Aerosol quality assessment method for aerosol provision system

Abstract

There is provided an aerosol quality assessment method for aerosol provision system, the method comprises acquiring parameters of an aerosol generated by the system under preset puffing parameters (S101), and assessing the quality of the aerosol based on the parameters of the aerosol (S102). The embodiments of the present application solve the technical problem of how to quantitatively assess aerosol quality.

Description

[0001] AEROSOL QUALITY ASSESSMENT METHOD FOR AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of aerosol provision technology, particularly to an aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system.

[0004] Background

[0005] In the e-cigarette industry, an aerosol provision system is configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol generating substrate (such as tobacco-containing or leaf-based substrates) for users to puff. With the rapid development of e-cigarettes, the market demand for e-cigarettes has also increased significantly, and people's requirements for the puffing taste and product quality of aerosol provision systems are also increasing. Researching the correlation between aerosol quality and puffing taste of the aerosol provision system is an important research direction in current system test. Assessing the quality of the aerosol is a crucial foundation for studying puffing taste. In existing tests, there is a lack of quantitative assessment of aerosol quality, which cannot be used as a reference for improving the puffing taste of aerosol provision system.

[0006] Summary

[0007] In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided an aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system, to solve the technical problem of how to quantitatively evaluate the aerosol quality.

[0008] In accordance with an aspect, there is provided an aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system, the method may comprise acquiring parameters of an aerosol generated by the system under preset puffing parameters, and assessing the quality of the aerosol based on the parameters of the aerosol.

[0009] In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system, the acquisition of parameters of an aerosol generated by the system under preset puffing parameters may comprise acquiring an image of the aerosol generated by the system under the preset puffing parameters to obtain the parameters of the aerosol.

[0010] In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system, the acquisition of parameters of an aerosol generated by the system under the preset puffing parameters to obtain the parameters of the aerosol may comprise acquiring an image of an aerosol in a free diffusion state generated by the system under the preset puffing parameters and / or an image of an aerosol generated in an oral cavity model, and determining the parameters of the aerosol based on the image of the aerosol.

[0011] In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system, the determination of the parameters of the aerosol based on the image of the aerosol may comprise performing binarization on the image of the aerosol to obtain a target region and a background region of the image of the aerosol, and determining the parameters of the aerosol based on the target region of the image of the aerosol.

[0012] In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system, the determination of the parameters of the aerosol based on the image of the aerosol may comprise comparing the image of the aerosol with a corresponding standard image thereof to obtain the parameters of the aerosol.

[0013] In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system, the acquisition of parameters of an aerosol generated by the system under preset puffing parameters may comprise acquiring the density of the aerosol generated by the system under the preset puffing parameters.

[0014] In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system, the acquisition of the density of the aerosol generated by the system under the preset puffing parameters may comprise acquiring the light transmittance of the aerosol generated by the system under the preset puffing parameters, and obtaining the density of the aerosol based on the light transmittance of the aerosol.

[0015] In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system, the assessment of the quality of the aerosol based on the parameters of the aerosol may comprise comparing the parameters of the aerosol with corresponding standard values thereof to obtain an assessment result of the aerosol quality of the system.

[0016] In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system, the assessment of the quality of the aerosol based on the parameters of the aerosol may comprise scoring according to the correlation between the parameters of the aerosol and the quality of the aerosol to obtain corresponding scores for the parameters of the aerosol, and obtaining an assessment result of the aerosol quality of the system based on the corresponding scores for the parameters of the aerosol.

[0017] In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system, the assessment of the quality of the aerosol based on the parameters of the aerosol may comprise obtaining parameters of different aerosols and / or obtaining parameters of an aerosol using different acquisition methods, scoring the correlation between each of the parameters of the aerosol and the quality of the aerosol to obtain a corresponding score for each of the parameters of the aerosol, building a comprehensive evaluation model based on the importance of each of the parameters of the aerosol on the quality of the aerosol, and inputting the corresponding score for each of the parameters of the aerosol into the comprehensive evaluation model, to obtain a comprehensive assessment result of the aerosol quality of the aerosol provision system.

[0018] In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system, the preset puffing parameters may comprise at least one of the puffing time, the puffing speed, the puffing force and the puffing amount.

