U.S. patent application number 16/260306 was filed with the patent office on 2019-05-30 for vaporization device delivering metered amount of medicant from non-dosage form source.
This patent application is currently assigned to INDOSE INC. The applicant listed for this patent is INDOSE INC. Invention is credited to Ari FREEMAN, Daniel FREEMAN, Jacqueline FREEMAN.
Application Number | 20190159521 16/260306 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 70005555 |
Filed Date | 2019-05-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190159521 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FREEMAN; Daniel ; et
al. |
May 30, 2019 |
VAPORIZATION DEVICE DELIVERING METERED AMOUNT OF MEDICANT FROM
NON-DOSAGE FORM SOURCE
Abstract
An inhalation device for inhaling a vaporized substance that
includes metering capabilities to inform a user when a particular
amount of substance has been consumed. The inhalation device can
include a sensor that senses the vaporized substance and a
processor that utilizes data from the sensor to meter the amount
consumed. The inhalation device can also define a session, which is
a time in which a user can consume a particular amount. During the
session, a user can start and stop inhaling and resume inhaling.
When the user stops inhaling the inhalation device will halt vapor
production and will resume production when the user resumes
inhaling.
Inventors: |
FREEMAN; Daniel; (Woodland
Hills, CA) ; FREEMAN; Ari; (Woodland Hills, CA)
; FREEMAN; Jacqueline; (Woodland Hills, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
INDOSE INC |
Woodland Hills |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
INDOSE INC
Woodland Hills
CA
|
Family ID: |
70005555 |
Appl. No.: |
16/260306 |
Filed: |
January 29, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
15244518 |
Aug 23, 2016 |
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16260306 |
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62386615 |
Dec 7, 2015 |
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62386614 |
Dec 7, 2015 |
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62388066 |
Jan 13, 2016 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61M 15/0065 20130101;
A61M 2205/3306 20130101; A61M 2205/52 20130101; A24F 40/53
20200101; G01N 21/85 20130101; A24F 40/44 20200101; A61M 2016/0027
20130101; G01N 2015/0693 20130101; G01N 30/00 20130101; A61M
15/0001 20140204; A24F 40/50 20200101; A24F 47/008 20130101; A61M
2205/582 20130101; A61M 2205/3584 20130101; A61M 15/06 20130101;
A61M 2205/505 20130101; A61M 2205/581 20130101; G06Q 30/02
20130101; G01N 2021/8578 20130101; A61M 2016/0021 20130101; A61M
2205/3653 20130101; A24F 40/51 20200101; A61M 2205/583 20130101;
F22B 1/284 20130101; A61M 2016/0039 20130101; A61M 15/0086
20130101; A61M 11/042 20140204 |
International
Class: |
A24F 47/00 20060101
A24F047/00; A61M 15/00 20060101 A61M015/00; A61M 15/06 20060101
A61M015/06; G01N 30/00 20060101 G01N030/00; G01N 21/85 20060101
G01N021/85; F22B 1/28 20060101 F22B001/28 |
Claims
1. A device for delivering a metered amount of a medicant to a user
from an unknown quantity (non-dosage form) of said medicant,
comprising: a vaporizer for creating a vaporized form of said
medicant; at least one sensor measuring one or more characteristics
of the vapor; a processor, receiving sensor output for tracking a
currently delivered amount of the medicant; and a display for
displaying said currently delivered amount.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 15/244,518 filed Aug. 23, 2016, which claims benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Nos. 62/386,614 and 62/386,615, both
of which were filed on Dec. 7, 2015, and 62/388,066, which was
filed on Jan. 13, 2016. These applications are incorporated by
reference herein.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Inhaling devices such as vaporizers, vaporizing pens, and
vaporizing machines are used to vaporize substances such as
tobaccos, oils, liquids, medical drugs, and plant herbs. Once
vaporized, these substances are then inhaled by consumers. Such
inhaling devices have health benefits over traditional smoking
methods. But inhaling the vapor can have negative effects on the
body depending on the substance, such as nicotine. Inhaling devices
have become more popular with consumers, but pose problems.
