[01 ] This invention relates to an organic composition for and a method of filtering smoke or vapours, especially tobacco smoke, or variations thereof, being inhaled by a smoker.

Background to the invention

[02] Any references to methods, apparatus or documents of the prior art are not to be taken as constituting any evidence or admission that they formed, or form part of the common general knowledge.

[03] A significant cost borne by publicly funded health services and health insurers results from the treatment of disease associated with tobacco smoking, or the smoking of other combustible dried herbs or grasses, and the smoking of cigarettes in particular.

[04] Traditional smoking articles, such as cigarettes, have a cylindrical, rod shaped structure and include a charge of smokable material such as shredded tobacco (for example in cut filler form) surrounded by a paper wrapper thereby forming what is known as a“tobacco rod”. Cigarettes are employed by the smoker by lighting one end thereof and burning the tobacco rod. The smoker then receives mainstream smoke into his/her mouth by drawing on the opposite end (e.g., the filter end) of the cigarette.

[05] In general, a cigarette has a cylindrical filter element aligned in an end- to-end relationship with the tobacco rod. The filter is intended to have the effect of reducing nicotine and tar intake by direct inhalation on the part of a primary smoker. Typically, a filter element includes a prepared mass of filtering fibres, referred to as a tow. Widely used is a cellulose acetate tow circumscribed by a plug wrap and attached to the tobacco rod using a circumscribing tipping material.

[06] Cellulose acetate tow, being of biologically-based cellulosic fibres, is biodegradable in soil and under industrial and home composting conditions. The filter tow helps remove tar and nicotine while maintaining taste found desirable by the smoker. [07] Notably, other conventional means of smoking, such as pipes, and cigarette holders may also employ filters, and there are even electronic smoking devices for producing vapours (vaporing devices, commonly known as“vapes”), that may also rely on filters, or may be desirous to have filters in future.

[08] A difficulty encountered with known filters is that of biodegradability. Despite cellulose acetate being a bio-based cellulosic fibre and biodegradable under certain specific conditions, the rate of decomposition is very slow and has been both a common aesthetic complaint amongst the community as well as having a negative impact on the natural environment. Studies show that contaminants of cellulose acetate filters can get into soils and waterways, harm or kill living organisms, and generally degrade surrounding ecosystems. Thus, when a smoker discards their filter inappropriately into the surrounding environment, and not via a formal waste disposal system, it can take anywhere between 18 months to 15 years to decompose, depending on conditions.

[09] While individual discarded filters may be small, collective waste can add up to a high percentage of the world’s rubbish. Studies indicate that in a year some 24 billion cigarettes are consumed in Australia alone and some 5.5 trillion worldwide. The Keep Australia Beautiful Council reports that of the annual consumption in Australia, approximately 7 billion cigarettes filters (commonly referred to as cigarette butts) are littered. The World Health Organisation estimates that up to 680 million kilograms of tobacco waste litters the world each year. Several studies have indicated that cigarette filters are the single largest source of trash in the world’s oceans, outnumbering plastic items such as straws, bags or water bottles.

[010] A further issue is that conventional filter materials such as cellulose acetate have alternative uses, most of which would be more beneficial than being converted to smoke or vapour filters. Substituting new filter compositions for the conventional materials would free up valuable resources for more economically useful uses of, for example, cellulose acetate.

[01 1 ] It would be attractive, practically and commercially, to replace or provide an organic and decomposable alternative to the traditional cellulose acetate cigarette filter, and other smoke and vapour filters use in smoking or vapouring devices. Current known alternatives largely consist of a composition of cotton and/or hemp fibres, or a composite cardboard material.

[012] The bones of certain animal species are known to have a microscopic structure of small chambers, defined between narrow layers of tissue. The structure is referred to as the siphuncle and is found to pass longitudinally through the shells of cephalopods, a family of marine invertebrates whose members include octopus, squid and cuttlefish. The layers of the siphuncle in turn are connected by numerous upright pillars (septa). Research indicates that only cephalopods with chambered shells have siphuncles, examples being the extinct ammonites and belemnites, and the living nautiluses, members of the order Sepiidae (such as the cuttlefish, wherein a cuttlefish is any animal with a cuttlebone), and Spirula.

[013] Cuttlebone is hard and brittle and defines the internal shell of the cuttlefish. It is common to find cuttlebones strewn along beaches in many locations worldwide, and is predominantly made of calcium. Cuttlebone is also harvested at very low cost during the processing of cuttlefish and is sold commercially for domestic bird use and consumption.

