US 11,771,127 B2
Chewable dissolvable nicotine tablet
Feng Gao, Midlothian, VA (US); Diane L. Gee, Chesterfield, VA (US); Shuzhong Zhuang, Glen Allen, VA (US); Phillip M. Hulan, Midlothian, VA (US); and William J. Burke, Nashville, TN (US)
Assigned to Altria Client Services LLC, Richmond, VA (US)
Filed by ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC, Richmond, VA (US)
Filed on Oct. 3, 2014, as Appl. No. 14/505,814.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/886,355, filed on Oct. 3, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2015/0096573 A1, Apr. 9, 2015
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A24B 13/00 (2006.01); A24B 15/16 (2020.01)
CPC A24B 13/00 (2013.01) [A24B 15/16 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
 
1. A chewable dissolvable nicotine tablet receivable in an oral cavity of an adult consumer, the chewable dissolvable nicotine tablet comprising:
a matrix including
oral-soluble maltodextrin fibers in an amount of from 55 weight percent to 70 weight percent by weight of the tablet;
non-tobacco cellulosic fibers in an amount of from 0.01 weight percent to 10 weight percent by weight of the tablet,
wherein the non-tobacco cellulosic fibers having an average fiber length between 25 micrometers and 125 micrometers; and
sugar alcohols in an amount of from 20 weight percent to 40 weight percent by weight of the tablet,
wherein the sugar alcohols are selected from the group consisting of mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, maltitol syrup, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, and combinations thereof, and
wherein the oral-soluble maltodextrin fibers and the sugar alcohols each have a glass transition temperature in the range of −75° C. to 25° C.;
a plurality of domains dispersed in the matrix, each of the domains including an oil,
wherein the oil is present in an amount of from 2 weight percent to 15 weight percent by weight of the tablet, and
wherein the oil is selected from the group consisting of hydrogenated oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, corn oil, cotton seed oil, olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, sesame oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, mustard oil, almond oil, beech nut oil, cashew oil, hazelnut oil, macadamia oil, pecan oil, pine nut oil, pistachio oil, walnut oil, grapefruit seed oil, lemon oil, orange oil, pumpkin oil, watermelon seed oil, citrus oils, oils from melons and gourd seeds, flaxseed oil, cocoa butter, and combinations thereof; and
a nicotine source including nicotine, a nicotine derivative, or both nicotine and a nicotine derivative,
wherein at least one domain of the plurality of domains includes a mixture of the nicotine source and the oil,
wherein the nicotine source is present in the tablet in an amount of from 0.1 milligram to 20 milligram,
wherein the nicotine source is released from the tablet when the tablet is chewed or dissolved within the oral cavity,
wherein the oral cavity has a temperature greater than the melting transition point of the oil,
wherein the tablet is free of tobacco plant tissue, and
wherein the tablet takes up to 1 hour to dissolve when placed in the oral cavity and takes between 1 minute and 30 minutes to dissolve when chewed by the adult consumer.