Flavor sustained-release composition for heat-not-burn cigarettes and preparation method

Abstract

A flavor sustained-release composition, manufacturing method, and aerosol-generating system for controlled terpene delivery in aerosol products. The composition features encapsulated terpene compounds as core material with composite modified starch as wall material, achieving at least 70% encapsulation rate. Manufacturing involves preparing wall-material solution at 10% to 50% concentration, emulsifying with core material at wall-to-terpene ratios of 10:1 to 1:1, and spray-drying at controlled temperatures. The aerosol-generating system incorporates this composition in articles with cannabis substrate segments, delivering consistent terpene release with relative standard deviation below 30% over 10 puffs under standard testing conditions, enabling uniform flavor experience throughout product use.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 748,094, filed on Jan. 22, 2025, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.FIELD

[0002] The disclosure relates to the field of smoking products, aerosol-generating system, and a flavor sustained-release composition suitable for high-temperature heating conditions and to an additional segment for Heat-Not-Burn (HNB) cigarette employing the composition.BACKGROUND

[0003] In the related art, Heat-Not-Burn (HNB) technology has gradually gained widespread recognition in the tobacco industry. By heating tobacco to a temperature below the combustion range, HNB products can release an aerosol containing nicotine, while avoiding harmful byproducts produced during combustion, such as carbon monoxide, tar, and other toxic substances. Therefore, compared to traditional cigarettes, HNB products offer better health characteristics, and do not produce an open flame, smoke, or ash, making the user experience more comfortable. Furthermore, the introduction of HNB products marks the transformation of the tobacco industry toward harm reduction, and these products are gradually gaining acceptance worldwide.

[0004] However, flavor quality is a critical factor influencing consumer acceptance of HNB products. Many key aroma compounds, for example, terpene molecules such as limonene and linalool, exhibit high volatility and low thermal stability. These characteristics lead to significant aroma loss during storage and result in rapid “burst-and-fade” behavior during puffing. Existing flavor-adding techniques, including encapsulation, impregnation, spraying, flavoring of filter forming paper, and flavoring of tow, are primarily developed for low-temperature food applications or for traditional cigarettes. Such technologies either cannot withstand high-temperature HNB conditions, encapsulate only one or two aroma components, release aroma inefficiently due to filter interception, or require user-dependent mechanical crushing that results in inconsistent sensory performance.

[0005] Emerging HNB cannabis products face even greater challenges. Unlike tobacco-based substrates, cannabis materials have markedly different volatile profiles and thermal behaviors, and conventional filter-based flavoring methods are not directly transferrable. Existing pre-roll or HNB cannabis products cannot realize controlled, staged aroma release over multiple puffs and often suffer from insufficient flavor intensity, poor late-puff aroma performance, and mismatch between flavor release kinetics and the required 10-puff HNB heating cycle. Moreover, many encapsulating matrices derived from food technology undergo thermal decomposition above approximately 200° C. and may carbonize under HNB conditions, resulting in burnt off-flavors.

[0006] Therefore, there remains an urgent need for a high-temperature-stable, multi-component flavor sustained-release technology that is compatible with HNB cannabis or tobacco aerosol-generating systems. The technology should be capable of encapsulating a large number of terpene compounds, withstanding rapid heating during use, avoiding undesired burnt off-flavors, and releasing aroma continuously and controllably over multiple puffs.

[0007] The embodiments of the present disclosure address these unmet needs by providing a dedicated flavored “additional segment” for HNB cigarettes and a composite modified starch-based sustained-release composition that can encapsulate numerous terpene components with high encapsulation efficiency and stability. When incorporated into one or more additional segments of an HNB smoking article, the composition can be actively heated by the device to achieve regular, multi-stage aroma release, thereby significantly improving flavor stability, puff-to-puff consistency, and overall user experience.SUMMARY

[0008] Provided are a flavor sustained-release composition for an aerosol-generating article, a manufacturing method therefor, an aerosol-generating system, a device, a storage medium, and a program product, which can implement controlled and consistent terpene flavor delivery through encapsulation technology with composite modified starch wall materials.

[0009] According to some embodiments, a flavor sustained-release composition for an aerosol-generating article includes: an encapsulated material comprising a core material and a wall material; wherein the core material comprising a plurality of terpene compounds; and wherein the wall material comprises a composite modified starch, and wherein the flavor sustained-release composition has a terpene encapsulation rate of at least 70%.

[0010] According to some embodiments, a method of manufacturing the flavor sustained-release composition includes: preparing an aqueous wall-material solution having a concentration in a range of 10% to 50% by weight; emulsifying the core material and the aqueous wall-material solution in the presence of an emulsifier to obtain an oil-in-water emulsion, a ratio of the wall material to the terpene compounds being in a range of 10:1 to 1:1 by weight; and spray-drying the oil-in-water emulsion at an inlet temperature in a range of 100° C. to 180° C. and an outlet temperature in a range of 65° C. to 90° C. to obtain spray-dried particles of the flavor sustained-release composition.

[0011] According to some embodiments, an aerosol-generating system includes: an aerosol-generating article comprising: a hollow mouthpiece; an aerosol-generating substrate segment comprising cannabis; and at least one additional segment; and an aerosol-generating device configured to heat the aerosol-generating substrate segment and the at least one additional segment to generate an aerosol; wherein, under a puffing regime according to a Health Canada Intense smoking regime, a release rate of terpene flavor substances from the at least one additional segment over 10 puffs has a relative standard deviation of less than 30%.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] To describe technical solutions of embodiments of this application or related technologies more clearly, the following briefly introduces the accompanying drawings required for describing embodiments or related technologies. Clearly, the accompanying drawings in the following descriptions show only some embodiments of this application, and a person of ordinary skill in the art may still derive other drawings based on these accompanying drawings without creative efforts.

[0013] FIG. 1A is a structural schematic diagrams of one embodiment of a cylindrical aerosol-generating substrate according to some embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 1B is a structural schematic diagrams of one embodiment of a cylindrical aerosol-generating substrate according to some embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of an elliptical aerosol-generating substrate according to some embodiments.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of a rectangular aerosol-generating substrate according to some embodiments.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the aerosol-generating substrate for the embodiments in FIGS. 1-3 according to some embodiments.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a structural schematic diagram of an aerosol-generating substrate and surrounding conduction heating element for one embodiment according to some embodiments.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the direct insertion of the aerosol-generating substrate into the corresponding aerosol-generating device according to some embodiments.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the aerosol-generating system according to some embodiments.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a comparison diagram of the per-puff aerosol release amount between the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention and competing products according to some embodiments.

[0022] FIG. 9 is a comparison diagram of the cannabinoid release efficiency and per-puff cannabinoid amount between the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention and competing products according to some embodiments.

[0023] FIG. 10 is a comparison diagram of the per-puff average atomization amount of aerosol-generating substrates with different shapes according to some embodiments.

[0024] FIG. 11 is a comparison diagram of cannabinoid conversion rate and per-puff cannabinoid amount of aerosol-generating substrates with different shapes according to some embodiments.

[0025] FIG. 12 is a structural schematic diagram of an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-generating substrate segment and two additional segments according to some embodiments.

[0026] FIG. 13 is an electron micrograph showing a surface morphology and particle-size range of encapsulated terpene particles of a flavor sustained-release composition according to some embodiments.

[0027] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating alternative configurations of an aerosol-generating article comprising a hollow tube, an aroma-supplementing medium segment, a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment, and optionally a plug according to some embodiments.

[0028] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an aerosol-generating system comprising an aerosol-generating device with two independently controlled heating zones for a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and an aroma-supplementing medium segment according to some embodiments.

[0029] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an aerosol-generating system comprising an aerosol-generating device with a passive heating configuration for the aroma-supplementing medium segment according to some embodiments.

[0030] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and an aroma-supplementing medium segment, each having internal through-holes serving as aerosol transmission channels according to some embodiments.

[0031] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating a multi-chamber aerosol-generating device comprising a top cover, a support structure, heating elements, a battery cell, a circuit board, an outer shell, and a bottom support member, with separate heating chambers for a cannabis aerosol-generating medium and an aroma-supplementing medium according to some embodiments.

[0032] FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating medium segments with internal through-holes for use in the multi-chamber aerosol-generating device according to some embodiments.

[0033] FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram illustrating the multi-chamber aerosol-generating device with the top cover open, showing insertion of the aroma-supplementing medium and the cannabis aerosol-generating medium into their respective heating chambers according to some embodiments.

[0034] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating the multi-chamber aerosol-generating device in operation, showing aerosols from the cannabis aerosol-generating medium and the aroma-supplementing medium meeting and mixing in an internal channel of the top cover according to some embodiments.

[0035] FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram illustrating a composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium comprising a cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment and a cooling segment according to some embodiments.

[0036] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram illustrating an extruded cannabis medium having a plurality of internal through-holes formed by extrusion of an all-solid formulation according to some embodiments.

[0037] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram illustrating the extruded cannabis medium placed within a heating device for circumferential heating according to some embodiments.

[0038] FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram illustrating various configurations of aerosol-generating articles comprising the medium combined with functional components including a hollow tube, a cooling segment, a plug, and a filter tip according to some embodiments.

[0039] FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram illustrating a coaxial aerosol-generating article comprising an outer aerosol-generating medium and an inner aroma medium arranged in a concentric configuration, with the inner wall surface of the aerosol-generating medium in contact with the outer wall surface of the aroma medium according to some embodiments.

[0040] FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative coaxial aerosol-generating article comprising an inner aerosol-generating medium and an outer aroma medium, configured for center heating through a central through-hole according to some embodiments.DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0041] Technical solutions in embodiments of this application are clearly and completely described in the following with reference to accompanying drawings in the embodiments of this application. Clearly, the described embodiments are merely a part rather than all of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0042] For embodiments that do not specify experimental steps or conditions, conventional experimental steps or conditions described in literature within the field can be used. Reagents or instruments not specified with manufacturers are conventional reagent products that can be obtained commercially.

[0043] Cannabis material: Refers to natural materials containing cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabigerol (CBG), and other substances, for example, cannabis dry flowers or fresh flowers, or extracts of these natural materials, such as Live Resin, Live Rosin, Diamond, Kief, Hash, etc.

[0044] Substrate processing: The solid or semi-solid substrate of the cannabis material is mechanically comminuted (such as by liquid nitrogen freezing ball milling or jet milling) into particles with a D90 particle size distribution of 1-150 microns. The comminuted cannabis material particles are then freeze-dried to reduce their moisture content to 2% to 5% by weight. Since cannabis is an oil-averse material, removing moisture improves the mixing uniformity of the medium and its atomization stability. Particles in the range of 1-150 microns are both a processing requirement and an increase in surface area, which helps to enhance release efficiency.

[0045] The formulation primarily considers the product's structural strength and flexibility, as well as the release of active ingredients and aromas.

[0046] The formulation of the product consists of the following materials:

[0047] Cannabis material: Composed of one or more of the aforementioned cannabis materials, with at least one or more solid or semi-solid cannabis materials. The cannabis material accounts for 25% to 90% by weight in the final product.

[0048] Skeletal material: This can include tobacco, Pueraria lobata, wood microcrystalline cellulose, or cannabis microcrystalline cellulose. The skeletal material also needs to be comminuted into particles with a size similar to the cannabis material particles. Its main function is to provide structural strength and flexibility. The skeletal material accounts for 0% to 60% by weight in the final product.

[0049] Binder: One or more natural polymer materials, which can include but are not limited to starch, cellulose, plant or animal proteins and their derivatives. Specific examples include: carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), arabic gum, guar gum, chitosan, carrageenan, Pueraria lobata extract, gluten, and gelatin. The binder accounts for 1% to 10% by weight in the final product.

[0050] Flavoring: This can include terpenes extracted from cannabis, non-cannabis plant terpenes, and aromatic compounds extracted from cannabis plants or other plants, or any combination of these components. Flavoring accounts for 3%~10% or 3%~20% by weight in the final product.

[0051] The above materials are added in predetermined ratios to a low-temperature mixing apparatus for uniform mixing, ensuring even distribution of the components. The mixture is then extruded through a twin-screw extruder to form an aerosol-generating substrate with a specific geometry for use in heating devices.

[0052] The aerosol-forming substrate typically contains 10% to 50% by weight of cannabinoids, with the specific content depending on the ratio of cannabis material to other components (such as skeletal material and flavoring) and the cannabinoid content.

[0053] In some embodiments, an interior of the aerosol-generating substrate 100 has a three-dimensional ordered honeycomb structure. The interior of the aerosol-generating substrate 100 has multiple air channels 102, each extending through at least one end 108 of the aerosol-generating substrate 100 in the longitudinal direction, and preferably extending through both ends. Partition walls 104 separate adjacent air channels 102. This honeycomb structure significantly improves thermal conductivity, optimizes temperature distribution, and reduces the impact of temperature differences on cannabinoid release during heating. The hollow channels 102 in the honeycomb structure form ordered airways that promote smooth airflow, thereby increasing aerosol release efficiency and reducing aerosol loss. In some embodiments, each air channel is parallel to the axis of the aerosol-generating substrate and extends through both ends of the aerosol-generating substrate in the longitudinal direction.

[0054] In some embodiments, the air channels are arranged in an ordered manner. The air channels can be arranged in a concentric circle pattern, as shown in FIG. 1a, with air channels distributed along multiple trajectories. Each trajectory line has air channels arranged around the central circumference of the aerosol-generating substrate, and multiple trajectory lines are arranged concentrically along the radial direction of the aerosol-generating substrate. The air channels can also be arranged in a square matrix, as shown in FIG. 1b.

[0055] In some embodiments, the air channels 102 are arranged in an ordered manner. The air channels 102 can be arranged in a concentric circle pattern, as shown in FIG. 1A, with air channels 102 distributed along multiple trajectories. Each trajectory line has air channels 102 arranged around the central circumference of the aerosol-generating substrate 100, and multiple trajectory lines are arranged concentrically along the radial direction of the aerosol-generating substrate 100. The air channels 102 can also be arranged in a square matrix, as shown in FIG. 1B.

[0056] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating substrate has an equivalent diameter in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm and a length in the range of 5 mm to 100 mm.

[0057] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of each air channel is in the range of 0.10 mm2 to 20 mm2, or the hydraulic diameter of each air channel is in the range of 0.36 mm to 5 mm.

[0058] In some embodiments, the wall thickness of the partition walls 104 between adjacent air channels 102 is in the range of 10 μm to 800 μm.

[0059] The shape and size of the aerosol-forming substrate can vary, for example:

[0060] Cylindrical: Length of 5-100 mm, diameter of 1-10 mm, as shown in FIG. 1a-b);

[0061] Elliptical cylindrical: Length of 5-100 mm, thickness of 1-10 mm (as shown in FIG. 2);

[0062] Equilateral triangular: Length of 5-100 mm, side length of 1-10 mm;

[0063] Hexagonal: Length of 5-100 mm, side length of 1-10 mm;

[0064] Rectangular: Length of 5-100 mm, height and width of 1-10 mm (as shown in FIG. 3).

[0065] The cross-section of the aerosol-forming substrate can consist of an ordered structure made of a set number of polygons (such as triangles, hexagons, squares, pentagons, etc.) or circular rings, with the number of polygons ranging from 4 to 100 (as shown in FIG. 4). Based on the shape, size, material composition, and density of the substrate, the basis weight of the substrate can range from 120 g / m2 to 250 g / m2, and the overall weight of the substrate can range from 50 mg to 1000 mg.

[0066] The aerosol-forming substrate is used in combination with a corresponding heating device, which may employ, but is not limited to, the following heating methods to heat the aerosol-forming substrate: circumferential conduction heating (as shown in FIG. 5), air convection heating, electromagnetic induction heating, infrared heating, and microwave heating. During the heating process, the aerosol-forming substrate is heated to a range of 200° C. to 300° C., thereby releasing an aerosol containing cannabinoids and flavoring. The aerosol-forming substrate can be directly placed into a compatible aerosol-generating device for use (as shown in FIG. 6), or further processed into a cigarette form and inserted into a corresponding aerosol-generating device (as shown in FIG. 7) to meet the diverse needs of users.

[0067] FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of one embodiment of a heating element assembly 200 comprising an aerosol-generating substrate 100 and an outer wrapper 202. The outer wrapper 202 comprises an electromagnetic heating inductor 204.

[0068] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating use of an aerosol-generating substrate 100 directly loaded into a corresponding aerosol-generating device 300. The aerosol-generating device 300 is provided with an airflow channel 302, and one end of the airflow channel 302 is provided with a mouthpiece 304. The aerosol-generating substrate 100 is loaded from a bottom side into an end of the airflow channel 302 that is away from the mouthpiece 304. The aerosol-generating device 300 heats the aerosol-generating substrate 100, and aerosol generated by atomization is discharged from the mouthpiece 304. In this embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 300 and the aerosol-generating substrate 100 together form an aerosol-generating system.

[0069] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of an aerosol-generating system. The aerosol-generating system comprises an aerosol-generating device 300 and an aerosol-generating product 400, and the aerosol-generating product 400 is in the form of a cigarette. The cigarette comprises an aerosol-generating substrate 100, a functional segment 402, and an outer wrapper 410.

[0070] The functional segment 402 is provided at one end of the aerosol-generating substrate 100 in a longitudinal direction and at least comprises a filter segment 404 configured to filter aerosol. The functional segment 402 of the cigarette shown in FIG. 7 further comprises a cooling segment 406 and a plug. The outer wrapper surrounds circumferential outer surfaces of the functional segment 402 and the aerosol-generating substrate 100.

[0071] It can be understood that the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention may also be formed into an aerosol-generating product in the form of a capsule, in which an outer wrapper is provided on an outer periphery of the aerosol-generating substrate.

[0072] It can be understood that, in addition to circumferential conduction heating, the aerosol-generating device may also employ other heating methods such as air heating, microwave heating, and infrared heating. The circumferential conduction heating includes, but is not limited to, electromagnetic heating and resistance heating.

[0073] During heating, under a puffing regime according to a Health Canada Intense smoking regime, the aerosol release amount and cannabinoid release efficiency of the aerosol-generating substrate satisfy the following:

[0074] Each puff releases 3 to 6 mg of aerosol, in which cannabinoids account for 50% to 80% by weight;

[0075] During a heating process of 10 puffs (a total of 300 seconds), 30% to 60% of cannabinoids in the aerosol-generating substrate are converted into aerosol and collected;

[0076] During a process of 20 puffs (a total of 600 seconds), 70% to 85% of cannabinoids in the aerosol-generating substrate are converted into aerosol and collected;

[0077] During a heating process of 10 puffs (a total of 300 seconds), the consistency of the amount of aerosol released per puff and the mass of cannabinoids in the aerosol is characterized by a relative standard deviation in a range of 10% to 20%.

[0078] FIG. 8 is a comparison diagram of per-puff aerosol release amount.

[0079] FIG. 9 is a comparison diagram of cannabinoid release efficiency and per-puff cannabinoid amount between the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention and competing products.

[0080] An embodiment for improving cannabinoid release efficiency is provided as follows.

[0081] Structure of the aerosol-generating substrate: The aerosol-generating substrate has an equivalent diameter in a range of 1 mm to 10 mm and a length in a range of 5 mm to 100 mm, and has an interior comprising a plurality of air channels, each of the air channels extending to at least one end of the aerosol-generating substrate in a longitudinal direction, and preferably extending through both ends of the aerosol-generating substrate.

[0082] Heating method and heating temperature: Circumferential conduction heating is adopted, for example, electromagnetic circumferential heating or resistance circumferential heating.

[0083] Mass of aerosol per puff: 3 mg to 10 mg, maybe 3 mg to 20 mg.

[0084] Cannabinoid content per puff: 1.5 mg to 5.0 mg, maybe 1.5 mg to 10 mg.

[0085] Effect of different substrate geometries on atomization performance:AverageRSD ofInitialaerosolNormalizedaerosolCannabinoidCannabinoidAir-Wallsubstratemass peraerosolmassCannabinoidcontentamountExperimentchannelthicknessmasspuffmassover 10conversionin aerosolper puffNo.shape(mm)(mg)(mg / puff)(mg / g)puffs (%)rate (%)(%)(mg)#1Circular0.26348.84.6138.21945.0755.62.6#2Circular0.26344.54.9142.615.743.150.12.4#3Grid-like0.182764.4158.62151.253.12.3#4Hexagonal0.195256.73.7145.61645.351.42#5Circular0.26344.34.4128.821.539.750.82.3#6Grid-like0.182724.1149.516.548.153.12.2#7Grid-like0.163254.63.9152.8195256.12.2#8Grid-like0.146235.23.6151.519.548.152.21.9

[0086] In some embodiments, 30 g of industrial hemp dry flower, 2 g of tetrahydrocannabinol, and 1 g of hydroxypropyl cellulose are weighed and added into a liquid nitrogen planetary ball mill for comminution and uniform mixing. The mixed solid powder is placed in a freeze dryer to remove moisture. Then, 1.5 g of a plant-derived terpene mixture is added to the dried solid powder and uniformly mixed using a mixing apparatus, while maintaining the raw material temperature at or below 40° C. during mixing.

