Breast cup

• US 20050080351A1
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medela Ag (Olle Larsson Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Medela Ag (Olle Larsson Holding AG)
• Inventors: Larsson, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/503,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20050080351A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/06 Milking pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/064 Suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/0693 with programmable or pre-programmed sucking patterns
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3317 Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3375 Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/08 Other bio-electrical signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/65 Impedance, e.g. conductivity, capacity

Abstract

A breast cup or breast shield, in particular for breast pumps, with a funnel-shaped main body preferably made of electrically non-conducting material. The funnel-shaped body is sized and shaped to contact a breast and includes one or more electrodes incorporated in a wall of the funnel-shaped main body at predetermined locations. Each of the one or more electrodes is provided on an inside face of the funnel-shaped main body with a contact surface adapted to contact the breast skin, is led through the wall and, on an outside face of the funnel-shaped main body, includes an electrical connection contact.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A breast cup, in particular for breast pumps, with a funnel-shaped main body made of electrically non-conducting material, said funnel-shaped body being sized and shaped to contact a breast, one or more electrodes incorporated in said funnel-shaped main body at predetermined locations, each said one or more electrodes having at least a part extending through to an inside face of said funnel-shaped main body with a contact surface adapted to contact the breast skin, an electrical connection contact with each said one or more electrodes on an outside face of said funnel-shaped main body.

17. The breast cup as of claim 16, wherein said funnel-shaped main body is of a truncated cone shape including a smaller diameter end including a tubular extension which is attachable to a milk-collecting container.

18. A breast cup for a breast pump for placing on a mother'"'"'s breast, having one or more sensors arranged in said breast cup adapted for detecting changes in the mother'"'"'s breast during the expression of breast milk.

19. The breast cup of claim 18, wherein each said one or more sensors is arranged at a distance from the nipple.

20. The breast cup of claim 18, wherein said breast cup comprises a funnel-shaped main body which is sized and shaped to contact the mother'"'"'s breast, and wherein said one or more sensors is arranged in a wall of said funnel-shaped main body.

21. The breast cup of claim 20, wherein each said one or more sensors is incorporated into said wall at a predetermined location.

22. The breast cup of claim 20, wherein each of said one or more sensors includes a contact surface for the breast skin.

23. The breast cup of claim 18, wherein said one or more sensors is an electrode.

24. The breast cup of claim 20, wherein each said one or more electrodes has a lead through said wall and to an outside face of said breast cup with an electrical connection contact for said lead or leads accessible from said outside face.

25. The breast cup of any of claims 18 through 24, further including one or more optical sensors.

26. The breast cup of any of claims 18 through 24, further including one or more acoustic sensors.

27. The breast cup of any of claims 18 through 24, further including one or more thermal sensors.

28. A method for detecting changes in a mother'"'"'s breast during the expression of breast milk from the breast, comprising:

providing a breast pump having a breast cup with one or more sensors spaced at a distance from the nipple;

positioning the breast cup on the mother'"'"'s breast during expression of milk; and

measuring changes in the breast by means of said one or more sensors.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said sensors measure changes by one or more of electrical, optical, thermal, and audible sensing.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising carrying out an impedance measurement for said sensing.

31. The method of claim 28, further including generating and detecting ultrasound.

32. A device for detecting one or more parameters associated with breastmilk expression in a human female, comprising:

a breast shield having an interior part within which a portion of the breast is received including the nipple;

a sensor associated with said breast shield, said sensor adapted to detect a parameter associated with breastmilk expression.

33. The device of claim 32 further including a plurality of sensors.

34. The device of claim 33 wherein said sensors are attached to said breast shield.

35. The device of claim 34 wherein said sensors have a portion which extends to said breast shield interior part and is in contact with the breast.

36. The device of claim 35 wherein said sensors include an electrode extending from said contact through the breast shield and terminating in a connection for attachment to a wire.

37. The device of claim 36 wherein each said contact is electrically isolated.

38. The device of claim 37 wherein said sensors include a sensor which detects changes in an electrical field within the breast.

39. The device of claim 34 wherein said sensors include an optical sensor.

40. The device of claim 34 wherein said sensors include a sensor for detecting changes in a magnetic field within the breast.

41. The device of claim 34 wherein said sensors include a sensor for detecting pressure changes of the breast.

42. The device of claim 34 wherein said sensors include a sensor for detecting ultrasound.

43. A method for detecting changes in a mother'"'"'s breast during the expression of breast milk from the breast, comprising:

providing a breast pump having a breast cup with one or more sensors spaced at a distance from the nipple;

positioning the breast cup on the mother'"'"'s breast during expression of milk; and

detecting changes in the breast by means of said one or more sensors.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said sensors detect changes by one or more of electrical, optical, thermal, and audible sensing.