Pumping breast milk

• US 20040249340A1
• Filed: 06/11/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TOMY International, Inc. (TOMY Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: The First Years Incorporated (TOMY Company Limited)
• Inventors: DʼAmelio, Brian R., Britto, James J., Hagerty, Thomas A., Hotaling, Bryan R., Rossman, Jon R., Varney, James R., Foley, Richard M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,591,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/74
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/06 Milking pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/064 Suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/066 Inserts therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/81 Piston pumps, e.g. syringes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/82 Membrane pumps, e.g. bulbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/073 Syringe, piston type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/075 Bulb type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/078 foot operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/586 Ergonomic details therefor, e.g. specific ergonomics for left or right-handed users

Abstract

A breast pump provides multiple orientations of the pumping lever with respect to the breast shield. A breast pump includes a liner extending from the breast shield, through the suction chamber, and out of the suction chamber, which liner shields other components of the pump from contamination by the flow of milk through the pump during pumping operation. A breast pumping device includes a pumping lever for manually providing a cyclical vacuum within the suction chamber and an external pumping source, connected to the suction bell, that the user can activate to provide a cyclical vacuum within the suction chamber. A breast pump provides a smaller change in the grip width from when the lever is fully-extended to when the lever is fully-retracted, allowing more comfortable manual pumping.

Claims

1-32. -32. (Canceled).

33. A breast pump comprising

a suction bell defining an internal suction chamber;

a breast shield extending from the suction bell and defining a receptacle for receiving a human breast, the receptacle being in hydraulic communication with the suction chamber;

a valve attached to the suction bell that partially defines the suction chamber and is adapted to drain pumped milk from the suction chamber; and

a removable, flexible liner extending from within the breast shield, through the suction chamber, and out of the suction chamber through the valve, the liner defining a conduit for conducting pumped milk.

34. The breast pump of claim 33, wherein the valve is configured to restrict flow into the suction chamber as pressure in the suction chamber is lowered by pumping.

35. The breast pump of claim 33, wherein the valve comprises a duckbill valve with one rigid bill and one flexible bill.

36. The breast pump of claim 35, wherein the rigid bill is fixed in relation to suction bell.

37. The breast pump of claim 35, wherein the suction bell is openable at a hinged joint to expose the suction chamber for liner insertion.

38. The breast pump of claim 33, wherein the pump is manually operable.

39. The breast pump of claim 38, wherein the pump includes a manually operable pump lever secured to the suction bell for cyclical motion with respect thereto to generate a cyclical vacuum within the suction chamber.

40. The breast pump of claim 33, wherein the liner defines a pouch external to the suction chamber for containing pumped milk.

41. The breast pump of claim 40, wherein the liner includes a frangible section for separating the pouch from a remainder of the liner for milk storage.

42. The breast pump of claim 41, wherein the liner includes a pouch seal below the frangible section, for sealing milk within the pouch for milk storage.

43. The breast pump of claim 42, wherein the seal comprises mating rib and groove fastener sections.

44. The breast pump of claim 33, wherein the liner extends to a distal rim of the breast shield.

45. The breast pump of claim 33, wherein the liner comprises low-density polyethylene.

46. A method of pumping breast milk, comprising:

a) placing the breast shield of the breast pump of claim 33 against a human breast; and

b) cycling the pumping lever of the breast pump to express milk from the breast into the liner conduit.

47. A breast pumping device comprising

a suction bell defining an internal suction chamber;

a breast shield extending from the suction bell and defining a receptacle for receiving a human breast, the receptacle being in hydraulic communication with the suction chamber;

a hand-operable lever secured to the suction bell for cyclical motion with respect thereto to generate a cyclical vacuum within the suction chamber; and

a secondary vacuum cycling pump in hydraulic communication with the suction chamber through a length of flexible tubing; and

a valve repositionable between a first position restricting hydraulic communication between the secondary vacuum cycling pump and the suction chamber, and a second position enabling hydraulic communication between the secondary vacuum cycling pump and the suction chamber, for switching between a hand pumping mode and a secondary vacuum cycling pumping mode of the device.

48. The breast pump device of claim 47, wherein the secondary vacuum cycling pump is an electric pump.

49. The breast pump device of claim 47, wherein the secondary vacuum cycling pump is a foot-operated pump.

50. The breast pump device of claim 47, wherein the suction bell defines a first port for attaching to the flexible tubing, through which, when the valve is positioned at its second position and the flexible tubing is attached to the first port, the secondary vacuum cycling pump is in hydraulic communication with the suction chamber.

51. The breast pump device of claim 50 further comprising a fitting between the flexible tubing and the first port that mechanically and hydraulically connects the flexible tubing to the first port.

52. The breast pump device of claim 47, wherein the valve is repositionable between a first position, a second position, and a third position, and the suction bell defines a second port for attaching to the flexible tubing, through which, when the valve is positioned at the third position and the flexible tubing is attached to the second port, the secondary vacuum cycling pump will be in hydraulic communication with the suction chamber.

53. The breast pump device of claim 52, further comprising a fitting between the flexible tubing and the second port that mechanically and hydraulically connects the flexible tubing to the second port.

54. The breast pump device of claim 52, wherein the first and second ports are oriented in opposite lateral directions and are located on opposites sides of the suction bell from the perspective of the breast shield.

55. The breast pump device of claim 47, wherein the valve has a body, a portion of which is disposed within the suction bell.

56. The breast pump device of claim 55, wherein the portion of the valve body disposed within the suction bell at least partially defines a conduit through which the secondary vacuum cycling pump and the suction chamber hydraulically communicate.

57. The breast pump device of claim 47, wherein the lever is secured to the suction bell for cyclical motion in which suction chamber pressure decreases in each cycle with a forward motion of the lever, and increases in each cycle with a return motion of the lever.

58. A method of pumping breast milk, comprising:

a) placing the breast shield of the breast pumping device of claim 47 against a human breast;

b) positioning the valve at its second position; and

c) operating the secondary vacuum cycling pump to express milk from the breast.

59. A manual breast pump, comprising:

a suction bell defining an internal suction chamber and a pumping chamber, the suction and pumping chambers being in hydraulic communication via an aperture through an internal suction bell wall, the aperture being positioned at an upper end of the suction chamber;

a breast shield extending from the suction bell and defining a receptacle for receiving a human breast, the receptacle being in hydraulic communication with the suction chamber via a port disposed below the aperture; and

a valve forming the lower extent of the suction chamber, adapted to inhibit air flow into the suction chamber, and to drain pumped milk from the suction chamber;

wherein the pumping chamber forms a manually cyclable volume, such that when the pumping chamber is expanded a vacuum is created in the suction chamber, and when the pumping chamber is subsequently collapsed the vacuum is reduced; and

wherein

the aperture provides hydraulic communication between the pumping and suction chambers only through a tortuous air flow conduit requiring multiple flow direction changes between the pumping and suction chambers.