[0087] The mixed raw material is extruded through a twin-screw extruder using a square multi-orifice die to form a cylinder having uniformly distributed honeycomb-like internal channels, and then cut into substrates with a length of 20 mm. The specific parameters are as follows:SubstrateTotalSubstrateNumberSubstratecross-substratespecificSubstrateofouterSubstrateWallsectionalsurfaceSubstratesurfaceSubstratebasisPolygonpolygonaldiameterlengththicknessareaareavolumeareamassweighttypecells(mm)(mm)(mm)(mm2)(mm2)(mm3)(m−1)(mg)(g / m2)Square12005.3200.1811.181596.96223.67.142270169.07

[0088] The aerosol-generating substrate is placed into a dedicated aerosol-generating device for heating, and puffing tests are conducted using a smoking machine (for example, a Borgwaldt LM1E smoking machine). A puffing regime according to the Health Canada Intense smoking regime is used, with each puff having a volume of 55 mL, a puff duration of 2 seconds, and an interval of 30 seconds, for a total of 10 puffs. The aerosol of each puff is collected on a Cambridge filter pad and weighed to obtain the aerosol mass per puff. After 10 puffs, the filter pad and the substrate are subjected to chemical analysis. The test results are as follows:AverageRSD ofCannabinoidTerpeneaerosolNormalizedaerosolCannabinoidCannabinoidTerpenecontentcontentmass peraerosolmassCannabinoidcontentamountcontentininpuffmassover 10conversionin aerosolper puffin aerosolsubstratesubstrate(mg / puff)(mg / g)puffs (%)rate (%)(%)(mg)(%)(%)(%)4.4158.62051.253.12.27.317.83.1

[0089] In some embodiments, 30 g of microcrystalline cellulose (particle size 20 μm), 12 g of high-purity cannabidiol crystals, 1.4 g of ethyl cellulose, and 2.6 g of a plant-derived terpene mixture are weighed. The above raw materials are uniformly mixed using a mixing apparatus, while maintaining the raw material temperature at or below 40° C. during mixing.

[0090] The mixed raw material is extruded through a twin-screw extruder using a square multi-orifice die to form a cylinder having uniformly distributed honeycomb-like internal channels, and then cut into substrates with a length of 20 mm. The specific parameters are as follows:SubstrateTotalSubstrateNumberSubstratecross-substratespecificSubstrateofouterSubstrateWallsectionalsurfaceSubstratesurfaceSubstratebasisPolygonpolygonaldiameterlengththicknessareaareavolumeareamassweighttypecells(mm)(mm)(mm)(mm2)(mm2)(mm3)(m−1)(mg)(g / m2)Square12005.3200.1811.181596.96223.67.142250156.55

[0091] The aerosol-generating substrate is placed into a dedicated aerosol-generating device for heating, and puffing tests are conducted using a smoking machine (for example, a Borgwaldt LM1E smoking machine). A puffing regime according to the Health Canada Intense smoking regime is used, with each puff having a volume of 55 mL, a puff duration of 2 seconds, and an interval of 30 seconds, for a total of 10 puffs. The aerosol of each puff is collected on a Cambridge filter pad and weighed to obtain the aerosol mass per puff. After 10 puffs, the filter pad and the substrate are subjected to chemical analysis. The test results are as follows:AverageRSD ofCannabinoidTerpeneaerosolNormalizedaerosolCannabinoidCannabinoidTerpenecontentcontentmass peraerosolmassCannabinoidcontentamountcontentininpuffmassover 10conversionin aerosolper puffin aerosolsubstratesubstrate(mg / puff)(mg / g)puffs (%)rate (%)(%)(mg)(%)(%)(%)3.8152.52039.466.92.63.925.92.1

[0092] In addition to the aerosol-generating substrate 100, embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a flavor sustained-release composition suitable for use in an additional segment of an aerosol-generating article 510, a method of manufacturing the flavor sustained-release composition, an additional segment comprising the flavor sustained-release composition, and an aerosol-generating system including the additional segment. The flavor sustained-release composition is configured to be thermally stable under heating conditions of an aerosol-generating device and to provide sustained release of flavor substances over multiple puffs.

[0093] In some embodiments, a flavor sustained-release composition comprises a core material and a wall material encapsulating the core material. The core material comprises a plurality of terpene compounds. The wall material comprises a composite modified starch that forms a matrix surrounding the core material. The flavor sustained-release composition is in the form of spray-dried particles and has a terpene encapsulation rate of at least 70%.

[0094] In some embodiments, the encapsulation performance of the flavor sustained-release composition is evaluated by determining a loading capacity (LC) of the terpene compounds and an encapsulation rate (ER). The loading capacity LC may be calculated based on thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of blank wall material and terpene-loaded microcapsules under a dynamic nitrogen atmosphere. In some embodiments, LC is obtained according to the following relational expression:η2-(1-α)·LC1-η1-L⁢C=η2′1-η1′In the above expression, η1 is the weight loss of the terpene-encapsulated microcapsules in a temperature range of 30° C. to 100° C., and η1′ is the weight loss of blank microcapsules in the same temperature range; η2 is the weight loss of the terpene-encapsulated microcapsules in a temperature range of 100° C. to 400° C., and η2′ is the weight loss of blank microcapsules in that temperature range; α is a weight-loss ratio of the terpene mixture at 400° C. The encapsulation rate ER may be calculated based on measurements of total terpene content and free terpene content by gas chromatography. In some embodiments, ER is obtained according to the following expression:E⁢R=L⁢C-F⁢CL⁢C×1⁢0⁢0⁢%in which FC is a loading fraction of free terpene, and ER is expressed as a percentage. The free terpene content for a specific terpene component may be determined by extracting a sample with a non-polar solvent such as n-hexane at room temperature, and the total terpene content may be determined by extracting a sample with a mixed polar solvent such as a methanol / isopropanol solution, followed by gas chromatographic analysis. On this basis, the terpene encapsulation rate of each terpene component in the flavor sustained-release composition may be in a range of 70% to 99%, for example in a range of 80% to 99%, or in a range of 81% to 98%.In some embodiments, each encapsulation rate is determined according to the loading capacity LC and the encapsulation rate ER as defined above. Specific examples of terpene components and corresponding encapsulation rates of the flavor sustained-release composition are shown as below:Terpene typeEncapsulation rate (%)α-Bisabolol90.82α-Humulene88.08α-Pinene90.78β-Caryophyllene81.30β-Pinene83.38Camphene96.10delta-3-Carene96.13γ-Terpinene94.03Geraniol89.07Guaiol93.74Isopulegol97.10Linalool83.28Nerolidol-198.93Nerolidol-297.11Ocimene-296.49p-Cymene96.92Terpinolene98.76In some embodiments, the core material comprises a terpene mixture including mono-, sesqui-, and / or diterpene compounds. The terpene mixture may comprise at least 10 terpene compounds, at least 15 terpene compounds, or at least 17 terpene compounds. The terpene compounds may be selected from the group comprising at least one of: limonene, valencene, eucalyptol, myrcene, β-elemene, caryophyllene, α-pinene, β-pinene, camphene, delta-3-carene, γ-terpinene, geraniol, guaiol, isopulegol, linalool, linalyl acetate, nerolidol, ocimene, p-cymene, and terpinolene. These terpene compounds may impart fruity, floral, resinous, or other characteristic aromas to the aerosol.

[0099] In some embodiments, the core material further comprises at least one thioether-type aroma substance. The thioether-type aroma substance may cooperate with the terpene compounds to provide additional aroma notes and to enhance a multi-layered flavor profile during puffing.

[0100] In some embodiments, the wall material comprises a composite modified starch. The composite modified starch may comprise at least one hydrophilic starch component and at least one hydrophobic starch component. For example, the wall material may comprise hydroxypropyl starch and sodium octenyl succinate starch. The composite modified starch can form a porous carrier structure having both emulsifying and film-forming properties, thereby improving encapsulation efficiency and storage stability of the terpene compounds.

[0101] In some embodiments, the wall material comprises hydroxypropyl starch and sodium octenyl succinate starch in a mass ratio in a range of 1:1 to 5:1, for example in a range of 2:1 to 4:1, or about 3:1. By compounding hydroxypropyl starch with sodium octenyl succinate starch, the composite modified starch can overcome drawbacks of single starch systems such as easy thermal decomposition, low encapsulation rate, and limited capability to encapsulate multiple aroma molecules.

[0102] In some embodiments, the wall material further comprises one or more auxiliary wall materials selected from the group comprising: xanthan gum, arabic gum, β-cyclodextrin, sodium alginate, gelatin, beeswax, carboxymethyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, chitosan, and hydroxypropyl starch powder. These auxiliary wall materials may improve flexibility of the wall material, enhance hydrophobic interactions, and stabilize the interface between the core material and the aqueous phase during emulsification.

[0103] In some embodiments, the flavor sustained-release composition further comprises an emulsifier. The emulsifier may comprise polysorbate 80 (Tween 80) or a combination of polysorbate 80 with other food-grade emulsifiers. The emulsifier may be used to stabilize an oil-in-water emulsion of the core material and the wall material and thereby improve encapsulation efficiency.

[0104] In some embodiments, the flavor sustained-release composition is in the form of spray-dried particles having a particle size distribution characterized by a D90 of less than 100 μm. In some embodiments, the spray-dried particles have a D10 in a range of 2 μm to 10 μm, a D50 in a range of 15 μm to 25 μm, and a D90 in a range of 20 μm to 50 μm. The particle size distribution may be measured by a laser particle size analyzer. One example of the surface morphology and particle-size range of such spray-dried particles is shown in FIG. 13. A particle size distribution within these ranges is beneficial for incorporation into an extruded additional segment and for achieving sustained flavor release. FIG. 13 is an electron micrograph showing a surface morphology and particle-size range of encapsulated terpene particles of a flavor sustained-release composition according to some embodiments.

[0105] In some embodiments, the encapsulation performance of the flavor sustained-release composition is evaluated by determining a loading capacity (LC) of the terpene compounds and an encapsulation rate (ER). The loading capacity may be calculated based on thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of blank wall material and terpene-loaded microcapsules under a dynamic nitrogen atmosphere, and the encapsulation rate may be calculated based on measurements of total terpene content and free terpene content by gas chromatography. The terpene encapsulation rate of each terpene component in the flavor sustained-release composition may be in a range of 70% to 99%, for example in a range of 80% to 99%, or in a range of 81% to 98%.

[0106] In some embodiments, the high-temperature performance of the flavor sustained-release composition is evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis. For example, blank wall material and terpene-loaded microcapsules may be heated from room temperature to 400° C. at a heating rate of 20° C. / min under a dynamic nitrogen atmosphere. The flavor sustained-release composition comprising the composite modified starch wall material may exhibit higher terpene retention at 300° C. to 350° C. than a comparative composition using hydroxypropyl starch alone as the wall material. In some embodiments, at 350° C., the terpene retention rate of the composite modified starch wall material is increased by about 40% compared to the comparative composition.

[0107] In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing the flavor sustained-release composition comprises: preparing an aqueous wall-material solution having a concentration in a range of 10% to 50% by weight; emulsifying the core material and the aqueous wall-material solution in the presence of an emulsifier to obtain an oil-in-water emulsion; and spray-drying the oil-in-water emulsion to obtain spray-dried particles of the flavor sustained-release composition.

[0108] In some embodiments, preparing the aqueous wall-material solution comprises dissolving the composite modified starch and any optional auxiliary wall materials in water to form an aqueous solution at a concentration in a range of 10 wt % to 50 wt %. Emulsifying comprises adding the core material containing the terpene compounds to the aqueous wall-material solution and adding the emulsifier, such that a ratio of the wall material to the terpene compounds is in a range of 10:1 to 1:1 by weight, for example in a range of 4:1 to 2:1. The mixture may be subjected to high-shear mixing at a rotational speed in a range of 5000 rpm to 8000 rpm for a period in a range of 10 minutes to 15 minutes. The emulsification may be carried out in a temperature-controlled vessel maintained in an ice-water bath to provide a low-temperature environment.

[0109] In some embodiments, spray-drying the oil-in-water emulsion comprises feeding the emulsion into a spray granulator by a peristaltic pump at a pump speed in a range of 30 rpm to 50 rpm, operating a blower at a frequency in a range of 40 Hz to 70 Hz, and setting an inlet air temperature in a range of 100° C. to 180° C. and an outlet air temperature in a range of 65° C. to 90° C. Under these conditions, spray-dried particles having the particle size distribution described above and a terpene encapsulation rate greater than 60%, and preferably greater than 70%, can be obtained.

[0110] In some embodiments, an additional segment for an aerosol-generating article 510 comprises a rod-shaped body having a diameter in a range of 1 mm to 10 mm and a length in a range of 1 mm to 20 mm, and a base material matrix 706 comprising the flavor sustained-release composition 600 described above. The flavor sustained-release composition 600 may be present in an amount of 0% to 10% by weight, for example in an amount of 1% to 10% by weight or 5% to 10% by weight, based on a total weight of the additional segment.

[0111] In some embodiments, the base material matrix 706 of the additional segment comprises, by weight, 0% to 10% of the flavor sustained-release composition 600; 0% to 18% of at least one protein selected from the group comprising Hordein, Secalin, gluten, dextrin, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed soy protein, and hydrolyzed corn protein; 0% to 40% of at least one cellulose-based material selected from the group comprising hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose nanocrystals, nanocellulose, and carboxyethyl cellulose; 0% to 5% of at least one polysaccharide selected from the group comprising potassium carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthan gum, pectin, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, and calcium carboxymethyl cellulose; 0% to 5% of ultrapure water; and 0% to 12% of propylene glycol.

[0112] In some embodiments, the rod-shaped body of the additional segment has a porosity in a range of 35% to 40%. The porosity may be adjusted by controlling the formulation of the base material matrix and the extrusion conditions. Matching the particle size of the flavor sustained-release composition 600 with the porosity of the additional segment is beneficial to achieving sustained release of terpene flavor substances during heating.

[0113] In some embodiments, the additional segment is formed by extrusion-molding. For example, the base material matrix 706 comprising the flavor sustained-release composition 600 and the other components described above may be fed into a twin-screw extruder. The extrusion may be performed at a temperature in a range of 50° C. to 80° C. and at a screw rotational speed in a range of 50 rpm to 110 rpm. The extruded material may be formed into a continuous rod and cut into additional segments having a predetermined length in a range of 1 mm to 20 mm, for example about 10 mm.

[0114] In some embodiments, an aerosol-generating article 510 comprises a hollow mouthpiece 512, an aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 comprising cannabis, and at least one additional segment. The aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 may be the aerosol-generating substrate described above, for example an aerosol-generating substrate 100 comprising 25% to 90% by weight of cannabis material, having an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102 extending in a longitudinal direction and having a moisture content in a range of 2% to 5% by weight. The additional segment may be disposed in the aerosol-generating article 510 so as to provide an aroma-supplementing function.

[0115] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating article comprises an aroma-supplementing medium segment (additional segment 1) and a plug segment (additional segment 2). The aroma-supplementing medium segment may be disposed between the hollow mouthpiece and the aerosol-generating substrate segment in the longitudinal direction. The plug segment may be disposed at an end of the aerosol-generating substrate segment opposite to the hollow mouthpiece. The aroma-supplementing medium segment and the plug segment may each be formed as the additional segment described above, and may be connected to the aerosol-generating substrate segment by wrapping with a cigarette paper or other wrapper, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of an aerosol-generating article including a hollow mouthpiece, an aroma-supplementing medium segment, an aerosol-generating substrate segment comprising cannabis, and a plug segment according to some embodiments.

[0116] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 12, the aerosol-generating article 510 comprises an aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 (additional segment 1) and a plug segment 122 (additional segment 2). The aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 may be disposed between the hollow mouthpiece 512 and the aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 in the longitudinal direction. The plug segment 122 may be disposed at an end of the aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 opposite to the hollow mouthpiece 512. The aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 and the plug segment 122 may each be formed as the additional segment described above, and may be connected to the aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 by wrapping with a cigarette paper or other wrapper.

[0117] In some embodiments, only the aroma-supplementing medium segment is provided in the aerosol-generating article, only the plug segment is provided, or both the aroma-supplementing medium segment and the plug segment are provided. When only the aroma-supplementing medium segment is provided, a stronger aroma burst may be obtained in early puffs. When only the plug segment is provided, aroma can be supplemented in later puffs to compensate for an aroma decrease in the aerosol-generating substrate segment. When both segments are provided, a continuous, multi-layered aroma profile may be obtained over early, middle, and later puffs.

[0118] In some embodiments, the flavor type of the flavor sustained-release composition in the additional segment is the same as that of the aerosol-generating substrate segment, thereby enhancing the overall aroma intensity during puffing. In other embodiments, the flavor type of the flavor sustained-release composition in the additional segment differs from that of the aerosol-generating substrate segment, thereby providing one or more additional aroma types, such as fruity or resinous notes, which coordinate with the aroma of the aerosol-generating substrate segment to produce a multi-flavor, multi-layered puffing experience.

[0119] In some embodiments, an aerosol-generating system comprises an aerosol-generating article as described above and an aerosol-generating device configured to heat the aerosol-generating substrate segment and the at least one additional segment to generate an aerosol. The aerosol-generating device may employ circumferential conduction heating, air convection heating, electromagnetic induction heating, infrared heating, microwave heating, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating device comprises an outer heater surrounding the aerosol-generating substrate segment and the at least one additional segment to provide circumferential conduction heating.

[0120] In some embodiments, under a puffing regime according to a Health Canada Intense smoking regime (for example, a puff volume of 55 mL, a puff duration of 2 seconds, and a puff interval of 30 seconds or about 28 seconds), the aerosol-generating system is configured such that a release rate of terpene flavor substances from the at least one additional segment over 10 puffs has a relative standard deviation in a range of 0% to 30%, preferably less than 30%, for example about 26%. In some embodiments, the terpene release per puff exhibits a slow-release behavior, such that a substantial portion of the terpene flavor substances is released over puffs 1 to 10.

[0121] In some embodiments, an experimental aerosol-generating article is provided in which the aroma-supplementing medium segment and the plug segment are both formed as additional segments comprising the flavor sustained-release composition described above. The experimental aerosol-generating article may be tested using a single-channel smoking machine under a puffing regime according to the Health Canada Intense smoking regime. The terpene release amount per puff may be determined by collecting the aerosol on a filter pad and analyzing the terpene content by gas chromatography. In one embodiment, at a puff volume of 55 mL, a puff duration of 2 seconds, and a puff interval of 28 seconds, the terpene release amount per puff gradually decreases from about 0.48 mg / puff at the first puff to about 0.26 mg / puff at the tenth puff, and the relative standard deviation of the terpene release amount over 10 puffs is about 26.1%.

[0122] In some embodiments, example results of terpene release amounts per puff for an experimental group and two control groups are shown in the table below. The experimental group H1 uses the flavor sustained-release composition described herein, control group DO uses non-encapsulated terpenes directly added into the additional segment, and control group D2 uses terpenes encapsulated with hydroxypropyl starch alone as a wall material, as shown below:H1 releaseD0 releaseD2 releasePuff numberamount (mg / puff)amount (mg / puff)amount (mg / puff)10.480.550.5230.380.120.1950.320.110.17100.260.090.10RSD26.1%102%68.3%

[0123] In a control group in which terpenes are directly added into the additional segment without encapsulation, most of the terpenes are released within the first three puffs, and the relative standard deviation of terpene release over 10 puffs may be greater than 60%, for example about 102%. In another control group in which terpenes are encapsulated using hydroxypropyl starch alone as a wall material, the relative standard deviation of terpene release over 10 puffs may be about 68.3%. Thus, by using the composite modified starch wall material and the extrusion-molded additional segment as described herein, the aerosol-generating system can provide a regular and multi-level sustained aroma release with improved high-temperature stability and improved consistency of flavor release over multiple puffs.

[0124] Embodiments of the present disclosure also address the aroma imbalance problem by providing an aerosol-generating article comprising at least a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and an aroma-supplementing medium segment, and an aerosol-generating device comprising independently controlled heating zones corresponding to each segment. The cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment contains cannabinoids and is configured to release an aerosol containing both cannabinoids and characteristic aroma substances when heated. The aroma-supplementing medium segment contains characteristic cannabis aroma substances, preferably comprising terpene compounds that are the same as or similar to those present in the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment. Both the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment comprise internal through-holes extending from a bottom surface to a top surface thereof, the through-holes serving as aerosol transmission channels.

