Data logging personal vaporizing inhaler

• US 9,095,175 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2010
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2010
• 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: Terry, Nathan Andrew, Minskoff, Noah Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): SKORUPA, VALERIE LYNN
• Application Number:
  US12/780,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20110277764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,907 Days
• Field of Search: 12820011-20023, 128/202.21, 128/203.12, 128/203.16, 128/203.17, 128/203.23, 128/203.26, 128/203.27, 128/204.13, 128/204.14, 128/205.23, 733/04.R
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/40 Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/53 Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/60 Devices with integrated user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0025 with caps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0035 Piercing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/06 Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0205 Materials having antiseptic or antimicrobial properties, e.g. silver compounds, rubber with sterilising agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0233 Conductive materials, e.g. antistatic coatings for spark prevention
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/13 with means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. lip sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/59 Aesthetic features, e.g. distraction means to prevent fears of child patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/005 Parameter used as control input for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/65 Impedance, e.g. conductivity, capacity

Abstract

A personal vapor inhaling unit is disclosed. An electronic flameless vapor inhaler unit that may simulate a cigarette has a cavity that receives a cartridge in the distal end of the inhaler unit. The cartridge brings a substance to be vaporized in contact with a wick. When the unit is activated, and the user provides suction, the substance to be vaporized is drawn out of the cartridge, through the wick, and is atomized by the wick into a cavity containing a heating element. The heating element vaporizes the atomized substance. The vapors then continue to be pulled by the user through a mouthpiece and mouthpiece cover where they may be inhaled.

Claims

1. A personal vaporizing unit, comprising:

a housing;

a microprocessor;

a memory coupled with said microprocessor and disposed inside said housing; and

a connecter to output data stored in said memory, said connector including a first conductive surface configured to contact a first body part of a person holding said personal vaporizer unit, and said connector including a second conductive surface, conductively isolated from said first conductive surface, configured to contact a second body part of said person, wherein said personal vaporizer unit activates a vaporizer internal to said personal vaporizer unit in response to detecting a change in conductivity between said first conductive surface and said second conductive surface.

2. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor determines a number of cycles said personal vaporizing unit has been triggered and stores said number in said memory.

3. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 2, wherein said microprocessor causes said number to be output via said connector.

4. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor determines a duration of a plurality of cycles said personal vaporizing unit has been triggered and stores a plurality of indicators of said duration in said memory.

5. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 4, wherein said microprocessor causes said plurality of indicators of said duration stored in said memory to be output via said connector.

6. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1, wherein said connecter conducts power to charge a battery that provides power to said personal vaporizing unit.

7. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor determines a time and a date of an empty cartridge condition and stores said time and said date in said memory to be output via said connector.

8. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1, wherein said personal vaporizing unit stores an identification number associated with said personal vaporizing unit to be output via said connector.

9. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor activates a light source visible outside of said personal vaporizing unit.

10. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 9, wherein said microprocessor activates said light source at a programmable time of day.

11. A personal vaporizing unit, comprising:

a microprocessor;

an electronic memory;

a cartridge to hold a fluid to be vaporized, wherein said microprocessor determines an empty cartridge condition and stores a number associated with a number of times said empty cartridge condition occurs in said electronic memory; and

a connecter to output the number associated with the number of times said empty cartridge condition occurs that is stored in said electronic memory, said connector including a first conductive surface configured to contact a first body part of a person holding said personal vaporizing unit, and said connector including a second conductive surface, conductively isolated from said first conductive surface, configured to contact a second body part of said person, wherein said personal vaporizing unit activates a vaporizer internal to said personal vaporizing unit in response to detecting a change in conductivity between said first conductive surface and said second conductive surface.

12. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 11, further comprising:

a wick to hold a portion of said fluid to be vaporized when said cartridge is not empty, wherein said empty cartridge condition is determined based on a resistance between said wick and a housing holding said wick.

13. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 12, wherein said microprocessor causes said number associated with said number of times said empty cartridge condition occurred to be output via said connector.

14. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 11, further comprising:

a wick to hold a portion of said fluid to be vaporized when said cartridge is not empty, wherein said empty cartridge condition is determined based on a change in resistance between said wick and a housing holding said wick.

15. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 11, further comprising:

a wick held by said housing, said wick to hold a portion of said fluid to be vaporized when said cartridge is not empty, wherein said empty cartridge condition is determined based on a change in resistance between said wick and a housing holding said wick, wherein based on said change in resistance, said personal vaporizing unit deactivates a heating element.

16. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 11, wherein said microprocessor determines a time and a date of an activation of said personal vaporizing unit and stores said time and said date in said memory to be output via said connector.

17. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 11, wherein said personal vaporizing unit stores an identification number associated with said personal vaporizing unit, said microprocessor determines a first time and a first date of an empty cartridge condition and stores said first time and said first date in said memory, said microprocessor determines a second time and a second date of an activation of said personal vaporizing unit and stores said second time and said second date in said memory, said personal vaporizing unit outputting, via said connector, said first time and said first date, said second time and said second date, and identification number.

18. The personal vaporizing unit of claim 11, wherein said microprocessor activates a light source visible outside of said personal vaporizing unit at a programmable date and time.