A sensor for indirect estimation of breast milk intake by an infant, the sensor comprising: a housing configured to be externally attached to an incontinence product worn by a subject, said housing comprising: a light-emitting diode (LED) configured to illuminate the incontinence product; a photodetector configured to output an indication of the amount of light reflected from the incontinence product; and an integrated circuit configured to: (a) receive the indication from said photodetector, (b) compute, based on the indication, an amount of urine secreted by the subject into the incontinence product, and (c) estimate the amount of breast milk intake by the infant based on the amount of urine secreted by the subject into the incontinence product.

A method and system for remotely supporting breastfeeding mothers by receiving, at a cloud application in communication with at least one instance of mobile device application, breastmilk transfer data from at least one breastfeeding sensor configured to monitor breastmilk transfer from a mother to an infant during a breastfeeding period, and bilirubin data from at least one bilirubin sensor configured to monitor serum bilirubin level in the infant during the breastfeeding period, performing an analysis of the received breastmilk transfer data and the received bilirubin data, and performing at least one action in response to applying predetermined rules to the analysis.

New devices for providing an indication to a nursing mother as to whether a baby is receiving milk during a breastfeeding session. Milk expressed from the mother's breast is caused to flow through a transparent passageway part of a nipple shield, disposed in in a position where it visible to the mother or a third party, before being supplied to a nipple of the device, from which the baby is enabled to suck. The device therefore provides an indication that the infant is receiving milk from the mother's breast. The visibility of the passageway is achieved by routing the passageway through a region of the device whose line of sight with the mother is not obscured by the baby when feeding, such as towards the periphery of the base layer of the device. The device passageway may also comprise a valve, and details of such valves are disclosed.

A single breast pump device (1) is adapted to enable realization of at least two batches (A, B) of breast milk as a direct result of a single pumping session to be performed on at least one user's breast, which batches (A, B) are different as far as the value of at least one quality parameter of the breast milk is concerned. The single breast pump device (1) comprises a detection unit (50) for performing real-time detection of the at least one quality parameter in a flow of breast milk and outputting a detection signal representing an actual value of the at least one quality parameter, and further comprises a controller (70) for receiving the detection signal from the detection unit (50) and using the signal in a process of determining an appropriate setting of the single breast pump device (1) as far as the choice of a destination position of the milk is concerned. A double breast pump device (2) is also disclosed.

The present invention teaches a multi-layered nursing garment. The multi-layered nursing garment includes breasts support having a pair of breast cups, shoulder straps and a chest band. Each breast cup is comprised of two or more layers. Further a clasp for attaching an outer removable layer with a shoulder strap and a clip is configured for attaching another, inner layer. The invention provides a number of combinations of clips, clasps, and layers but which a breastfeeding woman can selectively open the nursing garment to accomplish breastfeeding and/or milk pumping from either breast, and has the capacity to engage in said events simultaneously.

An image acquisition unit acquires a breast image, and a first estimation unit calculates a first estimated value of a direct arrival dose in a direct X-ray region, which is included in the breast image and to which X-rays are directly emitted, based on the imaging conditions at the time of X-ray imaging. A second estimation unit calculates a second estimated value of the direct arrival dose based on the pixel value of the direct X-ray region included in the breast image. A determination unit determines a direct arrival dose, which is used for calculation of the mammary gland content rate, based on the first estimated value and the second estimated value. A calculation unit calculates a mammary gland content rate using the direct arrival dose determined by the determination unit.

A flow measuring assembly for tracking a fluid volume of breast milk consumed by an infant includes a shield that is selectively worn on a breast. The shield has a nipple thereon and the nipple on the shield is aligned with a nipple on the breast. The nipple on the shield is perforated to pass breast milk therethrough. A measuring unit is coupled to the shield. The measuring unit is in fluid communication with the nipple on the shield to measure a flow of the breast milk through the nipple on the shield. The measuring unit is in electrical communication with an electronic device. In this way the flow of breast milk by volume is communicated to the electronic device for tracking the flow of breast milk by volume.

The present invention teaches a multi-layered nursing garment. The multi-layered nursing garment includes breasts support having a pair of breast cups, shoulder straps and a chest band. Each breast cup is comprised of two or more layers. Further a clasp for attaching an outer removable layer with a shoulder strap and a clip is configured for attaching another, inner layer. The invention provides a number of combinations of clips, clasps, and layers but which a breastfeeding woman can selectively open the nursing garment to accomplish breastfeeding and/or milk pumping from either breast, and has the capacity to engage in said events simultaneously.

A nipple-shield mounted sensor with associated electronic interface and interconnect for measurement and display of milk flow and volume during breastfeeding. The sensor is mounted in the tip of the nipple-shield in order to minimise intrusion between mother and child. The sensor can be mounted transverse or parallel to the milk flow in the channel depending on the selected sensing technology. The dimensions of the sensor and associated cabling are such that the device does not appear substantially different to a nipple-shield alone, thereby having minimal impact on the feeding session. Microlitre flow levels are measured directly by the sensor in order to relay accurate, real-time information on milk volume back to the feeding mother. The electronics unit amplifies the sensor input and digitally processes the data with software algorithms to determine the fluid volume, and can be directly integrated in the shield or can constitute an external module depending on the nature of the sensing technology integrated in the flow channel.

An apparatus including a nipple chamber having opposing first and second chamber ends, the chamber configured to receive a nipple of a mammary gland though the first chamber end and dimensioned to hold the nipple-end of a received nipple proximal to the opposing second chamber end, the second chamber end being substantially closed with one or more apertures therein to allow milk from the received nipple to flow out of the second chamber end and produce turbulence in the milk flow; and a microphone located proximal to the nipple chamber and configured to receive an acoustic signal produced by the turbulent milk flow in the nipple chamber.