[0125] In some embodiments, both the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment have an interior comprising a plurality of air channels, each air channel extending through both ends of the respective segment in a longitudinal direction. The air channels in each segment are configured to allow aerosol to pass therethrough and to be transmitted toward the mouthpiece. In some embodiments, the air channels in the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the air channels in the aroma-supplementing medium segment are aligned in the longitudinal direction so as to form a continuous aerosol transmission pathway.

[0126] In some embodiments, an aerosol-generating device comprises an outer shell, a battery cell disposed within the outer shell, a circuit board electrically connected to the battery cell, a heating assembly, and a mouthpiece. The heating assembly comprises at least two independently controlled heating zones: a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone and an aroma-supplementing medium heating zone. The cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone is configured to heat the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment, and the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone is configured to heat the aroma-supplementing medium segment. The two heating zones are independently controllable such that each heating zone can operate separately or simultaneously with the other heating zone.

[0127] In some embodiments, during an initial phase of a puffing session (for example, during puffs 1 to 3, or puffs 1 to 6), the aerosol-generating device activates only the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone 210. The cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 is heated and releases an aerosol containing cannabinoids and characteristic aroma substances. The aerosol is transmitted through the air channels 102 of the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 and the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 and is delivered to the user via the mouthpiece 304. During this initial phase, the characteristic aroma is intense due to the presence of volatile terpenes in the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment 100.

[0128] In some embodiments, during a subsequent phase of the puffing session (for example, after puff 3, after puff 4, after puff 5, or after puff 6), when the characteristic aroma from the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 begins to decay, the aerosol-generating device additionally activates the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone 212. The aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 is heated and releases an aerosol containing characteristic aroma substances, thereby supplementing the decayed aroma and improving aroma uniformity throughout the puffing session. By independently controlling the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone 210 and the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone 212, the aerosol-generating system can achieve improved puff-to-puff aroma consistency.

[0129] In some embodiments, each of the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone and the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone comprises a thermally conductive material, for example copper, stainless steel, or another metal material. In some embodiments, a thermally insulating material is disposed between the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone and the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone so as to thermally isolate the two heating zones from each other. The thermally insulating material may comprise a plastic material or another material having low thermal conductivity. The thermal isolation between the two heating zones enables independent temperature control and prevents premature heating of the aroma-supplementing medium segment during the initial phase of the puffing session.

[0130] In some embodiments, the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone is configured to be heated passively rather than actively. In such embodiments, the heating assembly comprises a heating element, such as a heating wire, disposed only in the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone. The aroma-supplementing medium heating zone does not comprise a heating element and is instead heated passively through heat conduction from the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone via a thermally conductive substrate, such as a steel tube or other metal substrate. In the passive heating configuration, the aroma-supplementing medium segment is heated to a lower temperature than the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment, and the characteristic aroma substances are released slowly from the aroma-supplementing medium segment throughout the puffing session. The passive heating configuration provides a simpler device structure, although the timing of aroma supplementation may be less precisely controlled compared to the active heating configuration.

[0131] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating article further comprises one or more connecting segments in addition to the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment. The number of connecting segments may be 1, 2, 3, or more, and is preferably less than 4. The connecting segments may be disposed at various positions within the aerosol-generating article, for example between the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment, at a mouthpiece end of the aerosol-generating article, at an end opposite to the mouthpiece, or at a combination of these positions.

[0132] In some embodiments, no connecting segment is disposed between the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment, such that the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment are directly connected to each other. In other embodiments, one connecting segment is disposed between the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment. Preferably, the number of connecting segments disposed between the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment is less than or equal to 1.

[0133] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating article comprises a plurality of aroma-supplementing medium segments. The aerosol-generating device may comprise a corresponding plurality of aroma-supplementing medium heating zones, each heating zone configured to heat a respective aroma-supplementing medium segment. The plurality of aroma-supplementing medium heating zones may be heated simultaneously, or may be independently controlled so as to be heated at different times during the puffing session. When the aerosol-generating article comprises multiple aroma-supplementing medium segments and the aerosol-generating device comprises multiple independently controlled aroma-supplementing medium heating zones, staged aroma supplementation can be achieved at different phases of the puffing session, further improving aroma uniformity.

[0134] In some embodiments, the aroma-supplementing medium segment has a length in a range of 5 mm to 15 mm in the longitudinal direction. In some embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment has a length in a range of 10 mm to 25 mm in the longitudinal direction. In some embodiments, each of the aroma-supplementing medium segment and the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment has a diameter in a range of 1 mm to 10 mm. The dimensional parameters may be selected based on the desired aroma release profile and the configuration of the aerosol-generating device.

[0135] For instance, FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating alternative configurations of an aerosol-generating article according to some embodiments. In a first configuration (left), the aerosol-generating article comprises, in order from a mouthpiece end to an opposite end: a hollow tube serving as a mouthpiece, an aroma-supplementing medium segment, a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment, and a plug. In a second configuration (middle), the aerosol-generating article comprises the same components in the same order, with the plug at the opposite end. In a third configuration (right), the aerosol-generating article comprises a hollow tube, an aroma-supplementing medium segment, and a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment, without a plug at the opposite end. Referring to FIG. 14, in some embodiments, only the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 is provided in the aerosol-generating article 510, only the plug segment 122 is provided, or both the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 and the plug segment 122 are provided. When only the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 is provided, a stronger aroma burst may be obtained in early puffs. When only the plug segment 122 is provided, aroma can be supplemented in later puffs to compensate for an aroma decrease in the aerosol-generating substrate segment 100. When both segments are provided, a continuous, multi-layered aroma profile may be obtained over early, middle, and later puffs.

[0136] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating an aerosol-generating system comprising an aerosol-generating article inserted into an aerosol-generating device according to some embodiments. The aerosol-generating device comprises an outer shell, a battery cell, a circuit board, and a heating assembly. The heating assembly comprises a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone and an aroma-supplementing medium heating zone. The cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment of the aerosol-generating article is positioned within the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone, and the aroma-supplementing medium segment is positioned within the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone. The mouthpiece extends from the aerosol-generating device. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating an aerosol-generating system comprising a passive heating configuration according to some embodiments. The aroma-supplementing medium heating zone does not comprise a heating element and is heated passively through heat conduction from the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone. FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment with internal through-holes according to some embodiments. The cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment each comprise a plurality of internal through-holes extending in the longitudinal direction. The through-holes serve as aerosol transmission channels and are configured to allow aerosol generated in the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment to pass through both segments and to be delivered to the user. In some embodiments, the through-holes in each segment are arranged in an ordered pattern, such as a concentric circle pattern or a square matrix pattern.

[0137] Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, in some embodiments, an aerosol-generating device comprises an outer shell 306, a battery cell 308 disposed within the outer shell 306, a circuit board 310 electrically connected to the battery cell 308, a heating assembly, and a mouthpiece 304. The heating assembly comprises at least two independently controlled heating zones: a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone 210 and an aroma-supplementing medium heating zone 212. The cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone 210 is configured to heat the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment 100, and the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone 212 is configured to heat the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120. The two heating zones 210, 212 are independently controllable such that each heating zone can operate separately or simultaneously with the other heating zone.

[0138] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 17, both the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 and the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 have an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102, each air channel 102 extending through both ends of the respective segment in a longitudinal direction. The air channels 102 in each segment are configured to allow aerosol to pass therethrough and to be transmitted toward the mouthpiece 304. In some embodiments, the air channels 102 in the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 and the air channels 102 in the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 are aligned in the longitudinal direction so as to form a continuous aerosol transmission pathway.

[0139] In some embodiments, an aerosol-generating device comprises a multi-chamber heater configured to receive and independently heat a plurality of medium segments. The aerosol-generating device comprises an outer shell, a battery cell disposed within the outer shell, a circuit board electrically connected to the battery cell, at least two heating elements, a support structure, a bottom support member, and a top cover. Each heating element defines a heating chamber therein, such that the aerosol-generating device comprises at least two heating chambers. The at least two heating chambers include a cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber and an aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber is configured to receive a cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment, and the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber is configured to receive an aroma-supplementing medium segment.

[0140] In some embodiments, the at least two heating elements are independently controlled by the circuit board. Each heating element is configured to heat a corresponding heating chamber independently of the other heating element. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber and the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber can thus be heated separately or simultaneously, depending on a control algorithm implemented by the circuit board. The independent control of the heating elements enables staged heating during a puffing session to achieve improved aroma uniformity.

[0141] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating an aerosol-generating device comprising a multi-chamber heater according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 18, the aerosol-generating device comprises an outer shell, a battery cell disposed within the outer shell, a circuit board electrically connected to the battery cell, at least two heating elements, a support structure, a bottom support member, and a top cover. Each heating element defines a heating chamber therein, such that the aerosol-generating device comprises at least two heating chambers. As shown in FIG. 18, the at least two heating chambers include a cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber and an aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber is configured to receive a cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment, and the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber is configured to receive an aroma-supplementing medium segment. Referring to FIG. 18, the at least two heating elements are independently controlled by the circuit board. Each heating element is configured to heat a corresponding heating chamber independently of the other heating element. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber and the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber can thus be heated separately or simultaneously, depending on a control algorithm implemented by the circuit board. The independent control of the heating elements enables staged heating during a puffing session to achieve improved aroma uniformity.

[0142] In some embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment are separate and independent from each other. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment contains cannabinoids and may be produced from cannabis plant material by comminution and mixing with other materials, followed by extrusion, tableting, slip casting, or other forming processes. Alternatively, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment may be produced by adding cannabinoids and characteristic cannabis aroma components to a skeletal material. The aroma-supplementing medium segment contains characteristic cannabis aroma substances, which may be implemented by adding terpene compounds. Preferably, the main aroma components of the aroma-supplementing medium segment are the same as those of the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment.

[0143] In some embodiments, both the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment have an interior comprising a plurality of internal through-holes extending from a bottom surface to a top surface thereof. The internal through-holes serve as aerosol transmission channels (air channels) configured to allow aerosol generated within each medium segment to pass therethrough. In some embodiments, the internal through-holes have a circular cross-section. In other embodiments, the internal through-holes have a square cross-section, a polygonal cross-section, or another cross-sectional shape. The internal through-holes may be arranged in an ordered pattern, such as a concentric circle pattern or a matrix pattern. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating medium segments with internal through-holes according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 19, both the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment have an interior comprising a plurality of internal through-holes extending from a bottom surface to a top surface thereof. The internal through-holes serve as aerosol transmission channels (air channels) configured to allow aerosol generated within each medium segment to pass therethrough. In some embodiments, the internal through-holes have a circular cross-section as shown in FIG. 19. In other embodiments, the internal through-holes have a square cross-section, a polygonal cross-section, or another cross-sectional shape. The internal through-holes may be arranged in an ordered pattern, such as a concentric circle pattern or a matrix pattern.

[0144] Referring to FIG. 19, in some embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 and the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 are separate and independent from each other. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 contains cannabinoids and may be produced from cannabis plant material by comminution and mixing with other materials, followed by extrusion, tableting, slip casting, or other forming processes. Alternatively, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 may be produced by adding cannabinoids and characteristic cannabis aroma components to a skeletal material. The aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 contains characteristic cannabis aroma substances, which may be implemented by adding terpene compounds. Preferably, the main aroma components of the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 are the same as those of the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100.

[0145] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 19, both the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 and the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 have an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102 extending from a bottom surface to a top surface thereof. The air channels 102 serve as aerosol transmission channels configured to allow aerosol generated within each medium segment to pass therethrough. In some embodiments, the air channels 102 have a circular cross-section. In other embodiments, the air channels 102 have a square cross-section, a polygonal cross-section, or another cross-sectional shape. The air channels 102 may be arranged in an ordered pattern, such as a concentric circle pattern or a matrix pattern.

[0146] In some embodiments, the top cover of the aerosol-generating device comprises an internal channel configured to receive aerosol from each of the at least two heating chambers. The internal channel is configured such that aerosol from the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment and aerosol from the aroma-supplementing medium segment meet and mix within the top cover before being delivered to the user. In some embodiments, the top cover is pivotally connected to the outer shell and is configured to be opened to allow insertion or removal of the medium segments and to be closed during operation of the aerosol-generating device.

[0147] Referring to FIG. 18, the top cover 320 of the aerosol-generating device comprises an internal channel configured to receive aerosol from each of the at least two heating chambers 220, 222. The internal channel is configured such that aerosol from the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 and aerosol from the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 meet and mix within the top cover 320 before being delivered to the user. In some embodiments, the top cover 320 is pivotally connected to the outer shell 306 and is configured to be opened to allow insertion or removal of the medium segments 100, 120 and to be closed during operation of the aerosol-generating device.

[0148] In some embodiments, to use the aerosol-generating device, a user first opens the top cover to access the heating chambers. The user then inserts the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment into the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber and inserts the aroma-supplementing medium segment into the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber. The user then closes the top cover to prepare the aerosol-generating device for operation. FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram illustrating the aerosol-generating device with the top cover open showing media insertion according to some embodiments.

[0149] Referring to FIG. 20, in some embodiments, to use the aerosol-generating device, a user first opens the top cover 320 to access the heating chambers 220, 222. The user then inserts the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 into the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220 and inserts the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 into the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber 222. The user then closes the top cover 320 to prepare the aerosol-generating device for operation.

[0150] As shown in FIG. 20, to use the aerosol-generating device, a user first opens the top cover 320 to access the heating chambers 220, 222. The user then inserts the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 into the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220 and inserts the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 into the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber 222. The user then closes the top cover 320 to prepare the aerosol-generating device300 for operation. In some embodiments, after use, the user opens the top cover 320 and removes the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 and the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 from their respective heating chambers 222, 220. The removable media design enables easy replacement of consumed medium segments and facilitates cleaning of the aerosol-generating device.

[0151] In some embodiments, during an initial phase of a puffing session (for example, during puffs 1 to 3, or puffs 1 to 6), the aerosol-generating device activates only the heating element 224 corresponding to the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 is heated and releases an aerosol containing cannabinoids and characteristic aroma substances. The aerosol is transmitted through the air channels 102 of the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100, passes through the internal channel 326 of the top cover 320, and is delivered to the user. During this initial phase, the characteristic aroma is intense due to the presence of volatile terpenes in the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100. Experimental data indicates that the characteristic aroma is pronounced during puffs 1 to 3, or puffs 1 to 6, but decays significantly in subsequent puffs. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating aerosol generation and mixing within the aerosol-generating device according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 21, during an initial phase of a puffing session (for example, during puffs 1 to 3, or puffs 1 to 6), the aerosol-generating device activates only the heating element 224 corresponding to the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 is heated and releases an aerosol containing cannabinoids and characteristic aroma substances. The aerosol is transmitted through the air channels 102 of the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100, passes through the internal channel 326 of the top cover 320, and is delivered to the user via the mouthpiece 304. During this initial phase, the characteristic aroma is intense due to the presence of volatile terpenes in the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100. Experimental data indicates that the characteristic aroma is pronounced during puffs 1 to 3, or puffs 1 to 6, but decays significantly in subsequent puffs.

[0152] In some embodiments, during a subsequent phase of the puffing session (for example, after puff 3, after puff 4, after puff 5, or after puff 6), when the characteristic aroma from the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 begins to decay, the aerosol-generating device additionally activates the heating element 224 corresponding to the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber 222. The aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 is heated and releases an aerosol containing characteristic aroma substances. This aerosol is transmitted through the air channels 102 of the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120, passes through the internal channel 326 of the top cover 320, and meets and mixes with the aerosol from the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100. The mixed aerosol is then delivered to the user via the mouthpiece 304, thereby supplementing the decayed aroma and improving aroma uniformity throughout the puffing session.

[0153] In some embodiments, after use, the user opens the top cover 320 and removes the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 and the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 from their respective heating chambers 222, 220. The removable media design enables easy replacement of consumed medium segments and facilitates cleaning of the aerosol-generating device.

[0154] In some embodiments, each of the heating elements 224 is formed from a thermally conductive material, for example copper, stainless steel, or another metal material. The thermally conductive material provides good heat distribution within each heating chamber 220, 222. In some embodiments, the support structure 322 disposed between the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220 and the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber 222 is formed from a thermally insulating material, for example a plastic material or another material having low thermal conductivity. The thermally insulating support structure 322 thermally isolates the two heating chambers 220, 222 from each other, enabling independent temperature control and preventing premature heating of the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 during the initial phase of the puffing session.

[0155] In some embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 is a single-segment medium. In other embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 is combined with one or more additional segments to form a composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium. For example, a composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium may comprise a cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 and a cooling segment 406 connected thereto. The cooling segment 406 is configured to cool the aerosol generated by the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 before delivery to the user. The composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium may be inserted into the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220 in place of a single-segment cannabis aerosol-generating medium.

[0156] FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram illustrating a composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium comprising a cooling segment 406 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 is a single-segment medium. In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 22, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 is combined with one or more additional segments to form a composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium. For example, a composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium may comprise a cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 and a cooling segment 406 connected thereto. The cooling segment 406 is configured to cool the aerosol generated by the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 before delivery to the user. As shown in FIG. 22, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 has an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102. The composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium may be inserted into the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220 in place of a single-segment cannabis aerosol-generating medium.

[0157] In some embodiments, in addition to the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 and the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120, additional connecting segments may be provided. The number of connecting segments is preferably less than 4. The connecting segments may be attached to the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100, the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120, or both.

[0158] In some embodiments, the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 has a length of less than 40 mm in a longitudinal direction. In some embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 has a length of less than 40 mm in a longitudinal direction. In some embodiments, the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber 222 has a length of less than 45 mm. In some embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220 has a length of less than 45 mm. The dimensional parameters of the medium segments 100, 120 and the heating chambers 220, 222 may be selected based on the desired aerosol release profile and the overall form factor of the aerosol-generating device.

[0159] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating device comprises more than two heating chambers. For example, the aerosol-generating device may comprise a cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220 and a plurality of aroma-supplementing medium heating chambers 222. Each aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber 222 may be independently controlled by the circuit board 310, enabling staged aroma supplementation at different times during the puffing session. Alternatively, the aerosol-generating device may comprise a plurality of cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chambers 220 to increase the cannabinoid delivery capacity.

[0160] Extrusion molding is a cost-effective, efficient, and scalable manufacturing process suitable for mass production of aerosol-generating substrates 100. However, extrusion molding processes have high requirements for material flowability. To achieve adequate flowability, liquid components are typically added to the formulation prior to extrusion, particularly for small-sized structures with complex geometries such as honeycomb internal structures. When liquid components are added to a solid powder formulation, uniform mixing of the solid and liquid components presents a significant technical challenge. Achieving uniform solid-liquid mixing typically requires specialized equipment such as spray systems, fluidized beds, homogenizers, or other mixing apparatus. The overall mixing process is cumbersome, increases manufacturing complexity, and the uniformity of mixing is difficult to guarantee. Non-uniform mixing can lead to inconsistent product quality and variable aerosol release performance.

[0161] Embodiments of the present disclosure address the solid-liquid mixing challenge by providing an all-solid formulation for extrusion of cannabis aerosol-generating substrates 100. The all-solid formulation comprises solid powders that transform from a solid state to a liquid state under extrusion conditions, thereby providing flowability during the extrusion process without requiring the addition of liquid components to the formulation. Because the formulation consists entirely of solid powders prior to extrusion, the mixing process is simplified and mixing uniformity is improved.

[0162] In some embodiments, an all-solid formulation for manufacturing a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate 100 comprises: a cannabis powder; optionally, a binder powder; and a flowability-providing solid powder. In some embodiments, the all-solid formulation further comprises one or more additional solid additives.

[0163] In some embodiments, the cannabis powder comprises powder derived from cannabinoid-containing plant material, for example industrial hemp (Hemp) powder, trim powder, or other cannabis plant powder. The cannabis powder may be obtained by comminuting cannabis plant material, such as dry flowers or fresh flowers, to a desired particle size. In some embodiments, the cannabis powder comprises a mixture of a skeletal material and a cannabinoid powder. The skeletal material may comprise microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), plant stem powder, or another cellulose-based material. The cannabinoid powder may comprise cannabidiol (CBD) powder, cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) powder, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) powder, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) powder, or a combination thereof.

[0164] In some embodiments, the cannabis powder is present in the all-solid formulation in an amount in a range of 70% to 97% by weight, based on a total weight of the all-solid formulation. The cannabis powder serves as the primary structural component and provides the active cannabinoid ingredients.

[0165] In some embodiments, the all-solid formulation comprises a binder powder. The binder powder is configured to promote cohesion of the formulation components during and after extrusion, thereby enabling the extruded cannabis medium 100 to maintain its shape. The binder powder may comprise at least one of: hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), xanthan gum, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, and yellow dextrin.

