VAPORIZATION DEVICE WITH LIP SENSING

• US 20170258142A1
• Filed: 03/10/2017
• Published: 09/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PAX Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: PAX Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: HATTON, Nicholas J., MONSEES, James, BOWEN, Adam
• Granted Patent: US 10,405,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/50 Control or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/51 Arrangement of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/13 with means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. lip sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0244 Heating of fluids H05B1/0247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/021 Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids

Abstract

Apparatuses, including systems and devices (“vaporizers”), for vaporizing material to form an inhalable aerosol that include capacitive lips sensing to regulate the temperature of the vaporizer, including transiently boosting the temperature. Methods of operating a vaporizer having a capacitive lip sensor are also described.

Claims

1. A lip-sensing vaporizer device, the device comprising:

a reservoir configured to hold a vaporizable material;

a heater configured to heat the vaporizable material;

a mouthpiece in communication with the reservoir;

a capacitive lip sensor configured to output an instantaneous capacitance reading; and

a controller configured to;

regulate a temperature of the heater to a preselected temperature;

obtain the instantaneous capacitance reading from the capacitive lip sensor;

determine a difference between the instantaneous capacitance reading and a baseline capacitance; and

increase the temperature of the heater to an override temperature for a boost time period when the difference is above a threshold.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the capacitive lip sensor is on or behind the mouthpiece.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the capacitive lip sensor comprises a conductor positioned behind the mouthpiece.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises an oven, and further wherein the heater is in thermal contact with the oven.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the capacitive lip sensor comprises a flex circuit onto which a conductive region has been layered.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the baseline based on filtering the instantaneous capacitance readings.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determining the baseline based on the instantaneous sensor readings by taking a running average of the instantaneous sensor readings.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the baseline based on the instantaneous capacitance readings, further wherein the controller is configured to hold the baseline at a prior value of the baseline while the instantaneous capacitance readings are above the baseline by a first offset value or below the baseline by a second offset value.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to hold the baseline at a prior value of the baseline while the instantaneous capacitance readings are above the baseline by a first offset value.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to hold the baseline at a prior value of the baseline while the instantaneous capacitance readings are above the baseline by a first offset value and further wherein the controller is configured to hold the baseline at the prior value of the baseline while the instantaneous capacitance readings are below the baseline by a second offset value.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the difference between the instantaneous capacitance reading and the baseline capacitance by determining a percent difference between the instantaneous capacitance and the baseline.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the threshold of the controller is a 0.5% change between the instantaneous capacitance and the baseline.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the threshold of the controller is a 1% change between the instantaneous capacitance and the baseline.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the boost time period is between 2 and 5 seconds.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to increase the temperature of the heater by increasing the duty cycle of power applied to the heater for the boot time period.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to increase the temperature of the heater to the override temperature when the difference is greater than 0.5% above the baseline.

17. A lip-sensing vaporizer device, the device comprising:

a reservoir configured to hold a vaporizable material;

a heater configured to heat the vaporizable material;

a mouthpiece in communication with the reservoir;

a capacitive lip sensor configured to output an instantaneous capacitance reading; and

a controller configured to;

regulate a temperature of the heater to a first temperature;

obtain sensor readings from the capacitive lip sensor;

determine a difference between the instantaneous capacitance reading and a baseline capacitance; and

reduce the temperature of the heater to a second temperature that is lower than the first temperature when the difference is below a threshold for a predetermined period of time.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the capacitive lip sensor is on or behind the mouthpiece.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the capacitive lip sensor comprises a conductor positioned behind the mouthpiece.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the reservoir comprises an oven, and further wherein the heater is in thermal contact with the oven.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the capacitive lip sensor comprises a flex circuit onto which a conductive region has been layered.

22. The device of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to determine the baseline based on filtering the instantaneous capacitance readings.

23. The device of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to determining the baseline based on the instantaneous sensor readings by taking a running average of the instantaneous sensor readings.

24. The device of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to determine the baseline based on the instantaneous capacitance readings, further wherein the controller is configured to hold the baseline at a prior value of the baseline while the instantaneous capacitance readings are above the baseline by a first offset value or below the baseline by a second offset value.

25. The device of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to hold the baseline at a prior value of the baseline while the instantaneous capacitance readings are above the baseline by a first offset value.

26. The device of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to hold the baseline at a prior value of the baseline while the instantaneous capacitance readings are above the baseline by a first offset value and further wherein the controller is configured to hold the baseline at the prior value of the baseline while the instantaneous capacitance readings are below the baseline by a second offset value.

27. The device of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to determine the difference between the instantaneous capacitance reading and the baseline capacitance by determining a percent difference between the instantaneous capacitance and the baseline.

28. The device of claim 17, wherein the predetermined period of time is 20 seconds.

29. The device of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to reduce the temperature of the heater to a third temperature that is lower than the first temperature and second temperature when the difference remains below the threshold for a second predetermined period of time.

30. The device of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to power off the heater when the difference remains below the threshold for a shutoff period of time.

31. The device of claim 17, wherein the shutoff period of time is between 2 and 5 minutes.

32. A lip-sensing vaporizer device, the device comprising:

a reservoir configured to hold a vaporizable material

a heater configured to heat the vaporizable material;

a mouthpiece in communication with the reservoir;

a capacitive lip sensor configured to detect a capacitance proximate to the mouthpiece when a user'"'"'s lips are on the mouthpiece; and

a controller configured to regulate a temperature of the heater to a predetermined vaporization temperature, to determine the presence of a user'"'"'s lip based upon a change in capacitance detected by the capacitive sensor, and to transiently boost the temperature of the heater above the vaporization temperature when the user'"'"'s lip is detected.