A breast pump comprises an expression system. Audible and/or tactile feedback is generated for a user of the breast pump by controlling the expression system.

Breast pumps allow for increased milk volume flow rates and/or increased pump efficiency. Various devices and techniques are used to introduce a more diverse set of vibration patterns which enable users to customize the performance of the vibration and/or enable vibrations to be present or absent in ways not currently enabled by the state of the art. This can involve applying vibrations to the breast during the breast pump cycle (or waveform), to increase the volume flow rate of expressed milk for a given cycle speed and suction level.

A breast pump system has first and second kits, and they have different sets of functional units. However, they have shape features which are designed to provide similar appearance in use, to make the use of the breast pump system more discrete.

The present invention relates to an apparatus (1) for evacuating a system (3), comprising a pump (5), the pump (5) being suitable for being in connection with the system (3) with its inlet (7), a pressure tank (11) and a directional control valve (13), the pump (5) transporting a medium out of the system (3) and the pressure tank (11) into an ambience when the pressure tank (11) is connected to its inlet (7), wherein the directional control valve (13) is configured to switch the pressure tank (11) from the inlet (7) to the outlet (9) of the pump (5) when a predefined criterion is fulfilled. The present invention further relates to a breast pump (31) device comprising an apparatus (1) for evacuating a system (3) and a receiving funnel (27) for receiving a breast of a woman.

An electric breast pump 1 includes a breast placement part 12 at which a breast part including a breast and a nipple of a subject is placed and suction-pressure generating units 10 and 50 that generate a suction pressure in the breast placement part. The suction-pressure generating unit generates a suction cycle including a plurality of different suction pressures. The suction cycle includes basic suction, increased suction with an increased suction pressure, and reduced suction with a reduced suction pressure. A suction pressure difference between a suction pressure increasing in the increased suction and a suction pressure reducing in the reduced suction is an equal pressure and is a pressure difference at a borderline at which a user perceives a change of a suction pressure. In the suction cycle, the basic suction, the increased suction, and the reduced suction are each repeated multiple times consecutively at an equal suction pressure.

A breast pump arrangement having an expression kit with a milk flow sensor (200) is provided. The milk flow sensor (200) comprises a container (240) with a first end with a first opening (242) and a second end with a second opening (243). The second opening (243) allows an outflow of milk with a predefined outflow characteristics out of the container (241). The first opening (242) is larger than the second opening (243). A milk amount sensor (250) is provided to measure a height or volume of milk in the container. A calculating unit (260, 240) calculates a milk flow based on the height or volume measurements and the predefined outflow characteristic of the second opening (243).

A breast pump (10) includes a breast pump cup (11) that is mounted on a breast, a suction pump (21) that absorbs fluid from the breast side of the breast pump cup (11), a detector (32) that detects temporal change in a sucked state of the breast by the breast pump cup (11), and an indicator (39) and a pattern adjusting unit (33) that perform processing based on the temporal change in the sucked state, which has been detected by the detector (32).

A system for synchronizing one or more breast-pumping sessions of an individual (such as a mother) and milk consumption by a second individual (such as a baby or infant) is described. In particular, based on measurements of a volume of the collected milk as a function of time and received information specifying milk consumption by the second individual as a function of time, a control circuit may determine a need for milk. Then, the control circuit may provide feedback based on the determined need for milk that synchronizes the one or more breast-pumping sessions and the milk consumption. For example, the feedback may alert the individual to initiate a breast-pumping session and/or may provide a signal to a breast pump that initiates a breast-pumping session.

A system for synchronizing one or more breast-pumping sessions of an individual (such as a mother) and milk consumption by a second individual (such as a baby or infant) is described. In particular, based on measurements of a volume of the collected milk as a function of time and received information specifying milk consumption by the second individual as a function of time, a control circuit may determine a need for milk. Then, the control circuit may provide feedback based on the determined need for milk that synchronizes the one or more breast-pumping sessions and the milk consumption. For example, the feedback may alert the individual to initiate a breast-pumping session and/or may provide a signal to a breast pump that initiates a breast-pumping session.

A service system in the field of collecting human breast milk or in the field of medical drainage has a base unit assigned to an individual or an entity and at least one mobile data medium. The mobile data medium can be brought by a user into data-communicating connection on the one hand with products in the field and on the other hand with the base unit. The base unit can be brought by the user into communicating connection with an external information and data platform. The system according to the invention offers optimal care and support of users in the field.