A breast pump comprises a breast shield, a pressure source for applying a pressure profile to a breast received in the breast shield and an RF signal source for generating RF signals. The RF signals are applied to an electrode arrangement to provide RF heating of the breast. The supply of the RF signals to the electrode arrangement, i.e. the heating, is controlled with timing which depends on the pressure profile. In this way, the heating is provided at times within the pressure profile when the heating function will be most effective, for example at times of maximum under pressure and hence suction of the breast tissue against the breast shield.

A method for managing breast milk expression including providing an expected milk yield over time; expressing milk and measuring the expressed milk yield at a given time; comparing the measured milk yield at the given time with the expected milk yield at the given time and generating an alarm if the measured milk yield is lower than the expected yield.

Systems and methods for pumping milk from a breast, wherein the milk is expressed from the breast under suction and milk is expulsed from the pumping mechanism to a collection container.

An electric breast pump 1 includes a breast placement part 12 in 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 sucking operations. The suction cycle includes basic suction and increased suction with an increased suction pressure. A suction pressure difference that increases in the increased suction 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 and the increased suction are each repeated multiple times consecutively at an equal suction pressure. At least a last sucking operation in the suction cycle is extended suction having a longer suction time than those of other sucking operations.

A method for facilitating milk extraction from a female breast may involve applying a breast contacting portion of a breast pump system to a breast, activating the breast pump system to administer multiple breast pumping cycles, and applying vibrations to the breast during at least a portion of each of the breast pumping cycles, using a vibration device. A vibration generating device may be a component of a breast pump system, an added attachment on a breast pump system or a separate component that works in conjunction with a breast pump system.

Provided is a system for adapting a holding force of a wearable breast pump system exerted on a user during operation of the breast pump system. A controller is used to receive data relevant to physical activity of the user. The controller is configured to adapt, based on the received data, one or more parameters of the breast pump system. The adapted one or more parameters are such as to enable control over the holding force while the holding force remains being exerted on the user during said operation.

The present invention relates to a breast pump including a breast shield adapted to at least in part receive a breast of a lactating user, an aggregate for generating a cyclic suction profile according to vacuum curves for expressing milk from the breast, a milk container providing a reservoir for the expressed milk, a controller for controlling the aggregate.

A sensor system is for sensing the start of milk expression into a collection vessel when using a breast pump device. An optical sensor is used to provide a signal indicating the presence of the first milk expressed, for use in controlling the breast pump to switch from a stimulation mode to an expression mode.

An example method for facilitating milk extraction from a breast can include: activating a breast pump system to administer multiple breast pumping cycles, each breast pumping cycle comprising an increasing vacuum segment during which an amount of vacuum force applied to a breast increases; and applying vibrations to the breast during at least a portion of each of the breast pumping cycles using a vibration device, wherein the vibrations are applied in a segmented pattern comprising discrete pressure intervals during the increasing vacuum segment, wherein the segmented pattern pauses at intermediate pressure plateaus between atmospheric pressure and a target vacuum level.