[0003] For example, while vaporizers can be safer than traditional
smoking methods, it is difficult to meter the amount of vaporized
substance that is being inhaled. So a user of an inhalation device
that vaporizes nicotine may actually consume more nicotine than had
the user smoked cigarettes or cigars.
[0004] There are multiple factors that affect the quantity of drug
that is inhaled. These factors include the drug concentration of
the vaporized substance, the amount of vapor inhaled, the duration
of inhalation, variations between inhalation devices, and variation
and inconsistency in the functionality of the device.
[0005] Another issue is that the inhaled substances may have
different effects on different users depending on various factors.
To optimize a user's experience, it is necessary to track the
quantity inhaled taken over time and track the resulting effect it
has on that user. This can be a tedious and demanding task. Typical
users may not keep track of each dose and record the
experience.
SUMMARY
[0006] In one aspect, this disclosure describes an inhalation
device for inhaling a vaporized substance that includes a channel
through which the vaporized substance can flow, a light signal
device, wherein the light signal device emits light; a sensor,
wherein the sensor senses the light from the light signal device;
and wherein the light signal device and the sensor are positioned
in the channel such that the vaporized substance can flow past the
sensor and the light signal device.
[0007] In another aspect, this disclosure also describes a
processor, wherein said processor uses data from the sensor to
meter the consumption of the vaporized substance. The inhalation
device can also include a sensor, wherein the sensor acquires data
relating to airflow in the device. The inhalation device can
further include an indicator, wherein the indicator informs the
user when a dose of the substance has been inhaled.
[0008] In another aspect, this disclosure describes an inhalation
device for inhaling a vaporized substance comprising a processor;
and a meter, wherein the meter comprises an indicator; wherein the
processor, using data from the timer, calculates the amount of the
substance inhaled, and wherein the indicator informs the user of
the amount that has been inhaled. The inhalation device can further
include a mouthpiece, from which a user can inhale a vaporized
substance; a reservoir, wherein the substance in unvaporized form
is stored; and a heating element, wherein said heating element is
used to heat the unvaporized substance.
[0009] The inhalation device can also have the capability of the
meter indicating a progressive inhalation of the substance
including a progressive inhalation of the substance in discrete
quantities.
[0010] In another aspect, this disclosure describes an inhalation
device comprising: a body, wherein the body includes: a mouthpiece,
from which a user can inhale a vaporized substance; a reservoir,
wherein the substance in unvaporized form is stored; a heating
element, wherein said heating element is used to heat the
unvaporized substance; and a processor, wherein the processor
defines a session; wherein the device is configured such that the
unvaporized substance from the reservoir is heated by the heating
element to create a vaporized substance and said vaporized
substance is inhaled by the user through the mouthpiece; and
wherein the processor is configured to keep a session open, during
which the processor is configured to stop the heating element when
the user stops inhaling, and is configured to start the time and
the heating element when the user resumes inhaling.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an inhalation device;
[0012] FIG. 1A is a diagram of a portion of an inhalation
device;
[0013] FIG. 1B is another diagram of a portion of an inhalation
device;
[0014] FIG. 2 is another diagram of an inhalation device;
[0015] FIG. 3 is another diagram of an inhalation device;
[0016] FIG. 4 is another diagram of an inhalation device;
[0017] FIG. 5 is another diagram of an inhalation device; and
[0018] FIG. 6 shows graphically the relationship between optosensor
change and vapor intensity.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates an inhalation device 100 for inhaling a
vaporized substance. The inhalation device 100 includes a first
opening 102 and a second opening 104. In between the two openings
is a channel 106. When a user inhales using the inhalation device
100, air flows into the first opening 102 and in the device 100,
vaporized substance is created by a heating element (not shown),
and a mixture of air and vapor flows through the channel 106 to the
second opening 104 and ultimately to the user.