[0019] In embodiments of the or any of the above aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system, the parameters of the aerosol may comprise at least one of the shape of the aerosol in a specified state, the two-dimensional area and the two- dimensional profile of the aerosol at a specified angle, the volume, the three-dimensional profile, and the density.

[0020] In accordance with an aspect, there is provided an electronic device, which comprises a memory, one or more processors, and one or more application programs, wherein the memory stores the one or more application programs. The one or more application programs are configured to implement the or any of the methods as described above or below, when executed by the processor.

[0021] In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium, with a computer program stored therein, the computer program, when executed, implements the or any of the methods as described above or below.

[0022] The above one or more embodiments of the present application have at least one or more beneficial effects as follows:

[0023] In embodiments of the present application, based on the acquired various parameters of an aerosol generated by the system under preset puffing parameters, the quality of the aerosol has been assessed according to these parameters. It provides a basis for the quantitative study of the influencing factors of the puffing taste. Further, the present application introduces images and related test parameters according to the aerosol characteristics generated by the aerosol provision system under different testing methods or scene tools, establishing a comprehensive evaluation model as a reference for improving the puffing taste of the aerosol provision system.

[0024] Additional aspects and advantages of the application will be partially described in the following description, some will become apparent from the following description, and others will be learned through the practice of the application.

[0025] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the disclosed content of the present application will become easier to understand. It is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that these drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. In addition, similar numbers in the figure are used to represent similar components, where:

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the main steps of an aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 2 is an image of an aerosol generated in a free diffusion state by an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 3 is a human body model according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the oral cavity model of an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 5 is an image of an aerosol generated in an oral cavity model by an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 6 is an image of an aerosol after binarization processing of Figure 5;

[0033] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of image acquisition in an oral cavity model by an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the shape of an aerosol in an oral cavity model at different moments according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a test system for the density of an aerosol according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the aerosol mass curve based on the density assessment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 11 is a standard image of aerosol with a grade 1 in an oral cavity model at an initial puffing moment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 12 is a standard image of aerosol with a grade 2 in an oral cavity model at an initial puffing moment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 13 is a standard image of aerosol with a grade 3 in an oral cavity model at an initial puffing moment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 14 is a standard image of aerosol with a grade 4 in an oral cavity model at an initial puffing moment according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 15 is a standard image of aerosol with grade 1 in an oral cavity at a moment when the puffing force is at its maximum according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 16 is a standard image of aerosol with grade 2 in an oral cavity at a moment when the puffing force is at its maximum according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 17 is a standard image of aerosol with grade 3 in an oral cavity at a moment when the puffing force is at its maximum according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 18 is a standard image of aerosol with grade 4 in an oral cavity at a moment when the puffing force is at its maximum according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 19 is a bar chart illustrating the score composition established based on a comprehensive evaluation model according to an embodiment of the present application; and

[0045] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram of a test system for aerosol density according to an embodiment of the present application. Detailed Description

[0046] The following describes some embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are only for explaining the technical principles of the present application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0047] As used herein, the term "delivery system" is intended to encompass systems that deliver at least one substance to a user in use, and includes: combustible aerosol provision systems, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, and tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own or for make-your-own cigarettes (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes or other smokable material); non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an aerosol-generating material without combusting the aerosol-generating material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials; and aerosol-free delivery systems that deliver the at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine.

[0048] According to the present disclosure, a "combustible" aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is combusted or burned during use in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0049] In some embodiments, the delivery system is a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a system selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a cigarillo and a cigar.

[0050] In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to a component for use in a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a filter, a filter rod, a filter segment, a tobacco rod, a spill, an aerosol-modifying agent release component such as a capsule, a thread, or a bead, or a paper such as a plug wrap, a tipping paper or a cigarette paper. According to the present disclosure, a " non-combustible " aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0051] In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system.

[0052] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.

[0053] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an aerosol-generating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

[0054] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

[0055] Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non- combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device.

[0056] In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosolgenerating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.

[0057] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a non-combustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source or an exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or to a heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source.

[0058] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and / or an aerosol-modifying agent.

[0059] In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and / or an aerosol-modifying agent.