[014] The present invention relates to the utilisation of naturally occurring siphuncular material, such as that derived from cephalopods, in the production of filters for smoking or vapouring devices.

[015] It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate the above discussed disadvantages of the prior art, or at least offer a useful alternative.

Summary of the invention

[016] According to a first aspect, the invention provides for the use siphuncular material derived from a cephalopod to filter a smoke or vapour, wherein the structural integrity of the siphuncular material is sufficiently retained such that the material comprises passages for the smoke or vapour to traverse.

[017] Siphuncular material extremely well-suited for this use because it has an ordered structure of layers and passages that are generally directionally aligned, and the passages are sufficiently porous such that they may be traversed by the smokes and vapours, but not particulate matter.

[018] The siphuncular material is generally obtained from the cuttlebone of cuttlefish, and is used in a form wherein the integrity of the ordered structure of layers and passages within the siphuncular material is retained. By this is meant that the siphuncular material is used in its solid state, and is not crushed or ground or pulverised for the uses, methods or devices of the invention as herein described and claimed.

[019] In embodiments of the invention, the siphuncular material is carved, either manually or mechanically, from cuttlebone and may be any shape suitable for use as a filter or smoke and/or vapour. It would be understood that, depending on the use, method an/or device of the invention being employed, the siphuncular material may be any shape.

[020] In a preferred form of the invention, the siphuncular material is comprised within a smoking or vapourising device. A smoking device may be any device used for smoking any sort of dried grass, herb, flower or leaf, or other plant derived materials. This includes, but is not limited to, tobacco and/or cannabis, and other plants that are combusted for consumption either for recreational or medicinal purposes. Devices commonly used for smoking include cigarettes (either pre-made or rolled by hand), and various types of pipes. In general, these smoking devices will be used in conjunction with a filter to removed particulate matter from the smoke prior to inhalation. A vapourising device (common referred to as a“vape”) may be any electronic smoking device which produces a vapour for inhalation as opposed to a conventional smoke.

[021 ] In further preferred embodiments of the invention, the smoking or vapouring device is selected from the group consisting of an electronic smoking apparatus, cigarette, cigarette holder and pipe, wherein the smoke or vapour produced by the device traverses the siphuncular material when the device is in use.

[022] The most common forms of smoking devices are those used for smoking tobacco, such as pre-packaged cigarettes with filters forming the butt of the cigarette. According, in preferred embodiments of the uses, methods and devices of the invention, the smoking device is for smoking tobacco.

[023] The siphuncular material may be, but need not be, the only substance used in the smoking or vapouring device to filter the smoke or vapour. Accordingly, in preferred embodiments of the invention, the smoking or vapourising device comprises siphuncular material, and one or more additional materials capable of filtering a smoke or vapour.

[024] The siphuncular material used in the present uses, methods and devices of the invention is used in a form that is essentially solid so as to be functional, but it can be fragile and may require stabilisation. By stabilisation is meant some form of protection to prevent the material from disintegrating or being crushed in manufacture, packaging, transport and/or use to the extent that the layers and passages cannot be traversed by the smoke or vapour, thereby negating the filtering capacity of the siphuncular material.

[025] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the siphuncular material is stabilised by chemical or physical means. The physical means may be any means where the material is effectively braced and/or protected from compression or impacts that may damage the siphuncular material enough to render it non functional for the filtering of smoke and/or vapour. This may include a rigid cover surrounding at least part of the siphuncular material. The chemical means may be a firming agent, such as an alginate, which may be applied to as a coating on all or part of the external surface of the siphuncular material being used as a smoke or vapour filter. Preferably, the firming agent is applied to a peripheral zone of the siphuncular material.

[026] In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a smoking or vapourising device selected from the group consisting of an electronic smoking apparatus, cigarette, cigarette holder, pipe comprising siphuncular material derived from a cephalopod to filter a smoke or vapour, wherein the structural integrity of the siphuncular material is sufficiently retained such that the material comprises passages for the smoke or vapour to traverse when the device is in use.

[027] In a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of filtering a smoke or vapour, comprising causing the smoke or vapour to pass through a filter comprising siphuncular material derived from a cephalopod, wherein the structural integrity of the siphuncular material is sufficiently retained such that the material comprises passages for the smoke or vapour to traverse. [028] In embodiments of the invention, the method includes forming the siphuncular material into a cylindrical shape. Preferably, the shape is round cylindrical.