[0020] The inhalation device 100 also includes a sensor 108 and a
signal 110. The sensor 108 and signal 110 are positioned across
from each other in the channel 106. The sensor 108 senses the vapor
amount. For example, the sensor 108 can sense the concentration of
vapor. The sensor 108 senses the intensity of the signal emitted by
the signal 110. If the sensor 108 senses a high signal output, this
indicates that the amount of vapor is low, and the vapor/air
mixture is dominated by air. Likewise, if the sensor 108 senses a
low signal output, this indicates that the vapor/air mixture is
dominated by vapor.
[0021] Data from the sensor 108 can assist the device 100 in
providing information about vapor concentration to the user. For
example, if the sensor senses a 5% drop in intensity from the
signal 110, that could correlate to a mixture of vapor/air that is
60% vapor. The chart of FIG. 6 graphs the value percent drop in an
optocell (i.e., a device that senses the intensity of light) versus
the percentage of cannabis oil vapor in a mixture of vapor and
air.
[0022] FIG. 6 shows the correlation between vapor concentration and
the readings from an optocell. Knowing the relative concentration
of the vapor can assist the device 100 in providing additional
information to the user. For example, if a user inhales using the
device 100 and the sensor 108 senses a high output, this may
indicate that the concentration is less than expected. The device
100 could include an additional indicator to inform the user that
the device 100 is not producing the expected amount of vapor. The
sensor 108 can be any suitable sensor that senses light including
without limitation, a photosensor, photodetector, optocell,
optoresistor, optotransistor, optodiode, and/or solar cell. The
signal 110 can be any suitable device that produces light, such as
an LED. The signal could also emit ultraviolet light. In other
words, the signal 110 can produce a wide range of wavelengths of
light and the sensor 108 detects those wavelengths of light. The
inhalation device 100 can optionally use filters in order to target
a specific wavelength of light to optimally detect vapor
intensity.
[0023] In FIG. 1, the sensor 108 is positioned across from the
signal 110. The sensor 108 and the signal 110 can also be
positioned in alternative arrangements without departing from the
scope of this disclosure. For example, in FIG. 1A the sensor 108
and the signal 110 are positioned next to each other in the channel
106. In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 1B, the sensor 108 and
the signal 110 are positioned next to each other at an angle in the
channel 106. The arrangements of the sensor 108 and the signal 110
in FIGS. 1A and 1B use concepts of backscatter and
fluorescence.
[0024] In backscatter, the vapor passing through the channel 106
can "reflect" light back from the perspective of the sensor 110. In
this scenario, the vapor particle size would determine the
"reflection" properties and angle of refection. In florescence, the
light may get absorbed by the vapor particles and a new light may
be generated. The new light would then be picked up by the sensor.
The light and sensor may be set up facing the same direction (in
parallel) towards the channel 106. Other alternative positions of
sensor 108 and signal 110 known to persons of ordinary skill in the
art whereby the flow of vaporized substance affects the signal
received by the sensor from the light produced by the light signal
device is intended to fall within the scope of this disclosure. For
example, the sensor 108 and the signal 110 may be next to each
other but one of the sensor 108 and the signal 110 may also be
positioned at an angle.
[0025] FIG. 2 shows an inhalation device 200. The inhalation device
includes a processor 204 and a timer 206. In this embodiment, the
inhalation device 200 includes an inlet 216, an outlet 208, a
reservoir 210, a heating element 212, and a wick 213. The
inhalation device 200 also includes an indicator 214 and a battery
215. The reservoir 210 stores the substance in unvaporized form,
and the heating element 212 heats the unvaporized substance from
the reservoir 210 via the wick 213 to create a vaporized substance,
which is then inhaled by the user through the outlet 208. The
device 200 also includes a channel 217 through which the vaporized
substance produced by the heating element 212 and air will flow to
the outlet 208 when a user inhales.
[0026] The device 200 uses the processor 204 and the timer 206 to
provide metering information to the user. More specifically, the
processor 204 controls the timer 206 such that when a user inhales
using the device 200, the processor 204 will start the timer 206 as
well as the heating element 212 to begin vaporizing the substance.