[0060] In some embodiments, the delivery system is an aerosol-free delivery system that delivers at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine.

[0061] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosolgenerating material or a material that is not intended to be aerosolised. As appropriate, either material may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and / or one or more other functional materials.

[0062] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an active substance. The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.

[0063] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.

[0064] As noted herein, the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes. As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term "botanical" includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like.

[0065] Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, Wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v., Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v., Mentha piperita c.v, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Memtha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens.

[0066] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is tobacco. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.

[0067] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from rooibos and fennel.

[0068] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises a flavour. As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, Wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas.

[0069] In some embodiments, the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and / or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and / or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from cannabis.

[0070] In some embodiments, the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3. Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and / or flavourants. In some embodiments, the aerosolgenerating material may comprise an "amorphous solid", which may alternatively be referred to as a " monolithic solid " (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may for example comprise from about 50wt%, 60wt% or 70wt% of amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or 100wt% of amorphous solid.

[0071] The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and / or flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional material.

[0072] The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1 ,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

[0073] The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and / or antioxidants.

[0074] The material may be present on or in a support, to form a substrate. The support may, for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy. In some embodiments, the support comprises a susceptor. In some embodiments, the susceptor is embedded within the material. In some alternative embodiments, the susceptor is on one or either side of the material.

[0075] A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. A consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and / or an aerosol-modifying agent. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate aerosol in use. The heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor.

[0076] A susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically- conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. The device that is configured to generate the varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator, herein.

[0077] An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the aerosol generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for example by changing the taste, flavour, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol. The aerosol-modifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release component, that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The aerosolmodifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a flavourant, a colourant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in powder, thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from filtration material.

[0078] An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

[0079] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery systems (which may also be referred to as vapour delivery systems) such as nebulisers or e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description the term "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may sometimes be used, but it will be appreciated this term may be used interchangeably with aerosol delivery system I device and electronic aerosol delivery system I device. Furthermore, and as is common in the technical field, the terms "aerosol" and "vapour", and related terms such as "vaporise", "volatilise" and "aerosolise", may generally be used interchangeably.

[0080] Aerosol delivery systems (e-cigarettes) often, though not always, comprise a modular assembly comprising a reusable device part and a replaceable (disposable / consumable) cartridge part. Often, the replaceable cartridge part will comprise the aerosol-generating material and the vaporiser (which may collectively be called a "cartomizer") and the reusable device part will comprise the power provision (e.g. rechargeable power source) and control circuitry. It will be appreciated these different parts may comprise further elements depending on functionality. For example, the reusable device part will often comprise a user interface for receiving user input and displaying operating status characteristics, and the replaceable cartridge device part in some cases comprises a temperature sensor for helping to control temperature. Cartridges are electrically and mechanically coupled to the control unit for use, for example using a screw thread, bayonet, or magnetic coupling with appropriately arranged electrical contacts. When the aerosol-generating material in a cartridge is exhausted, or the user wishes to switch to a different cartridge having a different aerosolgenerating material, the cartridge may be removed from the reusable part and a replacement cartridge attached in its place. Systems and devices conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part systems / devices.

[0081] It is common for electronic cigarettes to have a generally elongate shape. For the sake of providing a concrete example, certain embodiments of the disclosure will be taken to comprise this kind of generally elongate two-part system employing disposable cartridges. However, it will be appreciated that the underlying principles described herein may equally be adopted for different configurations, for example single-part systems or modular systems comprising more than two parts, refillable devices and single-use disposables, as well as other overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high performance devices that typically have a boxier shape. More generally, it will be appreciated certain embodiments of the disclosure are based on aerosol delivery systems which are operationally configured to provide functionality in accordance with the principles described herein and the constructional aspects of systems configured to provide the functionality in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure is not of primary significance. Referring to Figure 1 , Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the main steps of an aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1 , the aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application may mainly comprise the following steps S101-S102.

[0082] Step S101 , acquiring parameters of an aerosol generated by the system under preset puffing parameters.

[0083] In one embodiment, before acquiring aerosol-related parameters, it is necessary to select preset puffing parameters to unify the standards and consistency of each test. In the present application, the preset puffing parameters may comprise the puffing time, the puffing speed, the puffing force, the puffing amount, etc. The aerosol generated under different puffing parameters may vary. Therefore, before assessing the aerosol quality, the test standard should be unified.

