Methods and devices for compound delivery

• US 10,034,988 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fontem Ventures BV (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Fontem Holdings 1 BV (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Inventors: Wensley, Martin, Hufford, Michael, Williams, Jeffrey, Lloyd, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, Todd J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Heffner, Ned T
• Application Number:
  US14/168,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20140144429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 12820011-20016, 12820024, 12820026, 12820221, 12820312, 12820323, 12820324, 12820413, 12820418, 12820421, 131270-273
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/041 using heaters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0066 Blowers or centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0021 with a proportional output signal, e.g. from a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/14 Static flow deviators in tubes disturbing laminar flow in tubes, e.g. archimedes screws

Abstract

Provided herein are methods and devices, systems for delivering one or more compounds to a subject. Also described herein are methods and devices for transitioning a smoker to an electronic nicotine delivery device and for smoking or nicotine cessation.

Claims

1. A device for generating an aerosol of a liquid, comprising:

a housing having an inlet and an outlet;

a liquid container in the housing for containing the liquid;

an air passageway in the housing from the inlet to the outlet;

a wire coil in the air passageway, the wire coil concentric with a tube in the air passageway, on one side of the liquid container, with the tube extending horizontally;

a pump in the housing connected to the liquid container;

the tube extending from the pump at least partially into the wire coil for pumping liquid from the liquid container onto the wire coil; and

a sensor in the housing for detecting inhalation, and a battery in the housing electrically connected to the sensor, the pump and the wire coil.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the liquid in the tube is not vaporized before leaving the tube.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the liquid is dispensed from the tube onto the wire coil and then vaporized by direct contact with the wire coil.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein electric current flows from the battery directly to the wire coil without flowing through the tube.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the liquid moves within the tube contacting an internal surface of the tube and not an external surface of the tube.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the wire coil comprises an open coil having spaces between adjacent loops of the wire coil.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein the pump comprises a positive displacement pump.

8. The device of claim 5 with the tube not extending into the liquid container.

9. The device of claim 8 with the tube positioned to cause liquid to flow along the coil.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein a segment of the passageway is perpendicular to the wire coil.

11. The device of claim 10 with the liquid container containing a liquid comprising nicotine.

12. A device for generating an aerosol of a liquid, comprising:

an air passageway between an inlet and an outlet in a housing;

a liquid container for holding a liquid in the housing;

a wire coil and a rod in the air passageway, on one side of the liquid container, the wire coil in a segment of the air passageway arranged to provide air flow over the wire coil in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the rod;

with the rod within the wire coil and extending from a first end of the wire coil to a second end of the coil, and with the wire coil oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of the air passageway, with the rod outside of the liquid container and adapted for moving liquid from the liquid container to the wire coil;

a pump in the housing connected for pumping liquid from the liquid container onto the rod and to the wire coil; and

a battery in the housing electrically connected to the pump and to the rod which conducts electricity to the wire coil.

13. The device of claim 12 with the liquid container containing a liquid comprising nicotine.

14. The device of claim 12 with the rod positioned to cause liquid to flow along the coil.

15. The device of claim 12 wherein a segment of the rod extending through the wire coil is capable of holding a liquid.

16. The device of claim 12 wherein the wire coil is concentric with the rod.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the wire coil comprises an open coil having spaces between adjacent loops of the wire coil.

18. A device for generating an aerosol of a liquid, comprising:

a housing having an inlet and an outlet;

a liquid container in the housing containing a liquid;

an air passageway in the housing from the inlet to the outlet;

a wire coil and a rod in the air passageway, whereby the rod conducts electricity to the wire coil, with the rod extending through the wire coil, and with the rod connected to the liquid container for moving liquid from the liquid container to the wire coil;

a pump in the housing connected to the liquid container for pumping liquid from the liquid container to the wire coil via the rod; and

a sensor in the housing for detecting inhalation, and a battery in the housing electrically connected to the sensor, the pump and the wire coil.