Abstract
This disclosure relates to flavoured nicotine powder inhalers where the nicotine powder is delivered at air flow rates that mimic a smoking regime.
Claims
1. A nicotine powder inhaler comprising: a body extending between a proximal mouthpiece end and a distal end; a nicotine powder receptacle disposed within the body; a swirl generator element disposed in the body and constructed to induce rotational movement in the airflow moving through the body; an outlet airflow channel extending from the swirl generator to an outlet at the proximal mouthpiece end; and a plurality of airflow channels fluidly connected to the proximal mouthpiece end via the swirl generator element; wherein the inhaler is constructed to deliver a dose of nicotine powder via air flow created by inhalation at the proximal mouthpiece end at an inhalation rate of less than about 5 L/min.
2. A nicotine powder inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the outlet channel has a volume being greater than a volume of the airflow channels.
3. A nicotine powder inhaler according to claim 1, further comprising a piercing element configured to extend into the nicotine powder receptacle.
4. A nicotine powder inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the airflow channels comprise three airflow channels.
5. A nicotine powder inhaler according to claim 1, comprising a cylindrical mouthpiece portion.
6. A nicotine powder inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the nicotine powder receptacle defines a cylindrical shape.
7. A nicotine powder inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the body has a transverse cross-section shape having a major axis and a minor axis, and the major axis is longer than the minor axis.
8. A system for providing nicotine powder, the system comprising the nicotine powder inhaler of claim 1 and further comprising a capsule containing nicotine powder, the capsule disposed within the nicotine powder receptacle.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the capsule further comprises a flavourant powder.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the capsule further comprises an active agent.
11. The system of claim 8, wherein the nicotine powder has a mean average particle size in a range from 1 micrometer to 7 micrometers.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein at least 90% of the nicotine powder has a particle size of 7 micrometers or less.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein the nicotine powder comprises L-Leucine.
14. The system of claim 8, wherein the nicotine powder comprises nicotine bitartrate.
15. The system of claim 8, wherein the nicotine powder comprises nicotine glutamate.
16. The system of claim 8, wherein nicotine comprises an amount of nicotine powder sufficient to deliver from 10 to 30 inhalations of nicotine, each inhalation of nicotine comprising 0.5 mg to 3 mg of nicotine.
17. A method of inhaling nicotine into lungs of a user: inhaling air through the system of claim 6 at a flow rate of less than about 2 L/min to deliver powder nicotine into lungs of a user.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the inhaling air through the system induces rotational movement of air flowing through the nicotine powder inhaler.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the inhaling air through the system induces rotational movement of air flowing through the nicotine powder inhaler and delivers nicotine powder and flavourant powder into lungs of a user.
Description
[0043] FIGS. 1-11 are schematic diagrams of illustrative flavoured nicotine powder inhalers 10. FIGS. 3-7 are shown with transparent bodies for ease of illustration of the flow channels and internal elements. The schematic drawings are not necessarily to scale and are presented for purposes of illustration and not limitation. The drawings depict one or more aspects described in this disclosure. However, it will be understood that other aspects not depicted in the drawing fall within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.
[0044] Referring now to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the flavoured nicotine powder inhalers 10 include a mouthpiece portion 12 and a distal end portion 14 and a nicotine capsule 20 disposed between them. Piercing elements 11A and 11B are configured to pierce the capsule 20 and fluidly connect the airflow channel 13 of the mouthpiece portion 12 with the airflow channel 15 of the distal end portion 14. The airflow channel extends linearly along a length of the nicotine powder inhaler 10. FIG. 2 further illustrates the capsule 20 within a receptacle 25 that can be re-usable. A flavour delivery element can be upstream, downstream or within the capsule 20.
