Electronic cigarettes come in two broad categories, automatic and manual. With an automatic device, as the user inhales the air flow is detected by a sensor that then activates a heating element which vaporizes the flavored liquid in the mouthpiece. With manual types, the user has to first press a button to activate the heating element, which then produces the vapor that is to be inhaled.
No matter the kind of electronic cigarette, there is usually an LED on the end opposite the filter which serves to simulate the light of a real cigarette, indicating use, only with several color choices available! In another departure from traditional cigarettes, the levels of nicotine involved may be user-defined, as well as the very taste and smell.
Whether automatic or manual, an electronic cigarette generally consists of the same basic components. The mouthpiece, known in the industry as a “catridge,” is a small disposable cup-like plastic part that substitutes for the filter of a conventional cigarette. It’s designed in such a way as to allow air to flow past an absorbent material within that stores a flavored solution. Another kind of mouthpiece works by being dipped by the user into the desired liquid, with some designs requiring removal while others do not.
The heating element, also called an “atomizer,” vaporizes the solution so that it can be inhaled. This part needs to be replaced periodically, from two to four times a year with continuous usage. Some atomizers combine the heating element with the flavored solution. Finally, putting the “e” in “electronic,” are the battery and miscellaneous circuitry. The battery is usually the largest part of all, a lithium-ion rechargeable in all likelihood. It’s a simple design, invented by Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik in 2003 and available for sale outside the country two years later.
