Therapeutic vaporizer

Abstract

A therapeutic vaporizer is disclosed having two or more housing portions configured to form an inner cavity. The housing portions are movable between an open and closed position, such that at least a portion of the inner cavity is enclosed when the housing portions are in the closed position. The vaporizer includes at least one accessory-receiving element configured to receive at least one accessory within the inner cavity when the housing portions are in the closed position.

1 . A therapeutic vaporizer, comprising:
 a housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion configured to form an inner cavity, the first and second housing portions configured to movably engage and disengage with respect to each other between a closed and open position, respectively, such that at least a portion of the inner cavity is enclosed when the first and the second housing portions are in the closed position;   a heater configured to at least partially vaporize a therapeutic material; and   at least one accessory-receiving element positioned at least partially within the portion of the inner cavity, the accessory-receiving element configured to receive and at least partially conceal at least one accessory within the inner cavity when the first and second housing portions are in the closed position.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The therapeutic vaporizer of  claim 1 , wherein the accessory-receiving element comprises at least one of an inhalation tube-receiving element configured to receive an inhalation tube, a bowl receptacle configured to removably engage with a bowl configured to hold a therapeutic material, and an inhalation bag-receiving element configured to receive an inhalation bag. 
     
     
         4 . The therapeutic vaporizer of  claim 3 , wherein the inhalation tube-receiving element comprises a groove extending at least partially around an inner perimeter of at least one of the first and second housing portions. 
     
     
         5 . The therapeutic vaporizer of  claim 1 , further comprising a mezzanine attached to at least one of the first and second housing portions, the mezzanine configured to divide the portion of the inner cavity into a first cavity section and a second cavity section, wherein the first cavity section is substantially concealed from view when the first and the second housing portions are in the open position. 
     
     
         6 . The therapeutic vaporizer of  claim 5 , wherein the accessory-receiving element comprises a groove configured to receive an inhalation tube, the groove extending between a portion of the mezzanine and at least one of the first and second housing portions. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The therapeutic vaporizer of  claim 1 , further comprising a gas flow device configured to flow gas through the heater, and a user interface configured to interface with a controller, wherein the user interface and the controller are configured to control at least one of the heater and the gas flow device, wherein the user interface is at least partially enclosed within the cavity when the first and second housing portions are in the closed position. 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A therapeutic vaporizer, comprising:
 a housing;   a gas flow device contained within the housing;   a heater contained within the housing, the heater comprising a chamber and a heating element configured to selectively heat a gas flowed from the gas flow device and through the chamber;   a bowl comprising:
 an inner bowl cavity comprising a therapeutic material support; 
 an inlet providing fluid communication between the inner bowl cavity and the chamber, and 
 an outlet providing fluid communication from the inner bowl cavity; 
   a first temperature sensor configured to detect a first temperature proximate to or within a portion of the heater;   a second temperature sensor configured to detect a second temperature proximate to or within a fluid pathway formed downstream of the heater; and   a temperature controller associated with the first and the second temperature sensors and the heating element for controlling the temperature of a gas flowed through the bowl cavity.   
     
     
         38 . The therapeutic vaporizer of  claim 37 , wherein the temperature controller is configured to control the operation of the heating element in response to an output received from at least one of the first and second temperature sensors. 
     
     
         39 . The therapeutic vaporizer of  claim 38 , wherein the temperature controller is configured to control the operation of the heating element in response to an output received from both the first and the second temperature sensors. 
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . The therapeutic vaporizer of  claim 37 , wherein the housing comprises a first housing portion and a second housing portion configured to form an inner cavity, the first and second housing portions configured to movably engage and disengage with respect to each other between a closed and open position; and further comprising at least one accessory-receiving element positioned at least partially within the portion of the inner cavity, the accessory-receiving element configured to receive and at least partially conceal at least one accessory within the inner cavity when the first and second housing portions are in the closed position. 
     
     
         44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . The therapeutic vaporizer of  claim 37 , wherein the heating element comprises a halogen bulb. 
     
     
         53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 . A method of providing a therapeutic gas, comprising:
 providing a therapeutic vaporizer that comprises:
 a housing forming an inner volume; and 
 a gas flow device, a heater, and a therapeutic material support, positioned at least partially within the housing; 
   forming a vaporized therapeutic gas by:
 flowing a gas through the heater to form a heated gas; and 
 flowing the heated gas through or proximate to the second therapeutic material that is supported by the therapeutic material support; 
   sensing a first temperature proximate to or within the therapeutic material support; and
 controlling the operation of one or more of the gas flow device and the heater in response to the sensing. 
   
