MEDICINAL VAPOR FILTRATION SYSTEM

• US 20170056607A1
• Filed: 08/15/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brendan Jones
• Original Assignee: Brendan Jones
• Inventors: Jones, Brendan
• Granted Patent: US 10,376,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 3/08 of organic materials as carrier or major constituent of ion exchange materials A24D3/12
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 1/30 Hookahs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/003 by passing the aerosol trough sieves or filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/048 with a flame, e.g. using a burner
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0021 Mouthpieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/11 with means for preventing cross-contamination when used for multiple patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/7545 for solid matter, e.g. microaggregates

Abstract

A system for filtering vaporized medicinal compounds includes a vaporizer configured to release one or more volatilized medicinal compounds in gaseous form, together with solid or semi-solid particulate byproducts, and one or more removable filters for efficiently removing at least a portion of the particulate byproducts while allowing passage of medicinally active volatilized compounds. The vaporizer includes a mouthpiece through which one or more volatilized medicinal compounds may be drawn. The filter is made of a chemically inert material (e.g., polypropylene or other polyolefin) and may be configured to detachably interface with an exposed surface of a vaporizer mouthpiece. The filter acts to remove solid or semi-solid particulate matter passing through the mouthpiece with minimal chemical and/or physical interference with volatilized medicinal compounds, which pass through the filter. The removable filter can also prevent cross-contamination by multiple users of the vaporizer.

Claims

1. A filtration system for removing solid and/or semi-solid particulate matter from a medicinal vapor, comprising:

a vaporizer configured to release a medicinal vapor that includes one or more volatilized medicinal compounds, the vaporizer including a mouthpiece through which medicinal vapor may be drawn, the mouthpiece having a distal opening and a mouth-contacting surface; and

a filter comprised of a chemically inert material and configured to removably cover the distal opening and mouth-contacting surface of the vaporizer mouthpiece and remove solid and/or semi-solid particulate matter from a medicinal vapor exiting the distal opening of the mouthpiece while permitting one or more volatilized medicinal compounds in the medicinal vapor to pass through the filter.

2. The filtration system of claim 1, wherein the vaporizer is a water-containing smoking device.

3. The filtration system of claim 1, wherein the vaporizer is a waterless smoking device.

4. The filtration system of claim 1, wherein the filter comprises polypropylene.

5. The filtration system of claim 1, wherein the filter is substantially flat and flexible and has a size that permits the filter to be placed over the distal opening of the mouthpiece and wrapped around the mouth-contacting surface.

6. The filtration system of claim 1, wherein the filter has a thickness in a range of 0.001 inch and 0.25 inch.

7. The filtration system of claim 1, wherein the filter has a thickness in a range of 0.005 inch and 0.1 inch.

8. The filtration system of claim 1, wherein the filter has a thickness in a range of 0.008 inch and 0.025 inch.

9. The filtration system of claim 1, wherein the filter is impregnated or treated with at least one of a scented or flavored material.

10. The filtration system of claim 1, wherein the filtration system includes multiple removable filters for sequential use by multiple users of the vaporizer.

11. A method of filtering solid and/or semi-solid particulate matter from a medicinal vapor, comprising:

removably applying a filter over a distal opening and mouth-contacting surface of a mouthpiece of a vaporizer;

forming a medicinal vapor in the vaporizer, the medicinal vapor comprising one or more volatilized medicinal compounds and solid and/or semi-solid particulate matter;

passing the medicinal vapor through the mouthpiece; and

the filter removing at least a portion of the solid and/or semi-solid particulate matter from the medicinal vapor and permitting a majority of the one or more volatilized medicinal compounds to pass through the filter.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the filter is flexible and is wrapped around the mouth-contacting surface of the mouthpiece.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the filter is comprised of an inert material.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the inert material comprises polypropylene.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more volatilized medicinal compounds comprise one or more cannabinoids.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more volatilized medicinal compounds comprise an opioid, an analgesic compound, a psychotropic compound, a narcotic, a stimulant, or nicotine.

17. The method of claim 11, the filter permitting passage of at least 75% of the one or more volatilized medicinal compounds produced by the vaporizer.

18. The method of claim 11, the filter permitting passage of at least 85% of the one or more volatilized medicinal compounds produced by the vaporizer.

19. The method of claim 11, the filter permitting passage of at least 95% of the one or more volatilized medicinal compounds produced by the vaporizer.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the filter provides a sanitary barrier between a user'"'"'s mouth and the mouth-contacting surface of the mouthpiece.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the vaporizer is used by multiple users, each user removably applying a separate filter to the mouthpiece prior to use.

22. A method of oral administration of cannabinoid vapor to a group of users sharing a single vaporizer while minimizing or preventing cross-contamination of the vaporizer, comprising:

removably applying a first filter over a distal opening and mouth-contacting surface of a mouthpiece of a vaporizer;

forming a medicinal vapor in the vaporizer, the medicinal vapor comprising one or more volatilized cannabinoid compounds and solid or semi-solid particulate matter;

a first user drawing the medicinal vapor through the mouthpiece and the first filter;

removing the first filter;

removably applying a second filter over the distal opening and mouth-contacting surface of the mouthpiece; and

a second user drawing the medicinal vapor through the mouthpiece and the second filter,

the first and second filters filtering at least a portion of the solid or semi-solid particulate matter from the medicinal vapor, permitting a majority of the one or more volatilized medicinal compounds to pass through the filters, and minimizing or preventing cross-contamination of the vaporizer by the first and second users.