Development, validation and application of a device to measure e-cigarette users' puffing topography

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Toxicology
• Consumer Product Safety

Background:

• The increasing popularity and evolution of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) necessitate understanding user behavior and aerosol exposure.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated how different e-cigarette designs influence user puffing patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure and analyze consumer puffing topography for various e-cigarette types.
• To determine if product characteristics influence how users interact with e-cigarettes.
• To provide insights for standardizing e-cigarette testing protocols.

Main Methods:

• Adapted a cigarette puffing topography device for e-cigarette use and validated it with air and aerosol.
• Recruited 60 vapers using rechargeable 'cig-a-like' or button-activated e-cigarettes.
• Measured puff duration, puff volume, and inter-puff intervals during ad-libitum use over two sessions.

Main Results:

• The adapted puffing topography device demonstrated high accuracy in measuring puff volumes for both air and e-cigarette aerosol.
• While puff durations were similar, mean puff volumes and inter-puff intervals significantly differed between 'cig-a-like' and button-activated e-cigarettes.
• These variations indicate that e-cigarette product characteristics directly influence user puffing topography.

Conclusions:

• E-cigarette product design significantly impacts user puffing topography, affecting aerosol delivery and exposure.
• Findings highlight that puffing patterns vary considerably across different e-cigarette types.
• Standardizing e-cigarette testing requires a thorough understanding of how product characteristics influence user behavior.