MICROWAVE HEATING UNIT AND METHOD

Abstract

A microwave heating method and unit for heating an aerosol-forming sample due to microwave absorption by a material of the sample and in particular for thereby releasing by or from said sample upon heating said sample at least one aerosol, in particular in a or as a inhalation, vaporizer and/or smoking product or device, in particular for medical and/or pulmonary drug delivery applications. The microwave heating unit includes (i) a sample holding and exposing unit configured to receive and hold a sample in a holding and exposing space and to expose the sample to a microwave radiation field within said holding and exposing space, (ii) a microwave radiation generating and/or releasing unit configured to release the microwave radiation field to said holding and exposing space, and (iii) an impedance matching unit configured to achieve impedance matching between the holding and exposing space and the microwave radiation field.

Claims

1.-16. (canceled)

17. Microwave heating unit for heating an aerosol-forming sample due to microwave absorption by a material of the sample and for thereby releasing by or from said sample upon heating said sample at least one aerosol, in a or as an inhalation, vaporizer and/or smoking product or device and/or for pulmonary drug delivery, wherein the microwave heating unit comprises: (i) a sample holding and exposing unit configured to receive and hold a sample in a holding and exposing space and to expose the sample to a microwave radiation field within said holding and exposing space, (ii) a microwave radiation unit configured to supply said microwave radiation field and/or an underlying microwave radiation signal to said holding and exposing space, and (iii) an impedance matching unit which is configured to achieve impedance matching between the holding and exposing space and the signal and/or the microwave radiation field wherein the impedance matching unit and in particular an impedance matching network thereof comprises electrodes for generating the microwave radiation field upon receipt of the underlying microwave radiation signal, wherein said sample holding and exposing unit comprises a sample holder defining and forming said holding and exposing space within an interior, in particular as a cavity, by means of first and second holding portions and/or first and second holding portions separated by a slit structure, and wherein the first and second holding portions simultaneously serve as first and second electrodes, respectively.

18. Microwave heating unit according to claim 17, comprising a free running oscillator which is configured to generate and supply said microwave radiation field and/or said underlying microwave radiation signal.

19. Microwave heating unit according to claim 17, wherein the impedance matching unit and in particular an impedance matching network thereof is tunable in its matching properties concerning at least one of impedance, frequency and the aerosol-forming sample.

20. Microwave heating unit according to claim 17, wherein the impedance matching unit and in particular an impedance matching network thereof comprises at least one of the electrodes for generating the microwave radiation field upon receipt of the underlying microwave radiation signal, which geometrically fit to the aerosol-forming sample, holding and exposing space and/or a or the cavity thereof, an output which contains waveguide structures, transmission lines and/or stubs, ⅛ λ to ¼ λ wave guide matching elements and one or plural dielectric material portions, by means of which the impedance matching unit is in particular tunable in its properties.

21. Microwave heating unit according to claim 17, wherein said microwave radiation unit is or comprises one or plural microwave radiation or radiation signal sources—in particular in the form of solid-state microwave or radiation signal sources—and/or a connecting configuration with a connector and/or a waveguide for providing a connection to one or plural microwave radiation sources and said one or plural microwave radiation or radiation signal sources and solid-state microwave or radiation signal sources are configured upon its energization to generate and/or release said underlying microwave radiation field or the underlying signal.

22. Microwave heating unit according to claim 21, comprising a power source unit which is configured to energize the underlying microwave radiation unit and in particular the one or plural microwave radiation or radiation signal sources and which in particular comprises one or plural DC power sources.

23. Microwave heating unit according to claim 17, wherein said microwave radiation unit and in particular a microwave radiation or radiation signal source thereof is or comprises a transistor amplifier and/or said impedance matching unit and in particular an impedance matching network thereof comprises a microwave feedback port and/or a microwave signal feedback port which is connected to an input of the transistor amplifier in order to meet an underlying oscillation condition.

24. Microwave heating unit according to claim 23, wherein an additional smart phase and/or an amplitude correction device is or are connected in between the feedback port and the input of the transistor amplifier.

