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Porous plastic smokeless tobacco substitutes

Porous plastic smokeless tobacco substitutes description/claims

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/920,947 filed Mar. 30, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present application relates to systems and methods for providing, inter alia, synthetic substitutes for smokeless tobacco. In one form, the application relates to systems directed to cessation of smokeless tobacco use and to methods for making and using same. More particularly, but not exclusively, the application relates to the use of a plurality of porous plastic dispensing members sized and structured to imitate a quantity of smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco, to deliver one or more substances characteristic of the smokeless tobacco to a human user.

Many products have been developed to address the harmful addictions to tobacco products. For example, the use of smoking cessation devices to address a smoker's addiction to harmful tobacco products has become commonplace. Unfortunately, current smoking cessation devices have not proved to be beneficial alternatives to users of smokeless tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco. In this arena, it is often desired to improve the independence of a user from smokeless tobacco products, increase the realness of the alternatives, and ultimately provide more positive user outcomes. Thus, there is a need for additional contributions in this area of technology.

One aspect of the present application is a unique system for cessation of smokeless tobacco use. Other aspects include unique methods, systems, devices, instrumentation, and apparatus involving a synthetic substitute for smokeless tobacco.

In one embodiment of the present application, a system for providing a smokeless tobacco substitute is provided. The system includes a plurality of dispensing members sized and structured to imitate a quantity of smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco. Each of the plurality of dispensing members includes a porous plastic material including a matrix defining an internal network of passages. The porous plastic material also defines pores on an exposed surface of the matrix which are in fluid communication with the passages. The passages include a dispensate residing therein which is extractable from the passages when the plurality of dispensing members is placed within an internal cavity of a human user, such as the mouth.

In another embodiment of the present application, a method includes providing a porous plastic material including a matrix defining an internal network of passages and pores on an exposed surface of the matrix in fluid communication with the passages and dividing the material into a plurality of individual components sized and structured to imitate a quantity of smokeless tobacco. The material includes a tobacco substitute within the passage of the matrix which is extractable therefrom upon placement of the plurality of dispensing members within an internal cavity of a human user, such as the mouth.

In yet another embodiment of the present application, a method for introducing a smokeless tobacco substitute to a human user is provided. The method includes providing a plurality of dispensing members sized and structured to imitate a quantity of smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco. Each of the dispensing members includes a porous plastic matrix defining an internal network of passages and pores on an exposed surface of the matrix in fluid communication with said passages. The passages include a smokeless tobacco mimicking dispensate positioned therein. The method also includes placing the plurality of dispensing members into the mouth of a user to cause the dispensate to be released.

In one or more of the above embodiments, the porous plastic matrix includes a thermoplastic polymer. In another embodiment, the thermoplastic polymer is one of polypropylene, polyethylene or mixtures thereof. In a variant of this embodiment, the polymer is ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. In certain embodiments, the pores on the exposed surface of the matrix have an average size of from about 20 microns to about 200 microns. In other embodiments, the pores have an average size of from about 40 microns to about 150 microns. In yet other embodiments, the pores have an average size of from about 134 microns to about 144 microns.

In one embodiment, the dispensate is a tobacco substitute including nicotine and tobacco flavoring. In one form, the tobacco substitute may be a powder or liquid tobacco extract. In one embodiment, the dispensate is an aqueous fluid. In another embodiment, the dispensate is a non-aqueous fluid. Examples of non-aqueous fluids include, without limitation, gas and oil. The dispensate can also include other additives. Examples of other additives include flavoring, pharmaceuticals, nutritional supplements, caffeine, dietary supplements, water and combinations thereof. Where the dispensate includes a flavoring, examples of flavorings include spearmint, cinnamon, raspberry, orange, rose, wintergreen, mint, apple, vanilla, peach, citrus, cherry, menthol, camphor and whiskey.

It is an object of the present application to provide new methods, systems and materials for providing a user with one or more alternatives to smokeless tobacco by using a plurality of porous plastic dispensing members.

Further objects, embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits and advantages will become apparent from the drawings and detailed description herein.

Although the characteristic features of this application will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself, and the manner in which it may be made and used, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying figures forming a part hereof.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a porous plastic member suitable for producing a plurality of dispensing members.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternatively shaped porous plastic member suitable for producing a plurality of dispensing members.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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