[0166] In some embodiments, the binder powder is present in the all-solid formulation in an amount in a range of 0% to 20% by weight, preferably in a range of 2% to 10% by weight, based on a total weight of the all-solid formulation. When the binder content is too low, the extruded cannabis medium 100 may not maintain its shape. When the binder content is too high, the proportion of cannabis powder is reduced, leading to a decrease in cannabinoid concentration in the generated aerosol. In some embodiments, for certain cannabis powders having inherent binding properties, the binder powder may be omitted from the formulation. However, even for such cannabis powders, addition of a small amount of binder powder is preferred to improve stability of the extruded cannabis medium 100.

[0167] In some embodiments, the all-solid formulation comprises a flowability-providing solid powder. The flowability-providing solid powder is a solid at room temperature and transforms to a liquid at elevated temperatures encountered during extrusion. The phase transition from solid to liquid provides flowability to the formulation during the extrusion process, thereby enabling efficient extrusion at high speeds without requiring liquid components in the initial formulation.

[0168] In some embodiments, the flowability-providing solid powder comprises at least one of: glyceryl monostearate (GMS), plant wax, beeswax, carnauba wax, and glyceryl stearate. In some embodiments, the flowability-providing solid powder has a melting point in a range of 50° C. to 80° C. The melting point is selected such that the flowability-providing solid powder remains solid during mixing and storage at room temperature, but transforms to a liquid during high-temperature extrusion.

[0169] In some embodiments, the flowability-providing solid powder is present in the all-solid formulation in an amount in a range of 1% to 20% by weight, preferably in a range of 2% to 10% by weight, and more preferably in a range of 2% to 5% by weight, based on a total weight of the all-solid formulation. When the content of the flowability-providing solid powder is too low, extrusion speed is reduced and production efficiency decreases. When the content is too high, the proportion of cannabis powder is reduced, leading to a decrease in cannabinoid concentration in the generated aerosol.

[0170] In some embodiments, the all-solid formulation further comprises one or more additional solid additives selected from the group comprising: solid flavoring agents, solid cooling agents, and solid surfactants. The solid flavoring agents may be used to adjust taste and aroma characteristics of the generated aerosol. The solid cooling agents may be used to provide a cooling sensation during use. The solid surfactants may be used for interfacial control between formulation components, promoting binding and emulsification between components under extrusion conditions.

[0171] In some embodiments, the one or more additional solid additives are present in the all-solid formulation in a total amount in a range of 0% to 10% by weight, preferably in a range of 0% to 3% by weight, based on a total weight of the all-solid formulation.

[0172] During extrusion at elevated temperatures, the flowability-providing solid powder transforms from a solid state to a liquid state, thereby providing flowability to the formulation. The liquid phase enables the formulation to flow through the extruder and through the die at a high extrusion speed, ensuring production efficiency. After extrusion, the extruded cannabis medium 100 cools and the flowability-providing material re-solidifies, contributing to the structural integrity of the final product.

[0173] In some embodiments, extrusion of the all-solid formulation is performed at an extruder temperature in a range of 60° C. to 120° C., preferably about 80° C. The extruder may be operated at a screw rotational speed in a range of 30 rpm to 150 rpm, for example about 30 rpm or about 100 rpm.

[0174] The following table shows exemplary formulations and extrusion parameters demonstrating the effect of the flowability-providing solid powder on extrusion speed:ExtruderScrewExtrusionFormulationTemperatureSpeedSpeed94% industrial hemp,80° C.30 rpm0.01 m / min3% CBDA, 3% ethylcellulose91% industrial hemp,80° C.30 rpm0.18 m / min3% CBDA, 3% ethylcellulose, 3% glycerylmonostearate91% industrial hemp,80° C.100 rpm 1.06 m / min3% CBDA, 3% ethylcellulose, 3% glycerylmonostearate

[0175] As shown in the table, addition of 3% glyceryl monostearate (GMS) as a flowability-providing solid powder significantly increases extrusion speed from 0.01 m / min to 0.18 m / min at the same extruder temperature and screw speed. At an increased screw speed of 100 rpm, the extrusion speed reaches 1.06 m / min, which represents an ideal production rate for mass production.

[0176] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram illustrating an extruded cannabis medium 100 with air channels 102 according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 23, the extruded cannabis medium 100 has an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102 extending in a longitudinal direction. The air channels 102 serve as aerosol transmission channels and are configured to allow aerosol generated within the cannabis medium 100 to pass therethrough. The air channels 102 may be formed during extrusion by use of a multi-orifice die or other die configuration. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 23, the air channels 102 are arranged in an ordered pattern, such as a concentric circle pattern or a matrix pattern.

[0177] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram illustrating the extruded cannabis medium 100 placed within a heating device 300 according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 24, the extruded cannabis medium 100 is placed within a heating device 300 for use. The heating device 300 comprises a heating apparatus configured to heat the cannabis medium 100 from an outer surface thereof. When the cannabis medium 100 is heated, cannabinoids and aroma substances are vaporized to form an aerosol. The generated aerosol is transmitted through the air channels 102 of the cannabis medium 100 and delivered to a user.

[0178] FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram illustrating various article configurations combining the extruded cannabis medium 100 with functional components according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the extruded cannabis medium 100 is used alone as a standalone aerosol-generating article. In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 25, the extruded cannabis medium 100 is combined with one or more functional components to form a composite aerosol-generating article. The functional components may comprise one or more of: a plug segment 122, a cooling segment 406, a hollow tube 512 serving as a mouthpiece, and a filter tip.

[0179] Referring to FIG. 25, in some embodiments, a composite aerosol-generating article comprises, in order from a mouthpiece end to an opposite end: a hollow tube 512 (mouthpiece), a cooling segment 406, the medium 100, and a plug segment 122. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 25, the composite aerosol-generating article further comprises a filter tip disposed at the mouthpiece end. Various other configurations are possible as illustrated in FIG. 25, including configurations without one or more of the functional components, or with the functional components arranged in different orders.

[0180] In some embodiments, the extruded cannabis medium 100 has an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102 extending in a longitudinal direction. The air channels 102 serve as aerosol transmission channels and are configured to allow aerosol generated within the cannabis medium 100 to pass therethrough. The air channels 102 may be formed during extrusion by use of a multi-orifice die or other die configuration. In some embodiments, the air channels 102 are arranged in an ordered pattern, such as a concentric circle pattern or a matrix pattern.

[0181] In some embodiments, the extruded cannabis medium 100 is placed within a heating device 300 for use. The heating device 300 comprises a heating apparatus configured to heat the cannabis medium 100 from an outer surface thereof. When the cannabis medium 100 is heated, cannabinoids and aroma substances are vaporized to form an aerosol. The generated aerosol is transmitted through the air channels 102 of the cannabis medium 100 and delivered to a user.

[0182] Embodiments of the present disclosure address the aroma uniformity challenge by providing a coaxial medium structure comprising an aerosol-generating medium 902 and an aroma medium 904 arranged in a concentric configuration. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating medium 902 is disposed at an outer region of the coaxial medium, and the aroma medium 904 is disposed at an inner region of the coaxial medium. The coaxial structure exploits the natural temperature gradient formed during circumferential heating to provide different heating temperatures to different regions of the medium, thereby enabling high-boiling-point components and low-boiling-point components to be heated at their respective optimal temperatures.

[0183] In some embodiments, a coaxial aerosol-generating article comprises an aerosol-generating medium 902 and an aroma medium 904. The aerosol-generating medium 902 has a tubular configuration with an outer wall surface 908 and an inner wall surface 910 defining a central cavity 906. The aroma medium 904 has a rod-like configuration with an outer wall surface 908. The aroma medium 904 is disposed within the central cavity 906 of the aerosol-generating medium 902 such that the inner wall surface 910 of the aerosol-generating medium 902 is in close contact with the outer wall surface 908 of the aroma medium 904. In some embodiments, the inner wall surface 910 of the aerosol-generating medium 902 and the outer wall surface 908 of the aroma medium 904 are in intimate contact (abutting contact) with each other.

[0184] In some embodiments, both the aerosol-generating medium 902 and the aroma medium 904 have an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102 extending in a longitudinal direction. The air channels 102 serve as aerosol transmission channels configured to allow aerosol generated within each medium to pass therethrough and to be delivered to a user. In some embodiments, the air channels 102 have a circular cross-section. In other embodiments, the air channels 102 have a triangular, square, trapezoidal, star-shaped, heart-shaped, or other polygonal cross-section. FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram illustrating a coaxial aerosol-generating article comprising an outer aerosol-generating medium 902 and an inner aroma medium 904 according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 26, a coaxial aerosol-generating article comprises an aerosol-generating medium 902 and an aroma medium 904. The aerosol-generating medium 902 has a tubular configuration with an outer wall surface 908 and an inner wall surface 910 defining a central cavity 906. The aroma medium 904 has a rod-like configuration with an outer wall surface 908. Referring to FIG. 26, the aroma medium 904 is disposed within the central cavity 906 of the aerosol-generating medium 902 such that the inner wall surface 910 of the aerosol-generating medium 902 is in close contact with the outer wall surface 908 of the aroma medium 904. In some embodiments, the inner wall surface 910 of the aerosol-generating medium 902 and the outer wall surface 908 of the aroma medium 904 are in intimate contact (abutting contact) with each other.

[0185] Referring to FIG. 26, both the aerosol-generating medium 902 and the aroma medium 904 have an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102 extending in a longitudinal direction. The air channels 102 serve as aerosol transmission channels configured to allow aerosol generated within each medium to pass therethrough and to be delivered to a user. In some embodiments, the air channels 102 have a circular cross-section as shown in FIG. 26. In other embodiments, the air channels 102 have a triangular, square, trapezoidal, star-shaped, heart-shaped, or other polygonal cross-section.

[0186] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating medium 902 contains primary active ingredients of the product, for example cannabinoids for a cannabis-based product or nicotine for a tobacco-based product. When heated, the aerosol-generating medium 902 generates an aerosol carrying the target active ingredients. In addition to the primary active ingredients, the aerosol-generating medium 902 may further contain aroma components or other components. Preferably, the aerosol-generating medium 902 contains high-boiling-point components, such as high-boiling-point aroma components, which require elevated temperatures for release.

[0187] In some embodiments, the aroma medium 904 contains low-boiling-point characteristic components or low-boiling-point aroma components, such as terpene compounds. The low-boiling-point components in the aroma medium 904 are released at lower temperatures compared to the active ingredients in the aerosol-generating medium 902. By positioning the aroma medium 904 in a region that experiences lower temperatures during heating, the release rate of the low-boiling-point aroma components can be controlled to achieve improved aroma uniformity throughout a puffing session.

[0188] In some embodiments, the coaxial aerosol-generating article is used with a heating device 300 comprising a circumferential heating element configured to heat the medium from an outer surface thereof. During heating, heat is conducted from the outer region of the medium toward the inner region through thermal conduction within the medium material. Because heat is applied from the outer circumference and conducted inward, a temperature gradient is formed within the medium, with higher temperatures near the outer circumference and lower temperatures near the center of the medium.

[0189] The coaxial medium structure takes advantage of this temperature distribution characteristic. The aerosol-generating medium 902, which is positioned in the outer region, is heated to higher temperatures suitable for releasing high-boiling-point components including active ingredients. The aroma medium 904, which is positioned in the inner region (center), is heated to lower temperatures suitable for controlled release of low-boiling-point aroma components. By matching each medium 902, 904 with its appropriate heating temperature range, aerosol release consistency is improved.

[0190] In some embodiments, when a heating temperature of 300° C. is applied to the outer surface of the coaxial medium by the heating device 300, the steady-state temperature distribution within the medium is as follows:

[0191] In some embodiments, the overall temperature distribution of the coaxial medium ranges from about 76° C. to about 300° C., with a primary distribution range of about 200° C. to about 300° C. In some embodiments, the temperature distribution of the aerosol-generating medium 902 (outer region) ranges from about 92° C. to about 300° C. In some embodiments, the temperature distribution of the aroma medium 904 (inner region) ranges from about 78° C. to about 123° C.

[0192] These simulation results demonstrate that the coaxial structure can effectively control the heating temperatures of the two media 902, 904, achieving the goal of high-temperature heating for high-boiling-point components and low-temperature heating for low-boiling-point components, thereby realizing consistent aerosol release.

[0193] In some embodiments, the temperature distribution in each region of the coaxial medium can be controlled by adjusting the dimensions of the aerosol-generating medium 902 and the aroma medium 904. Specifically, the temperature distribution can be controlled by adjusting the outer diameter of the aroma medium 904 (which corresponds to the inner diameter of the aerosol-generating medium 902) and the outer diameter of the aerosol-generating medium 902.

[0194] In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the aroma medium 904 (i.e., the inner diameter of the aerosol-generating medium 902) is in a range of 1 mm to 8 mm. In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the aerosol-generating medium 902 is in a range of 7 mm to 20 mm. By selecting appropriate dimensional parameters, the relative volumes and temperature ranges of the two media 902, 904 can be optimized for a particular application.

[0195] In some embodiments, the temperature distribution within the coaxial medium can also be controlled by adjusting the porosity (void fraction) of the air channels 102. A higher porosity results in a larger temperature gradient between the outer region and the inner region. By adjusting the number, size, and arrangement of the air channels 102, the thermal conductivity of each medium region can be controlled, thereby affecting the temperature distribution.

[0196] FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative coaxial aerosol-generating article comprising an inner aerosol-generating medium 902 and an outer aroma medium 904 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 27, the coaxial medium structure has an inverted configuration in which the aerosol-generating medium 902 is disposed at an inner region of the coaxial medium, and the aroma medium 904 is disposed at an outer region of the coaxial medium. In this configuration, the medium is heated from an inner wall surface 910 rather than from an outer surface, for example by a central heating element such as a center heating pin or blade inserted into a central through-hole 912 of the medium.

[0197] Referring to FIG. 27, the coaxial aerosol-generating article comprises an aroma medium 904 (outer layer) having a tubular configuration with an outer wall surface 908 and an inner wall surface 910, and an aerosol-generating medium 902 (inner core) disposed within a central cavity 906 of the aroma medium 904. As shown in FIG. 27, the aerosol-generating medium 902 has a rod-like configuration with a central through-hole 912 configured to receive a heating element. When the central heating element is activated, heat is conducted outward from the center of the medium, creating a temperature gradient with higher temperatures near the center and lower temperatures near the outer circumference. In this configuration, the aerosol-generating medium 902 in the inner region is heated to higher temperatures for releasing high-boiling-point active ingredients, while the aroma medium 904 in the outer region is heated to lower temperatures for controlled release of low-boiling-point aroma components.

[0198] In some embodiments, the coaxial medium structure has an inverted configuration in which the aerosol-generating medium 902 is disposed at an inner region of the coaxial medium, and the aroma medium 904 is disposed at an outer region of the coaxial medium. In this configuration, the medium is heated from an inner wall surface 910 rather than from an outer surface, for example by a central heating element such as a center heating pin or blade inserted into a central through-hole 912 of the medium.

[0199] In some embodiments, a coaxial aerosol-generating article comprises an aroma medium 904 having a tubular configuration with an outer wall surface 908 and an inner wall surface 910, and an aerosol-generating medium 902 disposed within a central cavity 906 of the aroma medium 904. The aerosol-generating medium 902 has a rod-like configuration with a central through-hole 912 configured to receive a heating element. When the central heating element is activated, heat is conducted outward from the center of the medium, creating a temperature gradient with higher temperatures near the center and lower temperatures near the outer circumference. In this configuration, the aerosol-generating medium 902 in the inner region is heated to higher temperatures for releasing high-boiling-point active ingredients, while the aroma medium 904 in the outer region is heated to lower temperatures for controlled release of low-boiling-point aroma components.

[0200] In some embodiments, the coaxial aerosol-generating article is used alone as a standalone product. In other embodiments, the coaxial aerosol-generating article is combined with one or more functional components to form a composite aerosol-generating article. The functional components may comprise one or more of: a plug segment 122, a cooling segment 406, a hollow tube 512 serving as a mouthpiece, and a filter tip.

[0201] In some embodiments, a composite aerosol-generating article comprises, in order from a mouthpiece end to an opposite end: a hollow tube 512, a cooling segment 406, the coaxial medium, and a plug segment 122. In some embodiments, the composite aerosol-generating article further comprises a filter tip disposed at the mouthpiece end. Various other configurations are possible, including configurations without one or more of the functional components, or with the functional components arranged in different orders.

[0202] The technical features of the foregoing embodiments may be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the foregoing embodiments are described. However, where no contradiction exists, all the combinations of these technical features are contemplated in the scope of this specification.

[0203] The foregoing embodiments are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and the description of the foregoing embodiments is detailed, but is not to be construed as limiting the scope of this application. For a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of this application, and such variations and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application shall be subject to the appended claims.

[0204] The technical features of the foregoing embodiments may be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the foregoing embodiments are described. However, where no contradiction exists, all the combinations of these technical features are contemplated in the scope of this specification.

[0205] The foregoing embodiments are merely illustrative of some embodiments. For a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of this application, and such variations and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application shall be subject to the appended claims.

[0206] The foregoing embodiments are used for describing, instead of limiting the technical solutions of the disclosure. A person of ordinary skill in the art shall understand that although the disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, modifications can be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent replacements can be made to some technical features in the technical solutions, provided that such modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of corresponding technical solutions to depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the disclosure and the appended claims.

[0207] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples provided to clearly describe the invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments. For those skilled in the art, various other forms of changes or modifications may be made on the basis of the above description. It is unnecessary and impossible to enumerate all possible embodiments here. Any obvious changes or modifications derived from the present invention shall still fall within the scope of protection of the present inventive concept.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0041]Technical solutions in embodiments of this application are clearly and completely described in the following with reference to accompanying drawings in the embodiments of this application. Clearly, the described embodiments are merely a part rather than all of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0042]For embodiments that do not specify experimental steps or conditions, conventional experimental steps or conditions described in literature within the field can be used. Reagents or instruments not specified with manufacturers are conventional reagent products that can be obtained commercially.

[0043]Cannabis material: Refers to natural materials containing cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiol (C...

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 748,094, filed on Jan. 22, 2025, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.FIELD

[0002] The disclosure relates to the field of smoking products, aerosol-generating system, and a flavor sustained-release composition suitable for high-temperature heating conditions and to an additional segment for Heat-Not-Burn (HNB) cigarette employing the composition.BACKGROUND

[0003] In the related art, Heat-Not-Burn (HNB) technology has gradually gained widespread recognition in the tobacco industry. By heating tobacco to a temperature below the combustion range, HNB products can release an aerosol containing nicotine, while avoiding harmful byproducts produced during combustion, such as carbon monoxide, tar, and other toxic substances. Therefore, compared to traditional cigarettes, HNB products offer better health characteristics, and do not produce an open flame, smoke, or ash, making the user experience more comfortable. Furthermore, the introduction of HNB products marks the transformation of the tobacco industry toward harm reduction, and these products are gradually gaining acceptance worldwide.

[0004] However, flavor quality is a critical factor influencing consumer acceptance of HNB products. Many key aroma compounds, for example, terpene molecules such as limonene and linalool, exhibit high volatility and low thermal stability. These characteristics lead to significant aroma loss during storage and result in rapid “burst-and-fade” behavior during puffing. Existing flavor-adding techniques, including encapsulation, impregnation, spraying, flavoring of filter forming paper, and flavoring of tow, are primarily developed for low-temperature food applications or for traditional cigarettes. Such technologies either cannot withstand high-temperature HNB conditions, encapsulate only one or two aroma components, release aroma inefficiently due to filter interception, or require user-dependent mechanical crushing that results in inconsistent sensory performance.

[0005] Emerging HNB cannabis products face even greater challenges. Unlike tobacco-based substrates, cannabis materials have markedly different volatile profiles and thermal behaviors, and conventional filter-based flavoring methods are not directly transferrable. Existing pre-roll or HNB cannabis products cannot realize controlled, staged aroma release over multiple puffs and often suffer from insufficient flavor intensity, poor late-puff aroma performance, and mismatch between flavor release kinetics and the required 10-puff HNB heating cycle. Moreover, many encapsulating matrices derived from food technology undergo thermal decomposition above approximately 200° C. and may carbonize under HNB conditions, resulting in burnt off-flavors.

[0006] Therefore, there remains an urgent need for a high-temperature-stable, multi-component flavor sustained-release technology that is compatible with HNB cannabis or tobacco aerosol-generating systems. The technology should be capable of encapsulating a large number of terpene compounds, withstanding rapid heating during use, avoiding undesired burnt off-flavors, and releasing aroma continuously and controllably over multiple puffs.

