Method and device for vaporization and inhalation of isolated substances

Abstract

A dose unit including at least one isolated bioactive agent applied on a carrier material in thermal contact with an electrically heating element configured to vaporize a pre-determined amount of the agent for pulmonary delivery thereof is provided herein, as well as devices for effecting vaporization and pulmonary delivery of the isolated agent, and methods for preparing the dose unit, controllably releasing the agent therefrom, methods for pulmonary delivery thereof and methods of treatment of medical conditions treatable by pulmonary delivery of the isolated bioactive agent.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dose unit for use with an inhaler device, said dose unit including at least one bioactive agent releasable by vaporization, said dose unit comprising:
 a pallet comprising a solid carrier material, said at least one bioactive agent being in and/or on said carrier material;   an air permeable electrically resistive heating element in thermal contact with said pallet;   said carrier material having a low enough electrical conductance so as to avoid current passing therethrough instead of through said electrically resistive heating element; said carrier material being stable and inert at a vaporization temperature of said at least one bioactive agent.   
     
     
         2 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein said carrier material has an electric resistivity of at least 10 μΩ·m. 
     
     
         3 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein said carrier material has a thermal conductivity high enough to allow the carrier material to disperse heat throughout said pallet. 
     
     
         4 . The dose unit of  claim 3 , wherein said thermal conductivity is of at least 0.1 W/mK. 
     
     
         5 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein said pallet is sufficiently air permeable to allow a flow of at least 0.5 liter of gas per minute under a pulling vacuum of at least 1-5 kPa through said pallet. 
     
     
         6 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein said electrically resistive heating element directly contacts at least one surface of said pallet. 
     
     
         7 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein said electrically resistive heating element comprises a mesh which extends across at least two opposite surfaces of said pallet. 
     
     
         8 . The dose unit of  claim 7 , wherein said electrically resistive heating element comprises a U-shape with two ends and having a hollow in which said pallet is positioned, such that an electrical current flows across both of the at least two opposite surfaces when a voltage is applied between the two ends. 
     
     
         9 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein said carrier material has a combustion temperature, a decomposition temperature or a melting temperature higher than the vaporization temperature of the bioactive agent. 
     
     
         10 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein said carrier material is unreactive with the bioactive agent when in contact with the bioactive agent at a temperature range that falls within the range spanning from a storage temperature to a combustion and decomposition temperature of the bioactive agent. 
     
     
         11 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein said carrier material is unreactive with the bioactive agent when in contact with the bioactive agent at a temperature range spanning from a storage temperature to a temperature being 50° C. higher than a vaporization temperature of the bioactive agent. 
     
     
         12 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein said pallet comprises packed particles. 
     
     
         13 . The dose unit of  claim 12 , wherein said particles have a diameter larger than 10 microns. 
     
     
         14 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of said dose unit is between 0.1 mm to 2 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein a weight of said pallet is between 1 mg to 100 mg. 
     
     
         16 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein said pallet is formed by pressing particles in a mold so as to unify the particles into an air-permeable matrix. 
     
     
         17 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein said carrier material is formed from one or more substances including: glass, quartz, ceramic composite, silicon carbide, mullite, alumina, silicone and polytetrafluoroethylene. 
     
     
         18 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one bioactive agent includes a bioactive agent selected from the group consisting of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerols (CBG), cannabichromenes (CBC), cannabinol (CBN), cannabinodiol (CBDL), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabielsoin (CBE), cannabidivarin (CBDV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabitriol (CBT), a terpene, a flavinoid and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein the bioactive agent is provided in and/or on said carrier material at a pre-determined amount. 
     
     
         20 . The dose unit of  claim 1 , wherein said electrically resistive heating element comprises an electrode contact-receiving region on either side of a region extending across said pallet.