Smokeless Tobacco Product

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to a smokeless tobacco product in the form of a completely dissolvable vehicle ( 1; 11 ) comprising concentrated tobacco extract contained in a dissolvable matrix. In one embodiment, the vehicle ( 11 ) is a multilayer three-dimensional vehicle whose several layers ( 12, 13, 14 ) dissolve layer by layer in the mouth of a user.

1 . Smokeless tobacco product in the form of a dissolvable vehicle ( 1 ;  11 ) for oral administration, said vehicle being characterized in that the vehicle comprises a dissolvable polymeric matrix in which tobacco extract, or a synthetic equivalent thereof, is included. 
   
   
       2 . Smokeless tobacco product according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the dissolvable vehicle is a multilayer vehicle ( 11 ) and that said dissolvable polymeric matrix constitutes at least one of the several layers ( 12 ,  13 ,  14 ). 
   
   
       3 . Smokeless tobacco product according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the tobacco extract is dried tobacco extract. 
   
   
       4 . Smokeless tobacco product according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the outermost layer comprises a mucoadhesive substance. 
   
   
       5 . Smokeless tobacco product according to  claim 2 , characterized in that at least one layer comprises a substance that swells upon contact with saliva. 
   
   
       6 . Smokeless tobacco product according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the multilayer vehicle essentially dissolves layer by layer in a user's mouth. 
   
   
       7 . Smokeless tobacco product according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the vehicle has an essentially two-dimensional shape. 
   
   
       8 . Smokeless tobacco product according to  claim 1 , characterized in the vehicle is, or when placed in a user's mouth swells to, a three dimensional vehicle, which has a first dimension A, a second dimension B and a third dimension C, with A≧B≧C and C/A≧ 1/10. 
   
   
       9 . Smokeless tobacco product according to  claim 8 , characterized in that ⅛≦C/A≦  2 / 3 . 
   
   
       10 . Smokeless tobacco product according to  claim 8 , characterized in that 1/7≦C/A≦½. 
   
   
       11 . Smokeless tobacco product according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said vehicle has a compression modulus less than 0.1 MPa. 
   
   
       12 . Smokeless tobacco product according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said vehicle has a dissolution time in the interval of 5 to 60 minutes, preferably in the interval of 10 to 30 minutes. 
   
   
       13 . Smokeless tobacco product according to  claim 1  characterized in that said extract is free from nicotine. 
   
   
       14 . Smokeless tobacco product according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said extract is nicotine or synthetically prepared nicotine.