[0084] In one embodiment, the parameters of the aerosol may comprise at least one of the shape of the aerosol in a specified state, the two-dimensional area and the two- dimensional profile of the aerosol at a specified angle, the volume, the three-dimensional profile, and the density. The extracted aerosol parameters may be used as a basis for aerosol quality assessment.

[0085] In one embodiment, the acquiring of the parameters of the aerosol may comprise acquiring an image of the aerosol generated by the system under the preset puffing parameters, to obtain the parameters of the aerosol. Related aerosol parameters, such as shape, area and profile, may be extracted from the image as a basis for aerosol quality assessment.

[0086] Specifically, in one embodiment, an image of an aerosol in a free diffusion state generated by the system may be acquired as a basis for aerosol parameter extraction. For example, an aerosol observation system consisting of a transparent observation space and a camera may be built. The transparent observation space may be any shape, such as a cuboid, which allows the aerosol generated by the aerosol provision system under the preset puffing parameters to diffuse freely to a certain extent. The transparent observation space may also comprise a background wall, the color of which is different from the color of the aerosol. Preferably the background wall is dark, enabling the camera to capture images of the aerosol under the dark background, which can clearly reflect the parameters such as the area and the profile of the aerosol. For example, the image of the aerosol shown in Figure 2.

[0087] In another embodiment, an image of an aerosol generated in an oral cavity model may be acquired as a basis for aerosol quality assessment. As shown in Figure 3, according to a human body model, an equivalent oral cavity model may be created to facilitate the connection and installation of the puffing device and the aerosol provision system to be tested, and at the same time, to facilitate the acquisition of images in the oral cavity model. As shown in Figure 4, images of the changes of the aerosol in the oral cavity model were recorded by a camera, that is, images of the aerosol generated at different times, such as the images of the aerosol shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, a background plate with scale representation can be added to the dental model to facilitate the extraction of relevant parameters from the images of the aerosol in the later stages.

[0088] In one embodiment, the determining of the parameters of the aerosol based on the image of the aerosol may comprise quantifying the area and the profile size from different angles, and recording the data. For example, parameters may be determined by quantifying the image of the aerosol using methods such as binarization. Specifically, for an original image of an aerosol generated in a free diffusion state by an aerosol provision system shown in Figure 2 (the image was taken against a black background), a grayscale processing may be performed on it, and a grayscale image of the original image in the figure may be binarized to obtain a target region and a background region of the image of the aerosol. As shown in Figure 6. In the figure, white is the target region and represents the image of the aerosol, black is the background region. The binarization method is to set a threshold value to convert pixels with a certain degree of grayscale to black, and vice versa, to white. Auxiliary graphics software is used to remove the interference elements that clearly do not belong to the aerosol part, such as light-colored cigarette holder, or reflective dots / surfaces. By calculating the relevant parameters of the target region, parameters of the aerosol may be obtained. For example, using calculation software to statistically analyze the proportion of white region pixels, outline the white region, measure pixel length, or calculate the area of that region.

[0089] In one embodiment, the determining of the parameters of the aerosol based on the image of the aerosol may comprise comparing the image of the aerosol with a corresponding standard image thereof, to obtain the parameters of the aerosol. At different times, the aerosol generated by the system may be different, the standard aerosol images corresponding to different times were compared with the aerosol obtained by testing. An area or a profile size of an obtained difference part may be used as the parameters for aerosol quality assessment. For example, images of the changes of the aerosol in the oral cavity model, as shown in Figure 3 works on the principle shown in Figure 7, where the background has scale lines, with each representing the same area. The mouthpiece 200 generates aerosol in the oral cavity model 100 under the puffing of the puffing device 300. The dashed area represents a simulated oral shape in a two- dimensional plane. At different moments, the shape, the size and the area of the aerosol in the oral cavity model differ. Images of the aerosol in the oral cavity model 100 at different moments may be captured by the camera 400, as shown in Figure 8. The area may be calculated using the corresponding scale grid in the oral cavity model 100 as the parameters for aerosol quality assessment. Or, comparisons may be made between the areas and the standard occupation area corresponding to different moments to determine the number of missing or excessive areas, serving as a parameter basis for aerosol quality assessment.

