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Unlike filter cigarettes, which first entered the market in 1934 and have since – despite tweaks to filters, papers and tobacco blends over the decades – basically remained unchanged, reduced-risk products have become a realm of innovation since their inception.
Between 2010 and 2020, an estimated 73,758 patents were published globally in the areas of nicotine vapour products, smokeless nicotine products and heated tobacco products (HTPs), according to the 2021 Patent Landscape Report, a study prepared for Global Action to End Smoking (formerly Foundation for a Smoke-Free World). The report says 41% of those patents were for HTPs, followed by e-cigarettes with 36%, and 23% for smokeless products.
Novel HTP technology seeks to address the most criticised aspects of the two heating systems that currently dominate the global HTP device market, namely resistive heating with a blade or pin, as used in Philip Morris International (PMI)’s older Iqos models, or induction heating, which is typical of Iqos Iluma or British American Tobacco (BAT)’s more advanced Glo models.
However, since the thermal conductivity of tobacco itself is relatively low, users frequently report shortcomings of these methods, such as uneven heating of the consumable, lack of throat hit, a weaker nicotine hit, low number of puffs, less satisfying taste and a long preheating time, which users see as inconvenient compared to lighting a cigarette.
The last few years have seen a multitude of new heating technology approaches focusing on contactless, precise heating of the consumable, most notably – but not exclusively – developed by Chinese manufacturers.
Convection and microwave heating
One concept, as presented by Dutch company HNB Center with its HTP device MC Cosmic, or as used in Chinese brand Rejo AF1, is hot airflow technology. Also known as convection heating, it generates a stream of hot air with a controlled temperature of around 350 degrees C that flows through the heating chamber of the device, surrounding a consumable that is filled with loose tobacco granules instead of a tobacco plug made from crimped, specially designed reconstituted tobacco leaf. A membrane at the end of the heated tobacco stick prevents the granules from falling out of the chamber and from polluting the device. Manufacturers say the method ensures that each tobacco granule is evenly and thoroughly heated through, resulting in a fuller taste while reducing the production of harmful chemicals.
Companies are also exploring radio frequency heating for HTPs. In 2023, Swiss inhalation device startup NVX Labs developed a pilot whose primary heating mechanism resembled the working principle of a microwave oven. It uses a radio frequency generator to emit an alternating electromagnetic field within a designated cavity, where the consumable is placed. The tobacco plug within the consumable primarily contains tobacco, flavourings, vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, and water molecules. These molecules absorb the radio frequency energy at 2.45 GHz.
Their inherent dielectric loss properties cause them to rotate and align with the oscillating field’s opposite pole, similar to how a bar magnet behaves in a fluctuating magnetic field. According to its inventor, NVX Labs founder Ralf Dumler, the patented technology offers distinct flavour profiles and effectively controls and manages nicotine release. While eliminating the need for any metal pieces or foils, the technology reportedly allows for a short preheating of four to five seconds for the first puff. Dumler was not available for an interview with TobaccoIntelligence on the further development of the company’s pilot.
Using daylight for heating
Another approach sounds like science fiction but was recognised with an innovation award at last year’s InterTabac trade fair. Shenzhen vape product manufacturer First Union Group presented its Alkaid light-heating method, which leverages full-spectrum light waves, mimicking the natural power of sunlight to deliver rapid and uniform heating. According to the company, this enables the device to preheat in just five seconds, offering users instant satisfaction with a smooth, seamless draw.
First Union says the technology also delivers superior taste and health benefits that elevate the smoking experience beyond current standards. According to internal tests, it increases the nicotine release efficiency in aerosols by more than 40% and boosts total particulate matter by 20% compared with traditional heating methods – delivering an experience that closely mimics that offered by conventional cigarettes. At the same time, the technology is said to cut harmful substance emissions by 20%. The company aims to have a market-ready device available later this year.
