SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING DELIVERY OF BREAST MILK SUPPLEMENTATION

• US 20160291603A1
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC A Limited Liability Companty of The State of Delaware
• Inventors: Chin, Hon Wah, Hyde, Roderick A., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,925,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 11/0005 having additional ports, e.g. for connecting syringes or straws devices for administering medicines orally A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 13/00 Breast-nipple shields breast-pumps A61M1/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0011 Feeding-tubes for delivery of nourishment to the mouth; Mouth pieces therefor breast-nipple shields A61J13/00; mouth pieces for drinking straws A47G21/185; straws to take medicine A61J7/0038, mouthpieces for tracheal tubes A61M16/0488
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/42 Heating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/60 biodegradable
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/70 Device provided with specific sensor or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/74 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0015 Devices specially adapted for taking medicines
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0053 Syringes, pipettes or oral dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0076 Medicament distribution means with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling delivery of breast milk supplementation are described which include receiving information associated with a breast milk supplement regimen with a breast milk supplement delivery device, the breast milk supplement delivery device including a substrate sized for placement on a surface of a breast region of a lactating female, at least one supplement reservoir associated with the substrate and adapted to contain one or more breast milk supplements, the at least one supplement reservoir including a port with a controllable valve, a data storage component configured to store the breast milk supplement regimen, and a control unit operably coupled to the data storage component and the controllable valve and including a microprocessor and circuitry; and actuating the controllable valve of the at least one supplement reservoir to modulate release of the one or more breast milk supplements based on the received breast milk supplement regimen.

Claims

1. A method for controlling delivery of breast milk supplementation comprising:

receiving information associated with a breast milk supplement regimen with a breast milk supplement delivery device, the breast milk supplement delivery device including a substrate sized for placement on a surface of a breast region of a lactating female, at least one supplement reservoir associated with the substrate and adapted to contain one or more breast milk supplements, the at least one supplement reservoir including a port with a controllable valve, a data storage component configured to store the breast milk supplement regimen, and a control unit including a microprocessor and circuitry, the control unit operably coupled to the data storage component and to the controllable valve of the at least one supplement reservoir; and

actuating the controllable valve of the at least one supplement reservoir to modulate release of the one or more breast milk supplements based on the received breast milk supplement regimen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information associated with the breast milk supplement regimen includes at least one of wirelessly receiving the information associated with the breast milk supplement regimen, receiving the information associated with the breast milk supplement regimen from a removable data storage component, or receiving the information associated with the breast milk supplement regimen through a user interface associated with the breast milk supplement delivery device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein actuating the controllable valve includes actuating the controllable valve to at least one of open the controllable valve, close the controllable valve, change a pressure threshold of the controllable valve, increase an opening size of the controllable valve, decrease an opening size of the controllable valve, or alter a permeability or porosity of the controllable valve.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein actuating the controllable valve of the at least one supplement reservoir to modulate release of the one or more breast milk supplements based on the breast milk supplement regimen comprises actuating the controllable valve to modulate release of a specified amount of the one or more breast milk supplements during a feeding event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein actuating the controllable valve of the at least one supplement reservoir to modulate release of the one or more breast milk supplements based on the breast milk supplement regimen comprises actuating the controllable valve to modulate release of a specified cumulative amount of the one or more breast milk supplements over a plurality of feeding events.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein actuating the controllable valve of the at least one supplement reservoir to modulate release of the one or more breast milk supplements based on the breast milk supplement regimen comprises actuating the controllable valve to modulate release of a specified cumulative amount of the one or more breast milk supplements over a plurality of feeding events within a specified time period.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein actuating the controllable valve of the at least one supplement reservoir to modulate release of the one or more breast milk supplements based on the breast milk supplement regimen comprises actuating the controllable valve to cease release of the one or more breast milk supplements once a specified amount of the one or more breast milk supplements has been delivered.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the breast milk supplement regimen based on attributes of an infant.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the breast milk supplement regimen based on a quality of breast milk of the lactating female.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information associated with at least one analyte from an analyte sensor associated with the breast milk supplement delivery device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

adjusting the breast milk supplement regimen in response to the received information associated with the at least one analyte.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording a delivery event with at least one delivery event sensor associated with the breast milk supplement delivery device.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising reporting a delivery event to at least one of a personal electronic device, a computing device, or a user interface associated with the breast milk supplement delivery device.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information associated with a proximity of an infant to the breast milk supplement delivery device with an infant presence detector and actuating the controllable valve of the at least one supplement reservoir in response to the received information associated with the proximity of the infant.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

vibrating at least a portion of the breast milk supplement delivery device.

32. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of heating and cooling at least a portion of the breast milk supplement delivery device.