[029] In other embodiments of the uses, methods and devices of the invention, siphuncular material is pre-treated to reduce the pectin content.

Detailed description of embodiments of the invention

[030] Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following detailed description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The detailed description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding summary of the invention in any way.

[031 ] Specific embodiments of the present invention are described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a section of cuttlebone from which siphuncular material according to the invention is obtained.

Figure 2 is a magnified version of a portion of siphuncular material separated from the cuttlebone of Figure 1 .

Figure 3 is a schematic cross section of a postulated mechanism of the filtering capacity of the siphuncular material of the invention.

Figure 4 shows images of siphuncular material of the invention before (a) and after (b) exposure to cigarette smoke, as described in the example.

[032] Reference in this specification to“one embodiment” or“an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not all necessarily referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not for other embodiments. [033] It has been found by the present inventor that certain kinds of bone and coral have a structure that defines longitudinal internal flow passages in general parallel alignment.

[034] The hard, brittle structure of the internal shell found in the order Sepiidae, commonly known as cuttlefish, has an inherent capacity to allow ease of directional airflow through the shell body. Research on the internal structure of the cuttlebone, reveals a microscopic structure of small chambers, defined between narrow layers of tissue passing longitudinally through the shell of a cephalopod. An example is shown in Figure 1 for the case of a cuttlebone 10, which has been cut away to reveal an internal cross section 12 made up of a plurality of layers 14 of tissue. The layers radiate generally concentrically from an imaginary line or point located externally above an apex 16 of the cuttlebone structure.

[035] The structure is referred to as the siphuncle. The layers 14 of the siphuncle in turn are connected by numerous upright pillars (septa). Research indicates that only cephalopods with chambered shells have siphuncles, examples being the extinct ammonites and belemnites, and the living nautiluses, cuttlefish, and Spirula. A magnified image of the siphuncular material of Figure 1 is provided in Figure 2 in the form of an excised portion, viewed at high resolution of about 5 pm/voxel. The septa are made up of wall-like structures 18, which have a thickness of about 10 pm.

[036] In the case of the cuttlefish, the siphuncle is indistinct and connects all the small chambers of the animal's highly modified shell. The siphuncle is used primarily in emptying water from new chambers as the shell grows.

[037] Referring to Figure 3, in a preferred embodiment of this invention, a section of siphuncular material, denoted generally by the number 20 is shown schematically in axial cross section. Chambers 22, 24 are adjacent siphuncle 26, which comprises tissue membranes 20 and 30 between which is a fluid communications passage 28. The second tissue membrane 30, separates a further generally parallel passage (not shown) of the siphuncle, and so on as suggested by Figures 1 and 2.

[038] Tissue membrane 20 abuts osmotically susceptible cell membrane 32, comprising epithelial transport cells 38, having high sodium/potassium ATP-ase activity. In living condition, air 34 and water 36 would have passed through the epithelial cells, and sodium and chloride ions would have been transferred by osmosis, driven by the hydrolytic ATP /ADP transformation process known in biochemistry.

[039] In a living cuttlebone, the saltiness of blood within the siphuncle is caused to increase, as water moves from the more dilute chamber into the blood passing through passages 28 through osmosis. At the same time, gas, mostly nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide, would diffuse from the blood in the siphuncle into the emptying chamber. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the smoke or vapour that passes along passages 28 in dead cuttlebone material will release compounds such as nicotine and/or tar constituents, and potentially other undesirable compounds, into the chambers via an osmotic process permitted by the composition and porosity of the siphuncular structure and in particular the tissue layers 20, 30, which are made up of arrays of epithelial transport cells 38.

[040] The present inventor performed experiments from which it was identified the direction in which the longitudinal flow passages of cuttlefish siphuncular material disperse gas and consequently the direction of air flow through the material structure. The porous nature of siphuncular material allows it to be readily carved or cored to different desired shapes, including the shape and traditional size of a cellulose acetate filter, using known conventional cutting and shaping tools. The process is both simple, scalable and economically feasible.

[041 ] A non-limiting example of a manual method of coring/carving a cuttlebone body into the shape and size of a usable cigarette smoke filter is as follows:

[042] A notch is cut into the side of a cylindrical coring drill-bit to allow ease of removal of a core. The edge of the end of the bit is bevelled slightly bevelled to facilitate cutting through the cuttlebone. Before coring, the inside of the bit is sprayed with canola oil to lubricate, again for ease of removal of the sample. The bit is rotated to cause it to advance into a bone sample until a suitable length of bone is in the hollow bore of the bit. The cored length can then be removed with the use of a suitably sharp spike, such as a pin or similar. Once the sample has been removed it can be readily cut into the appropriate length and shaved, should there be any imperfections in the core. In the absence of significant cost restraints and mechanical knowhow, further development of the manufacturing process is envisaged. The size of the sample can be amended via the use of a smaller or larger coring bit or via laborious carving, depending on sample size preference.

[043] It would be understood the method could be mechanised for large scale manufacture from harvested cuttlebone.

[044] Sources of siphuncular material, such as cuttlebone, may be brittle and can be susceptible to degradation and disintegration from rough handling. A cigarette filter in a preferred embodiment of the invention includes a chemical firming agent in order to maintain the integrity of the cuttlebone in packaging or production and to avoid breakage and possible powderization of the end product before and during actual use. Experimentation with a small number of readily available organic gelatinous materials proved successful, with ranges of different concentrations and soak rates of bovine hide extract gelatine with cuttlebone filters both hardening the physical structure and maintaining the ease of longitudinal flow through the siphuncular material of the filter.

[045] It would be understood that alternatives such as organic, non-toxic, gelatinous materials including, but not limited to, isinglass, carrageen, agar, alginate, pectin etc would likely have the same or a similar firming effect on the cuttlebone. Furthermore, other firming agents known as food additives may be added in order to precipitate residual pectin, thus strengthening the structure of the siphuncular material and preventing its collapse. Non-limiting examples of firming agents that may be used in the invention and that are known to be safe for human consumption, include calcium carbonate, calcium hydrogen sulphite, calcium citrates, calcium phosphates, calcium sulphate, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulphate, calcium gluconate, magnesium gluconate and the like.

[046] In embodiments, the chemical firming agent is applied to the outer diametric surface of the piece of siphuncular material. Infiltration may be complete throughout or may be limited to a peripheral zone adjacent the outer surface. It was determined that incomplete infiltration is sufficient to prevent structural collapse of the siphuncular material, and provides a hard and coherent outer shell of the filter, without compromising on the availability of passages within the structure through which the smoke or vapour can be drawn in use.

Example 1

[047] The filter samples pictured in Figure 4(a) were prepared using the method described above. They were not treated with any firming agent and had a pure white appearance. A corresponding number of medium strength cigarettes from a single pack was selected and their filters were severed. The severed ends were in turn inserted into the open end of an aluminium tube about 40mm long and of inner diameter corresponding to cigarette diameter. The filter bodies in the set in Figure 4(a) were in turn inserted into the opposite end of the tube. Each cigarette was lit and unfiltered cigarette smoke was then drawn through them into the tube and through the filter, using a suction source connected to the opposite open end of the tube adjacent the filter of the invention.

[048] A visual inspection of the filters after passing of the smoke from a single cigarette through each showed a distinct change in colouring from white to a dark yellow hue as shown in Figure 4(b). A second set of five cigarettes was selected from the same pack. Each bore a typical cellulose acetate flow filter of the prior art. Their filter-bearing ends were inserted into the tube as previously described. The cigarettes were lit and suction applied at the opposite end of the tube to draw smoke through the filters until each of the cigarettes had been substantially completely smoked. The filter claddings were removed.

[049] Visual comparison of the cellulosic tow of the prior art filters and the filters of the cuttlebone revealed in the latter a similar, if not greater, discolouring, testifying to the collection of tar.

[050] Throughout this specification, plural instances may implement components, operations, or structures described as a single instance. Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustrated and described as separate operations, one or more of the individual operations may be performed concurrently, and nothing requires that the operations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures and functionality presented as separate components in example configurations may be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single component may be implemented as separate components. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of the subject matter herein.

[051 ] In addition, use of the“a” or“an” are employed to describe elements and components of the embodiments herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the invention. This description should be read to include one, or at least one, and the singular also includes the plural, unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.

[052] In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. The term “comprises” and its variations, such as“comprising” and“comprised of” is used throughout in an inclusive sense and not to the exclusion of any additional features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims appropriately interpreted by those skilled in the art.

[053] Throughout the specification and claims (if present), unless the context requires otherwise, the term "substantially" or "about" will be understood to not be limited to the value for the range qualified by the terms.

[054] Any embodiment of the invention is meant to be illustrative only and is not meant to be limiting to the invention. Therefore, it should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications can be made to any embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.