After the timer 206 has reached a particular value, a particular
amount of the vaporized element will have been produced, and the
processor 204 will shut off the heating element 212. Alternatively,
the processor 204 will not shut off the heating element 212, but
rather will send a signal to the indicator 214 that the particular
amount of the vaporized element has been consumed.
[0027] For example, if the heating element produces 1 mg/second,
and the particular amount is 3 mg, the processor will turn on the
heating element 212 when a user inhales, and the processor will
turn off the heating element when the timer reaches 3 seconds.
After the timer reaches 3 seconds, the processor will send a signal
to the indicator 214, which will then indicate that the particular
amount has been consumed. The indicator 214 can be an audio signal,
visual signal, visual display, or a vibration. The indicator 214
could also be a transmitter that sends a signal to an external
device such as a smart phone, tablet, or computer indicating that a
particular amount has been consumed.
[0028] Alternatively, the indicator 214 could display what amount
the user has consumed. As shown in FIG. 5, as a visual indicator to
the user, the indicator 214 may include a progressive meter
indicator. This could take the form of a sequence of lights,
possibly LED lights, which indicate the progression of the amount
consumed by the user. For example, there could be a sequence of
four LED lights on the vaporizer indicating when a 25%, 1/2, 75%
and full amount has been taken. When the full amount has been
taken, the lights might be programmed to indicate to the user that
the full amount has been reached by flashing. The progressive meter
indicator could take other forms, like a mechanical indicator, a
dial, a screen display, or a sound sequence. The progressive meter
indicator may continue to meter and indicate the user beyond one
cycle. For example, after a full amount has been taken the
indicator will turn all lights off and begin turning on each light
again as the user consumes.
[0029] In the above example, in which a particular amount is set at
3 mg and the heating element 212 produces 1 mg/second of vapor, 3
mg will be delivered to a user who inhales for 3 seconds. In the
event that the user cannot inhale long enough to consume a single
dose in a single inhalation, the device 200 is configured to keep a
session open, with a session being defined as a particular time
within which a user can consume the particular amount. A session in
this case could be set to 10 seconds. In this open session
configuration, the device 200 can stop producing vapor when the
user stops inhaling and start producing vapor when the user inhales
again. When the sum of the user's inhalations amounts to
consumption of 3 mg, the processor will send a signal to the
indicator 214. Determining when the user stops inhaling can be
achieved by using a pressure sensor. Where the pressure drops below
a threshold, the heating element will stop. And when the pressure
goes above the threshold, the heating element will resume.
Alternatively, instead of time-based, a session can be vapor-based,
where the device 200 keeps a session open until a certain quantity
of vapor is produced.
[0030] FIG. 3 shows an inhalation device 300 according to another
embodiment. The inhalation device includes a processor 304 and a
timer 306. In this embodiment, the inhalation device 300 includes
an inlet 319, an outlet 308, a reservoir 310, a heating element
312, and a wick 313. The inhalation device 300 also includes an
indicator 314 and a battery 315. The reservoir 310 stores the
substance in unvaporized form, and the heating element 312 heats
the unvaporized substance from the reservoir 310 via the wick 313
to create a vaporized substance, which is then inhaled by the user
through the outlet 308. The device 300 also includes a channel 317
through which the vaporized substance produced by the heating
element 312 and air will flow to the outlet 308 when a user
inhales.
[0031] The device 300 further includes an indicator 314 that will
indicate to the user when a particular amount of the vaporized
substance has been consumed. The indicator 314 can be an audio
signal, visual signal, visual display, or a vibration. The
indicator 314 could also be a transmitter that sends a signal to an
external device such as a smart phone, tablet, or computer
indicating that a dose has been consumed. Alternatively, the
indicator 314 could display what dose the user has consumed.
