AEROSOL DELIVERY DEVICE WITH MICROFLUIDIC DELIVERY COMPONENT

• US 20160262454A1
• Filed: 03/10/2015
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Inventors: Sears, Stephen Benson, Davis, Michael F., Taluskie, Karen V., Chang, Yi-ping, Hunt, Eric Taylor, Sebastian, Andries Don
• Granted Patent: US 10,172,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/30 Devices using two or more structurally separated inhalable precursors, e.g. using two liquid precursors in two cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/485 Valves; Apertures
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/2133 using electric, sonic or ultrasonic energy

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a microfluidic vaporizer, an aerosol delivery device that may include such vaporizer, and methods for forming an aerosol. A microfluidic vaporizer can comprise a substrate that defines: a reservoir configured to hold a liquid; a heater adapted to vaporize the liquid; and a capillary channel configured for movement of the liquid from the reservoir to the heater. An aerosol delivery device can comprise a shell and a microfluidic vaporizer. The microfluidic vaporizer and aerosol delivery device can be used for forming aerosols with precise and reproducible compositions.

Claims

1. A microfluidic vaporizer comprising a substrate that defines:

a reservoir configured to hold a liquid;

a heater adapted to vaporize the liquid; and

a capillary channel configured for movement of the liquid from the reservoir to the heater.

2. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 1, further comprising a cover overlying the substrate.

3. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the cover is vapor permeable and liquid impermeable.

4. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the substrate is adapted for passive transfer of the liquid from the reservoir to the heater through the capillary channel.

5. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 1, further comprising an active transport element selected from the group consisting of valves, pumps, heaters, electrical field formers, stimuli-responsive materials, and combinations thereof.

6. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the liquid is an aerosol precursor composition, or component thereof, suitable for use in an aerosol delivery device.

7. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the liquid comprises one or more flavors.

8. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 7, wherein the one or more flavors comprises nicotine.

9. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the liquid comprises an aerosol former.

10. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 9, wherein the aerosol former is selected from the group consisting of water, glycerol, propylene glycol, and combinations thereof.

11. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of heaters.

12. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of reservoirs.

13. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 1, comprising a first reservoir with an aerosol former and a second reservoir with one or more flavors.

14. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 13, wherein the first reservoir and the second reservoir are in fluid communication with the heater via the capillary channel.

15. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 13, wherein the first reservoir is in fluid communication with a first heater via a first capillary channel, and the second reservoir is in fluid communication with a second heater via a second capillary channel.

16. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the substrate further comprises one or more electrical connections.

17. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the reservoir and the capillary channel are etched in the substrate.

18. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the heater underlies at least a portion of the capillary channel.

19. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 1, comprising a plurality of capillary channels, and wherein the capillary channels extend radially from the substrate.

20. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 19, comprising a plurality of heaters positioned at terminal ends of the capillary channels.

21. The microfluidic vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the substrate is substantially in the form of a chip.

22. An aerosol delivery device comprising:

a shell; and

a microfluidic vaporizer according to claim 1.

23. The aerosol delivery device of claim 22, wherein the device comprises a first shell comprising the microfluidic vaporizer and a second shell comprising a power source.

24. The aerosol delivery device of claim 22, further comprising a mouthpiece.

25. The aerosol delivery device of claim 22, further comprising a microcontroller.

26. The aerosol delivery device of claim 25, further comprising an input adapted for providing a control instruction to the microcontroller.

27. The aerosol delivery device of claim 22, further comprising a container in fluid communication with the microfluidic vaporizer, the container including one or more aerosol precursor components.

40. A method of forming an aerosol, the method comprising:

providing an aerosol delivery device according to claim 26;

delivering a control signal to the microfluidic vaporizer causing a defined aliquot of the liquid aerosol former and a defined aliquot of at least one of the liquid flavors to move through the capillary channels to the heater; and

delivering a control signal to the microfluidic vaporizer causing the heater to heat and vaporize the liquid aerosol former and the liquid flavors delivered to the heater.

28. An aerosol delivery device comprising:

a shell; and

a microfluidic vaporizer comprising;

a substrate;

a plurality of liquid flavor reservoirs formed in the substrate;

a plurality of liquid flavors positioned in the liquid flavor reservoirs;

a liquid aerosol former reservoir formed in the substrate;

a liquid aerosol former in the liquid aerosol former reservoir;

a heater;

a plurality of capillary channels configured for movement of the liquid flavors and the liquid aerosol former to the heater; and

one or more electrical connections.

29. The aerosol delivery device of claim 28, wherein the plurality of liquid flavors includes nicotine.

30. The aerosol delivery device of claim 29, wherein the nicotine is positioned in a first liquid flavor reservoir and at least one further liquid flavor is positioned in a second liquid flavor reservoir.

31. The aerosol delivery device of claim 28, wherein the device comprises a plurality of heaters.

32. The aerosol delivery device of claim 31, wherein a first capillary channel is configured for movement of the liquid aerosol former to a first heater, and a second capillary channel is configured for movement of at least one of the liquid flavors to a second heater.

33. The aerosol delivery device of claim 28, wherein separate liquid flavors are positioned in separate liquid flavor reservoirs.

34. The aerosol delivery device of claim 28, further comprising a microcontroller.

35. The aerosol delivery device of claim 34, further comprising an input adapted for providing a control instruction to the microcontroller.

36. The aerosol delivery device of claim 28, wherein the microfluidic vaporizer further comprises a cover overlying the substrate.

37. The aerosol delivery device of claim 36, wherein at least a portion of the cover is vapor permeable and liquid impermeable.

38. The aerosol delivery device of claim 28, further comprising an active transport element selected from the group consisting of valves, pumps, heaters, electrical field formers, stimuli-responsive materials, and combinations thereof.

39. The aerosol delivery device of claim 28, further comprising a container in fluid communication with the microfluidic vaporizer, the container including one or more aerosol precursor components.