25. Microwave heating unit according to claim 17, wherein the microwave radiation unit and in particular a microwave radiation source and/or a microwave radiation signal source thereof is or comprises a transistor amplifier and in particular has an input that is connected to an output of a low power signal source and/or the low power signal source is or comprises at least one of a phased locked loop (PLL), a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and a direct digital synthesis (DDS).

26. Microwave heating unit according to claim 17, which is formed in or as at least one of a drug delivery product and/or device, an inhalation product or device, smoking product or device, a mobile product or device and/or a portable product or device.

27. Microwave heating unit according to claim 17, wherein said free running oscillator at least one of is connected to the sample holding and exposing unit or is a part thereof, is, comprises and/or realizes an IQ modulator and/or the functionality of an IQ modulator which in particular means the ability of controlling the phase and/or the gain and comprises within a feedback loop a or the transistor amplifier, an or the impedance matching unit and/or impedance matching network and a or the amplitude/phase correction device.

28. Microwave and/or RF heating method for heating an aerosol-forming sample due to microwave absorption by a material of said sample and for thereby releasing by or from said sample upon heating said sample at least one aerosol, the at least one aerosol comprising at least one of a phyto-active substance and a pharmaceutical active ingredient, wherein a microwave heating unit according to claim 17 is used for heating said sample and wherein in particular at least one of an aerosol-forming substrate of a smoking article, in particular of a nicotine and/or non-nicotine containing smoking article, a tobacco-loaded solid-aerosol forming sample of a smoking sample, in particular of a nicotine and/or non-nicotine containing smoking sample, an aerosol-forming substrate with or of a nicotine and/or non-nicotine containing liquid, an aerosol-forming active pharmaceutical ingredient, an aerosol-forming phyto-active substance and in particular from raw plant material and/or from a plant material, an aerosol-forming delta-9-Tetrahydrocanabinol (THC) and/or cannabidiol (CBD) and/or cannabinoids containing plant material, an aerosol-forming botanical drug substance and/or a botanical drug product, an aerosol-forming substrate having at least one of microwave sensitizers and/or absorbers of the group of substances which comprises functionalized polysilsesquioxanes, carbon nanotubes, graphite, graphene, activated carbon, activated charcoal, metal powder, semiconductor powder and combinations and mixtures thereof, is or are used and/or heated as said sample or as a part thereof.

29. Microwave heating method according to claim 28, wherein a temperature of the aerosol-forming sample is measured or/and approximated and a value of which is fed to a temperature control loop unit controlling power supplied for energizing a microwave generation and/or releasing process.

30. Microwave heating method according to claim 28, wherein: an operation frequency is in the range from about 1 MHz to about 15 GHz, preferably in an ISM band and/or in a range of about 2.4 GHz to about 2.5 GHz and/or with a center frequency of about 2.45 GHz, an operation power in continuous mode is in a range from about 0.1 mW to 50 Watt and preferably around about 2 W, an operation power in a pulsed mode is in a range from about 0.1 mW to about 50 W and preferably around about 3 W, an operation power is ramped up between a value of about 0.1 W and a value of about 30 W, and/or an operation frequency is set to a constant value, an operation frequency is varied with time and in particular swept between a minimum value and the maximum value, in particular between about 2.4 GHz and about 2.5 GHz.

31. Microwave heating method according to claim 28, wherein an aerosol-forming sample is used which at least one of is formed as, comprises, is contained inside and/or is packed inside at least one of a fluid material, a solid material, a tablet, capsule, cartridge, shell vial, pellet and/or can be fitted according to the size of an underlying cavity and/or pharmaceutical excipients are added to the aerosol-forming sample, is or forms a vessel and/or has a housing, wherein the housing in particular is transparent with respect to microwave radiation, comprises or is formed of plastic, synthetic material, poly-propylene, glass, quartz and/or has a comparable low dielectric loss factor (ε″) and/or a comparable low loss tangent (tan(δ)), and is contained in a vessel formed as a mouthpiece which is configured for allowing inhalation of the formed aerosol, as an integral piece, as a disposal and/or to comprise a filter, in particular with the low or very low particulate filtration efficiency, and/or a hollow tube.

Description

[0094] These and further details, advantages and features of the present invention will be described based on embodiments of the invention and by taking reference to the accompanying figures.