With its brand Breelight, Sixhill, the heated tobacco arm of First Union, introduced infrared heating technology to HTP devices in 2023. Infrared heating, more commonly known from its use in home heaters, works through a heating element, usually packaged inside a glass envelope resembling a light bulb. It emits infrared radiation that travels through air or space until it hits an absorbing surface, where it is partially converted to heat and partially reflected. Rather than warming the air in a room, this heat directly warms objects. Used in an HTP, Sixhill says, the technology heats tobacco more evenly and efficiently, improving the use rate of a consumable to 90%.
Puff-to-heat
With its most recent development, First Union says it has reduced the preheating time to zero. In June 2025, the company launched an HTP device named PTH Master in Jakarta, Indonesia. First Union says the device is the world’s first puff-to-heat product. According to its manufacturer, the PTH Master works with a distributed hexa-core thermal control system. This system features six independent thermal zones controlled by AI-driven algorithms, so it can precisely regulate temperatures and eliminate uneven heating and overheating common in traditional ring-shaped heaters.
An airflow sensor will respond within 30 milliseconds to user inhalation, dynamically adjusting heating intensity based on puff strength, and enabling instantaneous start-and-pause functionality, First Union says. The device works with so-called honeycomb-engineered tobacco, a tobacco-sheet innovation that, according to the company, releases tobacco uniformly and efficiently through point-to-point heating. Equipped with intelligent dual control modes, the device allows users to select various modes – ranging from six puffs with high nicotine concentration to a lower mode with gradual release. According to First Union, the combination of new technologies will shift the energy delivery method of HTPs from overall thermal conduction to precise intervention.
Personalised products
While adoption of technologies such as Bluetooth connectivity, companion apps, cloud-based analytics and AI-driven or predictive systems across the vaping sector presently remains relatively limited, Michael Wang, co-CEO of vaping technology provider Ispire, believes that, over the next five years, there will be a dramatic evolution in connected vape technologies as they become more widespread. This will enable users to extensively customise vape products.
“These platforms will allow users to control performance parameters, adjust settings like temperature or flavour intensity, and track their personal usage data over time,” said Wang. “The capability to self-regulate and personalise the vaping experience is highly appealing to many consumers – especially those looking to reduce or control their nicotine intake with precision.”
He added that from the industry’s perspective, the integration of cloud-based analytics and AI-driven systems presents exciting opportunities. “These technologies will enable brands to gather anonymised data about consumer behaviour, helping manufacturers design smarter, more intuitive products while also enabling predictive features, such as usage forecasts or recommendations based on personal preferences. While these capabilities will make products more expensive initially, the benefits – both for user experience and regulatory compliance – will far outweigh the costs.”
Focus on consumer safety and precision dosing
Adoption of such innovations, said Wang, is part of two major technology trends. As dynamics begin to shift from an industry marked by explosive growth and a rush of new products over the last decade – often outpacing regulatory oversight – he has observed a growing emphasis on consumer safety.
“Traditional vape devices have relied heavily on ceramic-based components for wicking and heating,” said Wang, “but we are now seeing the evolution toward cleaner, safer materials.” He mentioned glass-based components, which can reduce the potential for contaminants or impurities being inhaled, as an example. (Consumer safety, of course, is a buzzword that also includes age verification and age-gating of vape products – a topic TobaccoIntelligence has covered in a separate article.)
A second trend Wang has singled out is the progress towards precision dosing. He said this concept has gained traction as more regulators begin to view vaping products not just as alternatives to smoking but as potential tools for harm reduction and smoking cessation.
“Particularly in parts of Europe and the UK, regulators are evaluating how e-cigarettes could be used in medically guided nicotine reduction strategies,” said Wang. “With digital control systems being built into the devices, it will be possible to gradually reduce nicotine intake over time. This could allow smokers to transition away from combustible cigarettes in a more structured, trackable and measurable way. This is a promising frontier in the intersection of technology, regulation and public health.”
Precision dosing is also becoming increasingly important for other active compounds such as cannabis, he explains. “Regulators, physicians and consumers alike are starting to value quantifiable and consistent dosing. With advancements in vapour delivery technology, it’s now possible to offer time-released or metered doses, which could revolutionise not only recreational use but also therapeutic applications in the future.”
