Breastmilk Handling Apparatus Particularly Useful for Warming of Breastmilk Containers Such as Bottles and Syringes

• US 20140376894A1
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medela Holding AG (Olle Larsson Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Medela Holding AG (Olle Larsson Holding AG)
• Inventors: Bauer, Ryan, Miller, Amanda, Hunt, Jill M., Wach, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 10,136,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 392/382
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/04 the materials being non-metallic
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/2433 with electrical heating means
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 39/003 with forced air circulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 9/001 with inner liners
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/02 Internal fittings of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/44
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets

Abstract

The present invention relates to an infant feeding warming system useful to repeatedly and precisely warm breastmilk or formula for use in the NICU. The system in one form comprises a bedside unit that is attachable to an IV pole. The system may also comprise a centralized warming station with multiple chambers, wherein one chamber heats a bottle or syringe, and the remaining chambers are used for storage and/or refrigeration. The system will use a non-liquid heating system to heat feedings. A disposable liner may be used inside the chamber. The system may also contain heating algorithms that are based on a user inputting milk parameters such as volume and initial temperature.

Claims

1. A liner configured to be used with an infant feeding thermal treatment system, the liner comprising:

a flexible receptacle defining an interior;

a rim member defining a receptacle opening for airflow from the thermal treatment system to pass into and then out of said interior,

said rim member having a first portion and a widened second portion extending from said first portion; and

a port formed in said widened second portion of said rim member, said port adapted to allow a container to be passed at least partially therethrough and into said receptacle interior.

2. The liner of claim 1, wherein heated air is conveyable into the receptacle interior to warm a container comprising infant feed placed therein.

3. The liner of claim 1, wherein said receptacle is a bag, and wherein said container is a syringe.

4. The liner of claim 1, wherein the liner is disposable and configured to be used with an apparatus configured for circulating a fluid medium through the liner, the liner comprising:

a material defining the interior of the liner within which the airflow is able to be circulated and contained;

said material being attached to the rim member, said rim member being mountable to said apparatus and when mounted thereby held in place for use, said receptacle opening being closed by said apparatus, when mounted, to all but said circulating airflow in use; and

the receptacle opening defined in said rim member adapted to receive a vessel therein so as to pass said vessel into said interior when said liner is mounted in said apparatus in use.

5. The liner of claim 1, the first portion being in a first plane, and the widened second portion extending from said first portion in a second plane of said rim member.

6. The liner of claim 1, wherein the receptacle is formed of a first material and the first portion of the rim member is formed of a second material.

7. The liner of claim 6, wherein the second portion of the rim member is formed of the second material.

8. The liner of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the rim member comprises an intended line allowing the rim portion to flex at the line and allowing the rim portion to lie flat during manufacturing or storage of the liner and then to flex as needed for insertion into the thermal feeding treatment system.

9. The liner of claim 1, wherein at least a part of said receptacle is designed to cooperate with a detector for detecting when said liner is in place within a chamber.

10. The liner of claim 1, comprising;

a material forming a liner body defining the receptacle and the receptacle opening into which a container of infant feed is receivable, said liner being adapted to be supported within a liner support structure so as to be selectively disposed to receive the airflow within said receptacle interior, said liner constructed to receive said airflow being at a temperature including temperatures that differ from an initial temperature of the infant feed.

11. A liner for use with an infant feeding thermal treatment system, the liner comprising:

a receptacle having an interior that defines a container receiving volume, an opening through which the interior is accessed, and a rim member surrounding at least a part of the receptacle opening;

the receptacle being sized to fit into the thermal treatment system; and

the liner forming an enclosure for an infant feed container selectively inserted through the opening into the interior.

12. The liner of claim 11, wherein the liner is configured to selectively engage a liner support structure in the thermal treatment system and to selectively cooperatively engage with a thermal delivery section of a thermal treatment system.

13. The liner of claim 11, wherein the rim member has a widened part with a port formed therethrough.

14. The liner of claim 11, wherein the rim member further comprises an aperture having slits extending therefrom, the slits configured to conform to a container selectively inserted through the aperture to hold the container.

15. The liner of claim 11, wherein the receptacle is a bag, and wherein the infant feed container is further defined by a vial.

16. The liner of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the liner is formed of an infrared opaque substrate.

17. The liner of claim 11, wherein the liner further comprises a portion adapted for detection by a liner present sensor.

18. The liner of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the receptacle is configured to direct air flow selectively circulated in the interior.

19. The liner of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the liner is configured to align with at least one sensor, whereby the liner can be removably inserted into the infant feeding thermal treatment system to align with the at least one sensor.

20. The liner of claim 14, wherein the slits further comprise a thin membrane forming a web between two sides of the slits, wherein the web is configured to tear for larger containers.

21. The liner of claim 14, wherein the slits are constructed with a flexible material.

22. The liner of claim 14, wherein the aperture is configured to substantially circumferentially enclose a syringe selectively inserted therein to conserve air recirculation when the liner is used with an infant thermal treatment system.

23. A liner for use in an infant feeding warming or cooling system, the liner comprising:

a receptacle part defining an interior, the receptacle part configured for selectively receiving a container of infant feed;

a top section forming another part of the liner and at least partially closing the receptacle part, the top section having an access hole defined therein that opens to the interior of the receptacle part and through which the container of infant feed can be inserted; and

at least a portion of the liner configured to align with at least one sensor, whereby the top section of the liner is configured to selectively receive conditioned air flow from the system, and whereby the liner is selectively inserted into the system to align with the at least one sensor.

24. The liner of claim 23, wherein the liner is adapted and constructed to substantially center a container of infant feed selectively inserted therein.

25. A liner configured for use with an infant feeding thermal system, the liner comprising:

a receptacle defining an interior; and

a rim defining a receptacle opening, the rim having a first portion in a first plane, and a second portion configured to flex from the first portion into a second plane, the second portion including an access port.

26. The liner of claim 25, wherein at least a part of the liner is designed to cooperate with a sensor, whereby the sensor can detect when a syringe is in place within the liner.

27. The liner of claim 25, wherein the liner is configured for stacking with at least one liner.

28. The liner of claim 25, wherein the receptacle opening and the access port are both configured to selectively receive a container of infant feed.

29. The liner of claim 25, wherein at least a portion of the receptacle is configured to direct air flow into the receptacle interior.

30. The liner of claim 25, wherein the liner further includes at least one infrared opaque portion, whereby the infrared opaque portion can cooperate with a sensor, and whereby the sensor can indicate placement of the liner within the infant feeding thermal system.