[0090] In one embodiment, the acquiring parameters of an aerosol may further comprise acquiring the density of the aerosol generated by the system under the preset puffing parameters. Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, a light transmittance meter 600 and a measuring cylinder are mounted on a mechanical test device 500. After installing the aerosol provision system 700 and setting the puffing parameters, the light transmittance of the aerosol at different moments were measured and recorded, and the density of the aerosol at that time is calculated, where the density = 100%-light transmittance.

[0091] Step S102, based on the parameters of the aerosol, assessing the quality of the aerosol.

[0092] In one embodiment, assessing the quality of the aerosol may comprise comparing the parameters of the aerosol with corresponding standard values thereof, to obtain an assessment result of the aerosol quality of the system. For example, by assessing the quality of the aerosol through density, as shown in Figure 10, a density of 98% is considered as the standard, and a density above 98% as a qualified area and below as a non-qualified area. The numbers 1#, 2#, 3#, 7# and 8 # are the product numbers of the aerosol provision system. The higher the density in the qualified area, the better the quality of the aerosol provision system. As another example, for the relevant parameters obtained from the image of the aerosol shown in Figure 6, a comparison may be conducted with standard values to obtain a deviation result. The quality of the aerosol may be assessed based on the magnitude of the deviation result. The larger the area of the aerosol, the better the quality of the aerosol generated by the system. And the area size may be positively correlated with the aerosol quality.

[0093] In one embodiment, assessing the quality of the aerosol may comprise scoring according to the correlation between the parameters of the aerosol and the quality of the aerosol to obtain corresponding scores for the parameters of the aerosol, and obtaining an assessment result of the aerosol quality of the system based on the corresponding scores for the parameters of the aerosol. Wherein, a standard image can be provided, and the image of the aerosol may be compared with the standard image. The higher the similarity, the higher the score. Alternatively, the image of the aerosol may also be compared with a series of standard images representing different grades. Based on the similarity, the grade of the image of the aerosol may be determined. For example, the image of the changes of the aerosol in the oral cavity model, and the standard images of the aerosol of different grade at a certain initial moment are shown in Figures 11 to 14, corresponding to grades 1-4. By comparing the captured image with the standard images of different grades, the corresponding grade of the aerosol at that initial moment may be determined. Specifically, if the image of the aerosol of the aerosol provision system to be tested at that certain initial moment has the highest similarity with Figure 11 , which corresponds to grade 1 , the corresponding grade of the image of the aerosol may be determined as grade 1. As another example, if that image has the highest similarity with Figure 14, which corresponds to grade 4, the corresponding grade of that image of the aerosol may be determined as grade 4. Figures 15 to 18 show standard images of the aerosol with different grades at a moment when the puffing force is at its maximum, corresponding to grades 1 to 4. By comparing the captured image with the standard images of different grades, the corresponding grade of the aerosol at the moment when the puffing force is at its maximum may be determined. For example, if the image of the aerosol of the aerosol provision system to be tested at the moment when the puffing force is at its maximum has the highest similarity with Figure 15, which corresponds to grade 1 , the corresponding grade of the image of the aerosol may be determined as grade 1 . As another example, if that image has the highest similarity with Figure 18, which corresponds to grade 4, the corresponding grade of that image of the aerosol may be determined as grade 4. The aerosol quality may be quantitatively described by scores, and by comparing the shapes of standard aerosols, the samples of different aerosol provision systems may be ranked as a basis for comprehensive evaluation data. Furthermore, scoring or grading may be done directly through human judgment, or by calculating the similarity with standard images using algorithms, and based on the similarity, scoring or determining which grade it belongs to.