[0095] FIGS. 1 to 3 elucidate by means of schematic block diagrams preferred embodiments of the invention's microwave heating unit.

[0096] FIGS. 4 to 100 demonstrate details of preferred embodiments of the invention's microwave heating unit and its details.

[0097] FIGS. 11 to 14 explain by means of cross-sectional side views other embodiments of the invention's microwave heating unit and its details.

[0098] In the following embodiments and the technical background of the present invention are presented in detail by taking reference to accompanying FIGS. 1 to 14. Identical or equivalent elements and elements which act identically or equivalently are denoted with the same reference signs. Not in each case of their occurrence a detailed description of the elements and components is repeated.

[0099] The depicted and described features and further properties of the invention's embodiments can arbitrarily be isolated and recombined without leaving the gist of the present invention.

[0100] FIGS. 1 to 3 elucidate by means of schematic block diagrams preferred embodiments of the invention's microwave heating unit 1. Each of the microwave heating units or devices 1 shown in any of FIGS. 1 to 3 may be formed as an inhalation, vaporizer or smoking product and/or device 1′, in particular for medical and/or pulmonary drug delivery/inhalation functionalities.

[0101] The embodiment of the invention's microwave heating device or unit 1 as shown in FIG. 1 is formed by or comprises a microwave radiation generating and/or releasing unit 20, which might also be referred to as a microwave radiation signal generating and/or releasing unit in the sense of the present invention. Preferably, a solid-state microwave source 100 may be used in this regard as a microwave radiation source 20.

[0102] The thereby generated and/or provided microwave radiation field can be provided to a plant/pharmaceutical containing compound/material 102 as a sample to be contained in a holding and exposing space 15, for instance a cavity 16, formed by a sample holding and exposing means 10, for instance based on first and second holding parts or holding portions 11, 12.

[0103] This is preferably done by or in cooperation with an impedance matching unit 30 configured for matching the impedance between the provided microwave radiation field and the sample holder 13 defining the holding and exposing space 15 and its cavity 16.

[0104] In this regard, impedance matching may be achieved by at least one electrical or electronic means, geometrical means and/or material means. Electrical or electronic means refer to properties of the radiation and its underlying generating and/or supplying process. Geometrical means refer to positioning, geometry and/or orientation of certain physical items. Material means refer to the positioning, geometry and/or orientation of certain material items, for instance by using a dielectric material.

[0105] In this regard an impedance matching network 101 may be involved thereby realizing the impedance matching unit 30, the network 101 realizing one of the electric/electronic geometric and/or material aspects.

[0106] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and in addition to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the microwave radiation generating and/or the releasing unit 20 may be formed by a consecutive arrangement of a small or low power signal source 104 comprising the microwave radiation source or microwave radiation signal source 21, for instance again as a solid-state microwave (signal) source 100, and a transistor amplifier 103.

[0107] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 and in addition to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the microwave radiation generating and/or the releasing unit 20 comprises a feedback loop 106 connected between the impedance matching unit 30 and its network 101 giving input to an amplitude/phase correction device 105, with the output of which being fed into the input port of the transistor amplifier 103. Therefore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 the small/low power signal source 104 substituted by the feedback loop 106 and the amplitude/phase correction device 105.

[0108] FIGS. 4 to 100 demonstrate details of preferred embodiments of the invention's microwave heating unit 1 and its details, each of which formed as an inhalation, vaporizer and/or smoking product and/or device 1′, in particular for medical and/or pulmonary drug delivery/inhalation functionalities.

[0109] The invention's sample holding and exposing means 10 and the impedance matching unit 30 according to these embodiments are formed by first and second holding parts or holding portions 11 and 12 thereby defining a sample holder 13 for defining the holding and exposing space 15 by means of a cavity 16.

[0110] Essential aspects of the impedance matching unit 30 and its impedance matching network may be formed based on geometric and material aspects of the slits or slit structure 14 and in dielectric 17 used in this regard.

[0111] The sample holding and exposing means 10 may be surrounded by a housing 18 also yielding as a shield.

