Highly efficient breastpump and system for expressing breastmilk

Abstract

The present invention provides a breastshield for use in a breastpumping system for expressing milk, the breastshield being of such a construction that substantially limits the amount of air between the breast/nipple and the breastshield surrounding the breast/nipple, and most preferably virtually eliminates any air at least in the area of the breast and nipple. In some embodiments, any air in the breastpumping system is substantially eliminated. With the amount of air limited, the mechanism used for generating the pressure difference in the breastshield (e.g., vacuum or negative pressure), such as a diaphragm pump, does not need to do as much work. Less energy is required for the expression of milk, and thus the size of pump used can be decreased, thereby reducing the overall cost of the device.

1 . An improved system for expressing breastmilk from a mother's breast wherein movement of expressed milk is not dependent on gravity-feed. 
     
     
         2 . An improved system for expressing breastmilk from a mother's breast, the system including a breastshield assembly and a container into which the expressed breastmilk is collected, wherein the flow of breastmilk in the breastshield assembly is not effected by gravity. 
     
     
         3 . A breastpump comprising:
 a breastshield;   a plenum formed within said breastshield at a place surrounding at least a portion of the nipple when placed within said breastshield, said plenum further comprising at least one expansible chamber; and   a one-way valve for fluid to pass from within said plenum, said plenum being arranged to fill with milk under a pumping action, said milk thereby becoming the operating fluid working upon the nipple to further express milk.   
     
     
         4 . A system for expressing breastmilk from a mother's breast, the system including a breastshield and a container into which the expressed breastmilk is collected, wherein the flow of breastmilk is not accomplished by gravity. 
     
     
         5 . A breastpump assembly comprising:
 a breastshield part within which at least the nipple of a nursing mother is received, said breastshield part surrounding and embracing the sides of the nipple, with substantially no air being encompassed in an area immediately adjacent the nipple tip;   conduit structure communicating with said breastshield part conveying expressed milk from said breastshield part, and conveying pressure from a source of pressure to the vicinity of the nipple; and   a container within which expressed milk is received from said conduit structure.   
     
     
         6 . The breastpump assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said conduit structure is substantially devoid of any air during operation of said breastpump. 
     
     
         7 . The breastpump assembly of  claim 5 , further including a valving device communicating with said breastshield part which maintains a predetermined minimum level of vacuum within said breastshield part throughout repeated cycles during a breastpumping session. 
     
     
         8 . The breastpump assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said source of pressure comprises an expansible chamber device within which a working fluid is received, said working fluid being a liquid or a gas, said expansible chamber device having a compression stroke and an extension stroke serving to apply said working fluid in the vicinity of the nipple to thereby convey intermittent pressure to the nipple to express milk. 
     
     
         9 . The breastpump assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said expansible chamber device surrounds the nipple. 
     
     
         10 . The breastpump assembly of  claim 9 , wherein expressed milk is used as said working fluid. 
     
     
         11 . The breastpump assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said working fluid is a liquid, and said conduit structure is substantially devoid of any air in operation of said breastpump assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The breastpump assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said expansible chamber device is capable of moving expressed breastmilk into said conduit structure against the force of gravity. 
     
     
         13 . A breastpump assembly comprising:
 a breastshield receptacle within which at least the nipple of a nursing mother is received, wherein said receptacle has an outer frame and a flexible sheath located inboard and supported by said frame, said sheath and frame defining an enclosed plenum therebetween, said sheath surrounding and embracing the sides of the nipple, and having a downstream end in an area immediately adjacent the nipple tip, so as to substantially eliminate any air in said area;   said plenum communicating with a source of intermittent pressure which moves said sheath relative to the nipple;   a valve device communicating with said plenum through which milk passes, said outer frame further defines a nipple tunnel within which said sheath end with the nipple therein extends, said nipple tunnel further defining said plenum, said nipple tunnel having two parts which are movable relative to each other to thereby form an expansible chamber device, said expansible chamber device providing said intermittent pressure source, said expansible chamber device receiving expressed milk and using said expressed milk as working fluid for moving said sheath relative to the nipple as well as moving milk through said valve device; and   a driver communicating with said nipple tunnel driving said two parts relative to each other.   
     
     
         14 . The breastpump assembly of  claim 13 , further including a pressure sensor communicating with said plenum, said sensor detecting pressure level within said plenum and generating a signal representative of a detected level.