Increased customisation
As is the case with HTPs, heating technology is currently undergoing significant transformation, Wang points out. While still in the early stages for the vape sector, induction heating offers more precise temperature control, faster response times and potentially greater efficiency and safety, he says. “This evolution could fundamentally change how vapour is generated – resulting in smoother delivery, better preservation of flavour compounds and less thermal degradation of ingredients. […] I believe it holds significant promise and will become a major focus of product development soon.”
With precise nicotine dosing, temperature control and flavour release being closely linked areas, Wang notes the emergence of devices that allow for multi-juice systems, where users can choose from different flavour profiles stored within a single device. “These systems are capable of modulating both physical delivery and temperature settings, enabling users to truly personalise their experience. When these features are integrated with apps and Bluetooth controls, users can tailor everything from flavour intensity to dosing intervals with precision.”
Health and wellness
Another factor that will increasingly impact vaping technology, Wang said, is health monitoring. Devices will soon track battery life, puff count and even nicotine consumption patterns, helping users understand how much they’re using and when.
“In some countries, this kind of data is already being used by clinics and healthcare professionals to support smoking cessation efforts,” said Wang. He added that this leads to the rise of cessation support apps, which he expected to be integrated with vaping devices more seamlessly in the future. “These integrations may be regulator-driven in some markets, and manufacturer-driven in others, but in both cases, they offer users and physicians better tools for guided nicotine reduction.”
For multifunctional devices – those that can deliver nicotine, cannabinoids or wellness compounds – Wang predicts a longer period to enter the market. Legal and regulatory hurdles, especially in the US, make it difficult to combine nicotine, which is regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with cannabinoids, which are still illegal at the federal level. “However, devices that deliver other supplements like vitamins or melatonin may reach the market sooner,” he said. “Over time, integration and convergence will happen – particularly as consumers continue to seek convenient, multifunctional health and wellness solutions.”
The vape of the future, Wang concluded, is a smart, multifunctional tool capable of delivering active compounds with precision, personalisation and reliability. “At Ispire, we envision a future where vaping technology becomes a universal method for precision dosing across a variety of industries – be it pharmaceutical, wellness or recreational.”
Challenges with pouches
Although rather low-tech compared to HTPs or vape products, nicotine pouches – the youngest and fastest-growing reduced-risk product category – have their own objectives regarding improved technology. Since their market introduction in 2014, all nicotine pouch brands presently available on the market use different forms of cellulose as a carrier material.
Powdered cellulose is drenched in a mixture of pharmaceutical-grade nicotine, flavourings and a pH adjuster to bring the product’s pH to the optimum level for nicotine uptake. Although the blend is additionally moistened with polyglycol or glycerol, the pouches are slightly dry. This often leads to the user feeling the nicotine effect and perceiving the taste a few seconds after placing a pouch behind the lip, which comes with some challenges. For some users, the sudden intense nicotine hit is too much – they react physically, sometimes becoming nauseous. The cellulose has yet another downside: during consumption, it may dissolve into a slimy lump in the consumer’s mouth, thereby quickly losing its flavour.
Release of the nicotine in white pouches is mainly controlled by the solubility of the nicotine, which means the size of the pouches also controls the release profile. In non-traditional snus markets, users prefer small pouches. These, however, offer only a very short release time of nicotine and flavour.
High-tech carrier for controlled nicotine release
With Klar nicotine pouches, launched in the UK in January 2025, Swedish company Emplicure has set out to solve the issues. While from the outside the pouches look like smaller pouches already on the market, they are filled with a powder made of bioceramics as a substrate.
The company’s platform consists of the bioceramic, water, bulk, and the active ingredients nicotine and flavour, which bind to that platform. The substance release mechanism takes place through diffusion and dissolution. According to the manufacturer, this allows for a more consistent, controlled release of nicotine and flavour, a smoother experience and better absorption by the human body. The company uses nicotine salt in its pouches. Water-soluble flavourings ensure the best integration with the material, but more oil-based flavours can also be used.
As innovations in reduced-risk product technologies continue to abound, the next decade promises to bring about more advances than almost a century of combustible cigarettes.
– Stefanie Rossel TobaccoIntelligence contributing writer
Photo: AI-generated