[0045] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 illustrate flavoured nicotine powder inhalers 10 having a single linear airflow channel 13, 15. Piercing elements 11A and 11B extend into a nicotine powder receptacle 30 and are configured to pierce the nicotine powder capsule and fluidly connect the airflow channel 13 of the mouthpiece portion 12 with the airflow channel 15 of the distal end portion 14. The airflow channel extends linearly along a length of the nicotine powder inhaler 10 from a proximal mouthpiece end 18 to a distal end 19. The mouthpiece portion 12 can connect with the distal end portion 14 via a bayonet-type connection. In FIG. 3 the mouthpiece portion 12 is not symmetrical with the distal end portion 14. In FIG. 4 the mouthpiece portion 12 is symmetrical with the distal end portion 14. A flavour delivery element can be disposed along the airflow channel 13, 15 and can be pierced with the piercing elements 11A and 11B or separate set of piercing elements, not illustrated.
[0046] FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 is a further illustrative flavoured nicotine powder inhaler 10 having multiple airflow channels 15. FIG. 6 is a view of FIG. 5 taken along lines 6-6. This embodiment includes three airflow channels 15 and a first, second and third powder receptacles 30, 32 and 33 respectively. A nicotine powder capsule and flavour capsule can be received in at least one of the powder receptacles 30, 32 and 33. In some embodiments, a second active agent can be received in at least one of the powder receptacles 30, 32 and 33. The three flow channels 15 fluidly connect to an outlet channel 40 via a swirl generator 50 configured to induce rotation movement in the airflow. The airflow channels 15 extend linearly along a length of the flavoured nicotine powder inhaler 10 from a proximal mouthpiece end 18 to a distal end 19. A ventilation element 70 can be disposed along an airflow channels 15 to provide dilution air, as desired.
[0047] FIG. 7 is a further illustrative flavoured nicotine powder inhaler 10. This embodiment includes three airflow channels 15A, 15B and 15C and first, second and third powder receptacles 30, 32 and 33 respectively. A nicotine powder capsule and flavour capsule can be received in at least one of the powder receptacles 30, 32 and 33. In some embodiments, a second active agent can be received in at least one of the powder receptacles 30, 32 and 33. The three flow channels 15 fluidly connect to an outlet channel 40 via a swirl generator 50 configured to induce rotation movement in the airflow. The airflow channels 15A, 15B extend linearly along a length of the flavoured nicotine powder inhaler 10 from a proximal mouthpiece end 18 to a distal end 19. In some embodiments an airflow loop element 60 is disposed along an airflow channels 15C.
[0048] FIGS. 8-11 illustrate schematic diagrams of flavoured inhalers 10. FIG. 8 shows a flavoured nicotine inhaler 10 having a single flow path and a single capsule 120 containing both the powdered nicotine and flavourant, preferably a powdered flavourant. The air flow path includes an upstream portion 15 and a downstream portion 13.
[0049] FIG. 9 shows a flavoured nicotine inhaler 10 having a single flow path and a nicotine capsule 20 containing powdered nicotine in serial flow arrangement with the flavourant capsule 100, preferably a powdered flavourant. In some embodiments the flavourant capsule 100 contains a liquid flavourant. In many of these embodiments the flavourant capsule 100 can be ruptured by a user to release the liquid flavourant, as described above. The liquid flavourant is preferably downstream of the nicotine capsule 20. The air flow path includes an upstream portion 15 and a downstream portion 13.
[0050] FIG. 10 shows a flavoured nicotine inhaler 10 having a parallel flow path and a nicotine capsule 20 containing powdered nicotine in parallel flow arrangement with the flavourant capsule 100, preferably a powdered flavourant. In some embodiments the flavourant capsule 100 contains a liquid flavourant. The flavourant capsule 100 can be pierced as described above for the nicotine capsule 20. The air flow path includes an upstream portion 15 and a downstream portion 13.
[0051] FIG. 11 shows a flavoured nicotine inhaler 10 having a single flow path and a nicotine capsule 20 containing powdered nicotine in serial flow arrangement with the flavour delivery element 130. The flavour delivery element 130 can be a filter element having a thread impregnated with flavourant, preferably liquid flavourant. The nicotine capsule 20 is preferably downstream of the filter element providing the flavourant. The air flow path includes an upstream portion 15 and a downstream portion 13.