[0007] The embodiments of the present disclosure address these unmet needs by providing a dedicated flavored “additional segment” for HNB cigarettes and a composite modified starch-based sustained-release composition that can encapsulate numerous terpene components with high encapsulation efficiency and stability. When incorporated into one or more additional segments of an HNB smoking article, the composition can be actively heated by the device to achieve regular, multi-stage aroma release, thereby significantly improving flavor stability, puff-to-puff consistency, and overall user experience.SUMMARY

[0008] Provided are a flavor sustained-release composition for an aerosol-generating article, a manufacturing method therefor, an aerosol-generating system, a device, a storage medium, and a program product, which can implement controlled and consistent terpene flavor delivery through encapsulation technology with composite modified starch wall materials.

[0009] According to some embodiments, a flavor sustained-release composition for an aerosol-generating article includes: an encapsulated material comprising a core material and a wall material; wherein the core material comprising a plurality of terpene compounds; and wherein the wall material comprises a composite modified starch, and wherein the flavor sustained-release composition has a terpene encapsulation rate of at least 70%.

[0010] According to some embodiments, a method of manufacturing the flavor sustained-release composition includes: preparing an aqueous wall-material solution having a concentration in a range of 10% to 50% by weight; emulsifying the core material and the aqueous wall-material solution in the presence of an emulsifier to obtain an oil-in-water emulsion, a ratio of the wall material to the terpene compounds being in a range of 10:1 to 1:1 by weight; and spray-drying the oil-in-water emulsion at an inlet temperature in a range of 100° C. to 180° C. and an outlet temperature in a range of 65° C. to 90° C. to obtain spray-dried particles of the flavor sustained-release composition.

[0011] According to some embodiments, an aerosol-generating system includes: an aerosol-generating article comprising: a hollow mouthpiece; an aerosol-generating substrate segment comprising cannabis; and at least one additional segment; and an aerosol-generating device configured to heat the aerosol-generating substrate segment and the at least one additional segment to generate an aerosol; wherein, under a puffing regime according to a Health Canada Intense smoking regime, a release rate of terpene flavor substances from the at least one additional segment over 10 puffs has a relative standard deviation of less than 30%.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] To describe technical solutions of embodiments of this application or related technologies more clearly, the following briefly introduces the accompanying drawings required for describing embodiments or related technologies. Clearly, the accompanying drawings in the following descriptions show only some embodiments of this application, and a person of ordinary skill in the art may still derive other drawings based on these accompanying drawings without creative efforts.

[0013] FIG. 1A is a structural schematic diagrams of one embodiment of a cylindrical aerosol-generating substrate according to some embodiments.

[0014] FIG. 1B is a structural schematic diagrams of one embodiment of a cylindrical aerosol-generating substrate according to some embodiments.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of an elliptical aerosol-generating substrate according to some embodiments.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of a rectangular aerosol-generating substrate according to some embodiments.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the aerosol-generating substrate for the embodiments in FIGS. 1-3 according to some embodiments.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a structural schematic diagram of an aerosol-generating substrate and surrounding conduction heating element for one embodiment according to some embodiments.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the direct insertion of the aerosol-generating substrate into the corresponding aerosol-generating device according to some embodiments.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the aerosol-generating system according to some embodiments.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a comparison diagram of the per-puff aerosol release amount between the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention and competing products according to some embodiments.

[0022] FIG. 9 is a comparison diagram of the cannabinoid release efficiency and per-puff cannabinoid amount between the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention and competing products according to some embodiments.

[0023] FIG. 10 is a comparison diagram of the per-puff average atomization amount of aerosol-generating substrates with different shapes according to some embodiments.

[0024] FIG. 11 is a comparison diagram of cannabinoid conversion rate and per-puff cannabinoid amount of aerosol-generating substrates with different shapes according to some embodiments.

[0025] FIG. 12 is a structural schematic diagram of an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-generating substrate segment and two additional segments according to some embodiments.

[0026] FIG. 13 is an electron micrograph showing a surface morphology and particle-size range of encapsulated terpene particles of a flavor sustained-release composition according to some embodiments.

[0027] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating alternative configurations of an aerosol-generating article comprising a hollow tube, an aroma-supplementing medium segment, a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment, and optionally a plug according to some embodiments.

[0028] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an aerosol-generating system comprising an aerosol-generating device with two independently controlled heating zones for a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and an aroma-supplementing medium segment according to some embodiments.

[0029] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an aerosol-generating system comprising an aerosol-generating device with a passive heating configuration for the aroma-supplementing medium segment according to some embodiments.

[0030] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and an aroma-supplementing medium segment, each having internal through-holes serving as aerosol transmission channels according to some embodiments.

[0031] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating a multi-chamber aerosol-generating device comprising a top cover, a support structure, heating elements, a battery cell, a circuit board, an outer shell, and a bottom support member, with separate heating chambers for a cannabis aerosol-generating medium and an aroma-supplementing medium according to some embodiments.

[0032] FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating medium segments with internal through-holes for use in the multi-chamber aerosol-generating device according to some embodiments.

[0033] FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram illustrating the multi-chamber aerosol-generating device with the top cover open, showing insertion of the aroma-supplementing medium and the cannabis aerosol-generating medium into their respective heating chambers according to some embodiments.

[0034] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating the multi-chamber aerosol-generating device in operation, showing aerosols from the cannabis aerosol-generating medium and the aroma-supplementing medium meeting and mixing in an internal channel of the top cover according to some embodiments.

[0035] FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram illustrating a composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium comprising a cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment and a cooling segment according to some embodiments.

[0036] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram illustrating an extruded cannabis medium having a plurality of internal through-holes formed by extrusion of an all-solid formulation according to some embodiments.

[0037] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram illustrating the extruded cannabis medium placed within a heating device for circumferential heating according to some embodiments.

[0038] FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram illustrating various configurations of aerosol-generating articles comprising the medium combined with functional components including a hollow tube, a cooling segment, a plug, and a filter tip according to some embodiments.

[0039] FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram illustrating a coaxial aerosol-generating article comprising an outer aerosol-generating medium and an inner aroma medium arranged in a concentric configuration, with the inner wall surface of the aerosol-generating medium in contact with the outer wall surface of the aroma medium according to some embodiments.

[0040] FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative coaxial aerosol-generating article comprising an inner aerosol-generating medium and an outer aroma medium, configured for center heating through a central through-hole according to some embodiments.DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0041] Technical solutions in embodiments of this application are clearly and completely described in the following with reference to accompanying drawings in the embodiments of this application. Clearly, the described embodiments are merely a part rather than all of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0042] For embodiments that do not specify experimental steps or conditions, conventional experimental steps or conditions described in literature within the field can be used. Reagents or instruments not specified with manufacturers are conventional reagent products that can be obtained commercially.

[0043] Cannabis material: Refers to natural materials containing cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabigerol (CBG), and other substances, for example, cannabis dry flowers or fresh flowers, or extracts of these natural materials, such as Live Resin, Live Rosin, Diamond, Kief, Hash, etc.

[0044] Substrate processing: The solid or semi-solid substrate of the cannabis material is mechanically comminuted (such as by liquid nitrogen freezing ball milling or jet milling) into particles with a D90 particle size distribution of 1-150 microns. The comminuted cannabis material particles are then freeze-dried to reduce their moisture content to 2% to 5% by weight. Since cannabis is an oil-averse material, removing moisture improves the mixing uniformity of the medium and its atomization stability. Particles in the range of 1-150 microns are both a processing requirement and an increase in surface area, which helps to enhance release efficiency.

[0045] The formulation primarily considers the product's structural strength and flexibility, as well as the release of active ingredients and aromas.

[0046] The formulation of the product consists of the following materials:

[0047] Cannabis material: Composed of one or more of the aforementioned cannabis materials, with at least one or more solid or semi-solid cannabis materials. The cannabis material accounts for 25% to 90% by weight in the final product.

[0048] Skeletal material: This can include tobacco, Pueraria lobata, wood microcrystalline cellulose, or cannabis microcrystalline cellulose. The skeletal material also needs to be comminuted into particles with a size similar to the cannabis material particles. Its main function is to provide structural strength and flexibility. The skeletal material accounts for 0% to 60% by weight in the final product.

[0049] Binder: One or more natural polymer materials, which can include but are not limited to starch, cellulose, plant or animal proteins and their derivatives. Specific examples include: carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), arabic gum, guar gum, chitosan, carrageenan, Pueraria lobata extract, gluten, and gelatin. The binder accounts for 1% to 10% by weight in the final product.

[0050] Flavoring: This can include terpenes extracted from cannabis, non-cannabis plant terpenes, and aromatic compounds extracted from cannabis plants or other plants, or any combination of these components. Flavoring accounts for 3%~10% or 3%~20% by weight in the final product.

[0051] The above materials are added in predetermined ratios to a low-temperature mixing apparatus for uniform mixing, ensuring even distribution of the components. The mixture is then extruded through a twin-screw extruder to form an aerosol-generating substrate with a specific geometry for use in heating devices.

[0052] The aerosol-forming substrate typically contains 10% to 50% by weight of cannabinoids, with the specific content depending on the ratio of cannabis material to other components (such as skeletal material and flavoring) and the cannabinoid content.

[0053] In some embodiments, an interior of the aerosol-generating substrate 100 has a three-dimensional ordered honeycomb structure. The interior of the aerosol-generating substrate 100 has multiple air channels 102, each extending through at least one end 108 of the aerosol-generating substrate 100 in the longitudinal direction, and preferably extending through both ends. Partition walls 104 separate adjacent air channels 102. This honeycomb structure significantly improves thermal conductivity, optimizes temperature distribution, and reduces the impact of temperature differences on cannabinoid release during heating. The hollow channels 102 in the honeycomb structure form ordered airways that promote smooth airflow, thereby increasing aerosol release efficiency and reducing aerosol loss. In some embodiments, each air channel is parallel to the axis of the aerosol-generating substrate and extends through both ends of the aerosol-generating substrate in the longitudinal direction.

[0054] In some embodiments, the air channels are arranged in an ordered manner. The air channels can be arranged in a concentric circle pattern, as shown in FIG. 1a, with air channels distributed along multiple trajectories. Each trajectory line has air channels arranged around the central circumference of the aerosol-generating substrate, and multiple trajectory lines are arranged concentrically along the radial direction of the aerosol-generating substrate. The air channels can also be arranged in a square matrix, as shown in FIG. 1b.

[0055] In some embodiments, the air channels 102 are arranged in an ordered manner. The air channels 102 can be arranged in a concentric circle pattern, as shown in FIG. 1A, with air channels 102 distributed along multiple trajectories. Each trajectory line has air channels 102 arranged around the central circumference of the aerosol-generating substrate 100, and multiple trajectory lines are arranged concentrically along the radial direction of the aerosol-generating substrate 100. The air channels 102 can also be arranged in a square matrix, as shown in FIG. 1B.

[0056] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating substrate has an equivalent diameter in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm and a length in the range of 5 mm to 100 mm.

[0057] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of each air channel is in the range of 0.10 mm2 to 20 mm2, or the hydraulic diameter of each air channel is in the range of 0.36 mm to 5 mm.

[0058] In some embodiments, the wall thickness of the partition walls 104 between adjacent air channels 102 is in the range of 10 μm to 800 μm.

[0059] The shape and size of the aerosol-forming substrate can vary, for example:

[0060] Cylindrical: Length of 5-100 mm, diameter of 1-10 mm, as shown in FIG. 1a-b);

[0061] Elliptical cylindrical: Length of 5-100 mm, thickness of 1-10 mm (as shown in FIG. 2);

[0062] Equilateral triangular: Length of 5-100 mm, side length of 1-10 mm;

[0063] Hexagonal: Length of 5-100 mm, side length of 1-10 mm;

[0064] Rectangular: Length of 5-100 mm, height and width of 1-10 mm (as shown in FIG. 3).

[0065] The cross-section of the aerosol-forming substrate can consist of an ordered structure made of a set number of polygons (such as triangles, hexagons, squares, pentagons, etc.) or circular rings, with the number of polygons ranging from 4 to 100 (as shown in FIG. 4). Based on the shape, size, material composition, and density of the substrate, the basis weight of the substrate can range from 120 g / m2 to 250 g / m2, and the overall weight of the substrate can range from 50 mg to 1000 mg.

[0066] The aerosol-forming substrate is used in combination with a corresponding heating device, which may employ, but is not limited to, the following heating methods to heat the aerosol-forming substrate: circumferential conduction heating (as shown in FIG. 5), air convection heating, electromagnetic induction heating, infrared heating, and microwave heating. During the heating process, the aerosol-forming substrate is heated to a range of 200° C. to 300° C., thereby releasing an aerosol containing cannabinoids and flavoring. The aerosol-forming substrate can be directly placed into a compatible aerosol-generating device for use (as shown in FIG. 6), or further processed into a cigarette form and inserted into a corresponding aerosol-generating device (as shown in FIG. 7) to meet the diverse needs of users.

[0067] FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of one embodiment of a heating element assembly 200 comprising an aerosol-generating substrate 100 and an outer wrapper 202. The outer wrapper 202 comprises an electromagnetic heating inductor 204.

[0068] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating use of an aerosol-generating substrate 100 directly loaded into a corresponding aerosol-generating device 300. The aerosol-generating device 300 is provided with an airflow channel 302, and one end of the airflow channel 302 is provided with a mouthpiece 304. The aerosol-generating substrate 100 is loaded from a bottom side into an end of the airflow channel 302 that is away from the mouthpiece 304. The aerosol-generating device 300 heats the aerosol-generating substrate 100, and aerosol generated by atomization is discharged from the mouthpiece 304. In this embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 300 and the aerosol-generating substrate 100 together form an aerosol-generating system.

[0069] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of an aerosol-generating system. The aerosol-generating system comprises an aerosol-generating device 300 and an aerosol-generating product 400, and the aerosol-generating product 400 is in the form of a cigarette. The cigarette comprises an aerosol-generating substrate 100, a functional segment 402, and an outer wrapper 410.

[0070] The functional segment 402 is provided at one end of the aerosol-generating substrate 100 in a longitudinal direction and at least comprises a filter segment 404 configured to filter aerosol. The functional segment 402 of the cigarette shown in FIG. 7 further comprises a cooling segment 406 and a plug. The outer wrapper surrounds circumferential outer surfaces of the functional segment 402 and the aerosol-generating substrate 100.

[0071] It can be understood that the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention may also be formed into an aerosol-generating product in the form of a capsule, in which an outer wrapper is provided on an outer periphery of the aerosol-generating substrate.

[0072] It can be understood that, in addition to circumferential conduction heating, the aerosol-generating device may also employ other heating methods such as air heating, microwave heating, and infrared heating. The circumferential conduction heating includes, but is not limited to, electromagnetic heating and resistance heating.

[0073] During heating, under a puffing regime according to a Health Canada Intense smoking regime, the aerosol release amount and cannabinoid release efficiency of the aerosol-generating substrate satisfy the following:

[0074] Each puff releases 3 to 6 mg of aerosol, in which cannabinoids account for 50% to 80% by weight;

[0075] During a heating process of 10 puffs (a total of 300 seconds), 30% to 60% of cannabinoids in the aerosol-generating substrate are converted into aerosol and collected;

[0076] During a process of 20 puffs (a total of 600 seconds), 70% to 85% of cannabinoids in the aerosol-generating substrate are converted into aerosol and collected;

[0077] During a heating process of 10 puffs (a total of 300 seconds), the consistency of the amount of aerosol released per puff and the mass of cannabinoids in the aerosol is characterized by a relative standard deviation in a range of 10% to 20%.

[0078] FIG. 8 is a comparison diagram of per-puff aerosol release amount.

[0079] FIG. 9 is a comparison diagram of cannabinoid release efficiency and per-puff cannabinoid amount between the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention and competing products.

[0080] An embodiment for improving cannabinoid release efficiency is provided as follows.

[0081] Structure of the aerosol-generating substrate: The aerosol-generating substrate has an equivalent diameter in a range of 1 mm to 10 mm and a length in a range of 5 mm to 100 mm, and has an interior comprising a plurality of air channels, each of the air channels extending to at least one end of the aerosol-generating substrate in a longitudinal direction, and preferably extending through both ends of the aerosol-generating substrate.

[0082] Heating method and heating temperature: Circumferential conduction heating is adopted, for example, electromagnetic circumferential heating or resistance circumferential heating.

[0083] Mass of aerosol per puff: 3 mg to 10 mg, maybe 3 mg to 20 mg.

[0084] Cannabinoid content per puff: 1.5 mg to 5.0 mg, maybe 1.5 mg to 10 mg.

[0085] Effect of different substrate geometries on atomization performance:AverageRSD ofInitialaerosolNormalizedaerosolCannabinoidCannabinoidAir-Wallsubstratemass peraerosolmassCannabinoidcontentamountExperimentchannelthicknessmasspuffmassover 10conversionin aerosolper puffNo.shape(mm)(mg)(mg / puff)(mg / g)puffs (%)rate (%)(%)(mg)#1Circular0.26348.84.6138.21945.0755.62.6#2Circular0.26344.54.9142.615.743.150.12.4#3Grid-like0.182764.4158.62151.253.12.3#4Hexagonal0.195256.73.7145.61645.351.42#5Circular0.26344.34.4128.821.539.750.82.3#6Grid-like0.182724.1149.516.548.153.12.2#7Grid-like0.163254.63.9152.8195256.12.2#8Grid-like0.146235.23.6151.519.548.152.21.9

[0086] In some embodiments, 30 g of industrial hemp dry flower, 2 g of tetrahydrocannabinol, and 1 g of hydroxypropyl cellulose are weighed and added into a liquid nitrogen planetary ball mill for comminution and uniform mixing. The mixed solid powder is placed in a freeze dryer to remove moisture. Then, 1.5 g of a plant-derived terpene mixture is added to the dried solid powder and uniformly mixed using a mixing apparatus, while maintaining the raw material temperature at or below 40° C. during mixing.

[0087] The mixed raw material is extruded through a twin-screw extruder using a square multi-orifice die to form a cylinder having uniformly distributed honeycomb-like internal channels, and then cut into substrates with a length of 20 mm. The specific parameters are as follows:SubstrateTotalSubstrateNumberSubstratecross-substratespecificSubstrateofouterSubstrateWallsectionalsurfaceSubstratesurfaceSubstratebasisPolygonpolygonaldiameterlengththicknessareaareavolumeareamassweighttypecells(mm)(mm)(mm)(mm2)(mm2)(mm3)(m−1)(mg)(g / m2)Square12005.3200.1811.181596.96223.67.142270169.07

[0088] The aerosol-generating substrate is placed into a dedicated aerosol-generating device for heating, and puffing tests are conducted using a smoking machine (for example, a Borgwaldt LM1E smoking machine). A puffing regime according to the Health Canada Intense smoking regime is used, with each puff having a volume of 55 mL, a puff duration of 2 seconds, and an interval of 30 seconds, for a total of 10 puffs. The aerosol of each puff is collected on a Cambridge filter pad and weighed to obtain the aerosol mass per puff. After 10 puffs, the filter pad and the substrate are subjected to chemical analysis. The test results are as follows:AverageRSD ofCannabinoidTerpeneaerosolNormalizedaerosolCannabinoidCannabinoidTerpenecontentcontentmass peraerosolmassCannabinoidcontentamountcontentininpuffmassover 10conversionin aerosolper puffin aerosolsubstratesubstrate(mg / puff)(mg / g)puffs (%)rate (%)(%)(mg)(%)(%)(%)4.4158.62051.253.12.27.317.83.1

[0089] In some embodiments, 30 g of microcrystalline cellulose (particle size 20 μm), 12 g of high-purity cannabidiol crystals, 1.4 g of ethyl cellulose, and 2.6 g of a plant-derived terpene mixture are weighed. The above raw materials are uniformly mixed using a mixing apparatus, while maintaining the raw material temperature at or below 40° C. during mixing.

[0090] The mixed raw material is extruded through a twin-screw extruder using a square multi-orifice die to form a cylinder having uniformly distributed honeycomb-like internal channels, and then cut into substrates with a length of 20 mm. The specific parameters are as follows:SubstrateTotalSubstrateNumberSubstratecross-substratespecificSubstrateofouterSubstrateWallsectionalsurfaceSubstratesurfaceSubstratebasisPolygonpolygonaldiameterlengththicknessareaareavolumeareamassweighttypecells(mm)(mm)(mm)(mm2)(mm2)(mm3)(m−1)(mg)(g / m2)Square12005.3200.1811.181596.96223.67.142250156.55

[0091] The aerosol-generating substrate is placed into a dedicated aerosol-generating device for heating, and puffing tests are conducted using a smoking machine (for example, a Borgwaldt LM1E smoking machine). A puffing regime according to the Health Canada Intense smoking regime is used, with each puff having a volume of 55 mL, a puff duration of 2 seconds, and an interval of 30 seconds, for a total of 10 puffs. The aerosol of each puff is collected on a Cambridge filter pad and weighed to obtain the aerosol mass per puff. After 10 puffs, the filter pad and the substrate are subjected to chemical analysis. The test results are as follows:AverageRSD ofCannabinoidTerpeneaerosolNormalizedaerosolCannabinoidCannabinoidTerpenecontentcontentmass peraerosolmassCannabinoidcontentamountcontentininpuffmassover 10conversionin aerosolper puffin aerosolsubstratesubstrate(mg / puff)(mg / g)puffs (%)rate (%)(%)(mg)(%)(%)(%)3.8152.52039.466.92.63.925.92.1

[0092] In addition to the aerosol-generating substrate 100, embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a flavor sustained-release composition suitable for use in an additional segment of an aerosol-generating article 510, a method of manufacturing the flavor sustained-release composition, an additional segment comprising the flavor sustained-release composition, and an aerosol-generating system including the additional segment. The flavor sustained-release composition is configured to be thermally stable under heating conditions of an aerosol-generating device and to provide sustained release of flavor substances over multiple puffs.

