eTop: A Compact Smoking Topography Instrument
eTop, short for electronic cigarette topography instrument, is a state-of-the-art smoking topography instrument developed at the Aerosol Research Lab (ARL) to study smoking behaviors. Whether it’s cigarettes, e-cigarettes, IQOS, or waterpipes, eTop captures puffing behavior with precision. By measuring flow rates, puff volume, and duration in real time, this versatile tool provides critical insights for research labs exploring smoking patterns and their effects.
Flexibility and Accuracy in a Smoking Topography Instrument
eTop offers several unique features that make it a standout among smoking topography instruments:
- Includes a calibrator for convenient and accurate calibration of mouthpieces, ensuring reliable readings.
- Handles a wide range of flow rates, from small pod-based devices to large waterpipes, making it adaptable to diverse research needs.
- Incorporates a universal mouthpiece design for compatibility with a variety of smoking devices, eliminating the need for multiple instruments.
- Compact and portable, allowing researchers to take this smoking topography instrument on-site with just a laptop for operation.
Global Adoption of eTop in Research Labs
eTop has become a trusted smoking topography instrument in more than a dozen universities and research labs worldwide. Its ability to deliver accurate, actionable data makes it an invaluable tool for understanding smoking behaviors across different devices. To see where eTop is being used, check out the interactive map below!
Advancing Research with eTop
eTop has been featured in multiple peer-reviewed studies. Here are a few key references:
- Influence of nicotine form and nicotine flux on puffing behavior and mouth-level exposure to nicotine from electronic nicotine delivery systems, 2024, Drug and Alcohol Dependence. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111052
- Nicotine flux as a powerful tool for regulating nicotine delivery from e-cigarettes: Protocol of two complimentary randomized crossover clinical trials, 2023, PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291786
- The impact of vaping ethanol-containing electronic cigarette liquids on roadside impairment investigations, 2023, Journal of Analytical Toxicology. https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/bkad049
- Effect of flavour manipulation on ENDS (JUUL) users’ experiences, puffing behaviour and nicotine exposure among US college students, 2021, Tobacco Control. https://doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2019-055551
- Variable Voltage, Tank-Style ENDS Do Not Always Deliver Nicotine, 2020, Tobacco Regulatory Science. https://doi.org/10.18001/trs.6.6.5
- Comparison of Measurement Methods for Electronic Cigarette Puff Topography, 2020, Tobacco Regulatory Science. https://doi.org/10.18001/TRS.6.5.2
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