Breast feeding quantification

• US 7,833,177 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Nelson, Brenda M., Long, Andrew M., Ranganathan, Sridhar, Mosbacher, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANEGA, RENEE A
• Application Number:
  US11/511,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20080097169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 600/587, 600/476, 604/76, 738/61
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence

Abstract

Presented is a method for quantifying breastfeeding between a mother and a baby, the method including measuring a physiological volume indicative of stomach fullness volume for the baby; setting a signal threshold value of the physiological volume to correspond to a stomach level that is less than or equal to the stomach fullness volume; obtaining an objective measurement of the physiological volume indicative of a level of fullness of the baby'"'"'s stomach; and providing an indication to the mother when the objective measurement equals or exceeds the signal threshold value.

Claims

1. A method for quantifying breastfeeding between a mother and a baby, the method comprising:

measuring a physiological volume indicative of stomach fullness volume for the baby;

setting a signal threshold value of the physiological volume to correspond to a stomach level that is less than or equal to the stomach fullness volume;

obtaining an objective measurement of the physiological volume indicative of a level of fullness of the baby'"'"'s stomach; and

providing an indication to the mother when the objective measurement equals or exceeds the signal threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological volume is the fullness level of the baby'"'"'s stomach.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mother has a breast, and wherein the physiological volume is the reduction in fullness level of the mother'"'"'s breast.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing instructions to the mother to discontinue breastfeeding when the indication is provided to the mother.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing instructions to the mother with respect to correlating the indication with the actions and/or demeanor of the baby.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring includes using a stomach monitor to measure the stomach fullness volume.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the stomach monitor includes a strain gauge.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the stomach monitor includes an ultrasonic transducer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a monitor to obtain the objective measurement.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the monitor includes a strain gauge.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the monitor includes an ultrasonic transducer.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the monitor includes a durometer-measuring device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the monitor includes a size-measuring device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the size-measuring device measures a linear dimension.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the size-measuring device measures a surface area.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the size-measuring device measures a volume.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising informing the mother that an appropriate nutritional training opportunity is occurring based on the indication.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological volume indicative of stomach fullness volume is a lowest observed physiological volume indicative of stomach fullness volume.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological volume indicative of stomach fullness volume is a highest observed physiological volume indicative of stomach fullness volume.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological volume indicative of stomach fullness volume is an average of observed physiological volumes indicative of stomach fullness volume.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining an objective measurement is performed concurrently with breastfeeding.