Retronasal device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9121836-B2
Application number	US-201313795532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2013
Priority date	May 29, 2012
Publication date	Sep 1, 2015
Grant date	Sep 1, 2015

Abstract

An oral aroma sampling device includes a mouthpiece which defines an in-mouth surface and an external surface, the in-mouth surface bearing a delivery conduit, and the external surface bearing a manifold in communication with the delivery conduit, the manifold bearing a plurality of capillaries, each of which capillary is the conduit for an aroma substance, the mouthpiece additionally comprising a breathing conduit passing from the external surface to the in-mouth surface. The device is useful as part of a retronasal testing apparatus, which allows a large variety of flavor combinations to be tested quickly and efficiently.

First claim

We claim:

1. An oral aroma sampling device, comprising a mouthpiece which comprises an in-mouth surface and an external surface, the in-mouth surface bearing a delivery conduit, and the external surface bearing a manifold in communication with the delivery conduit, the manifold bearing a plurality of capillaries, each of which capillary is the conduit for an aroma substance, wherein each capillary is connected to a reservoir of aroma substance, the mouthpiece additionally comprising a breathing conduit passing from the external surface to the in-mouth surface.

2. The oral aroma sampling device according to claim 1 , in which the device comprises an additional conduit for the conveyance of liquid aroma or gustatory substances to the mouth.

3. The oral aroma sampling device according to claim 1 , in which the individual reservoirs form part of an aroma substance-providing apparatus.

4. The oral aroma sampling device according to claim 3 , in which the aroma substance-providing apparatus comprises a control unit adapted to provide a required quantity of aroma substances from specified reservoirs.

5. The oral aroma sampling device according to claim 4 , in which the control unit is programmable.

6. A retronasal testing apparatus comprising:
(a) an aroma substance-providing apparatus comprising a plurality of reservoirs of aroma substances each with a capillary delivery tube; and
(b) an oral aroma sampling device, which receives the capillary delivery tubes;
the oral aroma sampling device comprising a mouthpiece which comprises an in-mouth surface and an external surface, the in-mouth surface bearing a delivery conduit, and the external surface bearing a manifold in communication with the delivery conduit, the manifold bearing a plurality of capillaries, each of which capillary is the conduit for an aroma substance, the mouthpiece additionally comprising a breathing conduit passing from the external surface to the in-mouth surface.

7. The retronasal testing apparatus of claim 6 , in which the device comprises an additional conduit for the conveyance of liquid aroma or gustatory substances to the mouth.

8. The retronasal testing apparatus of claim 6 , in which each capillary is connected to one of the plurality of reservoirs of aroma substances.

9. The retronasal testing apparatus of claim 6 , in which the aroma substance-providing apparatus comprises a control unit adapted to provide a required quantity of aroma substances from specified reservoirs.

10. The retronasal testing apparatus of claim 9 , in which the control unit is programmable.

Assignees

• Givaudan Sa

Inventors

• Simons Christopher Todd
• Kaiser Joseph Andrew
• Burland Matthew Charles
• Yates Mark Thirston

Classifications

• A61M15/08

  Inhaling devices inserted into the nose · CPC title

• A61M15/0021

  Mouthpieces therefor · CPC title

• G01N33/0011 Primary

  Sample conditioning (preparing specimens for investigation G01N1/28) · CPC title

• G01N33/0001

  by organoleptic means · CPC title

• A61B5/4011

  Evaluating olfaction, i.e. sense of smell · CPC title