[0093] In some embodiments, a flavor sustained-release composition comprises a core material and a wall material encapsulating the core material. The core material comprises a plurality of terpene compounds. The wall material comprises a composite modified starch that forms a matrix surrounding the core material. The flavor sustained-release composition is in the form of spray-dried particles and has a terpene encapsulation rate of at least 70%.

[0094] In some embodiments, the encapsulation performance of the flavor sustained-release composition is evaluated by determining a loading capacity (LC) of the terpene compounds and an encapsulation rate (ER). The loading capacity LC may be calculated based on thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of blank wall material and terpene-loaded microcapsules under a dynamic nitrogen atmosphere. In some embodiments, LC is obtained according to the following relational expression:η2-(1-α)·LC1-η1-L⁢C=η2′1-η1′In the above expression, η1 is the weight loss of the terpene-encapsulated microcapsules in a temperature range of 30° C. to 100° C., and η1′ is the weight loss of blank microcapsules in the same temperature range; η2 is the weight loss of the terpene-encapsulated microcapsules in a temperature range of 100° C. to 400° C., and η2′ is the weight loss of blank microcapsules in that temperature range; α is a weight-loss ratio of the terpene mixture at 400° C. The encapsulation rate ER may be calculated based on measurements of total terpene content and free terpene content by gas chromatography. In some embodiments, ER is obtained according to the following expression:E⁢R=L⁢C-F⁢CL⁢C×1⁢0⁢0⁢%in which FC is a loading fraction of free terpene, and ER is expressed as a percentage. The free terpene content for a specific terpene component may be determined by extracting a sample with a non-polar solvent such as n-hexane at room temperature, and the total terpene content may be determined by extracting a sample with a mixed polar solvent such as a methanol / isopropanol solution, followed by gas chromatographic analysis. On this basis, the terpene encapsulation rate of each terpene component in the flavor sustained-release composition may be in a range of 70% to 99%, for example in a range of 80% to 99%, or in a range of 81% to 98%.In some embodiments, each encapsulation rate is determined according to the loading capacity LC and the encapsulation rate ER as defined above. Specific examples of terpene components and corresponding encapsulation rates of the flavor sustained-release composition are shown as below:Terpene typeEncapsulation rate (%)α-Bisabolol90.82α-Humulene88.08α-Pinene90.78β-Caryophyllene81.30β-Pinene83.38Camphene96.10delta-3-Carene96.13γ-Terpinene94.03Geraniol89.07Guaiol93.74Isopulegol97.10Linalool83.28Nerolidol-198.93Nerolidol-297.11Ocimene-296.49p-Cymene96.92Terpinolene98.76In some embodiments, the core material comprises a terpene mixture including mono-, sesqui-, and / or diterpene compounds. The terpene mixture may comprise at least 10 terpene compounds, at least 15 terpene compounds, or at least 17 terpene compounds. The terpene compounds may be selected from the group comprising at least one of: limonene, valencene, eucalyptol, myrcene, β-elemene, caryophyllene, α-pinene, β-pinene, camphene, delta-3-carene, γ-terpinene, geraniol, guaiol, isopulegol, linalool, linalyl acetate, nerolidol, ocimene, p-cymene, and terpinolene. These terpene compounds may impart fruity, floral, resinous, or other characteristic aromas to the aerosol.

[0099] In some embodiments, the core material further comprises at least one thioether-type aroma substance. The thioether-type aroma substance may cooperate with the terpene compounds to provide additional aroma notes and to enhance a multi-layered flavor profile during puffing.

[0100] In some embodiments, the wall material comprises a composite modified starch. The composite modified starch may comprise at least one hydrophilic starch component and at least one hydrophobic starch component. For example, the wall material may comprise hydroxypropyl starch and sodium octenyl succinate starch. The composite modified starch can form a porous carrier structure having both emulsifying and film-forming properties, thereby improving encapsulation efficiency and storage stability of the terpene compounds.

[0101] In some embodiments, the wall material comprises hydroxypropyl starch and sodium octenyl succinate starch in a mass ratio in a range of 1:1 to 5:1, for example in a range of 2:1 to 4:1, or about 3:1. By compounding hydroxypropyl starch with sodium octenyl succinate starch, the composite modified starch can overcome drawbacks of single starch systems such as easy thermal decomposition, low encapsulation rate, and limited capability to encapsulate multiple aroma molecules.

[0102] In some embodiments, the wall material further comprises one or more auxiliary wall materials selected from the group comprising: xanthan gum, arabic gum, β-cyclodextrin, sodium alginate, gelatin, beeswax, carboxymethyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, chitosan, and hydroxypropyl starch powder. These auxiliary wall materials may improve flexibility of the wall material, enhance hydrophobic interactions, and stabilize the interface between the core material and the aqueous phase during emulsification.

[0103] In some embodiments, the flavor sustained-release composition further comprises an emulsifier. The emulsifier may comprise polysorbate 80 (Tween 80) or a combination of polysorbate 80 with other food-grade emulsifiers. The emulsifier may be used to stabilize an oil-in-water emulsion of the core material and the wall material and thereby improve encapsulation efficiency.

[0104] In some embodiments, the flavor sustained-release composition is in the form of spray-dried particles having a particle size distribution characterized by a D90 of less than 100 μm. In some embodiments, the spray-dried particles have a D10 in a range of 2 μm to 10 μm, a D50 in a range of 15 μm to 25 μm, and a D90 in a range of 20 μm to 50 μm. The particle size distribution may be measured by a laser particle size analyzer. One example of the surface morphology and particle-size range of such spray-dried particles is shown in FIG. 13. A particle size distribution within these ranges is beneficial for incorporation into an extruded additional segment and for achieving sustained flavor release. FIG. 13 is an electron micrograph showing a surface morphology and particle-size range of encapsulated terpene particles of a flavor sustained-release composition according to some embodiments.

[0105] In some embodiments, the encapsulation performance of the flavor sustained-release composition is evaluated by determining a loading capacity (LC) of the terpene compounds and an encapsulation rate (ER). The loading capacity may be calculated based on thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of blank wall material and terpene-loaded microcapsules under a dynamic nitrogen atmosphere, and the encapsulation rate may be calculated based on measurements of total terpene content and free terpene content by gas chromatography. The terpene encapsulation rate of each terpene component in the flavor sustained-release composition may be in a range of 70% to 99%, for example in a range of 80% to 99%, or in a range of 81% to 98%.

[0106] In some embodiments, the high-temperature performance of the flavor sustained-release composition is evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis. For example, blank wall material and terpene-loaded microcapsules may be heated from room temperature to 400° C. at a heating rate of 20° C. / min under a dynamic nitrogen atmosphere. The flavor sustained-release composition comprising the composite modified starch wall material may exhibit higher terpene retention at 300° C. to 350° C. than a comparative composition using hydroxypropyl starch alone as the wall material. In some embodiments, at 350° C., the terpene retention rate of the composite modified starch wall material is increased by about 40% compared to the comparative composition.

[0107] In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing the flavor sustained-release composition comprises: preparing an aqueous wall-material solution having a concentration in a range of 10% to 50% by weight; emulsifying the core material and the aqueous wall-material solution in the presence of an emulsifier to obtain an oil-in-water emulsion; and spray-drying the oil-in-water emulsion to obtain spray-dried particles of the flavor sustained-release composition.

[0108] In some embodiments, preparing the aqueous wall-material solution comprises dissolving the composite modified starch and any optional auxiliary wall materials in water to form an aqueous solution at a concentration in a range of 10 wt % to 50 wt %. Emulsifying comprises adding the core material containing the terpene compounds to the aqueous wall-material solution and adding the emulsifier, such that a ratio of the wall material to the terpene compounds is in a range of 10:1 to 1:1 by weight, for example in a range of 4:1 to 2:1. The mixture may be subjected to high-shear mixing at a rotational speed in a range of 5000 rpm to 8000 rpm for a period in a range of 10 minutes to 15 minutes. The emulsification may be carried out in a temperature-controlled vessel maintained in an ice-water bath to provide a low-temperature environment.

[0109] In some embodiments, spray-drying the oil-in-water emulsion comprises feeding the emulsion into a spray granulator by a peristaltic pump at a pump speed in a range of 30 rpm to 50 rpm, operating a blower at a frequency in a range of 40 Hz to 70 Hz, and setting an inlet air temperature in a range of 100° C. to 180° C. and an outlet air temperature in a range of 65° C. to 90° C. Under these conditions, spray-dried particles having the particle size distribution described above and a terpene encapsulation rate greater than 60%, and preferably greater than 70%, can be obtained.

[0110] In some embodiments, an additional segment for an aerosol-generating article 510 comprises a rod-shaped body having a diameter in a range of 1 mm to 10 mm and a length in a range of 1 mm to 20 mm, and a base material matrix 706 comprising the flavor sustained-release composition 600 described above. The flavor sustained-release composition 600 may be present in an amount of 0% to 10% by weight, for example in an amount of 1% to 10% by weight or 5% to 10% by weight, based on a total weight of the additional segment.

[0111] In some embodiments, the base material matrix 706 of the additional segment comprises, by weight, 0% to 10% of the flavor sustained-release composition 600; 0% to 18% of at least one protein selected from the group comprising Hordein, Secalin, gluten, dextrin, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed soy protein, and hydrolyzed corn protein; 0% to 40% of at least one cellulose-based material selected from the group comprising hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose nanocrystals, nanocellulose, and carboxyethyl cellulose; 0% to 5% of at least one polysaccharide selected from the group comprising potassium carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthan gum, pectin, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, and calcium carboxymethyl cellulose; 0% to 5% of ultrapure water; and 0% to 12% of propylene glycol.

[0112] In some embodiments, the rod-shaped body of the additional segment has a porosity in a range of 35% to 40%. The porosity may be adjusted by controlling the formulation of the base material matrix and the extrusion conditions. Matching the particle size of the flavor sustained-release composition 600 with the porosity of the additional segment is beneficial to achieving sustained release of terpene flavor substances during heating.

[0113] In some embodiments, the additional segment is formed by extrusion-molding. For example, the base material matrix 706 comprising the flavor sustained-release composition 600 and the other components described above may be fed into a twin-screw extruder. The extrusion may be performed at a temperature in a range of 50° C. to 80° C. and at a screw rotational speed in a range of 50 rpm to 110 rpm. The extruded material may be formed into a continuous rod and cut into additional segments having a predetermined length in a range of 1 mm to 20 mm, for example about 10 mm.

[0114] In some embodiments, an aerosol-generating article 510 comprises a hollow mouthpiece 512, an aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 comprising cannabis, and at least one additional segment. The aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 may be the aerosol-generating substrate described above, for example an aerosol-generating substrate 100 comprising 25% to 90% by weight of cannabis material, having an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102 extending in a longitudinal direction and having a moisture content in a range of 2% to 5% by weight. The additional segment may be disposed in the aerosol-generating article 510 so as to provide an aroma-supplementing function.

[0115] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating article comprises an aroma-supplementing medium segment (additional segment 1) and a plug segment (additional segment 2). The aroma-supplementing medium segment may be disposed between the hollow mouthpiece and the aerosol-generating substrate segment in the longitudinal direction. The plug segment may be disposed at an end of the aerosol-generating substrate segment opposite to the hollow mouthpiece. The aroma-supplementing medium segment and the plug segment may each be formed as the additional segment described above, and may be connected to the aerosol-generating substrate segment by wrapping with a cigarette paper or other wrapper, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of an aerosol-generating article including a hollow mouthpiece, an aroma-supplementing medium segment, an aerosol-generating substrate segment comprising cannabis, and a plug segment according to some embodiments.

[0116] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 12, the aerosol-generating article 510 comprises an aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 (additional segment 1) and a plug segment 122 (additional segment 2). The aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 may be disposed between the hollow mouthpiece 512 and the aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 in the longitudinal direction. The plug segment 122 may be disposed at an end of the aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 opposite to the hollow mouthpiece 512. The aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 and the plug segment 122 may each be formed as the additional segment described above, and may be connected to the aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 by wrapping with a cigarette paper or other wrapper.

[0117] In some embodiments, only the aroma-supplementing medium segment is provided in the aerosol-generating article, only the plug segment is provided, or both the aroma-supplementing medium segment and the plug segment are provided. When only the aroma-supplementing medium segment is provided, a stronger aroma burst may be obtained in early puffs. When only the plug segment is provided, aroma can be supplemented in later puffs to compensate for an aroma decrease in the aerosol-generating substrate segment. When both segments are provided, a continuous, multi-layered aroma profile may be obtained over early, middle, and later puffs.

[0118] In some embodiments, the flavor type of the flavor sustained-release composition in the additional segment is the same as that of the aerosol-generating substrate segment, thereby enhancing the overall aroma intensity during puffing. In other embodiments, the flavor type of the flavor sustained-release composition in the additional segment differs from that of the aerosol-generating substrate segment, thereby providing one or more additional aroma types, such as fruity or resinous notes, which coordinate with the aroma of the aerosol-generating substrate segment to produce a multi-flavor, multi-layered puffing experience.

[0119] In some embodiments, an aerosol-generating system comprises an aerosol-generating article as described above and an aerosol-generating device configured to heat the aerosol-generating substrate segment and the at least one additional segment to generate an aerosol. The aerosol-generating device may employ circumferential conduction heating, air convection heating, electromagnetic induction heating, infrared heating, microwave heating, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating device comprises an outer heater surrounding the aerosol-generating substrate segment and the at least one additional segment to provide circumferential conduction heating.

[0120] In some embodiments, under a puffing regime according to a Health Canada Intense smoking regime (for example, a puff volume of 55 mL, a puff duration of 2 seconds, and a puff interval of 30 seconds or about 28 seconds), the aerosol-generating system is configured such that a release rate of terpene flavor substances from the at least one additional segment over 10 puffs has a relative standard deviation in a range of 0% to 30%, preferably less than 30%, for example about 26%. In some embodiments, the terpene release per puff exhibits a slow-release behavior, such that a substantial portion of the terpene flavor substances is released over puffs 1 to 10.

[0121] In some embodiments, an experimental aerosol-generating article is provided in which the aroma-supplementing medium segment and the plug segment are both formed as additional segments comprising the flavor sustained-release composition described above. The experimental aerosol-generating article may be tested using a single-channel smoking machine under a puffing regime according to the Health Canada Intense smoking regime. The terpene release amount per puff may be determined by collecting the aerosol on a filter pad and analyzing the terpene content by gas chromatography. In one embodiment, at a puff volume of 55 mL, a puff duration of 2 seconds, and a puff interval of 28 seconds, the terpene release amount per puff gradually decreases from about 0.48 mg / puff at the first puff to about 0.26 mg / puff at the tenth puff, and the relative standard deviation of the terpene release amount over 10 puffs is about 26.1%.

[0122] In some embodiments, example results of terpene release amounts per puff for an experimental group and two control groups are shown in the table below. The experimental group H1 uses the flavor sustained-release composition described herein, control group DO uses non-encapsulated terpenes directly added into the additional segment, and control group D2 uses terpenes encapsulated with hydroxypropyl starch alone as a wall material, as shown below:H1 releaseD0 releaseD2 releasePuff numberamount (mg / puff)amount (mg / puff)amount (mg / puff)10.480.550.5230.380.120.1950.320.110.17100.260.090.10RSD26.1%102%68.3%

[0123] In a control group in which terpenes are directly added into the additional segment without encapsulation, most of the terpenes are released within the first three puffs, and the relative standard deviation of terpene release over 10 puffs may be greater than 60%, for example about 102%. In another control group in which terpenes are encapsulated using hydroxypropyl starch alone as a wall material, the relative standard deviation of terpene release over 10 puffs may be about 68.3%. Thus, by using the composite modified starch wall material and the extrusion-molded additional segment as described herein, the aerosol-generating system can provide a regular and multi-level sustained aroma release with improved high-temperature stability and improved consistency of flavor release over multiple puffs.

[0124] Embodiments of the present disclosure also address the aroma imbalance problem by providing an aerosol-generating article comprising at least a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and an aroma-supplementing medium segment, and an aerosol-generating device comprising independently controlled heating zones corresponding to each segment. The cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment contains cannabinoids and is configured to release an aerosol containing both cannabinoids and characteristic aroma substances when heated. The aroma-supplementing medium segment contains characteristic cannabis aroma substances, preferably comprising terpene compounds that are the same as or similar to those present in the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment. Both the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment comprise internal through-holes extending from a bottom surface to a top surface thereof, the through-holes serving as aerosol transmission channels.

[0125] In some embodiments, both the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment have an interior comprising a plurality of air channels, each air channel extending through both ends of the respective segment in a longitudinal direction. The air channels in each segment are configured to allow aerosol to pass therethrough and to be transmitted toward the mouthpiece. In some embodiments, the air channels in the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the air channels in the aroma-supplementing medium segment are aligned in the longitudinal direction so as to form a continuous aerosol transmission pathway.

[0126] In some embodiments, an aerosol-generating device comprises an outer shell, a battery cell disposed within the outer shell, a circuit board electrically connected to the battery cell, a heating assembly, and a mouthpiece. The heating assembly comprises at least two independently controlled heating zones: a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone and an aroma-supplementing medium heating zone. The cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone is configured to heat the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment, and the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone is configured to heat the aroma-supplementing medium segment. The two heating zones are independently controllable such that each heating zone can operate separately or simultaneously with the other heating zone.

[0127] In some embodiments, during an initial phase of a puffing session (for example, during puffs 1 to 3, or puffs 1 to 6), the aerosol-generating device activates only the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone 210. The cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 is heated and releases an aerosol containing cannabinoids and characteristic aroma substances. The aerosol is transmitted through the air channels 102 of the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 and the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 and is delivered to the user via the mouthpiece 304. During this initial phase, the characteristic aroma is intense due to the presence of volatile terpenes in the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment 100.

[0128] In some embodiments, during a subsequent phase of the puffing session (for example, after puff 3, after puff 4, after puff 5, or after puff 6), when the characteristic aroma from the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 begins to decay, the aerosol-generating device additionally activates the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone 212. The aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 is heated and releases an aerosol containing characteristic aroma substances, thereby supplementing the decayed aroma and improving aroma uniformity throughout the puffing session. By independently controlling the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone 210 and the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone 212, the aerosol-generating system can achieve improved puff-to-puff aroma consistency.

[0129] In some embodiments, each of the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone and the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone comprises a thermally conductive material, for example copper, stainless steel, or another metal material. In some embodiments, a thermally insulating material is disposed between the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone and the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone so as to thermally isolate the two heating zones from each other. The thermally insulating material may comprise a plastic material or another material having low thermal conductivity. The thermal isolation between the two heating zones enables independent temperature control and prevents premature heating of the aroma-supplementing medium segment during the initial phase of the puffing session.

[0130] In some embodiments, the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone is configured to be heated passively rather than actively. In such embodiments, the heating assembly comprises a heating element, such as a heating wire, disposed only in the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone. The aroma-supplementing medium heating zone does not comprise a heating element and is instead heated passively through heat conduction from the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone via a thermally conductive substrate, such as a steel tube or other metal substrate. In the passive heating configuration, the aroma-supplementing medium segment is heated to a lower temperature than the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment, and the characteristic aroma substances are released slowly from the aroma-supplementing medium segment throughout the puffing session. The passive heating configuration provides a simpler device structure, although the timing of aroma supplementation may be less precisely controlled compared to the active heating configuration.

[0131] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating article further comprises one or more connecting segments in addition to the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment. The number of connecting segments may be 1, 2, 3, or more, and is preferably less than 4. The connecting segments may be disposed at various positions within the aerosol-generating article, for example between the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment, at a mouthpiece end of the aerosol-generating article, at an end opposite to the mouthpiece, or at a combination of these positions.

[0132] In some embodiments, no connecting segment is disposed between the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment, such that the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment are directly connected to each other. In other embodiments, one connecting segment is disposed between the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment. Preferably, the number of connecting segments disposed between the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment is less than or equal to 1.