[0094] In one embodiment, a comprehensive assessment of the quality of the aerosol may comprise: obtaining parameters of different aerosols and / or obtaining parameters of an aerosol using different acquisition methods; scoring the correlation between each of the parameters of the aerosol and the quality of the aerosol to obtain a corresponding score for each of the parameters of the aerosol; building a comprehensive evaluation model based on the importance of each of the parameters of the aerosol on the quality of the aerosol; and inputting the corresponding score for each of the parameters of the aerosol into the comprehensive evaluation model, to obtain a comprehensive assessment result of the aerosol quality of the aerosol provision system. For example, based on the parameters of the aerosol obtained earlier, the comprehensive score may be calculated according to a mathematical model, and finally the system may be ranked according to the comprehensive score. The top aerosol provision systems may be selected to complete the comprehensive assessment, which also serves as a basis for the design and development of the aerosol provision system. As another example, the scoring calculation formula may be: Score =a*D+p*SH1+y*SH2, wherein a, p, and y denote the correction coefficients for each parameter, and each correction system may be set according to the degree of influence of the parameter on the quality of the aerosol. For example, if the aerosol density value is relatively important, and the proportion of a may be set to be greater than that of p and y; D denotes the density value / light transmittance; SH1 denotes parameter evaluation ranking / score in the oral cavity model; and SH2 denotes parameter evaluation ranking / score in the free diffusion image. Wherein, the ranking may be the rank of the system according to the score or the degree of deviation from the standard deviation in the corresponding method based on each parameter. Furthermore, the evaluation results of each aerosol provision system may be visually represented in the form of a chart, as shown in Figure 19, different grayscale segments within the same bar may represent the proportion of scores of different parameters in the aerosol provision system. The numbers may represent the scores of different parameters in the comprehensive model. Through the comparison of the bar chart, the comprehensive scores for aerosol provision systems 7# and 8# show that the quality of the aerosol is relatively excellent, while the 2# and 6# systems still require further improvement.

[0095] Based on the above steps S101-S102, the embodiments of the present application acquire various parameters of an aerosol generated by the system under preset puffing parameters, and assess the quality of the aerosol based on the parameters of the aerosol. It provides a basis for the quantitative study of the influencing factors of the puffing taste. Further, the present application introduces images and related test parameters according to the aerosol characteristics generated by the aerosol provision system under different testing methods or scene tools, establishing a comprehensive evaluation model as a reference for improving the puffing taste of the aerosol provision system.

[0096] It should be noted that, although the steps in the above embodiments are described in a specific order, those skilled in the art can understand that, in order to achieve the effects of the present application, different steps do not necessarily have to be executed in such order, but can be executed simultaneously (in parallel) or in other orders. Those variations are within the scope of the present application.

[0097] Further, the present application provides an aerosol quality assessment system for an aerosol provision system, the system may comprise a controller configured to perform an aerosol quality assessment method as described above. In one embodiment, the system may also comprise an image acquisition device for capturing an image of the aerosol generated by the system under the preset puffing parameters. The image acquisition device may be a high-definition camera, which transmits the captured image to the controller for corresponding image processing to obtain aerosol-related quantitative parameters.

[0098] In one embodiment, the system may also comprise an oral cavity model and a puffing device, as shown in Figure 7, the puffing device may be mounted on the oral cavity model, and may be controlled by a controller to puff the aerosol provision system to be tested under preset puffing parameters to generate aerosol in the oral cavity model. The image of the aerosol in the oral cavity model may be acquired by the image acquisition device, and the quantitative parameters of the image of the aerosol in the oral cavity model may be obtained.

[0099] In one embodiment, the system may also comprise a mechanical test device and a light transmittance meter, as shown in Figure 20. The mechanical test device 500 may perform puffing on an aerosol provision system to be tested under preset puffing parameters to generate aerosol, the generated aerosol may be in a transparent measuring cylinder 501. The light transmittance meter 600 may detect the light transmittance of the aerosol generated by the system, so that the controller may obtain the density of the aerosol based on the light transmittance to assess the quality of the aerosol.

[0100] Based on the above embodiments, the present application introduces test parameters such as the shape and density of the aerosol, and develops and improves relevant test methods and tools. In particular, it utilizes light transmission methods and computer graphics technology to calculate the density of the aerosol and the area size, providing a basis for the quantitative study of the influencing factors of the puffing taste. The specific aerosol quality assessment method can be found in the above steps and principles, and repetitive details will not be repeated here.

[0101] Further, the present application also provides an electronic device, which comprises a memory, one or more processors, and one or more application programs, wherein the memory stores the one or more application programs. The one or more application programs are configured to implement the or any of the methods as described above or below, when executed by the processor.

