E-cigarettes redesigned
Our portfolio includes several next generation e-vapor products, which are battery-powered devices that produce an aerosol by vaporizing a nicotine-containing liquid. Our e-vapor products comprise devices using current generation technology and our new e-vapor mesh technology that addresses certain challenges presented by some e-vapor products currently on the market.
Our MESH vaping system (MVS) products are designed to ensure the consistency and quality of the generated aerosol.
Classic e-cigarettes use a wick and coil system to heat a nicotine-containing solution. The wick draws the nicotine-containing liquid onto a coil-heating element to heat the liquid and create a vaporized aerosol. In these systems, the temperature of the heater can vary significantly depending on the device and how strongly the e-cigarette is puffed. Several studies have shown that puffing on an e-cigarette when the liquid level is low can result in "dry-puffs" that can drastically change the chemistry of the aerosol. Under these conditions, the levels of and number of harmful chemicals are significantly higher compared to levels found in e-cigarettes that have sufficient liquid.
Our MVS e-vapor product uses closed-system e-liquid pods to prevent tampering and liquid leakage. The mouthpiece and a heating element are built into each replaceable pod to maintain product hygiene. The heating element is a metallic woven mesh with tiny holes to heat the pre-filled pre-sealed pod. Three main elements were further developed to make this e-vapor product a more acceptable smoke-free alternative: the mesh technology, the puff activated heating, and the low liquid detection system.
In the MESH technology the wick is eliminated, and the coil is replaced by a metal mesh. When the liquid is introduced to the mesh heater the increased surface area provided by the mesh material helps heat the liquid in a more consistent way than current generation wick and coil systems.
The temperature of the heater is maintained between 200-220 °C, rather than varying depending on the puff strength.
The “low-liquid detection system” will cut off the power supplied to the mesh heater once the level of the liquid has dropped below a certain level. In this way, the system is designed to eliminate overheating and "dry-puffs", which is responsible for the creation of higher levels of harmful chemicals.
MVS aerosol contains an average of over 90-95% lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarette smoke. Average reductions in levels of a range of harmful chemicals (excluding nicotine) are recorded as compared to the smoke of a reference cigarette (3R4F).
We have scientifically demonstrated that using our e-cigarettes indoors, when permitted, has no negative impact on overall air quality.
We at Philip Morris International have committed to replacing cigarettes with better alternatives as rapidly as possible for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke. Our Open Science event series provides a platform for in-depth discussions on various topics, including tobacco harm reduction, among others.