[0133] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating article comprises a plurality of aroma-supplementing medium segments. The aerosol-generating device may comprise a corresponding plurality of aroma-supplementing medium heating zones, each heating zone configured to heat a respective aroma-supplementing medium segment. The plurality of aroma-supplementing medium heating zones may be heated simultaneously, or may be independently controlled so as to be heated at different times during the puffing session. When the aerosol-generating article comprises multiple aroma-supplementing medium segments and the aerosol-generating device comprises multiple independently controlled aroma-supplementing medium heating zones, staged aroma supplementation can be achieved at different phases of the puffing session, further improving aroma uniformity.

[0134] In some embodiments, the aroma-supplementing medium segment has a length in a range of 5 mm to 15 mm in the longitudinal direction. In some embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment has a length in a range of 10 mm to 25 mm in the longitudinal direction. In some embodiments, each of the aroma-supplementing medium segment and the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment has a diameter in a range of 1 mm to 10 mm. The dimensional parameters may be selected based on the desired aroma release profile and the configuration of the aerosol-generating device.

[0135] For instance, FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating alternative configurations of an aerosol-generating article according to some embodiments. In a first configuration (left), the aerosol-generating article comprises, in order from a mouthpiece end to an opposite end: a hollow tube serving as a mouthpiece, an aroma-supplementing medium segment, a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment, and a plug. In a second configuration (middle), the aerosol-generating article comprises the same components in the same order, with the plug at the opposite end. In a third configuration (right), the aerosol-generating article comprises a hollow tube, an aroma-supplementing medium segment, and a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment, without a plug at the opposite end. Referring to FIG. 14, in some embodiments, only the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 is provided in the aerosol-generating article 510, only the plug segment 122 is provided, or both the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 and the plug segment 122 are provided. When only the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 is provided, a stronger aroma burst may be obtained in early puffs. When only the plug segment 122 is provided, aroma can be supplemented in later puffs to compensate for an aroma decrease in the aerosol-generating substrate segment 100. When both segments are provided, a continuous, multi-layered aroma profile may be obtained over early, middle, and later puffs.

[0136] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating an aerosol-generating system comprising an aerosol-generating article inserted into an aerosol-generating device according to some embodiments. The aerosol-generating device comprises an outer shell, a battery cell, a circuit board, and a heating assembly. The heating assembly comprises a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone and an aroma-supplementing medium heating zone. The cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment of the aerosol-generating article is positioned within the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone, and the aroma-supplementing medium segment is positioned within the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone. The mouthpiece extends from the aerosol-generating device. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating an aerosol-generating system comprising a passive heating configuration according to some embodiments. The aroma-supplementing medium heating zone does not comprise a heating element and is heated passively through heat conduction from the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone. FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment with internal through-holes according to some embodiments. The cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment each comprise a plurality of internal through-holes extending in the longitudinal direction. The through-holes serve as aerosol transmission channels and are configured to allow aerosol generated in the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment to pass through both segments and to be delivered to the user. In some embodiments, the through-holes in each segment are arranged in an ordered pattern, such as a concentric circle pattern or a square matrix pattern.

[0137] Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, in some embodiments, an aerosol-generating device comprises an outer shell 306, a battery cell 308 disposed within the outer shell 306, a circuit board 310 electrically connected to the battery cell 308, a heating assembly, and a mouthpiece 304. The heating assembly comprises at least two independently controlled heating zones: a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone 210 and an aroma-supplementing medium heating zone 212. The cannabis aerosol-generating substrate heating zone 210 is configured to heat the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment 100, and the aroma-supplementing medium heating zone 212 is configured to heat the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120. The two heating zones 210, 212 are independently controllable such that each heating zone can operate separately or simultaneously with the other heating zone.

[0138] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 17, both the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 and the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 have an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102, each air channel 102 extending through both ends of the respective segment in a longitudinal direction. The air channels 102 in each segment are configured to allow aerosol to pass therethrough and to be transmitted toward the mouthpiece 304. In some embodiments, the air channels 102 in the cannabis aerosol-generating substrate segment 100 and the air channels 102 in the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 are aligned in the longitudinal direction so as to form a continuous aerosol transmission pathway.

[0139] In some embodiments, an aerosol-generating device comprises a multi-chamber heater configured to receive and independently heat a plurality of medium segments. The aerosol-generating device comprises an outer shell, a battery cell disposed within the outer shell, a circuit board electrically connected to the battery cell, at least two heating elements, a support structure, a bottom support member, and a top cover. Each heating element defines a heating chamber therein, such that the aerosol-generating device comprises at least two heating chambers. The at least two heating chambers include a cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber and an aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber is configured to receive a cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment, and the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber is configured to receive an aroma-supplementing medium segment.

[0140] In some embodiments, the at least two heating elements are independently controlled by the circuit board. Each heating element is configured to heat a corresponding heating chamber independently of the other heating element. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber and the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber can thus be heated separately or simultaneously, depending on a control algorithm implemented by the circuit board. The independent control of the heating elements enables staged heating during a puffing session to achieve improved aroma uniformity.

[0141] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating an aerosol-generating device comprising a multi-chamber heater according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 18, the aerosol-generating device comprises an outer shell, a battery cell disposed within the outer shell, a circuit board electrically connected to the battery cell, at least two heating elements, a support structure, a bottom support member, and a top cover. Each heating element defines a heating chamber therein, such that the aerosol-generating device comprises at least two heating chambers. As shown in FIG. 18, the at least two heating chambers include a cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber and an aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber is configured to receive a cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment, and the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber is configured to receive an aroma-supplementing medium segment. Referring to FIG. 18, the at least two heating elements are independently controlled by the circuit board. Each heating element is configured to heat a corresponding heating chamber independently of the other heating element. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber and the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber can thus be heated separately or simultaneously, depending on a control algorithm implemented by the circuit board. The independent control of the heating elements enables staged heating during a puffing session to achieve improved aroma uniformity.

[0142] In some embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment are separate and independent from each other. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment contains cannabinoids and may be produced from cannabis plant material by comminution and mixing with other materials, followed by extrusion, tableting, slip casting, or other forming processes. Alternatively, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment may be produced by adding cannabinoids and characteristic cannabis aroma components to a skeletal material. The aroma-supplementing medium segment contains characteristic cannabis aroma substances, which may be implemented by adding terpene compounds. Preferably, the main aroma components of the aroma-supplementing medium segment are the same as those of the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment.

[0143] In some embodiments, both the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment have an interior comprising a plurality of internal through-holes extending from a bottom surface to a top surface thereof. The internal through-holes serve as aerosol transmission channels (air channels) configured to allow aerosol generated within each medium segment to pass therethrough. In some embodiments, the internal through-holes have a circular cross-section. In other embodiments, the internal through-holes have a square cross-section, a polygonal cross-section, or another cross-sectional shape. The internal through-holes may be arranged in an ordered pattern, such as a concentric circle pattern or a matrix pattern. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating medium segments with internal through-holes according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 19, both the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment and the aroma-supplementing medium segment have an interior comprising a plurality of internal through-holes extending from a bottom surface to a top surface thereof. The internal through-holes serve as aerosol transmission channels (air channels) configured to allow aerosol generated within each medium segment to pass therethrough. In some embodiments, the internal through-holes have a circular cross-section as shown in FIG. 19. In other embodiments, the internal through-holes have a square cross-section, a polygonal cross-section, or another cross-sectional shape. The internal through-holes may be arranged in an ordered pattern, such as a concentric circle pattern or a matrix pattern.

[0144] Referring to FIG. 19, in some embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 and the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 are separate and independent from each other. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 contains cannabinoids and may be produced from cannabis plant material by comminution and mixing with other materials, followed by extrusion, tableting, slip casting, or other forming processes. Alternatively, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 may be produced by adding cannabinoids and characteristic cannabis aroma components to a skeletal material. The aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 contains characteristic cannabis aroma substances, which may be implemented by adding terpene compounds. Preferably, the main aroma components of the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 are the same as those of the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100.

[0145] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 19, both the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 and the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 have an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102 extending from a bottom surface to a top surface thereof. The air channels 102 serve as aerosol transmission channels configured to allow aerosol generated within each medium segment to pass therethrough. In some embodiments, the air channels 102 have a circular cross-section. In other embodiments, the air channels 102 have a square cross-section, a polygonal cross-section, or another cross-sectional shape. The air channels 102 may be arranged in an ordered pattern, such as a concentric circle pattern or a matrix pattern.

[0146] In some embodiments, the top cover of the aerosol-generating device comprises an internal channel configured to receive aerosol from each of the at least two heating chambers. The internal channel is configured such that aerosol from the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment and aerosol from the aroma-supplementing medium segment meet and mix within the top cover before being delivered to the user. In some embodiments, the top cover is pivotally connected to the outer shell and is configured to be opened to allow insertion or removal of the medium segments and to be closed during operation of the aerosol-generating device.

[0147] Referring to FIG. 18, the top cover 320 of the aerosol-generating device comprises an internal channel configured to receive aerosol from each of the at least two heating chambers 220, 222. The internal channel is configured such that aerosol from the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 and aerosol from the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 meet and mix within the top cover 320 before being delivered to the user. In some embodiments, the top cover 320 is pivotally connected to the outer shell 306 and is configured to be opened to allow insertion or removal of the medium segments 100, 120 and to be closed during operation of the aerosol-generating device.

[0148] In some embodiments, to use the aerosol-generating device, a user first opens the top cover to access the heating chambers. The user then inserts the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment into the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber and inserts the aroma-supplementing medium segment into the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber. The user then closes the top cover to prepare the aerosol-generating device for operation. FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram illustrating the aerosol-generating device with the top cover open showing media insertion according to some embodiments.

[0149] Referring to FIG. 20, in some embodiments, to use the aerosol-generating device, a user first opens the top cover 320 to access the heating chambers 220, 222. The user then inserts the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 into the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220 and inserts the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 into the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber 222. The user then closes the top cover 320 to prepare the aerosol-generating device for operation.

[0150] As shown in FIG. 20, to use the aerosol-generating device, a user first opens the top cover 320 to access the heating chambers 220, 222. The user then inserts the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 into the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220 and inserts the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 into the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber 222. The user then closes the top cover 320 to prepare the aerosol-generating device300 for operation. In some embodiments, after use, the user opens the top cover 320 and removes the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 and the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 from their respective heating chambers 222, 220. The removable media design enables easy replacement of consumed medium segments and facilitates cleaning of the aerosol-generating device.

[0151] In some embodiments, during an initial phase of a puffing session (for example, during puffs 1 to 3, or puffs 1 to 6), the aerosol-generating device activates only the heating element 224 corresponding to the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 is heated and releases an aerosol containing cannabinoids and characteristic aroma substances. The aerosol is transmitted through the air channels 102 of the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100, passes through the internal channel 326 of the top cover 320, and is delivered to the user. During this initial phase, the characteristic aroma is intense due to the presence of volatile terpenes in the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100. Experimental data indicates that the characteristic aroma is pronounced during puffs 1 to 3, or puffs 1 to 6, but decays significantly in subsequent puffs. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating aerosol generation and mixing within the aerosol-generating device according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 21, during an initial phase of a puffing session (for example, during puffs 1 to 3, or puffs 1 to 6), the aerosol-generating device activates only the heating element 224 corresponding to the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220. The cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 is heated and releases an aerosol containing cannabinoids and characteristic aroma substances. The aerosol is transmitted through the air channels 102 of the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100, passes through the internal channel 326 of the top cover 320, and is delivered to the user via the mouthpiece 304. During this initial phase, the characteristic aroma is intense due to the presence of volatile terpenes in the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100. Experimental data indicates that the characteristic aroma is pronounced during puffs 1 to 3, or puffs 1 to 6, but decays significantly in subsequent puffs.

[0152] In some embodiments, during a subsequent phase of the puffing session (for example, after puff 3, after puff 4, after puff 5, or after puff 6), when the characteristic aroma from the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 begins to decay, the aerosol-generating device additionally activates the heating element 224 corresponding to the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber 222. The aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 is heated and releases an aerosol containing characteristic aroma substances. This aerosol is transmitted through the air channels 102 of the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120, passes through the internal channel 326 of the top cover 320, and meets and mixes with the aerosol from the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100. The mixed aerosol is then delivered to the user via the mouthpiece 304, thereby supplementing the decayed aroma and improving aroma uniformity throughout the puffing session.

[0153] In some embodiments, after use, the user opens the top cover 320 and removes the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 and the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 from their respective heating chambers 222, 220. The removable media design enables easy replacement of consumed medium segments and facilitates cleaning of the aerosol-generating device.

[0154] In some embodiments, each of the heating elements 224 is formed from a thermally conductive material, for example copper, stainless steel, or another metal material. The thermally conductive material provides good heat distribution within each heating chamber 220, 222. In some embodiments, the support structure 322 disposed between the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220 and the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber 222 is formed from a thermally insulating material, for example a plastic material or another material having low thermal conductivity. The thermally insulating support structure 322 thermally isolates the two heating chambers 220, 222 from each other, enabling independent temperature control and preventing premature heating of the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 during the initial phase of the puffing session.

[0155] In some embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 is a single-segment medium. In other embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 is combined with one or more additional segments to form a composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium. For example, a composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium may comprise a cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 and a cooling segment 406 connected thereto. The cooling segment 406 is configured to cool the aerosol generated by the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 before delivery to the user. The composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium may be inserted into the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220 in place of a single-segment cannabis aerosol-generating medium.

[0156] FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram illustrating a composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium comprising a cooling segment 406 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 is a single-segment medium. In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 22, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 is combined with one or more additional segments to form a composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium. For example, a composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium may comprise a cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 and a cooling segment 406 connected thereto. The cooling segment 406 is configured to cool the aerosol generated by the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 before delivery to the user. As shown in FIG. 22, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 has an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102. The composite cannabis aerosol-generating medium may be inserted into the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220 in place of a single-segment cannabis aerosol-generating medium.

[0157] In some embodiments, in addition to the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 and the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120, additional connecting segments may be provided. The number of connecting segments is preferably less than 4. The connecting segments may be attached to the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100, the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120, or both.

[0158] In some embodiments, the aroma-supplementing medium segment 120 has a length of less than 40 mm in a longitudinal direction. In some embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium segment 100 has a length of less than 40 mm in a longitudinal direction. In some embodiments, the aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber 222 has a length of less than 45 mm. In some embodiments, the cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220 has a length of less than 45 mm. The dimensional parameters of the medium segments 100, 120 and the heating chambers 220, 222 may be selected based on the desired aerosol release profile and the overall form factor of the aerosol-generating device.

[0159] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating device comprises more than two heating chambers. For example, the aerosol-generating device may comprise a cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chamber 220 and a plurality of aroma-supplementing medium heating chambers 222. Each aroma-supplementing medium heating chamber 222 may be independently controlled by the circuit board 310, enabling staged aroma supplementation at different times during the puffing session. Alternatively, the aerosol-generating device may comprise a plurality of cannabis aerosol-generating medium heating chambers 220 to increase the cannabinoid delivery capacity.

[0160] Extrusion molding is a cost-effective, efficient, and scalable manufacturing process suitable for mass production of aerosol-generating substrates 100. However, extrusion molding processes have high requirements for material flowability. To achieve adequate flowability, liquid components are typically added to the formulation prior to extrusion, particularly for small-sized structures with complex geometries such as honeycomb internal structures. When liquid components are added to a solid powder formulation, uniform mixing of the solid and liquid components presents a significant technical challenge. Achieving uniform solid-liquid mixing typically requires specialized equipment such as spray systems, fluidized beds, homogenizers, or other mixing apparatus. The overall mixing process is cumbersome, increases manufacturing complexity, and the uniformity of mixing is difficult to guarantee. Non-uniform mixing can lead to inconsistent product quality and variable aerosol release performance.

[0161] Embodiments of the present disclosure address the solid-liquid mixing challenge by providing an all-solid formulation for extrusion of cannabis aerosol-generating substrates 100. The all-solid formulation comprises solid powders that transform from a solid state to a liquid state under extrusion conditions, thereby providing flowability during the extrusion process without requiring the addition of liquid components to the formulation. Because the formulation consists entirely of solid powders prior to extrusion, the mixing process is simplified and mixing uniformity is improved.

[0162] In some embodiments, an all-solid formulation for manufacturing a cannabis aerosol-generating substrate 100 comprises: a cannabis powder; optionally, a binder powder; and a flowability-providing solid powder. In some embodiments, the all-solid formulation further comprises one or more additional solid additives.

[0163] In some embodiments, the cannabis powder comprises powder derived from cannabinoid-containing plant material, for example industrial hemp (Hemp) powder, trim powder, or other cannabis plant powder. The cannabis powder may be obtained by comminuting cannabis plant material, such as dry flowers or fresh flowers, to a desired particle size. In some embodiments, the cannabis powder comprises a mixture of a skeletal material and a cannabinoid powder. The skeletal material may comprise microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), plant stem powder, or another cellulose-based material. The cannabinoid powder may comprise cannabidiol (CBD) powder, cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) powder, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) powder, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) powder, or a combination thereof.

[0164] In some embodiments, the cannabis powder is present in the all-solid formulation in an amount in a range of 70% to 97% by weight, based on a total weight of the all-solid formulation. The cannabis powder serves as the primary structural component and provides the active cannabinoid ingredients.

[0165] In some embodiments, the all-solid formulation comprises a binder powder. The binder powder is configured to promote cohesion of the formulation components during and after extrusion, thereby enabling the extruded cannabis medium 100 to maintain its shape. The binder powder may comprise at least one of: hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), xanthan gum, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, and yellow dextrin.

[0166] In some embodiments, the binder powder is present in the all-solid formulation in an amount in a range of 0% to 20% by weight, preferably in a range of 2% to 10% by weight, based on a total weight of the all-solid formulation. When the binder content is too low, the extruded cannabis medium 100 may not maintain its shape. When the binder content is too high, the proportion of cannabis powder is reduced, leading to a decrease in cannabinoid concentration in the generated aerosol. In some embodiments, for certain cannabis powders having inherent binding properties, the binder powder may be omitted from the formulation. However, even for such cannabis powders, addition of a small amount of binder powder is preferred to improve stability of the extruded cannabis medium 100.

[0167] In some embodiments, the all-solid formulation comprises a flowability-providing solid powder. The flowability-providing solid powder is a solid at room temperature and transforms to a liquid at elevated temperatures encountered during extrusion. The phase transition from solid to liquid provides flowability to the formulation during the extrusion process, thereby enabling efficient extrusion at high speeds without requiring liquid components in the initial formulation.

[0168] In some embodiments, the flowability-providing solid powder comprises at least one of: glyceryl monostearate (GMS), plant wax, beeswax, carnauba wax, and glyceryl stearate. In some embodiments, the flowability-providing solid powder has a melting point in a range of 50° C. to 80° C. The melting point is selected such that the flowability-providing solid powder remains solid during mixing and storage at room temperature, but transforms to a liquid during high-temperature extrusion.

[0169] In some embodiments, the flowability-providing solid powder is present in the all-solid formulation in an amount in a range of 1% to 20% by weight, preferably in a range of 2% to 10% by weight, and more preferably in a range of 2% to 5% by weight, based on a total weight of the all-solid formulation. When the content of the flowability-providing solid powder is too low, extrusion speed is reduced and production efficiency decreases. When the content is too high, the proportion of cannabis powder is reduced, leading to a decrease in cannabinoid concentration in the generated aerosol.

[0170] In some embodiments, the all-solid formulation further comprises one or more additional solid additives selected from the group comprising: solid flavoring agents, solid cooling agents, and solid surfactants. The solid flavoring agents may be used to adjust taste and aroma characteristics of the generated aerosol. The solid cooling agents may be used to provide a cooling sensation during use. The solid surfactants may be used for interfacial control between formulation components, promoting binding and emulsification between components under extrusion conditions.

[0171] In some embodiments, the one or more additional solid additives are present in the all-solid formulation in a total amount in a range of 0% to 10% by weight, preferably in a range of 0% to 3% by weight, based on a total weight of the all-solid formulation.

[0172] During extrusion at elevated temperatures, the flowability-providing solid powder transforms from a solid state to a liquid state, thereby providing flowability to the formulation. The liquid phase enables the formulation to flow through the extruder and through the die at a high extrusion speed, ensuring production efficiency. After extrusion, the extruded cannabis medium 100 cools and the flowability-providing material re-solidifies, contributing to the structural integrity of the final product.

[0173] In some embodiments, extrusion of the all-solid formulation is performed at an extruder temperature in a range of 60° C. to 120° C., preferably about 80° C. The extruder may be operated at a screw rotational speed in a range of 30 rpm to 150 rpm, for example about 30 rpm or about 100 rpm.

