Pumping breast milk
First Claim
1. A pumping device for drawing milk from a human breast, the pumping device comprisinga milk receptacle in fluid communication with a hood adapted to receive a human breast;
- an electric motor configured to drive a pump to produce sub-atmospheric pressure in the hood to pull milk from the breast;
an electrically operated valve between the pump and the hood and adapted to, in a suction position, expose the breast to sub-atmospheric pressure generated by the pump to apply suction to the breast and to, in a release position, at least partially block the breast from sub-atmospheric pressure generated by the pump to reduce the suction applied to the breast;
a controller adapted to track time and to, as a function of tracked time, move the valve between its suction and release positions at predetermined time intervals, so as to produce repeating pressure cycles in the cup to simulate infant nursing; and
a manual suction adjuster to enable a user to manually adjust the sub-atmospheric pressure applied to the breast with the valve in its suction position.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A portable, electric breast pump has an electronic controller adapted to track time and operate a solenoid to automatically maintain a predetermined suction and release rhythm as a function of time to mimic the natural sucking rhythm of an infant. Suction is produced by a continuously running diaphragm pump. A needle valve permits user vacuum level adjustment, but no other user control is required. A flapper valve in the top of the bottle reduces the suction rise time but incorporates a fixed amount of leakage to build a small amount of bottle pressure for pulling collected milk into the bottle during the release portion of the cycle. An improved bulkhead design helps to keep milk from entering the diaphragm pump if the unit is shaken or turned on its side.
99 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A pumping device for drawing milk from a human breast, the pumping device comprising
a milk receptacle in fluid communication with a hood adapted to receive a human breast; -
an electric motor configured to drive a pump to produce sub-atmospheric pressure in the hood to pull milk from the breast;
an electrically operated valve between the pump and the hood and adapted to, in a suction position, expose the breast to sub-atmospheric pressure generated by the pump to apply suction to the breast and to, in a release position, at least partially block the breast from sub-atmospheric pressure generated by the pump to reduce the suction applied to the breast;
a controller adapted to track time and to, as a function of tracked time, move the valve between its suction and release positions at predetermined time intervals, so as to produce repeating pressure cycles in the cup to simulate infant nursing; and
a manual suction adjuster to enable a user to manually adjust the sub-atmospheric pressure applied to the breast with the valve in its suction position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A pumping device for drawing milk from a human breast, the pumping device comprising
a milk receptacle in fluid communication with a hood adapted to receive a human breast; -
an electric motor configured to drive a pump to produce sub-atmospheric pressure in the hood to pull milk from the breast;
an electrically operated valve between the pump and the hood and adapted to, in a suction position, expose the breast to sub-atmospheric pressure generated by the pump to apply suction to the breast and to, in a release position, at least partially block the breast from sub-atmospheric pressure generated by the pump to reduce the suction applied to the breast; and
a controller adapted to track time and to, as a function of tracked time, move the valve between its suction and release positions at predetermined time intervals, so as to produce repeating pressure cycles in the cup to simulate infant nursing; and
a bulkhead connecting the milk receptacle to the pump and hood, the bulkhead having a housing defining an internal chamber;
a milk inlet conduit providing communication between the hood and the internal chamber, the milk inlet conduit extending from one side of the internal chamber with the pumping device in an upright position for normal use, such that entering milk tends to flow along a lower side of the conduit;
a milk outlet providing communication between the internal chamber and the milk receptacle, the milk outlet disposed at a lower end of the internal chamber with the portable pumping device in said upright position; and
a vacuum port providing communication between the pump and the internal chamber through a vacuum inlet passage within the receptacle bulkhead, the vacuum inlet passage extending a distance toward the milk inlet conduit and separated from the lower side of the conduit, such that with the pumping device in its upright position milk entering from the hood will tend to avoid the vacuum inlet passage and, with the pumping device in a sideways position with the milk inlet conduit extending upward, milk from the receptacle will be inhibited from entering the vacuum inlet passage. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A pumping device for drawing milk from a human breast, the pumping device comprising
a milk receptacle in fluid communication with a hood adapted to receive a human breast; -
an electric motor configured to drive a pump to produce sub-atmospheric pressure in the hood to pull milk from the breast;
an electrically operated valve between the pump and the hood and adapted to, in a suction position, expose the breast to sub-atmospheric pressure generated by the pump to apply suction to the breast and to, in a release position, at least partially block the breast from sub-atmospheric pressure generated by the pump to reduce the suction applied to the breast;
a controller adapted to track time and to, as a function of tracked time, move the valve between its suction and release positions at predetermined time intervals, so as to produce repeating pressure cycles in the cup to simulate infant nursing; and
a one-way valve disposed between the hood and the milk receptacle, the valve comprising a cup-shaped valve body with a hole through a bottom thereof, and a flexible membrane flap arranged to cover the hole through the valve body when suction is applied to the hood, inhibiting flow between the hood and the milk receptacle, such that milk from the hood is collected in the cup on top of the membrane flap, and to flex, under weight of the collected milk, to expose the hole when hood suction is released, allowing the collected milk to flow from the valve body into the milk receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification