Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/668425
TPI 16 Q1 2016 S ince establishing its roots in 2003, the electronic ciga- rette industry has helped redefine the traditional ciga- rette–offering an innovative alternative that appeals to a new generation of users. To be effective, an e-cig must produce flavor and vapor that satisfies the smoker. It is also important that the devices are safe–and the industry has, without being regulated, responded to customers' desire for safety in a number of critical areas. Four key design areas that will see truly significant strides in 2016 Temperature Control/Limiting First, temperature control/limiting was designed to limit the amount of heat applied to the coil, preventing dry hits. Controlling the temperature also prevents overheating e-liq- uid, which can cause the production of potentially harmful chemicals. A number of companies have introduced tempera- ture control units, but they all use algorithms to estimate tem- perature. As the technology develops, experts think there will be some great improvements over the next year. Higher wattage and sub-ohm capabilities Another industry trend that enhances flavor and vapor is the introduction of higher wattage units and sub-ohm tanks. Whereas early e-cigs were constant 3.7-4.2 volt devices, newer e-cigs produce between 20-200 watts, giving vapers even more power options. With more powerful units avail- able, the sub-ohm tank market has begun to replace carto- mizer and bottom dual coil tanks. Nicotine and e-liquid Nicotine is used in e-cigs for several reasons. These include providing a replacement of the nicotine received from cigarette smoking, providing what smokers refer to as a "throat hit," or the sensation in the back of the throat that smokers are accustomed to. E-cig coils have recently gone through a meta- morphosis, with sub-ohm tanks becoming a prominent design component. Since sub-ohm tanks produce significantly more vapor, a resulting industry trend is that vapers often reduce the amount of nicotine in their e-liquid because as the vapor and flavor increases, the "throat hit" also increases significantly. The e-cig industry has made significant strides in its appli- cation of e-liquid to products. One of the most important has been a variety of safety and health factors. E-liquid consists of a combination of propylene glycol (which proponents say has been used in asthma inhalers since 1952 and may promote lung health), vegetable glycerin (which is naturally absorbed by the lungs with no dilatory affect), as well as flavors. Over the past few years, many e-liquid manufacturers have taken the initiative (ahead of any regulation) to make their products safer by introducing child-resistant packaging, put- ting more information on e-liquid labels and testing flavors for potentially undesirable chemicals. Many e-liquid companies now have their products lab produced and lab tested, with the results published and available to the general public. As a whole, the industry trend has been to champion "over-18 vap- ing" with no sales to minors. Variable Voltage In the past few years, the industry trend has been toward variable voltage units. This trend continues with the intro- duction of more sophisticated software, giving the end-user greater control over the quality of their vape and introducing features that enhance their vaping experience. The latest vap- ing software trends also include such benefits as the ability to update product firmware as manufacturers develop new software features, and also software with user-programmable features. Safety continues to be vital to the e-cig industry, and vari- able voltage units offer the ability to add safety features in larger tube and box mods. Hardware manufacturers continue to introduce new safety features including reverse battery protection, safety cut-offs, thermal monitoring and multiple-re- dundant safety backup features. With millions of people now vaping world-wide, the e-cig industry continues to enhance its products, modifying the vaping experience, while preserving many of the qualities tra- ditional tobacco users seek. TPI Key E-Cigarette Design Trends to Watch in 2016 A snapshot of the ways the industry will continue to enhance products and modify the vape experience this year. » BY DR. TIM KLEREKOPER, PROVAPE { Provape: Trends to Watch } The e-cig industry has made major progress in its application of e-liquid to products.