An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) is a battery - powered device that provides inhaled doses of nicotine by way of a vaporized solution. It is a healthier alternative to smoked tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Nicocure eCigs is a leader in developing high quality, technologically advanced products in this field.
An electronic cigarette, also known as an e-cigarette, is an electrical device that simulates the act of tobacco smoking by producing an inhaled vapor bearing the physical sensation, appearance, and often the flavor (with or without nicotine content) of inhaled tobacco smoke, without its odor or, ostensibly, its health risks. The device uses heat (or in some cases, ultrasonics) to vaporize a propylene glycol- or glycerin-based liquid solution into an aerosol mist, similar to the way a nebulizer or humidifier vaporizes solutions for inhalation.
The device's components usually include a small liquid reservoir, a heating element, and a power source, which may be a battery or a wired USB adapter. Most electronic cigarettes are portable, self-contained cylindrical devices in varying sizes, and many are designed to outwardly resemble traditional cigarettes. Most are also reusable, with replaceable and refillable components, though some models are disposable. Liquids that produce vapor for electronic cigarettes are available in many different flavor varieties and nicotine concentrations, including nicotine-free versions.
The primary stated use of the electronic cigarette is as an alternative to tobacco smoking, or as a smoking cessation device: It endeavors to deliver the experience of smoking without the adverse health effects associated with tobacco smoke, or at least to greatly reduce those risks.
The possible benefits or adverse effects of electronic cigarette use are a subject of uncertainty among all health organizations and researchers. Controlled studies of electronic cigarettes are scarce due to their relatively recent invention and subsequent rapid growth in popularity. Laws governing the use and sale of electronic cigarettes, as well as the accompanying liquid solutions, currently vary widely, with pending legislation and ongoing debate in many regions. Concerns have been raised by anti-smoking groups that use of the device still might carry health risks and that it could appeal to non-smokers, especially children, due to its novelty, flavorings, and possibly overstated claims of safety.
In 2000, Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik invented a new version of the electronic cigarette that used a piezoelectric ultrasound-emitting element to vaporize a pressurized jet of liquid containing nicotine diluted in a propylene glycol solution. This design produced a smoke-like vapor that could be inhaled and provided an effective vehicle for nicotine delivery into the bloodstream via the lungs. There was little interest in this design until 2004, when it was first introduced to the Chinese domestic market. The company he worked for, Golden Dragon Holdings, changed its name to Ruyan (meaning "to resemble smoking"), and started exporting its products in 2005–2006, before receiving the first international patent in 2007.
While Hon Lik is widely credited with the invention of the electronic cigarette (he has claimed the idea appeared to him in a dream), the modern form of the device is more similar to Gilbert's original design. In fact, vaporizers for the purpose of inhaling substances have been commercially available for several years although these are designed to vaporise solid plant material and possibly more popular for inhaling cannabis rather than tobacco. Perhaps reflecting his expertise as a chemist, Hon Lik's main innovation appears to be restricted to the use of nicotine in a free base form (pharmaceutical-grade nicotine) diluted with propylene glycol, a mixture now widely used in modern electronic cigarettes.