[0112] FIG. 8B elucidates—by means of a cross-sectional view along a plane B-B indicated in FIG. 8A—details of the E-field configuration of the underlying microwave radiation field 25, namely in connection with the sample holding and exposing means 10, the impedance matching unit 30 and its arrangement of the slit structure 14 and the dielectric material 17 and also in connection with the first and second holding parts/portions which may simultaneously serve as first and second electrodes 53 and 54, respectively.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 8A, the impedance matching unit 30 in one preferred embodiment may comprise a feeding portion of feeding point 31 by means of which microwave radiation may be introduced into the holding and exposing space 15 and the cavity 16. In this regard the first portion 30a and the second portion 30B of the sleeve component of the impedance matching unit 30 may have a length or dimension of about ⅛ λ to about ⅕ λ and less than 1/10 λ, wherein λ denotes the wavelength of the underlying microwave radiation.

[0114] FIGS. 11 to 14 explain by means of cross-sectional side views other embodiments of the invention's microwave heating unit 1 and its details, each of which formed as an inhalation, vaporizer and/or smoking product and/or device 1′, in particular for medical and/or pulmonary drug delivery/inhalation functionalities.

[0115] In each case of these embodiments, a power source unit 40 may be used which comprises a DC power source 40, for instance a battery, which is capable of energizing the underlying microwave radiation generating and/or releasing unit 20 with its microwave radiation source 21 and its control unit or control electronics 50 based on which and by means of first and second power supply lines 51, 52 first and second electrodes 53 and 54 are subjected to respective electric fields for generating the required microwave radiation field 25 within the cavity 16 of the holding and exposing space 15 formed in the sample holding and exposing means 10 of the sample holder 13.

[0116] By means of the microwave radiation field 25 the sample 2 with its sample material 102—in the sense of a plant/pharmaceutical containing compound or material—is heated in a fast, reliable and uniform manner to thereby release an aerosol to be conveyed with an air flow 111 entering an air flow channel 110 formed in the main body or housing 118 of the device 1′.

[0117] The sample 2 and the sample material 102 may be designed in different forms.

[0118] For instance, in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 12 and 14 a capsule 3 is used formed by a more or less stable wall which—upon usage—has to be penetrated by means of needles 112 or any other penetration means contained and formed in the air flow channel 110 of the device 1′.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 14, at least a part of the main body 118 or its housing 118 may be formed as a mouthpiece 119, optionally equipped with filter components 115 for interacting with the air flow 111 in the air flow channel 110.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0120] 1 microwave heating device/unit [0121] 1′ inhalation, vaporizer and/or smoking product and/or device [0122] 2 sample [0123] 10 sample holding and exposing means [0124] 1.sup.st holding part/holding portion [0125] 2.sup.nd holding part/holding portion [0126] 13 sample holder [0127] 14 slit, slit structure [0128] 15 holding and exposing space [0129] 16 cavity [0130] 17 dielectric material portion [0131] 18 housing, shield [0132] 20 microwave radiation generating and/or releasing unit, microwave radiation signal generating and/or releasing unit [0133] 21 microwave radiation source, solid-state microwave source, microwave radiation signal source, solid-state microwave signal source [0134] 22 waveguide [0135] 23 connector [0136] 25 microwave radiation field [0137] 26 microwave radiation field signal [0138] 30 impedance matching unit [0139] 30a first portion of impedance matching unit 30 [0140] 30b second portion of impedance matching unit 30 [0141] 31 feeding point for microwave radiation field 25 [0142] 40 power source unit [0143] 41 DC power source, battery [0144] 50 control unit, electronics [0145] 1.sup.st power supply line [0146] 2.sup.nd power supply line [0147] 1.sup.st electrode [0148] 2.sup.nd electrode [0149] 100 solid-state microwave source, solid-state microwave signal source [0150] 101 impedance matching network [0151] 102 sample material, plant/pharmaceutical containing compound/material [0152] 103 transistor amplifier [0153] 104 small/low power signal source [0154] 105 amplitude/phase correction device [0155] 106 feedback loop/branch/line [0156] 109 (free running) oscillator [0157] 110 air flow channel [0158] 111 air flow [0159] 112 needle, penetration means [0160] 115 Filter [0161] 118 main body, housing [0162] 119 mouthpiece [0163] x spatial direction [0164] y spatial direction [0165] z spatial direction