Smokeless Tobacco Product
The present invention relates generally to a smokeless tobacco product in the form of a completely dissolvable vehicle ( 1; 11 ) comprising concentrated tobacco extract contained in a dissolvable matrix. In one embodiment, the vehicle ( 11 ) is a multilayer three-dimensional vehicle whose several layers ( 12, 13, 14 ) dissolve layer by layer in the mouth of a user.
1 . Smokeless tobacco product in the form of a dissolvable vehicle ( 1 ; 11 ) for oral administration, said vehicle being characterized in that the vehicle comprises a dissolvable polymeric matrix in which tobacco extract, or a synthetic equivalent thereof, is included.
2 . Smokeless tobacco product according to claim 1 , characterized in that the dissolvable vehicle is a multilayer vehicle ( 11 ) and that said dissolvable polymeric matrix constitutes at least one of the several layers ( 12 , 13 , 14 ).
3 . Smokeless tobacco product according to claim 1 , characterized in that the tobacco extract is dried tobacco extract.
4 . Smokeless tobacco product according to claim 2 , characterized in that the outermost layer comprises a mucoadhesive substance.
5 . Smokeless tobacco product according to claim 2 , characterized in that at least one layer comprises a substance that swells upon contact with saliva.
6 . Smokeless tobacco product according to claim 2 , characterized in that the multilayer vehicle essentially dissolves layer by layer in a user's mouth.
7 . Smokeless tobacco product according to claim 1 , characterized in that the vehicle has an essentially two-dimensional shape.
8 . Smokeless tobacco product according to claim 1 , characterized in the vehicle is, or when placed in a user's mouth swells to, a three dimensional vehicle, which has a first dimension A, a second dimension B and a third dimension C, with A≧B≧C and C/A≧ 1/10.
9 . Smokeless tobacco product according to claim 8 , characterized in that ⅛≦C/A≦ 2 / 3 .
10 . Smokeless tobacco product according to claim 8 , characterized in that 1/7≦C/A≦½.
11 . Smokeless tobacco product according to claim 1 , characterized in that said vehicle has a compression modulus less than 0.1 MPa.
12 . Smokeless tobacco product according to claim 1 , characterized in that said vehicle has a dissolution time in the interval of 5 to 60 minutes, preferably in the interval of 10 to 30 minutes.
13 . Smokeless tobacco product according to claim 1 characterized in that said extract is free from nicotine.
14 . Smokeless tobacco product according to claim 1 , characterized in that said extract is nicotine or synthetically prepared nicotine.