The present invention relates to a breast contacting element for a breast pump assembly and a method of forming the same. More specifically, there is provided a breast contacting element for a breast pump assembly, including an opening adapted to receive a nipple of a user's breast: a breast contacting surface extending from the opening and comprising a deformable portion for engaging the user's breast; and a channel configured for conveying a fluid pressure from the opening to the deformable portion such that the deformable portion deflects in response to the fluid pressure applied thereto. Specifically, the method includes forming a support element of a first material, the support element comprising an orifice and a channel extending from the orifice, and injecting a second material onto the support element so as to form a deformable portion across the orifice.

Disclosed herein are improved devices, systems, and methods for the expression and collection of breast milk, such as human breast milk. A breast shield assembly for expression of breast milk may comprise a breast interface and an actuatable assembly interface fluidly coupled with a tube, wherein the breast interface is configured to engage the breast and the actuatable assembly interface is configured to removably couple to an actuatable assembly. The breast shield assembly may comprise an enclosed fluid reservoir extending between the breast interface and the actuatable assembly interface, the fluid reservoir physically separated from the expressed breast milk and filled with a driving fluid comprising a liquid. The breast shield assembly may further comprise a fill port configured to allow addition or removal of the driving fluid to or from the fluid reservoir.

The present disclosure provides a milk distribution system, components thereof, and methods of use thereof.

A device for expressing human breast milk has a breast shield for bearing against a mother's breast, a vacuum pump for generating a vacuum, a line which connects the vacuum pump to the breast shield and is intended for transmitting the vacuum generated to the breast shield, and a chamber. The line ends on the pump side in a first port of the chamber. The chamber has a second port for connection to a milk collecting container. The two ports in the chamber are connected to each other in terms of fluid communication. During the expressing operation, the line forms a milk line for transporting breast milk expressed in the breast shield to the chamber and from the chamber to the milk collecting container. The pump can be designed to be quiet and small.

A pump unit (10) includes a number of pumps (14) each having a port in fluid connection to a combined port (12) of the pump unit. A processing system (16) is connected to each of the pumps (14) for independent actuation of each pump. A user interface (22) allows user actuation of the pump unit according to one or more mode of operation, requiring various different levels of suction or pressure. The processing system (16) determines what number of pumps (14) is required, and selectively actuates pumps in order to generate the required suction or pressure. Particularly preferred applications include breast pumps. Additional aspects of the invention relate to a cyclic pulsed suction profile generated by the device, implementations that detect when a milk extraction set is not properly deployed, and configurations which allow a touch screen to be used as a power-on switch for the device.

A breast pump includes: a close-contact housing brought into contact with a breast of a lactating woman and having a protruding part, and a milk discharge hole formed on an end-side bottom surface of the protruding part; a cap connector covering an end side of the protruding part, having a spacing space between the cap connector and the protruding part, and provided with a milk discharge tube; a funnel connector on an upper side of the cap connector to have an inner space, and provided with a communication flow passage through which the inner space and the spacing space communicate; a cover to cover the inner space of the funnel connector; a flow separation membrane for vertically separating a space between the funnel connector and the cover; and an air tube through which air is allowed to flow into/out of the space between the cover and the flow separation membrane.

The present disclosure provides a method for producing a customised teat product for a subject, the method includes the initial step of performing a 3D scan of at least a nipple region of the subject's breast to create a 3D model of the nipple region. In the next step, a 3D product model for a teat product is created, incorporating a teat that corresponds in shape to at least the nipple region of the subject, based on the 3D model of the nipple region. In the final step, a physical teat product is generated based on the 3D product model using an additive or subtractive manufacturing apparatus.

An apparatus for biomimetic expression of breast milk can comprise a breast interface having an expandable membrane configured to mimic the geometry of an infant's mouth. Various regions of the expandable membrane may be configured to simulate the structure and/or function of various parts of an infant's mouth. The expandable membrane may comprise one or more of a distal sealing region configured to simulate the lips, a superior region configured to simulate the hard palate, an inferior protruding region configured to simulate the gums, an intermediate curved region configured to simulate the tongue, and one or more internal expansion regions configured to simulate the soft palate and the throat. The expandable membrane may have a varying thickness throughout the one or more various regions to enable movement of the regions similar to the movement of the corresponding regions of an infant's mouth during nursing.

A breast pump system includes a vacuum break backflow preventer for preventing breast milk from accidentally backflowing into a suction tube leading to a vacuum pump. The backflow preventer is a vacuum passageway with two spaced apart suction openings. The two openings convey air to cyclically pressurize and depressurize a small milk charging chamber. If milk accidentally covers one of the openings, air at the other opening minimizes the pressure differential that might otherwise draw the milk deep into the suction tube and toward the vacuum pump. For ease of cleaning and sanitizing, the system avoids or minimizes the use of baffles, permanently enclosed passageways, moving parts, and tight inside corners. Some passageways can be split open for access during cleaning. To make the breast milk collection device less protruding under a brassier, the vacuum passageway curves around the side of a nipple receptacle rather than in front of it.

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.