System for a portable hands-free breast pump and method of using the same

• US 20020193731A1
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medela Holding AG (Olle Larsson Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Whisper Wear, Inc.
• Inventors: Myers, Kenneth E., Meincke, Drew F., Birdseye, Sharon, Lundy, Ellen
• Granted Patent: US 7,223,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/74
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/06 Milking pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/062 Pump accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/064 Suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/067 with means for hands-free operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/06935 imitating the suckling of an infant
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/0697 having means for massaging the breast
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/088 on the body

Abstract

A portable, hands-free and user friendly breast pump for facilitating breastfeeding, incorporates a dome-shaped housing having a servomotor mechanism; a hat-shaped flange having a chamber portion, a brim portion and an outlet, the chamber portion being formed so as to be placed over a nipple on a breast so as to define a chamber between the flange and the breast, and the brim portion being formed to surround the nipple and thereby form a suction seal therebetween; and a one-way venting element formed to operatively communicate with the chamber so as to vent pumped milk from the chamber via the outlet. The housing, the flange and the venting element are connected into an integral device held against the breast and underneath clothing so as to keep the integral device hidden. Breast milk is collected via a plastic collection bag that connects directly with the pump underneath clothing such that the milk is isolated from any contaminants in the air and may be easily stored immediately after being collected.

Claims

1. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump for facilitating breast-pumping, comprising:

a dome-shaped housing having a servomotor mechanism;

a hat-shaped flange having a chamber portion, a brim portion and an outlet, the chamber portion being formed so as to be placed over a nipple on a breast so as to define a chamber between the flange and the breast, and the brim portion being formed to surround the nipple and thereby form a suction seal therebetween; and

a one-way venting element formed to operatively communicate with the chamber so as to vent pumped milk from the chamber via the outlet, wherein

the servomotor mechanism is operatively connected to the chamber portion of the flange so as to induce a pumping motion onto the chamber portion and create vacuum in the chamber to thereby pump milk from the breast, the chamber being sealed via the vacuum except at the outlet, and

the housing, the flange and the venting element are connected into an integral device held against the breast and underneath clothing so as to keep the integral device hidden.

2. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 1, further comprising a guiding means operatively connected to the one-way venting element for guiding the pumped milk into a container.

3. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the outlet of the flange has the funnel shape.

4. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 1, further comprising a flange support for preventing overshooting of strokes towards the flange, said flange support is fixed in place by fitting snuggly around a base of the flange.

5. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the hat-shaped flange is integrally formed from an elastic material.

6. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the dome-shaped housing further includes therein a portable power supply.

7. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the servomotor mechanism of the housing flange is operatively connected to the chamber portion of the flange so as to impart an alternating stroking action onto the chamber portion, whereby the chamber portion generates an air displacement and vacuum alternating motion that mimics suckling movement of a baby.

8. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the guide means includes a flexible guide element that extends from the integral device to a container and that is flexibly positionable so as to operatively connect the integral device to the container whereby the integral device, the guide element and the container are maintained against the breast and under the clothes.

9. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump system according to claim 8, wherein the guide element includes an elongated, flexible splint having a wave-form shape in a transverse direction of the splint.

10. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump system according to claim 9, wherein the guide means further include a cup head to be connected to the outlet, said cup head is connected with the wave-form splint with at least one hole at the bottom of the cup head for the milk to leak through to the wave-form splint.

11. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump system according to claim 10, wherein the cup fits snugly into the outlet under an upward sliding force so as to be air-tight while guiding the milk out of in the chamber.

12. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump system according to claim 2, wherein the container is a collection bag.

13. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump system according to claim 12, wherein the collection bag is formed from a thin, synthetic, leak-proof material.

14. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump system according to claim 12, wherein the container is a collection bag having a neck for snugly receiving the guiding means so as to allow leakproof flow of milk via the guiding means into the bag while maintaining operative contact with the guiding means.

15. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump system according to claim 14, wherein the neck of the collection bag has two sealed edges in a V-shape to make the neck spell-proof after being pressed.

16. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump system according to claim 11, wherein the container is a collection bag having a neck, and the cup has an extruded rim for covering on an edge of the neck thereby sealing the neck and going against pressure created by any clothing covering the breast pump.

17. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump system according to claim 12, wherein the collection bag is printed with a graduation scale to show the amount of milk collected in the bag.

18. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 1, further comprising a control means for controlling operation of the servomotor mechanism.

19. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 18, wherein the control means includes means for controlling at least one of a cycle rate and a vacuum level of the servomotor mechanism.

20. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 19, wherein the control means includes at least one variable switch on the housing.

21. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 18, wherein the control means includes a microprocessor.

22. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 21, wherein the microprocessor controls the pump to mimic the natural suck-hold-release-relax cycling and force of a nursing baby.

23. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the servomotor mechanism is formed from one of an electric motor and a tethered hand pump device.

24. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the servomotor mechanism is located outside the housing.

25. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 24, wherein the servomotor mechanism is connected to the housing with an adapter.

26. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 1, wherein the servomotor mechanism includes an electric motor, a lever arm operatively connected to the electric motor, and a rear piston operatively positioned to move linearly by the lever arm so as to press on a top of the flange toward the breast thereby pressing the air out of the chamber to create the vacuum on withdrawal.

28. A collection bag according to claim 27, wherein the collection bag is formed from a thin, synthetic, leak-proof material.

29. A collection bag according to claim 27, wherein the neck is formed for snugly receiving a guiding element through which breast milk flows to be collected.

30. A collection bag according to claim 27, wherein the neck is formed for self-sealing after the breast milk has been collected.

31. A collection bag according to claim 27, wherein the collection chamber is printed with a graduation scale to show the amount of milk collected in the bag.

32. A collection bag according to claim 27, wherein a plurality of collection bags are formed together in a roll adjacent one of the plurality of collection bags being formed with perforations therebetween so as to facilitate separation of individual collection bags.

27. A collection bag for collecting and storing breast milk obtained through a portable breast pump system, comprising:

a collection chamber; and

a receiving neck connected to the collection chamber for receiving breast milk to be stored in the collection chamber.

33. A carrying case for transporting a portable breast pump system, comprising:

a first storage compartment having a flat horizontal panel therein so as to provide a portable working surface for a user to manipulate components of the breast pump system; and

a second storage compartment having insulated walls and a cooling element for storing containers of the collected breast milk.

34. A carrying case according to claim 33, wherein the second storage compartment has concave seats for receiving the containers.

36. A miniature servomotor mechanism according to claim 35, wherein the pump element is formed from one of an electric motor and a tethered hand pump device.

37. A portable, hands-free and visually friendly breast pump according to claim 36, wherein the servomotor mechanism is located outside the housing.

38. A miniature servomotor mechanism according to claim 35, further comprising:

a power supply including at least one battery.

40. A method according to claim 39, wherein the baby'"'"'s suckling movements include at least one non-nutritive suck and at least one nutritive suck.

41. A method according to claim 40, wherein the non-nutritive suck incurs at a vacuum level lower than a threshold suckling level of the nutritive suck.

42. A method according to claim 40, wherein the non-nutritive suck occurs at a cycle rate exceeding 60 cycles/min.

43. A method according to claim 41, wherein threshold vacuum level of the nutritive suck is 70-220 mmHg.

44. A method according to claim 41, wherein the threshold suckling level of the nutritive suck remains consistent for at least twice as long as a releasing time from the threshold vacuum level.

35. A miniature servomotor mechanism for a portable breast pump system, comprising:

a pump element for generating a cyclical pumping motion;

a lever arm operatively connected to the pump element;

a piston operatively positioned to move linearly by the lever arm so as to impart an alternating stroking action via the lever arm; and

an elastic chamber portion of the portable breast pump system operatively connected to the piston, wherein the alternating stroking action of the piston generates a displacement and vacuum alternating motion in the chamber portion.

39. A method for stimulating milk expression by mimicking a baby'"'"'s suckling movements with a breast pump on a breast of a nursing mother to trigger the nursing mother'"'"'s natural reaction to produce milk.