3-5. -5. (canceled)

12-13. -13. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

17-18. -18. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

24-29. -29. (canceled)

33. A method for controlling delivery of breast milk supplementation comprising:

receiving information associated with at least one analyte from an analyte sensor incorporated into a breast milk supplement delivery device, the breast milk supplement delivery device including the analyte sensor, a substrate sized for placement on a surface of a breast region of a lactating female, at least one supplement reservoir associated with the substrate and adapted to contain one or more breast milk supplements, the at least one supplement reservoir including a port with a controllable valve, and a control unit including a microprocessor and circuitry, the control unit operably coupled to the analyte sensor and the controllable valve of the at least one supplement reservoir; and

actuating the controllable valve of the at least one supplement reservoir to modulate release of the one or more breast milk supplements in response to the received information associated with the at least one analyte.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein receiving the information associated with the at least one analyte with the analyte sensor includes receiving information associated with at least one breast milk analyte from a breast milk analyte sensor.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein receiving the information associated with the at least one analyte with the analyte sensor includes receiving information associated with at least one saliva analyte from a saliva analyte sensor.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein receiving the information associated with the at least one analyte with the analyte sensor includes receiving information associated with at least one exhaled breath analyte from an exhaled breath analyte sensor.

39. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

receiving information associated with a breast milk supplement regimen.

45. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

modifying the breast milk supplement regimen in response to the received information associated with the at least one analyte; and

actuating the controllable valve of the at least one supplement reservoir to modulate release of the one or more breast milk supplements in response to the modified breast milk supplement regimen.

46. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

recording a delivery event with at least one delivery event sensor.

48. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

reporting a delivery event to at least one of a personal electronic device, a computing device, or a user interface associated with the breast milk supplement delivery device.

53. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

receiving information associated with a proximity of an infant to the breast milk supplement delivery device with an infant presence detector and actuating the controllable valve of the at least one supplement reservoir in response to the received information associated with the proximity of the infant.

54. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

vibrating at least a portion of the breast milk supplement delivery device.

55. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

at least one of heating and cooling at least a portion of the breast milk supplement delivery device.

37-38. -38. (canceled)

40-44. -44. (canceled)

47. (canceled)

49-52. -52. (canceled)

56. A system for controlling delivery of breast milk supplementation to an infant comprising:

a computing component; and

circuitry including

circuitry for receiving information associated with a breast milk supplement regimen; and

circuitry for actuating a controllable valve of at least one of one or more supplement reservoirs associated with a breast milk supplement delivery device to modulate release of one or more breast milk supplements from the at least one of the one or more supplement reservoirs based on the received breast milk supplement regimen.

58. The system of claim 56, wherein the computing component comprises a special use computing component.

60. The system of claim 56, further comprising:

circuitry for receiving information from a delivery event sensor; and

circuitry for reporting a delivery event to at least one of a personal electronic device, a computing device, or a user interface.

65. The system of claim 56, further comprising:

circuitry for receiving information associated with at least one analyte from an analyte sensor;

circuitry for modifying the breast milk supplement regimen in response to the received information associated with the at least one analyte; and

circuitry for actuating the controllable valve of at least one of the one or more supplement reservoirs associated with the breast milk supplement delivery device to modulate release of the one or more breast milk supplements based on the modified breast milk supplement regimen.

57. (canceled)

59. (canceled)

61-64. -64. (canceled)

66. (canceled)

67. A system for controlling delivery of breast milk supplementation to an infant comprising:

a computing component; and

circuitry including

circuitry for receiving information associated with at least one analyte from an analyte sensor incorporated into a breast milk supplement delivery device; and

circuitry for actuating a controllable valve of at least one of one or more supplement reservoirs associated with the breast milk supplement delivery device to modulate release of one or more breast milk supplements in response to the received information associated with the at least one analyte.

69. The system of claim 67, wherein the computing component comprises a special use computing component.

70. The system of claim 67, wherein the circuitry for receiving the information associated with the at least one analyte from the analyte sensor includes circuitry for receiving information associated with at least one saliva analyte from a saliva analyte sensor.

71. The system of claim 67, wherein the circuitry for receiving the information associated with the at least one analyte from the analyte sensor includes circuitry for receiving information associated with at least one breast milk analyte from a breast milk analyte sensor.

72. The system of claim 67, wherein the circuitry for receiving the information associated with the at least one analyte from the analyte sensor includes circuitry for receiving information associated with at least one exhaled breath analyte from an exhaled breath analyte sensor.

73. The system of claim 67, further comprising:

circuitry for receiving information from a delivery event sensor; and

circuitry for reporting a delivery event to at least one of a personal electronic device, a computing device, or a user interface.

78. The system of claim 67, further comprising:

circuitry for receiving information associated with a breast milk supplement regimen;

circuitry for modifying the received information associated with the breast milk supplement regimen in response to the received information associated with the at least one analyte; and

circuitry for actuating the controllable valve of at least one of the one or more supplement reservoirs associated with the breast milk supplement delivery device to modulate release of the one or more breast milk supplements based on the modified breast milk supplement regimen.

68. (canceled)

74-77. -77. (canceled)

79-82. -82. (canceled)