Process and apparatus for the removal of toxic components of tobacco smoke and the standardization of the health hazards related to those components

Abstract

The oral cavity is a source of sensitive biomarkers that allow the development of novel tobacco filters to reverse and eliminate acute adverse effects of tobacco smoke. Useful biomarkers are ubiquitous functional leukocytes and associated essential biochemical mechanisms, including metabolic pathways and specific enzymes, such as myeloperoxidase contained in fluid-cell lavages obtained from the human mouth. These biomarkers derived from the human mouth and sputum from the human respiratory system can be used to evaluate long-term chronic effects of tobacco smoke. A tobacco filter comprising strongly basic anion exchange resins and strongly acidic cation exchange resins with or without activated carbon, is used to detect, reduce and eliminate toxic substances from tobacco smoke while retaining taste and aroma. The novel filter in conjunction with biomarkers allow the establishment of performance standards that permit the direct visualization and measurement of acute adverse reactions caused by tobacco smoke. The measurement of these adverse effects allow a human health hazard reduction scale to be created to inform smokers of the relative “safety” of any smoking product.

1 - 31 . (CANCELLED)  
     
     
         32 . A method of evaluating the adverse effects of tobacco products comprising the steps of: 
 providing a tobacco product comprising a filter including a strongly acidic cation exchange resin, a strongly basic anion exchange resin and activated charcoal;    igniting the tobacco product;    having a human subject draw smoke from said tobacco product puff by puff through said filter into their oral cavity;    collecting a fluid cell sample from the oral cavity of said human subject; and    measuring the activity of an enzyme within said sample.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein said enzyme is (L+) lactate dehydrogenase.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32  wherein said enzyme is myeloperoxidase.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32  wherein said enzyme is catalase.  
     
     
         36 . The method  claim 32  wherein said measurement of enzyme activity is the specific velocity constant.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising the step of reducing the adverse effects of tobacco products to a value associated with a health hazard reduction scale.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein upon taking ten (10) of said puffs per tobacco product, said value of said health hazard reduction scale of zero (0) would indicate that cumulatively all said ten (10) puffs adversely effect said enzyme within said fluid cell sample.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37  wherein upon taking ten (10) of said puffs per tobacco product, said value of said health hazard reduction scale of five (5) would indicate that a first five (5) puffs cumulatively adversely affect said enzyme within said fluid cell sample and a last five (5) puffs do not.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 37  wherein upon taking ten (10) of said puffs per tobacco product, said value of said health hazard reduction scale of ten (10) would indicate that none of said ten (10) puffs adversely affect said enzyme within said fluid cell sample.  
     
     
         41 - 42 . (CANCELLED)