Aerosol-generating system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019152685-A1
Application number	US-201916257892-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 25, 2019
Priority date	Sep 12, 2016
Publication date	May 23, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A handheld aerosol-generating device may include an emitter configured to emit light, a sensor configured to receive light, and an aerosol chamber configured to hold an aerosol. The emitter may emit light into the aerosol chamber. The sensor may receive light from the aerosol chamber and measure at least one wavelength of the spectrum of the received light. Direct measurement of parameters, and/or the presence, of the aerosol in the aerosol chamber may be enabled, where the direct measurement of parameters of the aerosol in the aerosol chamber may enable optimal operation of an aerosol-generating system that may be the handheld aerosol-generating device.

First claim

1 . An aerosol-generating device, comprising:
an aerosol chamber configured to hold an aerosol; an array of emitters arranged outside the aerosol chamber, the array of emitters configured to emit light into the aerosol chamber; and an array of sensors arranged outside the aerosol chamber, the array of sensors configured to receive light from the aerosol chamber and to measure at least one wavelength of a spectrum of the light received.

2 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the array of emitters is configured to emit light having wavelengths between 200 nanometers and 30 micrometers.

3 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the array of sensors is configured to receive light having wavelengths between 200 nanometers and 30 micrometers.

4 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the array of emitters include a first emitter and a second emitter, the first emitter configured to emit light having a first wavelength, the second emitter configured to emit light having a second wavelength, the first wavelength being different from the second wavelength.

5 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 4 , wherein the first wavelength is between 2.8 micrometers and 3.2 micrometers.

6 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 4 , wherein the second wavelength is between 6.0 micrometers and 6.6 micrometers.

7 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 4 , wherein the array of sensors includes a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor configured to receive the light having the first wavelength, the second sensor configured to receive the light having the second wavelength.

8 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the array of emitters and the array of sensors are configured to be isolated from the aerosol in the aerosol chamber.

9 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the aerosol chamber includes a housing that is at least partially transparent.

10 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 9 , wherein the array of emitters and the array of sensors are separated from the aerosol by the housing.

11 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the array of emitters, the array of sensors, or both the array of emitters and the array of sensors include a microelectromechanical system (MEMS), an opto-semiconductor, a compound semiconductor, a hybrid electronic device, or a combination thereof.

12 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the array of emitters and the array of sensors are arranged around the aerosol chamber.

13 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein at least one emitter of the array of emitters is opposite to a corresponding sensor of the array of sensors.

14 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein each emitter of the array of emitters is opposite to a corresponding sensor of the array of sensors.

15 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the array of emitters are arranged in a semicircular matrix of emitters, and the array of sensors are arranged in a semicircular matrix of sensors.

16 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 15 , wherein the semicircular matrix of emitters includes rows of emitters, and the semicircular matrix of sensors includes rows of sensors.

17 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 16 , wherein each of the rows of emitters of the semicircular matrix of emitters is configured to emit light having different wavelengths.

18 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 16 , wherein each of the rows of sensors of the semicircular matrix of sensors is configured to receive light from a corresponding one of the rows of emitters of the semicircular matrix of emitters.

19 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the array of emitters includes a multiple narrow-band emitter, and the array of sensors includes a multiple narrow-band sensor.

20 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the array of sensors is configured to detect a light-absorbing element in the aerosol in the aerosol chamber based on the light received.

21 . The aerosol-generating device of claim 1 , wherein the array of sensors is configured to detect an amount of a light-absorbing element in the aerosol in the aerosol chamber based on a measurement of the light received.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• BESSANT Michel

Classifications

• H05B1/0244 Primary

  Heating of fluids (H05B1/0247 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D83/752

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G01N2015/0026

  in gas, e.g. fog · CPC title

• A61M15/00

  Inhalators {(drug delivery in endotracheal tubes A61M16/04)} · CPC title

• B65D83/685 Primary

  with at least one of the contents stored in a chamber associated with the dispensing head, e.g. for mixing during dispensing · CPC title