INHALER WITH APERATURED POROUS SUPPORT ELEMENT

Abstract

An inhaler article includes a body extending from a mouthpiece end to a distal end with an endpiece element at the distal end. A capsule cavity is defined within the body and extends a cavity length. An air inlet region is between the endpiece element and the capsule cavity. The air inlet region has an air inlet and an air passageway extending from the air inlet to the capsule cavity. The air passageway has an inner diameter less than an inner diameter of the capsule cavity. A porous support element defines a downstream end of the capsule cavity. The porous support element includes one or more apertures extending the length of the porous support element.

Claims

1. An inhaler article comprising: a body extending along a longitudinal axis from a mouthpiece end to a distal end; an endpiece element at the distal end; a capsule cavity defined within the body and extending along the longitudinal axis a cavity length; an air inlet region between the endpiece element and the capsule cavity, the air inlet region having an air inlet and an air passageway defining a vortex tunnel extending from the air inlet to the capsule cavity, the air passageway comprising an inner diameter less than an inner diameter of the capsule cavity, the vortex tunnel extending longitudinally along the longitudinal axis of the inhaler article body; a porous support element defining a downstream end of the capsule cavity, the porous support element formed of a porous material, the porous support element extending along a longitudinal axis a length, the porous support element comprises one or more apertures extending the length of the porous support element; a mouthpiece air channel extending from the capsule cavity, through the porous element to the mouthpiece end.

2. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the porous support element apertures form helical features along the length of the support element.

3. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the porous support element is formed of a polylactic acid material or cellulose acetate material.

4. The inhaler article according claim 1, wherein the porous support element comprises two apertures, or three apertures, or four apertures, or five apertures, or six apertures, or seven apertures.

5. The inhaler article according claim 1, wherein the porous support element comprises the two or more apertures along an outer diameter of the porous support element.

6. The inhaler article according claim 1, wherein the porous support element has a centre region co-incident with the longitudinal axis and the centre region includes an aperture.

7. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the porous support element has a centre region co-incident with the longitudinal axis and the centre region does not include an aperture.

8. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the porous support element has a centre region co-incident with the longitudinal axis and the centre region includes an aperture and four or more apertures along an outer diameter of the porous support element.

9. The inhaler article according to claim 4, wherein the two or more apertures are equally spaced from each other along an outer diameter of the porous support element.

10. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the one or more apertures define at least about 40%, or in a range from about 15% to about 60% of a circular cross-sectional surface area of the porous support element.

11. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the vortex tunnel induces a vortex of inhalation airflow into the capsule cavity.

12. An inhaler system comprising, the inhaler article according to claim 1, and a capsule disposed within the capsule cavity of the inhaler article, the capsule containing pharmaceutically active particles, the pharmaceutically active particles having a mass median aerodynamic diameter of about 5 micrometres or less, or in a range from about 0.5 micrometres to about 4 micrometres, or in a range from about 1 micrometres to about 3 micrometres.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the capsule contains pharmaceutically active particles comprising nicotine.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the capsule further contains a second population of flavour particles having a mass median aerodynamic diameter of about 20 micrometres or greater, or about 50 micrometres or greater, or in a range from about 50 to about 200 micrometres, or from about 50 to about 150 micrometres.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the system further comprises a piercing element removably engageable with the inhaler article to activate the capsule and wherein the endpiece element is configured to be pierced by the piercing element when activating the capsule.

16. The inhaler article according to claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the air passageway is about 2 mm to about 4.5 mm and is less than an inner diameter of the capsule cavity.

17. The inhaler article according to claim 11, wherein the vortex tunnel comprises a length that is greater than the inner diameter of the vortex tunnel.

18. The inhaler article according to claim 17, wherein the inner diameter of the vortex tunnel is about 2 mm to about 4.5 mm that is less than an inner diameter of the capsule cavity.

19. The inhaler article according to claim 2, wherein the porous support element is formed of a polylactic acid material or cellulose acetate material.

20. The inhaler article according claim 19, wherein the porous support element comprises the two or more apertures along an outer diameter of the porous support element.

Description

[0106] The words preferred and preferably refer to embodiments of the invention that may afford certain benefits, under certain circumstances. However, other embodiments may also be preferred, under the same or other circumstances. Furthermore, the recitation of one or more preferred embodiments does not imply that other embodiments are not useful and is not intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of the disclosure, including the claims.

[0107] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative inhaler article.

[0108] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the illustrative inhaler article of FIG. 1 along the longitudinal axis.

[0109] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an illustrative air inlet region along the axial axis.

[0110] FIG. 4 cross-sectional schematic diagram of an illustrative apertured porous support member along the axial axis.

[0111] FIG. 5 cross-sectional schematic diagram of another illustrative apertured porous support member along the axial axis.

[0112] FIG. 6 cross-sectional schematic diagram of another illustrative apertured porous support member along the axial axis.

[0113] FIG. 7 cross-sectional schematic diagram of another illustrative apertured porous support member along the axial axis.

[0114] FIG. 8 cross-sectional schematic diagram of another illustrative apertured porous support member along the axial axis.

[0115] FIG. 9 side elevation schematic diagram of an illustrative apertured porous support member along the longitudinal axis.

[0116] 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.

[0117] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate an exemplary inhaler article 100. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the illustrative inhaler article 100 of FIG. 1 along the longitudinal axis L.sub.A. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the illustrative air inlet region or vortex tunnel 150 along the longitudinal axis L.sub.A. The inhaler article 100 includes a body 110 extending along a longitudinal axis L.sub.A from a mouthpiece end 112 to a distal end 114 and a capsule cavity 116 defined within the body 110.

