Aerosolization using two aerosol generators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11633556-B2
Application number	US-201816648483-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2018
Priority date	Sep 22, 2017
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

There is disclosed an aerosol delivery device comprising: a first aerosol generator to generate a first aerosol from a first aerosol precursor and to introduce said first aerosol into a first fluid flow pathway, wherein said first aerosol is sized for pulmonary penetration; a second aerosol generator to generate a second aerosol from a second aerosol precursor and to introduce the second aerosol into a second fluid flow pathway, wherein said second aerosol generator comprises a Venturi aperture to dispense and aerosolise the in second aerosol precursor in the second aerosol generator, wherein the second aerosol precursor is a liquid, and wherein the second aerosol is sized to inhibit pulmonary penetration; wherein the second aerosol is transmissible within at least one of: a mammalian oral cavity and a mammalian nasal cavity, and the second aerosol comprising an active component for activating at least one of: one or more taste receptors in said oral cavity and one or more olfactory receptors in said nasal cavity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aerosol delivery device comprising:
a first aerosol generator for generating a first aerosol from a first aerosol precursor and for introducing the first aerosol into a first fluid flow pathway, the first aerosol having particles of a first mass median aerodynamic diameter;
a second aerosol generator for generating a second aerosol from a second aerosol precursor and for introducing the second aerosol into a second fluid flow pathway; the second aerosol having particles of a second mass median aerodynamic diameter, different from the first mass median aerodynamic diameter;
the first and second fluid flow pathways merging together downstream of the first and second aerosol generators; and
the first fluid flow pathway adjacent to a gas inlet of the device and the second fluid flow pathway adjacent to an aerosol outlet of the device;
wherein
the first aerosol generator is configured to agitate the first aerosol precursor or
the second aerosol generator comprises a piezoelectric element to dispense and aerosolize the second aerosol precursor in the second aerosol generator, wherein the second aerosol precursor is a liquid.

2. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 wherein the second aerosol has a mass median aerodynamic diameter that is greater than or equal to 15 microns and less than 300 microns.

3. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 wherein the first aerosol generator is configured to heat the first aerosol precursor.

4. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 wherein the second aerosol generator is configured to introduce the second aerosol into the fluid flow pathway at a pre-set period of time following an actuation of the first aerosol generator.

5. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 wherein the second aerosol generator comprises a precursor substrate for the second aerosol precursor, wherein the precursor substrate comprises a hydrophobic surface.

6. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 wherein the second aerosol generator comprises a plurality of capillary tubes configured to draw the second aerosol precursor from a reservoir of second aerosol precursor to a free end of the plurality of capillary tubes.

7. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 wherein the free end of the plurality of capillary tubes is hydrophobic.

8. The aerosol delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the merged first and second fluid flow pathways terminate in a mouthpiece.

Assignees

• Nerudia Ltd
• Imperial Tobacco Ltd

Inventors

• Jones David
• Lord Chris
• Sudlow Thomas

Classifications

• A61M15/06 Primary

  Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes · CPC title

• A61M2205/0294

  Piezoelectric materials · CPC title

• A24F40/30

  Devices using two or more structurally separated inhalable precursors, e.g. using two liquid precursors in two cartridges · CPC title

• A24F42/00 Primary

  Simulated smoking devices other than electrically operated; Component parts thereof; Manufacture or testing thereof · CPC title

• A61M2205/8206

  battery-operated · CPC title