(19) *EP003747289A1* (11) EP 3 747 289 A1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION (43) Date of publication: (51) Int Cl.: 09.12.2020 Bulletin 2020/50 A24F 47/00 (2020.01) A61M 15/06 (2006.01) H05B 6/80 (2006.01) (21) Application number: 19178687.0 (22) Date of filing: 06.06.2019 (84) Designated Contracting States: (72) Inventors: AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB • KÜHN, Silvio GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO 16348 Wandlitz (DE) PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR • DUMLER, Ralf Designated Extension States: 1870 Monthey (CH) BA ME • TORREÑO NÚÑEZ, Alberto Designated Validation States: 6890 Lustenau (AT) KH MA MD TN (74) Representative: Hoefer & Partner Patentanwälte (71) Applicant: Torrenño Núñez, Alberto mbB 6890 Lustenau (AT) Pilgersheimer Straße 20 81543 München (DE) (54) MICROWAVE HEATING UNIT AND METHOD (57) The present invention refers to a microwave figured to receive and hold a sample (2) in a holding and heating method and unit (1) for heating an aerosol-form- exposing space (15) and to expose the sample (2) to a ing sample (2) due to microwave absorption by a material microwave radiation field (25) within said holding and ex- (102) of the sample (2) and in particular for thereby re- posing space (15), (ii) a microwave radiation generating leasing by or from said sample (2) upon heating said and/or releasing unit (20) configured to release the mi- sample (2) at least one aerosol, in particular in a or as a crowave radiation field (25) to said holding and exposing inhalation, vaporizer and/or smoking product or device space (15), and (iii) an impedance matching unit (30) (1’), in particular for medical and/or pulmonary drug de- configured to achieve impedance matching between the livery applications. The microwave heating unit (1) com- holding and exposing space (15) and the microwave ra- prises (i) a sample holding and exposing unit (10) con- diation field (25). EP 3 747 289 A1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) 1 EP 3 747 289 A1 2 Description (iv) a free running oscillator which is configured to generate, and supply said microwave and/or RF ra- [0001] The present invention refers to microwave heat- diation field and/or said underlying microwave and/or ing units and methods which are in particular configured RF radiation signal. for heating an aerosol-forming sample due to microwave 5 absorption by a material of the sample and in particular [0007] By these measures a comparable high degree for thereby releasing by or from said sample upon heating of reliability of the heating process can be achieved, in said sample at least one aerosol and/or in a or as a in- particular in terms of rapidity, uniformity and/or complete- halation, vaporizer and/or smoking product or device, in ness. This is in particular achieved by means of a con- particular for medical and/or pulmonary drug delivery ap- 10 tactless and/or non-the resistive heating process under- plications. line the invention’s microwave heating unit and method. [0002] There are devices as consumer products [0008] According to a preferred embodiment of the in- known, for instance such as E-cigarettes or the like, which vention’s microwave heating unit said sample holding are configured in order to release an aerosol from a sam- and exposing unit comprises a sample holder defining ple due to heating. However, these known devices suffer 15 and forming said holding and exposing space within an from incomplete, non-uniform and/or comparable slow interior, in particular as a cavity, by means of first and heating of the sample. Accordingly, the required temper- second holding portions and/or first and second holding ature and/or temperature distribution cannot be achieved portions separated by a slit structure. for realizing a suitable heating process in order to serve [0009] Advantageously the impedance matching unit all the consumers requirements. 20 and in particular an impedance matching network thereof [0003] It is an object underlying the present invention is or are tunable in its matching properties concerning at to provide alternative microwave heating units and meth- least one of impedance, frequency and the aerosol-form- ods which have improved heating and thus aerosol re- ing sample. By these measures the effectiveness and/or leasing capabilities. uniformity of the microwave heating process can be fur- [0004] The object underlying the present invention is 25 ther improved. achieved by microwave heating unit according to inde- [0010] The impedance matching unit and in particular pendent claim 1 and by a microwave heating method an impedance matching network thereof may comprise according to independent claim 12. Preferred embodi- at least one of ments are defined in the respective dependent claims. [0005] According to a first aspect of the present inven- 30 - electrodes for generating the microwave radiation tion a microwave and/or RF (radio frequency) heating field upon receipt of an underlying microwave radi- unit for heating an aerosol-forming sample due to micro- ation signal and/or which geometrically fit to the aer- wave and/or RF absorption by a material of the sample osol-forming sample, holding and exposing space and in particular for thereby releasing by or from said and/or a or the cavity thereof, sample upon heating said sample at least one aerosol is 35 provided, in particular in a or as a inhalation, vaporizer - an output which contains waveguide structures, and/or smoking product or device, in particular for pul- transmission lines and/or stubs, monary drug delivery. [0006] The microwave and/or RF heating unit accord- - 1/8 λ to 1/4 λ wave guide matching elements, where- ing to the present invention comprises: 40 in λ denotes the wavelength of the underlying micro- wave radiation, and (i) a sample holding and exposing unit configured to receive and hold a sample in a holding and exposing - one or plural dielectric material portions, space and to expose the sample to a microwave ra- diation field within said holding and exposing space, 45 by means of which the impedance matching unit is in particular tunable in its properties. (ii) a microwave radiation and/or RF unit configured [0011] Further additionally or alternatively the micro- to supply the microwave and/or RF radiation field wave radiation unit may be or may comprise one or plural and/or an underlying microwave and/or RF radiation microwave radiation sources and/or microwave radiation signal to said holding and exposing space, 50 signal sources, in particular in the form of solid-state mi- and at least one of crowave sources or and/or microwave radiation signal sources, respectively. (iii) an impedance matching unit configured to [0012] Further additionally or alternatively a connect- achieve impedance matching between the holding ing configuration regarding such one or plural microwave and exposing space and the microwave and/or RF 55 radiation sources and/or microwave radiation signal radiation field and/or the underlying microwave sources may be provided, set connecting configuration and/or RF radiation signal and having a connector and/or a waveguide for providing con- nection to the respective source. 2 3 EP 3 747 289 A1 4 [0013] Said one or plural microwave radiation (signal) lator at least one of sources and/or solid-state microwave (signal) sources may be configured such that upon energization they are - is connected to the sample holding and exposing capable of generating and/or releasing said underlying unit or is a part thereof, microwave radiation field and/or said microwave radia- 5 tion field signal. - is, comprises and/or realizes an IQ modulator and/or [0014] Accordingly, a power source unit may be pro- the functionality of an IQ modulator which means the vided which is configured in order to energize the under- ability of controlling the phase and / or the gain and lying microwave radiation unit and in particular the one or plural microwave radiation (signal) sources and which 10 - comprises within a feedback loop a or the transistor in particular comprises one or plural DC power sources. amplifier, an or the impedance matching unit and/or [0015] Said microwave radiation unit and in particular impedance matching network and a or the ampli- a microwave radiation (signal) source thereof may be or tude/phase correction device. may comprise a transistor amplifier. [0016] The impedance matching unit and in particular 15 [0023] The operation and thus the oscillation process an impedance matching network thereof may be or may of the free running oscillator is initiated by the statistical comprise a microwave feedback port and/or a microwave and/or stochastic properties and in particular by noise of signal feedback port which is connected to an input of the overall electric circuit. Amplitude, phase and gain the transistor amplifier in order to meet an underlying properties are defined by the electric properties of the oscillation condition. 20 further components and/or geometry and material por- [0017] Under such circumstances it is of particular ad- tions of the sample, the sample holding and exposing vantage if an additional smart phase and/or an amplitude means and in particular the sample holder with the hold- correction device is or are connected in between the feed- ing and exposing space and in particular the cavity and back port and the input of the transistor amplifier. the impedance matching unit and network, for instance [0018] The microwave radiation generating and/or re- 25 the slit structure and any dielectric. leasing unit and in particular a microwave source thereof [0024] In general and in an initial stage of the oscillation may be or may comprise a transistor amplifier and in process, all frequency components are contained ac- particular may have an input that is connected to an out- cording to its ratio within the noise spectrum.