[0118] A mouthpiece air channel 111 extends from the capsule cavity 116 to the mouthpiece end 112. An endpiece element 120 is disposed within the distal end 114 and extends to a vortex tunnel 150. The endpiece element 120 is configured to restrict or prevent airflow through the endpiece element 120. In this embodiment, the endpiece element 120 is formed of a body of cellulose acetate tow, having a high resistance to draw (RTD) of at least 100 mm water per millimeter.

[0119] The air inlet region or vortex tunnel 150 is disposed within the body 110 and extends to the capsule cavity 116. The vortex tunnel 150 has an inner diameter D.sub.1 defined by an inner surface 152 and an outer diameter D.sub.2 defined by an outer surface 151. The inner diameter D.sub.1 defined by an inner surface 152 forms an air passageway 155 in the form of an open cylinder. The vortex tunnel 150 may include two air inlets or air channels 113 extending from the vortex tunnel 150 outer surface 151 to the air passageway 155. The vortex tunnel 150 includes two air inlets 113 in communication with the air passageway 155, at opposite sides of the inhaler article 100. The two opposing air inlets 113 extend substantially linearly between the outer surface 151 of the vortex tunnel 150 and the inner surface 152, to the air passage 155 at a tangent to the inner D.sub.1 diameter of the open cylinder 155. The openings of the two opposing air inlets 113 at the inner surface 152 are not aligned, and in particular, in this embodiment the two opposing air inlets 113 extend in substantially parallel directions, along axis that extend on opposite sides of the central longitudinal axis L.sub.A of the vortex tunnel 150 and the inhaler article 100. Providing two opposing air inlets 113 at a tangent to the inner diameter D.sub.1 of the open cylinder 155 induces a swirling or vortex air flow pattern within the capsule cavity 116 of the inhaler body 110.

[0120] The air inlet region or vortex tunnel 150 and the porous support element 140 bound the capsule cavity 116. A capsule 130 may be disposed within the cavity 116. The capsule 130 contains particles comprising pharmaceutically active particles, such as nicotine. The air inlet region or vortex tunnel 150 and the porous support element 140 cooperate to contain the capsule 130 longitudinally within the capsule cavity 116. The mouthpiece end 112 is illustrated having a recessed end where the body 110 bounds an open space at the mouthpiece end 112. Alternatively the porous support element 140 can extend to the mouthpiece end 112 to fill the entire mouthpiece end 112. The capsule 130 has an axis of rotation in the capsule cavity is coextensive with the longitudinal axis L.sub.A.

[0121] FIG. 4 cross-sectional schematic diagram of an illustrative apertured porous support member 140 along the axial axis. FIG. 5 cross-sectional schematic diagram of another illustrative apertured porous support member 140 along the axial axis. FIG. 6 cross-sectional schematic diagram of another illustrative apertured porous support member 140 along the axial axis. FIG. 7 cross-sectional schematic diagram of another illustrative apertured porous support member 140 along the axial axis. FIG. 8 cross-sectional schematic diagram of another illustrative apertured porous support member 140 along the axial axis. FIG. 9 side elevation schematic diagram of an illustrative apertured porous support member 140 along the longitudinal axis L.sub.A.

[0122] FIG. 4 illustrates a single circular aperture 142 that is co-incident with the longitudinal axis L.sub.A of the porous support member 140. The porous material 141 defines the single aperture 142. The single aperture 142 has a diameter that is less than the diameter of the capsule contained within the capsule cavity.

[0123] FIG. 5 illustrates a pig nose aperture configuration of the porous support member 140. This configuration defines two circular apertures 142. The porous material 141 defines both apertures 142.

[0124] FIG. 6 illustrates three intersecting triangles configuration of the porous support member 140. This configuration defines three triangular apertures 142 that intersect at a vertex. The porous material 141 defines all three apertures 142.

[0125] FIG. 7 illustrates six semi-circular apertures 142 spaced about the outer diameter of the porous support member 140. The porous material 141 defines a portion of all six apertures 142. No apertures are defined within the center portion of the porous support member 140.

[0126] FIG. 8 illustrates six semi-circular apertures 142 spaced about the outer diameter of the porous support member 140. The porous material 141 defines a portion of all six apertures 142. A center aperture 142 is defined within the center portion of the porous support member 140. This porous support member 140 configuration may illustrate a preferred porous support member 140 configuration.

[0127] FIG. 9 illustrates a side elevation view of FIG. 7 or FIG. 8 where the six semi-circular apertures 142 spaced about the outer diameter of the porous support member 140 form a helical pattern along the longitudinal axis L.sub.A of the porous support member 140. In other aspects, the six semi-circular apertures 142 spaced about the outer diameter of the porous support member 140 form a linear pattern that is parallel with and along the longitudinal axis L.sub.A of the porous support member 140.

[0128] A separate piercing element (not shown) may be utilized by a consumer to pierce the endpiece element 120 and puncture the capsule 130 contained within the capsule cavity 116. The piercing element may be withdrawn from the inhaler article 100 and endpiece element 120 before a user or consumer draws on the inhaler article 100. A consumer may then draw on the inhaler article 100 to utilize the inhaler. Although the piercing element creates an opening in the endpiece element 120, this is typically a small opening that may re-seal and does not significantly reduce or maintains the resistance to draw of the endpiece element 120. In some embodiments, the endpiece element 120 reseals itself after the piercing element has been withdrawn from the endpiece element 120.