Breastpump with Letdown Feature

• US 20140171857A1
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medela Holding AG (Olle Larsson Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Medela Holding AG (Olle Larsson Holding AG)
• Inventors: Greter, Andy, Weston, Richard S., Silver, Brian H., Larsson, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/183,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20140171857A1
• 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 1/06935 imitating the suckling of an infant
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/0697 having means for massaging the breast
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/75 Intermittent or pulsating suction A61M1/63, A61M1/772 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient

Abstract

Breastpumps and methods for use in extracting breastmilk, which can be used to generate, among other things, both a letdown or stimulation phase and a milk expression phase, are disclosed.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A breastpump comprising:

a breastshield having a portion adapted for receiving at least part of a woman'"'"'s breast;

a source of vacuum adapted for communication with said breastshield to cyclically deliver vacuum to said breastshield;

a controller operatively connected to said source of vacuum, said controller being programmed to operate at least said source of vacuum in a manner that results in at least a first vacuum cycle having a waveform with a first shape, and a second vacuum cycle having a waveform with a second shape which is different than said first shape.

3. The breastpump of claim 2 wherein said source of vacuum includes at least an expansible chamber device and a motorized drive system.

4. The breastpump of claim 3 wherein said expansible chamber device comprises a diaphragm pump.

5. The breastpump of claim 2 wherein said vacuum is a partial vacuum.

6. The breastpump of claim 2 wherein at least one of said first and second vacuum cycles is a letdown sequence.

7. The breastpump of claim 2 wherein both of said first and second vacuum cycles are milk expression sequences.

8. The breastpump of claim 2 wherein said first shape and said second shape have differences beyond differences in cyclical rate and maximum level of vacuum.

9. The breastpump of claim 2 wherein the maximum level of vacuum in said breastshield during said second vacuum cycle is greater than the maximum level of vacuum in said breastshield during said first vacuum cycle.

10. The breastpump of claim 2 wherein said controller further comprises an interface for the inputting of programs corresponding to at least said first and second vacuum cycles.

11. A breastpump comprising:

a breastshield having a portion adapted for receiving at least part of a woman'"'"'s breast;

a source of vacuum adapted for communication with said breastshield to cyclically deliver vacuum to said breastshield;

a controller operatively connected to said source of vacuum, said controller being programmed to operate at least said source of vacuum in a manner that results in at least two different vacuum cycles having different shaped waveforms; and

a user-operated input device operatively connected to said controller that sends a signal to said controller to actuate each of said different vacuum cycles.

12. The breastpump of claim 11 wherein said source of vacuum includes at least an expansible chamber device and a motorized drive system.

13. The breastpump of claim 11 wherein said user-operated input device comprises one or more switches.

14. The breastpump of claim 11 wherein said user-operated input device comprises one or more buttons.

15. The breastpump of claim 11 wherein said different vacuum cycles include at least one milk letdown cycle and at least one milk expression cycle.

16. The breastpump of claim 11 wherein said different vacuum cycles include at least one milk letdown cycle and at least two milk expression cycles.

17. The breastpump of claim 11 wherein the maximum level of vacuum in said breastshield during said one of said vacuum cycles is greater than the maximum level of vacuum in said breastshield during another of said vacuum cycles.

18. A breastpump comprising:

a breastshield having a portion adapted for receiving at least part of a woman'"'"'s breast;

a source of vacuum adapted for communication with said breastshield to cyclically deliver vacuum to said breastshield; and

a processor operatively connected to said source of vacuum to control said source of vacuum; and

a memory including executable instructions that, when executed by said processor, causes at least said source of vacuum to operate in a manner that results in at least a first vacuum cycle having a waveform with a first shape and a second vacuum cycle having a waveform with a second shape which is different than said first shape.

19. The breastpump of claim 18 wherein said source of vacuum includes at least an expansible chamber device and a motorized drive system.

20. The breastpump of claim 18 wherein said first shape and said second shape have differences beyond differences in cyclical rate and maximum level of vacuum.

21. The breastpump of claim 18 wherein at least one of said first and second vacuum cycles is a letdown sequence.

22. The breastpump of claim 18 wherein at least one of said first and second vacuum cycles is a milk expression sequence.

23. The breastpump of claim 18 wherein both of said first and second vacuum cycles are milk expression sequences.

24. The breastpump of claim 18 wherein one of said first and second vacuum cycles is a letdown sequence, and the other of said first and second vacuum cycles is a milk expression sequence.

25. The breastpump of claim 18 wherein said executable instructions, when executed by said processor, cause at least said source of vacuum to operate in a manner that results in a third vacuum cycle having a waveform with a third shape which is different than said first shape and said second shape.

26. The breastpump of claim 18 further comprising a user-operated input device operatively connected to said processor that sends a signal to said processor for actuating said first vacuum cycle or said second vacuum cycle.

27. The breastpump of claim 18 wherein the maximum level of vacuum in said breastshield during said second vacuum cycle is greater than the maximum level of vacuum in said breastshield during said first vacuum cycle.

28. The breastpump of claim 18 wherein said executable instructions, when executed by said processor, cause at least said source of vacuum to transition between said first vacuum cycle and said second vacuum cycle.

29. The breastpump of claim 28 wherein transitioning between said first vacuum cycle and said second vacuum cycle is actuated by a user-operated input device operatively connected to said processor that sends a signal to said processor to actuate said first vacuum cycle or said second vacuum cycle.

30. The breastpump of claim 28 wherein said executable instructions, when executed by said processor, cause at least said source of vacuum to automatically transition between said first vacuum cycle and said second vacuum cycle.

31. The breastpump of claim 18 wherein said executable instructions, when executed by said processor, cause at least said source of vacuum to operate in a manner that holds the level of vacuum or slows a rate of decrease in said level of vacuum during at least a portion of said first vacuum cycle or said second vacuum cycle.