[0174] The following table shows exemplary formulations and extrusion parameters demonstrating the effect of the flowability-providing solid powder on extrusion speed:ExtruderScrewExtrusionFormulationTemperatureSpeedSpeed94% industrial hemp,80° C.30 rpm0.01 m / min3% CBDA, 3% ethylcellulose91% industrial hemp,80° C.30 rpm0.18 m / min3% CBDA, 3% ethylcellulose, 3% glycerylmonostearate91% industrial hemp,80° C.100 rpm 1.06 m / min3% CBDA, 3% ethylcellulose, 3% glycerylmonostearate

[0175] As shown in the table, addition of 3% glyceryl monostearate (GMS) as a flowability-providing solid powder significantly increases extrusion speed from 0.01 m / min to 0.18 m / min at the same extruder temperature and screw speed. At an increased screw speed of 100 rpm, the extrusion speed reaches 1.06 m / min, which represents an ideal production rate for mass production.

[0176] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram illustrating an extruded cannabis medium 100 with air channels 102 according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 23, the extruded cannabis medium 100 has an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102 extending in a longitudinal direction. The air channels 102 serve as aerosol transmission channels and are configured to allow aerosol generated within the cannabis medium 100 to pass therethrough. The air channels 102 may be formed during extrusion by use of a multi-orifice die or other die configuration. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 23, the air channels 102 are arranged in an ordered pattern, such as a concentric circle pattern or a matrix pattern.

[0177] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram illustrating the extruded cannabis medium 100 placed within a heating device 300 according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 24, the extruded cannabis medium 100 is placed within a heating device 300 for use. The heating device 300 comprises a heating apparatus configured to heat the cannabis medium 100 from an outer surface thereof. When the cannabis medium 100 is heated, cannabinoids and aroma substances are vaporized to form an aerosol. The generated aerosol is transmitted through the air channels 102 of the cannabis medium 100 and delivered to a user.

[0178] FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram illustrating various article configurations combining the extruded cannabis medium 100 with functional components according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the extruded cannabis medium 100 is used alone as a standalone aerosol-generating article. In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 25, the extruded cannabis medium 100 is combined with one or more functional components to form a composite aerosol-generating article. The functional components may comprise one or more of: a plug segment 122, a cooling segment 406, a hollow tube 512 serving as a mouthpiece, and a filter tip.

[0179] Referring to FIG. 25, in some embodiments, a composite aerosol-generating article comprises, in order from a mouthpiece end to an opposite end: a hollow tube 512 (mouthpiece), a cooling segment 406, the medium 100, and a plug segment 122. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 25, the composite aerosol-generating article further comprises a filter tip disposed at the mouthpiece end. Various other configurations are possible as illustrated in FIG. 25, including configurations without one or more of the functional components, or with the functional components arranged in different orders.

[0180] In some embodiments, the extruded cannabis medium 100 has an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102 extending in a longitudinal direction. The air channels 102 serve as aerosol transmission channels and are configured to allow aerosol generated within the cannabis medium 100 to pass therethrough. The air channels 102 may be formed during extrusion by use of a multi-orifice die or other die configuration. In some embodiments, the air channels 102 are arranged in an ordered pattern, such as a concentric circle pattern or a matrix pattern.

[0181] In some embodiments, the extruded cannabis medium 100 is placed within a heating device 300 for use. The heating device 300 comprises a heating apparatus configured to heat the cannabis medium 100 from an outer surface thereof. When the cannabis medium 100 is heated, cannabinoids and aroma substances are vaporized to form an aerosol. The generated aerosol is transmitted through the air channels 102 of the cannabis medium 100 and delivered to a user.

[0182] Embodiments of the present disclosure address the aroma uniformity challenge by providing a coaxial medium structure comprising an aerosol-generating medium 902 and an aroma medium 904 arranged in a concentric configuration. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating medium 902 is disposed at an outer region of the coaxial medium, and the aroma medium 904 is disposed at an inner region of the coaxial medium. The coaxial structure exploits the natural temperature gradient formed during circumferential heating to provide different heating temperatures to different regions of the medium, thereby enabling high-boiling-point components and low-boiling-point components to be heated at their respective optimal temperatures.

[0183] In some embodiments, a coaxial aerosol-generating article comprises an aerosol-generating medium 902 and an aroma medium 904. The aerosol-generating medium 902 has a tubular configuration with an outer wall surface 908 and an inner wall surface 910 defining a central cavity 906. The aroma medium 904 has a rod-like configuration with an outer wall surface 908. The aroma medium 904 is disposed within the central cavity 906 of the aerosol-generating medium 902 such that the inner wall surface 910 of the aerosol-generating medium 902 is in close contact with the outer wall surface 908 of the aroma medium 904. In some embodiments, the inner wall surface 910 of the aerosol-generating medium 902 and the outer wall surface 908 of the aroma medium 904 are in intimate contact (abutting contact) with each other.

[0184] In some embodiments, both the aerosol-generating medium 902 and the aroma medium 904 have an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102 extending in a longitudinal direction. The air channels 102 serve as aerosol transmission channels configured to allow aerosol generated within each medium to pass therethrough and to be delivered to a user. In some embodiments, the air channels 102 have a circular cross-section. In other embodiments, the air channels 102 have a triangular, square, trapezoidal, star-shaped, heart-shaped, or other polygonal cross-section. FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram illustrating a coaxial aerosol-generating article comprising an outer aerosol-generating medium 902 and an inner aroma medium 904 according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 26, a coaxial aerosol-generating article comprises an aerosol-generating medium 902 and an aroma medium 904. The aerosol-generating medium 902 has a tubular configuration with an outer wall surface 908 and an inner wall surface 910 defining a central cavity 906. The aroma medium 904 has a rod-like configuration with an outer wall surface 908. Referring to FIG. 26, the aroma medium 904 is disposed within the central cavity 906 of the aerosol-generating medium 902 such that the inner wall surface 910 of the aerosol-generating medium 902 is in close contact with the outer wall surface 908 of the aroma medium 904. In some embodiments, the inner wall surface 910 of the aerosol-generating medium 902 and the outer wall surface 908 of the aroma medium 904 are in intimate contact (abutting contact) with each other.

[0185] Referring to FIG. 26, both the aerosol-generating medium 902 and the aroma medium 904 have an interior comprising a plurality of air channels 102 extending in a longitudinal direction. The air channels 102 serve as aerosol transmission channels configured to allow aerosol generated within each medium to pass therethrough and to be delivered to a user. In some embodiments, the air channels 102 have a circular cross-section as shown in FIG. 26. In other embodiments, the air channels 102 have a triangular, square, trapezoidal, star-shaped, heart-shaped, or other polygonal cross-section.

[0186] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating medium 902 contains primary active ingredients of the product, for example cannabinoids for a cannabis-based product or nicotine for a tobacco-based product. When heated, the aerosol-generating medium 902 generates an aerosol carrying the target active ingredients. In addition to the primary active ingredients, the aerosol-generating medium 902 may further contain aroma components or other components. Preferably, the aerosol-generating medium 902 contains high-boiling-point components, such as high-boiling-point aroma components, which require elevated temperatures for release.

[0187] In some embodiments, the aroma medium 904 contains low-boiling-point characteristic components or low-boiling-point aroma components, such as terpene compounds. The low-boiling-point components in the aroma medium 904 are released at lower temperatures compared to the active ingredients in the aerosol-generating medium 902. By positioning the aroma medium 904 in a region that experiences lower temperatures during heating, the release rate of the low-boiling-point aroma components can be controlled to achieve improved aroma uniformity throughout a puffing session.

[0188] In some embodiments, the coaxial aerosol-generating article is used with a heating device 300 comprising a circumferential heating element configured to heat the medium from an outer surface thereof. During heating, heat is conducted from the outer region of the medium toward the inner region through thermal conduction within the medium material. Because heat is applied from the outer circumference and conducted inward, a temperature gradient is formed within the medium, with higher temperatures near the outer circumference and lower temperatures near the center of the medium.

[0189] The coaxial medium structure takes advantage of this temperature distribution characteristic. The aerosol-generating medium 902, which is positioned in the outer region, is heated to higher temperatures suitable for releasing high-boiling-point components including active ingredients. The aroma medium 904, which is positioned in the inner region (center), is heated to lower temperatures suitable for controlled release of low-boiling-point aroma components. By matching each medium 902, 904 with its appropriate heating temperature range, aerosol release consistency is improved.

[0190] In some embodiments, when a heating temperature of 300° C. is applied to the outer surface of the coaxial medium by the heating device 300, the steady-state temperature distribution within the medium is as follows:

[0191] In some embodiments, the overall temperature distribution of the coaxial medium ranges from about 76° C. to about 300° C., with a primary distribution range of about 200° C. to about 300° C. In some embodiments, the temperature distribution of the aerosol-generating medium 902 (outer region) ranges from about 92° C. to about 300° C. In some embodiments, the temperature distribution of the aroma medium 904 (inner region) ranges from about 78° C. to about 123° C.

[0192] These simulation results demonstrate that the coaxial structure can effectively control the heating temperatures of the two media 902, 904, achieving the goal of high-temperature heating for high-boiling-point components and low-temperature heating for low-boiling-point components, thereby realizing consistent aerosol release.

[0193] In some embodiments, the temperature distribution in each region of the coaxial medium can be controlled by adjusting the dimensions of the aerosol-generating medium 902 and the aroma medium 904. Specifically, the temperature distribution can be controlled by adjusting the outer diameter of the aroma medium 904 (which corresponds to the inner diameter of the aerosol-generating medium 902) and the outer diameter of the aerosol-generating medium 902.

[0194] In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the aroma medium 904 (i.e., the inner diameter of the aerosol-generating medium 902) is in a range of 1 mm to 8 mm. In some embodiments, the outer diameter of the aerosol-generating medium 902 is in a range of 7 mm to 20 mm. By selecting appropriate dimensional parameters, the relative volumes and temperature ranges of the two media 902, 904 can be optimized for a particular application.

[0195] In some embodiments, the temperature distribution within the coaxial medium can also be controlled by adjusting the porosity (void fraction) of the air channels 102. A higher porosity results in a larger temperature gradient between the outer region and the inner region. By adjusting the number, size, and arrangement of the air channels 102, the thermal conductivity of each medium region can be controlled, thereby affecting the temperature distribution.

[0196] FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative coaxial aerosol-generating article comprising an inner aerosol-generating medium 902 and an outer aroma medium 904 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 27, the coaxial medium structure has an inverted configuration in which the aerosol-generating medium 902 is disposed at an inner region of the coaxial medium, and the aroma medium 904 is disposed at an outer region of the coaxial medium. In this configuration, the medium is heated from an inner wall surface 910 rather than from an outer surface, for example by a central heating element such as a center heating pin or blade inserted into a central through-hole 912 of the medium.

[0197] Referring to FIG. 27, the coaxial aerosol-generating article comprises an aroma medium 904 (outer layer) having a tubular configuration with an outer wall surface 908 and an inner wall surface 910, and an aerosol-generating medium 902 (inner core) disposed within a central cavity 906 of the aroma medium 904. As shown in FIG. 27, the aerosol-generating medium 902 has a rod-like configuration with a central through-hole 912 configured to receive a heating element. When the central heating element is activated, heat is conducted outward from the center of the medium, creating a temperature gradient with higher temperatures near the center and lower temperatures near the outer circumference. In this configuration, the aerosol-generating medium 902 in the inner region is heated to higher temperatures for releasing high-boiling-point active ingredients, while the aroma medium 904 in the outer region is heated to lower temperatures for controlled release of low-boiling-point aroma components.

[0198] In some embodiments, the coaxial medium structure has an inverted configuration in which the aerosol-generating medium 902 is disposed at an inner region of the coaxial medium, and the aroma medium 904 is disposed at an outer region of the coaxial medium. In this configuration, the medium is heated from an inner wall surface 910 rather than from an outer surface, for example by a central heating element such as a center heating pin or blade inserted into a central through-hole 912 of the medium.

[0199] In some embodiments, a coaxial aerosol-generating article comprises an aroma medium 904 having a tubular configuration with an outer wall surface 908 and an inner wall surface 910, and an aerosol-generating medium 902 disposed within a central cavity 906 of the aroma medium 904. The aerosol-generating medium 902 has a rod-like configuration with a central through-hole 912 configured to receive a heating element. When the central heating element is activated, heat is conducted outward from the center of the medium, creating a temperature gradient with higher temperatures near the center and lower temperatures near the outer circumference. In this configuration, the aerosol-generating medium 902 in the inner region is heated to higher temperatures for releasing high-boiling-point active ingredients, while the aroma medium 904 in the outer region is heated to lower temperatures for controlled release of low-boiling-point aroma components.

[0200] In some embodiments, the coaxial aerosol-generating article is used alone as a standalone product. In other embodiments, the coaxial aerosol-generating article is combined with one or more functional components to form a composite aerosol-generating article. The functional components may comprise one or more of: a plug segment 122, a cooling segment 406, a hollow tube 512 serving as a mouthpiece, and a filter tip.

[0201] In some embodiments, a composite aerosol-generating article comprises, in order from a mouthpiece end to an opposite end: a hollow tube 512, a cooling segment 406, the coaxial medium, and a plug segment 122. In some embodiments, the composite aerosol-generating article further comprises a filter tip disposed at the mouthpiece end. Various other configurations are possible, including configurations without one or more of the functional components, or with the functional components arranged in different orders.

[0202] The technical features of the foregoing embodiments may be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the foregoing embodiments are described. However, where no contradiction exists, all the combinations of these technical features are contemplated in the scope of this specification.

[0203] The foregoing embodiments are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and the description of the foregoing embodiments is detailed, but is not to be construed as limiting the scope of this application. For a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of this application, and such variations and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application shall be subject to the appended claims.

[0204] The technical features of the foregoing embodiments may be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the foregoing embodiments are described. However, where no contradiction exists, all the combinations of these technical features are contemplated in the scope of this specification.

[0205] The foregoing embodiments are merely illustrative of some embodiments. For a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of this application, and such variations and improvements all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application shall be subject to the appended claims.

[0206] The foregoing embodiments are used for describing, instead of limiting the technical solutions of the disclosure. A person of ordinary skill in the art shall understand that although the disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, modifications can be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent replacements can be made to some technical features in the technical solutions, provided that such modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of corresponding technical solutions to depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the disclosure and the appended claims.

[0207] The above embodiments are merely illustrative examples provided to clearly describe the invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments. For those skilled in the art, various other forms of changes or modifications may be made on the basis of the above description. It is unnecessary and impossible to enumerate all possible embodiments here. Any obvious changes or modifications derived from the present invention shall still fall within the scope of protection of the present inventive concept.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0041]Technical solutions in embodiments of this application are clearly and completely described in the following with reference to accompanying drawings in the embodiments of this application. Clearly, the described embodiments are merely a part rather than all of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0042]For embodiments that do not specify experimental steps or conditions, conventional experimental steps or conditions described in literature within the field can be used. Reagents or instruments not specified with manufacturers are conventional reagent products that can be obtained commercially.

[0043]Cannabis material: Refers to natural materials containing cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiol (C...

Claims

1. A flavor sustained-release composition for an aerosol-generating article, the flavor sustained-release composition comprising:an encapsulated material comprising a core material and a wall material;wherein the core material comprising a plurality of terpene compounds; andwherein the wall material comprises a composite modified starch, andwherein the flavor sustained-release composition has a terpene encapsulation rate of at least 70%.

2. The flavor sustained-release composition according to claim 1,wherein the core material comprises at least 10 terpene compounds comprising at least one of: limonene, valencene, eucalyptol, myrcene, β-elemene, caryophyllene, linalool, linalyl acetate, α-pinene, β-pinene, camphene, delta-3-carene, γ-terpinene, geraniol, guaiol, isopulegol, nerolidol, ocimene, p-cymene, or terpinolene.

3. The flavor sustained-release composition according to claim 1,wherein the core material further comprises at least one thioether-type aroma substance.

4. The flavor sustained-release composition according to claim 1,wherein the wall material comprises a composite modified starch comprising hydroxypropyl starch and sodium octenyl succinate starch.

5. The flavor sustained-release composition according to claim 4,wherein a mass ratio of the hydroxypropyl starch to the sodium octenyl succinate starch is in a range of 1:1 to 5:1.

6. The flavor sustained-release composition according to claim 1,wherein the flavor sustained-release composition further comprises an emulsifier comprising polysorbate 80.

7. The flavor sustained-release composition according to claim 1,wherein the flavor sustained-release composition is in the form of spray-dried particles having a particle size distribution with a D90 of less than 100 μm.

8. The flavor sustained-release composition according to claim 7,wherein the spray-dried particles have a particle size distribution with a D10 in a range of 2 μm to 10 μm, a D50 in a range of 15 μm to 25 μm, and a D90 in a range of 20 μm to 50 μm.

9. The flavor sustained-release composition according to claim 1,wherein, when heated from room temperature to 400° C. under a dynamic nitrogen atmosphere at a heating rate of 20° C. / min, the flavor sustained-release composition exhibits a higher terpene retention at 350° C. than a composition using hydroxypropyl starch alone as the wall material.

10. A method of manufacturing the flavor sustained-release composition according to claim 1, the method comprising:preparing an aqueous wall-material solution having a concentration in a range of 10% to 50% by weight;emulsifying the core material and the aqueous wall-material solution in the presence of an emulsifier to obtain an oil-in-water emulsion, a ratio of the wall material to the terpene compounds being in a range of 10:1 to 1:1 by weight; andspray-drying the oil-in-water emulsion at an inlet temperature in a range of 100° C. to 180° C. and an outlet temperature in a range of 65° C. to 90° C. to obtain spray-dried particles of the flavor sustained-release composition.

11. An additional segment for an aerosol-generating article, the additional segment comprising:a rod-shaped body having a diameter in a range of 1 mm to 10 mm and a length in a range of 1 mm to 20 mm; anda base material matrix comprising the flavor sustained-release composition according to claim 1,wherein the flavor sustained-release composition is present in an amount of 0% to 10% by weight based on a total weight of the additional segment.

12. The additional segment according to claim 11,wherein the base material matrix further comprises, by weight:0% to 18% of at least one protein selected from the group comprising Hordein, Secalin, gluten, dextrin, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed soy protein, and hydrolyzed corn protein;0% to 40% of at least one cellulose-based material selected from the group comprising hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose nanocrystals, nanocellulose, and carboxyethyl cellulose;0% to 5% of at least one polysaccharide selected from the group comprising potassium carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthan gum, pectin, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, and calcium carboxymethyl cellulose;0% to 5% of ultrapure water; and0% to 12% of propylene glycol.

13. The additional segment according to claim 11,wherein the rod-shaped body has a porosity in a range of 35% to 40%.

14. The additional segment according to claim 11,wherein the additional segment is formed by extrusion-molding using a twin-screw extruder at a temperature in a range of 50° C. to 80° C. and a rotational speed in a range of 50 rpm to 110 rpm.

15. The additional segment according to claim 11,wherein the aerosol-generating article comprises:a hollow mouthpiece;an aerosol-generating substrate segment comprising cannabis; anda plug segment,and wherein the additional segment is configured as at least one of:an aroma-supplementing medium segment disposed between the hollow mouthpiece and the aerosol-generating substrate segment; orthe plug segment disposed adjacent to the aerosol-generating substrate segment.

16. An aerosol-generating system, comprising:an aerosol-generating article comprising:a hollow mouthpiece;an aerosol-generating substrate segment comprising cannabis; andat least one additional segment according to claim 11; andan aerosol-generating device configured to heat the aerosol-generating substrate segment and the at least one additional segment to generate an aerosol;wherein, under a puffing regime according to a Health Canada Intense smoking regime, a release rate of terpene flavor substances from the at least one additional segment over 10 puffs has a relative standard deviation of less than 30%.

17. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 16,wherein the aerosol-generating device is configured to employ circumferential conduction heating to heat the aerosol-generating substrate segment and the at least one additional segment.

18. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 16,wherein the aerosol-generating article comprises:a first additional segment disposed between the hollow mouthpiece and the aerosol-generating substrate segment; anda second additional segment disposed at an end of the aerosol-generating substrate segment opposite to the hollow mouthpiece.

19. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 18,wherein the first additional segment and the second additional segment comprise flavor sustained-release compositions having different terpene compositions to provide different aroma profiles in early puffs and later puffs, respectively.

20. The aerosol-generating system according to claim 16,wherein the aerosol-generating substrate segment comprises 25% to 90% by weight of cannabis,wherein the aerosol-generating substrate segment has an interior comprising a plurality of air channels, each of the air channels extending to at least one end of the aerosol-generating substrate segment in a longitudinal direction, andwherein a moisture content of the aerosol-generating substrate segment is from 2% to 5% by weight.

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