[0102] The electronic device in the embodiments of the present application mainly includes a memory and a processor. The memory may be configured to store a program for executing the aerosol quality assessment method of the above method embodiments, and the processor may be configured to execute the program in the memory, which includes but is not limited to the program for executing the aerosol quality assessment method of the above method embodiments. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiments of the present application are shown. For specific technical details not disclosed, please refer to the method part of the embodiments of the present application.

[0103] In an embodiment of the present application, the electronic device may be a control device including various electronic components. In some possible implementations, the electronic device may include multiple storage devices and multiple processors. The program for executing the aerosol quality assessment method of the above method embodiments may be divided into multiple subprograms, each of which may be loaded and run by a processor to execute different steps of the aerosol quality assessment method of the above method embodiments. Specifically, each subprogram may be stored in different memories, respectively, and each processor may be configured to execute programs in one or more memories to jointly implement the aerosol quality assessment method of the above method embodiments. That is, each processor executes different steps of the aerosol quality assessment method of the above method embodiments, respectively, to jointly implement the aerosol quality assessment method of the above method embodiments.

[0104] The above electronic device may be used to execute the embodiments of the aerosol quality assessment method shown in Figure 1 . The technical principles, technical problems solved and technical effects produced by the two are similar. Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and conciseness of description, the specific working process and related instructions of the electronic device can refer to the contents described in the embodiments of the aerosol quality assessment method, which will not be repeated here.

[0105] It is understood by those skilled in the art that all or part of the process in the method for implementing the above embodiments of the present application can also be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program. The computer program can be stored in a computer readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the above-mentioned various method embodiments. Among them, the computer program includes computer program code, and the computer program code can be in source code form, object code form, executable file or some intermediate form. The computer readable storage medium may include any entity or device, medium, USB flash drive, portable hard disk, magnetic disk, optical disk, computer memory, read-only memory, random access memory, electric carrier signal, telecommunication signal and software distribution medium that can carry the computer program code. It should be noted that the content contained in the computer readable storage medium can be appropriately added or removed according to the requirements of legislation and patent practice in the jurisdiction. For example, in some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, computer readable storage media do not include electric carrier signals and telecommunication signals.

[0106] Further, the present application also provides a computer readable storage medium. In a computer readable storage medium embodiment according to the present application, the computer readable storage medium can be configured to store a program for executing the aerosol quality assessment method of the above-mentioned method embodiments, and the program can be loaded and run by the processor to implement the above-mentioned aerosol quality assessment method. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiments of the present application are shown. For specific technical details not disclosed, please refer to the method part of the embodiments of the present application. The computer readable storage medium may be a storage device formed by various electronic devices. Optionally, the computer readable storage medium in the embodiments of the present application is a non-temporary computer readable storage medium.

[0107] Further, it should be understood that since the setting of each module is only for illustrating the functional modules of the device of the present application, the physical devices corresponding to these modules may be the processor itself, or a part of the software in the processor, a part of the hardware, or a part of the combination of software and hardware. Therefore, the number of the modules in the figure is only illustrative. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the modules in the system can be adaptively split or merged. Such splitting or merging of specific modules will not cause the technical solution to deviate from the principle of the present application. Therefore, the technical solutions after splitting or merging will fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0108] It should be understood that each part of the present application may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware or combinations thereof. In the above implementations, multiple steps or methods may be implemented with software or firmware stored in memory and executed by an appropriate instruction execution system. For example, if it is implemented by hardware, as in another implementation, it can be implemented by any one of the following technologies known in the art or combinations thereof: discrete logic circuits with logic gate circuits for implementing logic functions for data signal, special integrated circuits with appropriate combined logic gate circuits, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0109] In the description of this specification, the referential terminology "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" means that specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are comprised in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the indicative expression of the above-mentioned terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the described specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable way in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0110] Moreover, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used merely for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the characteristics defined as "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly comprise at least one such characteristic. In the description of the present application, the term "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0111] In the present application, unless explicitly defined and limited, terms such as "mounting," "connecting," "connection," "fixing," etc., should be understood broadly. For instance, the connection can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediary medium, it can be the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless explicitly defined otherwise. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of these terms in the context of the application based on the circumstances.

