Sense a physiological response

• US 9,173,587 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2010
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Van Schijndel, Nicolle Hanneke, Tijs, Tim Johannes Willem, Thilwind, Rachel Estelle, Krans, Martijn
• Primary Examiner(s): STIGELL, THEODORE J
• Application Number:
  US13/383,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 604 73- 76, 604 65- 67
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/06 Milking pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/066 Inserts therefor
• 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 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/06 Heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/08 Other bio-electrical signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/18 Rapid eye-movements [REM]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/50 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/60 Muscle strain, i.e. measured on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/63 Motion, e.g. physical activity
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/65 Impedance, e.g. conductivity, capacity

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a sensing unit configured to detect a physiological response from a user of a breast pump and to trigger a change in an operation of the breast pump in dependence of the detected physiological response, the sensing unit being located separately from a funnel of the breast pump.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a sensing unit comprising a physiological sensor configured to detect a physiological response from a user of a breast pump and to trigger a change in an operation of the breast pump from a first stimulation mode from among any one of a plurality of first stimulation modes to a second stimulation mode from said plurality of first stimulation modes in dependence of the detected physiological response which occurs during a first stimulation mode, wherein the sensing unit is located separately from a funnel of the breast pump,

the sensing unit further comprising a control unit coupled to the sensing unit, configured to receive signals from the sensing unit and analyze the signals to determine one or more physiological responses of the user, the control unit being further configured to compare the physiological responses determined via the sensing unit with stored physiological responses, and,

wherein the apparatus is configured to operate the breast pump in more than one stimulation mode simultaneously.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the funnel of the breast pump is located against the breast of the user, the sensing unit is configured to detect said physiological response from a body part of the user other than the user'"'"'s breast.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensing unit is configured to detect a milk ejection reflex on the basis of the detected physiological response.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sensing unit is configured to trigger a change in the operation of the breast pump from a let-down mode to an expression mode in response to detecting a milk ejection reflex.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is an electrodermal sensor configured to detect said response from skin tissue of the user of the breast pump.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the physiological response is a galvanic skin response.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a glove in which the sensor is located.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the glove comprises at least one finger receptacle and the sensor is located in the at least one finger receptacle to contact skin tissue of a hand of the user when inserted into the receptacle.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a bracelet on which the sensor is located.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sensor is located at an exterior of the bracelet to contact the skin tissue of the user when wearing the bracelet.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising said breast pump, the breast pump being configured to change its operation in response to receiving a signal from the sensing unit.

12. A method for controlling the operation of a breast pump, comprising:

detecting, by at least one physiological sensor of a sensing unit, signals indicative of one or more physiological responses from a user of the breast pump,

transmitting the one or more signals from the at least one physiological sensor to a control unit of the sensing unit,

analyzing the signals received in the control unit to determine the one or more physiological responses of the user of the breast pump, the responses being detected from a body part of the user of the breast pump other than the user'"'"'s breast, and

comparing the one or more physiological responses with stored physiological responses, stored in a storing unit of the sensing unit, to determine if the one or more physiological responses corresponds to a milk ejection reflex of the user,

triggering a change in an operation of the breast pump from a first stimulation mode from among any one of a first plurality of stimulation modes to a second stimulation mode from among said plurality of stimulation modes in dependence of the detected physiological response which occurs during said first stimulation mode, and

wherein the breast pump may be operated in more than one stimulation mode simultaneously, and

wherein the sensing unit is located separately from a funnel of the breast pump.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein detecting the physiological response occurs whilst a funnel of the breast pump is located against a breast of the user of the pump.

14. A method according to claim 12, comprising detecting a milk ejection reflex on the basis of the detected physiological response.