Electronic Cigarette

2010-05-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

An electronic cigarette, also known as an e-cigarette or personal vaporizer, is a battery-powered device that provides inhaled doses of nicotine by way of a vaporized solution. It is an alternative to smoked tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. In addition to purported nicotine delivery, this vapor also provides a flavor and physical sensation similar to that of inhaled tobacco smoke, while no smoke or combustion is actually involved in its operation.

An electronic cigarette takes the form of some manner of elongated tube, though many are designed to resemble the outward appearance of real smoking products, like cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. Another common design is the "pen-style", so named for its visual resemblance to a ballpoint pen. Most electronic cigarettes are reusable devices with replaceable and refillable parts. A number of disposable electronic cigarettes have also been developed.

In automatic electronic cigarette models, when a user inhales through the device, air flow is detected by a sensor, which activates a heating element that vaporizes a nicotine solution stored in the cartridge. On manual electronic cigarette models, the user must depress a button to activate the heating element to produce vapor which is then inhaled by the user. On most models an LED on the opposite end of the device is also activated during inhalation, which serves as an indicator of use. The LED color is usually a matter of preference, as the most widely used electronic cigarettes come with options for many different ones.

While electronic cigarettes take many forms, they each generally employ the same basic components: a CARTRIDGE, an ATOMIZER, a rechargeable BATTERY, and various ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS.

CARTRIDGE

The electronic cigarette cartridge is a small disposable plastic cup-like piece affixed to the end of the tube. Inside the cartridge is a smaller plastic cup which holds an absorbent material that is saturated with a flavored liquid solution that may contain nicotine. This inner cup is made such that air is able to flow around it and through a hole in the end of the outer piece; this is necessary for the device to provide the ability for suction to move the vapor into the user's mouth. When the liquid in the cartridge has been depleted, it can either be refilled by the user or replaced with another pre-filled electronic cigarette cartridge.

Another alternative to using cartridges is the direct dripping method using drip tips. By removing the absorbent material, one is able to simply remove the plastic cartridge and drip several drops of e-liquid directly onto the atomizer bridge. To further ease dripping, some manufacturers have created specialty cartridges made of stainless steel or plastic that are intended just for dripping and do not require removal each time you drip.

ATOMIZER

The atomizer serves to vaporize the liquid in the cartridge so that it can be inhaled. This electronic cigarette component have a finite life of about one month (on average) and are one of the recurring expenses associated with electronic cigarettes. Some models combine an atomizer and pre-filled cartridge into one disposable component referred to as a "cartomizer".

BATTERY AND ELECTRONICS

Most electronic cigarettes employ a lithium-ion rechargeable battery to power the atomizer. Battery life varies depending on the battery type and size, frequency of use, and operating environment. Many different battery charger types are available, such as wall outlet, car, and USB chargers. The battery is generally the largest component of an electronic cigarette.

Some electronic cigarettes employ an electronic airflow sensor to automatically activate the atomizer upon inhalation, while other models require the user to press a button while inhaling. Various other electronic circuits are usually employed as well, such as a timed cutoff switch to prevent overheating and a colored LED to signal activation of the device.

Traditionally, electronic cigarettes have utilized an electronic means of activation. This involved the use of small tactile switches, vacuum switches and the related wiring and electronics necessary to run them. Users soon discovered these could be unreliable. With the advent of "mods", several manufacturer's have created all mechanical electronic cigarettes that eliminate the use of any wiring, solder or electronics in an effort to improve switch reliability.

While some larger electronic cigarette models employ a user-replaceable standard-size battery cell, many models are too small to house a standard-size cell and instead require a proprietary component made by the electronic cigarette manufacturer. For those models, the battery and electronic components are housed within a single replaceable part, which is still generally referred to in the industry simply as the "battery".

NICOTINE SOLUTION

Nicotine solutions sold separately for use in refillable cartridges are sometimes referred to as "e-liquid" or "e-juice", and commonly contain some amount of flavoring, with several different flavors available. They consist of nicotine dissolved in propylene glycol (PG) and/or glycerin (glycerol). Both PG and glycerin are common food additives.

Solutions are also available in differing nicotine concentrations, to let the user decide the amount of nicotine to be taken in. Concentrations range from Zero Nicotine, low and mid-range doses (6–8 mg/ml and 10–14 mg/ml respectively), to high and extra-high doses (16–18 mg/ml and 20–54 mg/ml respectively). The concentration ratings are often printed at the e-liquid bottle or cartridge, although the standard notation "mg/ml" often gets abbreviated to just "mg". Solutions are also available that contain no nicotine at all.

Some flavor varieties attempt to resemble traditional cigarette types, such as regular tobacco and menthol, and some even attempt to mimic specific cigarette brands, such as Marlboro or Camel. Fruit and other flavors are also available, such as vanilla, caramel, and coffee.

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