[0112] Although the embodiments of the application have been shown and described above, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and should not be considered as limiting the application. Those skilled in the art within the scope of the application can make variations, modifications, replacements, and variations to the above-described embodiments.

Claims

Claims1. An aerosol quality assessment method for an aerosol provision system, the method comprising: acquiring parameters of an aerosol generated by the system under preset puffing parameters; based on the parameters of the aerosol, assessing the quality of the aerosol.

2. The aerosol quality assessment method according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition of parameters of an aerosol generated by the system under preset puffing parameters, comprises: acquiring an image of the aerosol generated by the system under the preset puffing parameters, to obtain the parameters of the aerosol.

3. The aerosol quality assessment method according to claim 2, wherein the acquisition of parameters of an aerosol generated by the system under the preset puffing parameters, to obtain the parameters of the aerosol, comprises: acquiring an image of an aerosol in a free diffusion state generated by the system under the preset puffing parameters and / or an image of an aerosol generated in an oral model, and determining the parameters of the aerosol based on the image of the aerosol.

4. The aerosol quality assessment method according to claim 3, wherein the determination of the parameters of the aerosol based on the image of the aerosol, comprises: performing binarization on the image of the aerosol to obtain a target region and a background region of the image of the aerosol; based on the target region of the image of the aerosol, determining the parameters of the aerosol.

5. The aerosol quality assessment method according to claim 3, wherein the determination of the parameters of the aerosol based on the image of the aerosol, comprises: comparing the image of the aerosol with a corresponding standard image thereof, to obtain the parameters of the aerosol.

6. The aerosol quality assessment method according to any preceding claim, wherein the acquisition of parameters of an aerosol generated by the system under preset puffing parameters, comprises: acquiring the density of the aerosol generated by the system under the preset puffing parameters.

7. The aerosol quality assessment method according to claim 6, wherein the acquisition of the density of the aerosol generated by the system under the preset puffing parameters, comprises: under the preset puffing parameters, acquiring the light transmittance of the aerosol generated by the system; based on the light transmittance of the aerosol, obtaining the density of the aerosol.

8. The aerosol quality assessment method according to any one of claims 1 - 7, wherein the assessment of the quality of the aerosol based on the parameters of the aerosol, comprises: comparing the parameters of the aerosol with corresponding standard values thereof, to obtain an assessment result of the aerosol quality of the system.

9. The aerosol quality assessment method according to any one of claims 1 - 7, wherein the assessment of the quality of the aerosol based on the parameters of the aerosol, comprises: scoring according to the correlation between the parameters of the aerosol and the quality of the aerosol to obtain corresponding scores for the parameters of the aerosol; based on the corresponding scores for the parameters of the aerosol, obtaining an assessment result of the aerosol quality of the system.

10. The aerosol quality assessment method according to any one of claims 1 - 7, wherein the assessment of the quality of the aerosol based on the parameters of the aerosol, comprises: obtaining parameters of different aerosols and / or obtaining parameters of an aerosol using different acquisition methods; scoring the correlation between each of the parameters of the aerosol and the quality of the aerosol to obtain a corresponding score for each of the parameters of the aerosol; building a comprehensive evaluation model based on the importance of each of the parameters of the aerosol on the quality of the aerosol; inputting the corresponding score for each of the parameters of the aerosol into the comprehensive evaluation model, to obtain a comprehensive assessment result of the aerosol quality of the aerosol provision system.11 . The aerosol quality assessment method according to any preceding claim, wherein the preset puffing parameters comprise at least one of the puffing time, the puffing speed, the puffing force and the puffing amount.

12. The aerosol quality assessment method according to any preceding claim, wherein the parameters of the aerosol comprise at least one of the shape of the aerosol in a specified state, the two-dimensional area and the two-dimensional profile of the aerosol at a specified angle, the volume, the three-dimensional profile, and the density.

13. An electronic device comprising a memory, one or more processors and one or more applications, wherein the one or more applications are stored in the memory and are configured to, when invoked by the one or more processors, enable the one or more processors to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 - 12.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, storing instructions for a processor to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 - 12.

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