which various aspects of the aerosol delivery system function is not directly related to the principles underlying the examples described herein.

[0184] To address various problems and advance the art, the present disclosure illustrates, by way of example, various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced. The advantages and features of the present disclosure are merely a representative sample of embodiments and are not exhaustive and / or exclusive. They are presented solely to aid in understanding and to teach the claimed invention(s). It is to be understood that the advantages, embodiments, examples, features, features, structures, and / or other aspects of the present disclosure should not be considered limitations on the present disclosure as defined by the claims, or limitations on the equivalents of the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the claims. It will be understood that the various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or essentially consist of various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc., other than as specifically described herein, and thus the features of the dependent claims may be combined with the features of the independent claims in combinations other than those expressly set forth in the claims. This disclosure may include other inventions that are not currently claimed, but may be claimed in the future.

Claims

[Claim 1] An apparatus as described in the specification.

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