Pumping breast milk

Abstract

A breast pump provides multiple orientations of the pumping lever with respect to the breast shield. A breast pump includes a liner extending from the breast shield, through the suction chamber, and out of the suction chamber, which liner shields other components of the pump from contamination by the flow of milk through the pump during pumping operation. A breast pumping device includes a pumping lever for manually providing a cyclical vacuum within the suction chamber and an external pumping source, connected to the suction bell, that the user can activate to provide a cyclical vacuum within the suction chamber. A breast pump provides a smaller change in the grip width from when the lever is fully-extended to when the lever is fully-retracted, allowing more comfortable manual pumping.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A breast pump comprising:
 a breast shield sized to receive a human breast;   a container coupled to the breast shield, the container including a longitudinal axis;   a pathway for the flow of pumped milk from the breast received within the breast shield to the container;   a flexible member deformable to reduce air pressure in the pathway;   a vacuum cycling pump operable to cause cyclic deformation of the flexible member, wherein deformation of the flexible member reduces the air pressure in the pathway and the flow of pumped milk in the pathway is prevented from entering the pump; and   a valve separate from the flexible member, the valve being disposed at a lower end of the pathway, wherein the valve has a longitudinal axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container.   
     
     
         2 . The breast pump of  claim 1 , wherein the valve comprises a duckbill valve. 
     
     
         3 . The breast pump of  claim 1 , further comprising a valve interface having an aperture in communication with the valve, wherein the valve interface has a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container. 
     
     
         4 . The breast pump of  claim 1 , wherein the pump is manually operable. 
     
     
         5 . The breast pump of  claim 1 , wherein the pump includes a manually operable pump lever for cyclical motion with respect thereto to cause cyclic deformation of the flexible member. 
     
     
         6 . The breast pump of  claim 1 , wherein the valve is removable. 
     
     
         7 . The breast pump of  claim 1 , further comprising a suction chamber defined between the flexible member and the breast shield for reducing the pressure within the pathway. 
     
     
         8 . The breast pump of  claim 7 , wherein deformation of the flexible member reduces a pressure in the suction chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The breast pump of  claim 1 , further comprising a body including the breast shield, the pathway, the flexible member, and a suction chamber defined between the flexible member and the breast shield for reducing the pressure within the pathway. 
     
     
         10 . The breast pump of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible member defines at least a portion of the pathway. 
     
     
         11 . A breast pump comprising:
 a receptacle sized to receive a human breast;   a container coupled to the receptacle, the container including a longitudinal axis;   a pathway for the flow of pumped milk from the breast to the container,   a suction chamber for reducing a pressure within the pathway;   a flexible member deformable to reduce air pressure in the suction chamber;   a pump operable to cause cyclical deformation of the flexible member to reduce the air pressure in the suction chamber, wherein the flow of pumped milk in the pathway is prevented from entering the pump;   a valve interface positioned at a lower end of the pathway, wherein the valve interface defines a conduit having a longitudinal axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container; and   a valve separate from the flexible member and positioned at a lower portion of the pathway, and wherein the valve is coupled to the valve interface.   
     
     
         12 . The breast pump of  claim 11 , wherein the pump includes a lever for cyclical motion to generate a cyclical vacuum within the chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The breast pump of  claim 11 , wherein the valve has a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container. 
     
     
         14 . The breast pump of  claim 11 , wherein the container is positioned within a second container. 
     
     
         15 . The breast pump of  claim 11 , wherein the suction chamber is defined between the flexible member and the receptacle. 
     
     
         16 . The breast pump of  claim 11 , further comprising a body including the receptacle, the pathway, the flexible member, and the suction chamber, wherein the suction chamber is defined between the flexible member and the receptacle. 
     
     
         17 . The breast pump of  claim 11 , wherein the flexible member defines at least a portion of the pathway. 
     
     
         18 . The breast pump of  claim 11 , wherein the valve is removable. 
     
     
         19 . A breast pump comprising:
 a body including
 a receptacle sized to receive a human breast, 
 a pathway for the flow of pumped milk from the breast through the receptacle, 
 a suction chamber defined between the flexible member and the receptacle for reducing a pressure in the pathway, and 
 a flexible member deformable to reduce air pressure in the suction chamber; 
   a pump operable to cause cyclic deformation of the flexible member and thereby reduce the air pressure in the suction chamber, wherein the flow of pumped milk in the pathway is prevented from entering the pump;   a container coupled to the body, the container including a longitudinal axis;   a valve interface positioned at a lower end of the pathway, wherein the valve interface defines a conduit having a longitudinal axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container; and   a valve separate from the flexible member and positioned at a lower portion of the pathway, and wherein the valve is coupled to the valve interface.   
     
     
         20 . The breast pump of  claim 19 , wherein the pump includes a lever for cyclical motion with respect thereto to reduce the pressure within the suction chamber. 
     
     
         21 . The breast pump of  claim 19 , wherein the valve is a one-way valve. 
     
     
         22 . The breast pump of  claim 19 , wherein the valve is configured to be received within the valve interface. 
     
     
         23 . The breast pump of  claim 19 , wherein the valve is a duckbill valve. 
     
     
         24 . The breast pump of  claim 19 , wherein the container has an opening to receive the pumped milk and the conduit is narrower than the opening of the container. 
     
     
         25 . The breast pump of  claim 19 , wherein the valve is removably coupled to the valve interface. 
     
     
         26 . The breast pump of  claim 19 , wherein the flexible member defines at least a portion of the pathway.