[0032] The inhalation device 300 can also include a sensor 316 and
a signal 318, such as an LED that produces a wide range of light
wavelengths. The signal could also be one that produces ultraviolet
light. The sensor 316 and signal 318 are positioned across from
each other in the channel 317. The sensor 316 senses the
concentration of the vapor. For example, the sensor 316 can be an
optical sensor that senses the intensity of the light produced by
the signal 318. If the sensor 316 senses a high output, this
indicates that the vapor concentration is low, and the vapor/air
mixture is mostly, if not all, air. If the sensor 316 senses a low
output, this indicates that the vapor concentration is high. The
processor 304 records information from the sensor 316. The sensor
316 can assist the device 100 in providing information about vapor
concentration to the user. For example, if the sensor senses a 5%
drop in intensity from the signal 110, that could correlate to a
mixture of vapor/air that is 60% vapor.
[0033] The processor 304 uses data from the sensor 316 to calculate
when a particular amount of the vaporized substance has been
produced. This is useful where the substance is viscous such as
cannabis oil. In such viscous substances the amount of vapor
produced for a given time can vary. In the embodiment of FIG. 3,
when a user inhales using the device 300, the processor 304 will
turn on the heating element 312. The sensor 316 will sense in real
time (as a non-limiting example, every 0.1 seconds) the intensity
of the light from the signal 318. Using the data from the sensor
316, the processor 304 can determine when a particular amount has
been produced.
[0034] For example, if a particular amount to be consumed is 3 mg
and the heating element 312 vaporizes 1 mg per second, then
theoretically the 3 mg should be produced in 3 seconds. In
practice, however, it may take longer for the inhalation 300 device
to vaporize 3 mg. This may due to factors such as the time it takes
the heating element 312 to heat up and the consistency of the drug
released from the reservoir 310 to the wick 313. So for example,
when a user begins to inhale, the first ten readings of the sensor
316 in the first second (e.g., one reading every 0.1 seconds) may
indicate that the vapor produced over the first second is 50% of
the expected production. This percentage can be thought of as a
vapor factor. The processor 304 will take this vapor factor into
account to determine when 3 mg is consumed by the user. In other
words, the processor 304 will collect the data from the sensor 316
(e.g., every 0.1 seconds) on the vapor factor to determine when 3
mg has been consumed by the user. For a given time, the processor
304 will multiply the time (e.g., 0.1 seconds) by the vapor factor
at that time, and will add each of these products to determine when
a particular amount has been consumed. For example, if in the first
second of inhalation, 50% of vapor is produced, and assuming 100%
of vapor is produced after 1 second, the processor will able to
determine that 3 mg has been consumed in 3.5 seconds.
[0035] In the above example, the processor 304 is capable of
acquiring data from the sensor 316 and also included information on
how much a particular amount of substance is expected to be
produced per unit of time. The processor 304 can store additional
vapor characteristics of the substance. For example, the processor
304 can store the time it takes for the heating element 312 to heat
to the temperature at which it vaporizes the substance. The
processor 304 can also store the heating and temperature variations
during different inhalation profiles. For example, if a user
inhales at a high rate, the air flowing through the inlet 319 and
into the device 300 can cool the heating element 312. The processor
304 can store information on different rates of inhalation to
adjust, for example, the temperature of the heating element 312.
The processor 304 can also store information on the flow of drug
from the reservoir 310 to the wick 313, the concentration of the
substance within a given volume, and the vaporization rates of the
substance at different temperatures of the heating element 312. The
processor 304 as well as the processors discussed herein can be
standard integrated circuit (IC) chips made by IC manufacturers
such as Texas Instruments.
[0036] FIG. 4 illustrates another inhalation device 400 according
to another embodiment of the disclosure. The inhalation device 400
includes a processor 404 and a timer 406. In this embodiment, the
inhalation device 400 includes an inlet 419, an outlet 408, a
reservoir 410, a heating element 412, and a wick 413. The device
400 further includes an indicator 414 for informing a user when a
dose of the substance has been inhaled. The device 400 also
includes a charmel 417 through which air and the vaporized
substance produced by the heating element 412 flow to the outlet
408 when a user inhales.
[0037] The inhalation device 400 also includes a sensor 416 and a
signal 418, such as an LED that produces a wide range of light
wavelengths. The signal could also be one that produces ultraviolet
light. The sensor 416 and signal 418 are positioned across from
each other in the charmel 417. The sensor 416 senses the
concentration of the vapor. For example, the sensor 416 can be an
optical sensor that senses the intensity of the light produced by
the signal 418 at wavelengths that would include, but not be
limited to, visible light and ultraviolet light.
[0038] The inhalation device 400 further includes a volume flow
sensor 422. The sensor 422 can be any suitable airflow sensor
including, but not limited to, any combination or stand-alone of
the following: a pressure sensor, a propeller, a microphone or a
piezoelectric sensor. The sensor 422 is used to measure the
velocity at which the mixture of vapor and air flow through the
charmel 417. So for example, if the sensor 422 is a propeller, the
propeller would be installed in the charmel 417 and would spin
according to velocity of the vapor/air mixture. The frequency of
revolutions can be measured and used to calculate the velocity of
the mixture. If the sensor is a microphone, the microphone can be
setup in the charmel 417 to listen to the noise of the vapor/air
mixture passing through the channel. A correlation can be made
between the sound intensity and/or frequency to the rate of flow of
the mixture. Optionally, the sensor 422 can be placed between the
inlet 419 and the processor 404 such that it detects the air flow
rate going through the device 400 when a user inhales.
[0039] The sensor 422 can be used to adjust the intensity of the
heating element 412. The temperature of the heating element can
affect the amount of the substance that is vaporized. The sensor
422 is able to sense how intensely a user inhales (i.e., senses the
volume per unit time of an inhalation). The processor 404 can
acquire this data and adjust the intensity of the heating element
by adjusting the voltage of the heating element.
[0040] The sensor 422 and the adjustment of the heating element 412
is useful in a non-limiting situation where the user desires to
consume a dose more quickly. So for example, if the device 400 is
set up so that the heating element produces 1 mg/second of vapor
and a dose is 3 mg, a user that inhales at a high volume per unit
time can consume the entire dose quicker than 3 seconds. In this
scenario, the sensor 422 will be able to sense the higher velocity
of the vapor/air mixture, and the processor can increase the
intensity of the heating element such that it produces more vapor.
The processor 404 can adjust the intensity of the heating element
412 in real time based on data from the sensor 422. So if a user
does not inhale intensely, the sensor 422 will detect the decreased
flow rate and the processor can then lower the intensity of the
heating element 412.
[0041] In another embodiment, the inhalation devices described
herein can be connected to a mobile device such as a smartphone or
tablet and interfaced with a software application. The software
application can record the doses that the user has inhaled and
record the user's dosage experience. This information can be
analyzed by the software to track and optimize the user's
experience with the substance inhaled. To help improve analysis,
the user could also enter personal information such as ailments,
pains, weight and food intake. The information recorded can be used
to accurately monitor a user's intake details and may be submitted
to a doctor for review and/or improvement.
[0042] The application could also connect with other users via the
internet. This could be used to share experiences, receive
recommendations, and network with a community of users. The
application may also be used as an ecommerce platform to purchase
dosage capsules, or vaporizer equipment. The platform could offer
specific substances based on a user's rated experience. Another
enhanced use might be finding other users within geographic
locations that may allow for social interactions and meetings.
These enhanced services may be integrated with others over the
internet.
[0043] The vaporizer device could also be locked by the user via
the application. This could be used as a safety feature against
undesired use (by children or others). There could be locking
customizable lock setting to enhance safety or limit usage for
those with low selfcontrol.
[0044] While embodiments have been described herein with a wick and
heating element, other suitable methods of vaporizing a substance
could be utilized without departing from the scope of this
disclosure. For example, the substance to be vaporized could be
placed in a chamber or oven. The oven can be a small cup made of
metal, where a user could place the substance. The oven would then
heat up and vaporize the substance. Any vapor produced can exit the
oven and flow to the user when the user inhales
[0045] While embodiments have been illustrated and described
herein, it is appreciated that various substitutions and changes in
the described embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art
without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. The
embodiments described herein are for illustration and not intended
to limit the scope of this disclosure.
* * * * *