Water-Based Aerosol Formulation With Cyclodextrin Flavor Encapsulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
E-cigarettes face challenges in providing an aerosol that mimics the smoking experience of tobacco products, with variability in nicotine absorption and flavor intensity, and there is a need to reduce toxicants to promote harm reduction.
Innovation Solution
An aerosolisable formulation comprising water, flavours, cyclodextrins, nicotine, and an acid, where the energy of binding between the encapsulating materials and flavours is between -0.5 to -8 kcal/mol, optimizing flavour delivery and reducing toxicant components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional e-cigarette formulations are used, then nicotine delivery is achieved, but flavor intensity and consistency are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-encapsulating flavor compounds within cyclodextrin molecules before formulation. This pre-encapsulation ensures that flavors are protected and delivered consistently throughout the product lifecycle, resolving the contradiction between flavor intensity and consistency by preparing the flavor delivery system in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses cyclodextrins as intermediary molecules that bind to flavor compounds. These cyclodextrin-flavor complexes act as intermediaries between the flavor compounds and the user's sensory system, providing both enhanced flavor intensity through controlled release and improved consistency through stable complex formation.
2Quantity of substance
If more nicotine is provided to increase impact, then nicotine reward improves, but harmful effects and toxicant formation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical environment through acid addition, which alters nicotine's protonation state and solubility characteristics. This enables precise control over nicotine delivery parameters, allowing optimization of nicotine amount for reward while controlling the chemical conditions that influence toxicant formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful aspect of nicotine by controlling its chemical form through acidification. By maintaining nicotine in a protonated, water-soluble state, the formulation enhances nicotine delivery consistency while reducing the formation of harmful degradation products and toxicants associated with uncontrolled nicotine delivery.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If water content is increased to reduce toxicants, then harm reduction is achieved, but flavor stability and aerosol performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite materials by combining cyclodextrins with water-soluble flavor compounds and nicotine in a water-based formulation. This composite structure maintains high water content for toxicant reduction while the cyclodextrin-flavor complexes provide the stability and performance typically associated with organic solvents, resolving the contradiction between harm reduction and flavor stability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The formulation provides a stable and strong flavour release while minimizing toxicants, enhancing the vaping experience and promoting harm reduction by optimizing nicotine absorption and flavour intensity.
Implementation Method 1
one or more encapsulating materials comprising one or more cyclodextrins selected from the group consisting of 2-hydroxy-propyl-α-cyclodextrin, 2-hydroxy-propyl-β-cyclodextrin, 2-hydroxy-propyl-γ-cyclodextrin and mixtures thereof
Data Source
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AI summary
There is provided an aerosolisable formulation comprising (i) water; (ii) one or more flavours to be encapsulated; (iii) one or more encapsulating materials; wherein in the presence of water the energy of binding of the one or more encapsulating materials with the one or more flavours to be encapsulated is from -0.5 to -8 kcal/mol.