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein flowing the gas through the heater to form a heated gas comprises flowing the gas with the gas flow device. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein the housing comprises a first housing portion and a second housing portion configured to movably engage and disengage with respect to each other between a closed and open position; further comprising:
 opening the therapeutic vaporizer to the open position;   inserting at least one accessory into the inner volume; and   closing the therapeutic vaporizer to the closed position to conceal at least one of a bowl, inhalation tube and inhalation bag.   
     
     
         57 . (canceled) 
     
     
         58 . (canceled) 
     
     
         59 . (canceled) 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 54 , further comprising:
 sensing a second temperature proximate to or within a portion of the heater; and   controlling the operation of at least one of the gas flow device and the heater in response to the sensing the first temperature and sensing the second temperature.   
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein sensing the first temperature and sensing the second temperature occur at substantially the same time. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 60 , further comprising activating the gas flow device during the sensing the first temperature, sensing the second temperature, and during said controlling the operation of the heater. 
     
     
         63 . (canceled) 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein controlling the operation of the heater comprises activating and deactivating the heater with a pulse-width modulated signal from a temperature controller. 
     
     
         65 . (canceled) 
     
     
         66 . (canceled) 
     
     
         67 . The therapeutic vaporizer of  claim 3 , further comprising at least one of the inhalation tube, the bowl, and the inhalation bag, wherein the at least one of the inhalation tube, the bowl, and the inhalation bag is completely concealed from view when the first and second housing portions are in the closed position. 
     
     
         68 . The therapeutic vaporizer of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a bowl configured with a bowl cavity to receive a therapeutic material;   a first temperature sensor configured to detect a first temperature proximate to or within a portion of the heater;   a second temperature sensor configured to detect a second temperature proximate to or within a fluid pathway formed downstream of the heater; and   a temperature controller associated with the first and the second temperature sensors and the heater for controlling the temperature of a gas flowed from the howl cavity.   
     
     
         69 . The therapeutic vaporizer of  claim 52 , wherein the temperature controller is configured to control the operation of the halogen bulb by activating and deactivating the halogen bulb with a pulse-width modulated signal. 
     
     
         70 . A method of operating a therapeutic vaporizer, comprising:
 providing a therapeutic vaporizer that comprises:
 a housing comprising a first housing portion and a second housing portion configured to form an inner cavity, the first and second housing portions configured to movably engage and disengage with respect to each other between a closed and open position, respectively; and 
 at least one accessory-receiving element positioned at least partially within the portion of the inner cavity; 
   opening the therapeutic vaporizer to the open position;   inserting at least one accessory into the accessory-receiving element; and   closing the therapeutic vaporizer to the closed position to conceal at least one accessory within the inner cavity.   
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 70 , wherein inserting comprises at least one at least one of inserting an inhalation tube into an inhalation tube-receiving element, inserting a bowl configured to hold a therapeutic material into a bowl receptacle, and inserting an inhalation bag into an inhalation bag-receiving element. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein inserting the inhalation tube comprises inserting the inhalation tube into a groove extending at least partially around an inner perimeter of at least one of the first and second housing portions. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 70 , further comprising providing a mezzanine attached to at least one of the first and second housing portions, the mezzanine configured to divide the portion of the inner cavity into a first cavity section and a second cavity section, wherein opening comprises substantially concealing the first cavity section from view. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 73 , wherein inserting the inhalation tube comprises inserting the inhalation tube into a groove extending between a portion of the mezzanine and at least one of the first and second housing portions. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 70 , further comprising providing a user interface to control the vaporizer, wherein closing comprises at least partially enclosing the user interface within the inner cavity and concealing the user interface from view. 
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 70 , wherein providing the therapeutic vaporizer further comprises providing a heater configured to at least partially vaporize a therapeutic material, a first temperature sensor configured to detect a first temperature proximate to or within a portion of the heater, a second temperature sensor configured to detect a second temperature proximate to or within a fluid pathway formed downstream of the heater; and
 further comprising controlling the temperature of a gas flowed through a bowl cavity of the therapeutic vaporizer with a temperature controller associated with the first and the second temperature sensors.   
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 76 , wherein controlling comprises controlling a halogen bulb heating element of the heater with a pulse-width modulated signal.