A reusable food pouch having a removably insertable one-way valve is disclosed herein. The one-way valve may be used with the reusable food pouch if food product having a water-like consistency is being stored in the reusable food pouch to prevent spills if the reusable food pouch is inadvertently laid on its side. Conversely, the one-way valve may be removed from the reusable food pouch if the food product has a consistency more like thick oatmeal and/or applesauce to allow for free flow of the food product through a spout of the reusable food pouch.

Apparatus and methods for a baby bottle assembly are provided. The baby bottle assembly may include a nipple and an internally threaded collar configured to receive a bottom portion of the nipple. The assembly may also include a receptacle including an externally threaded neck and a cylindrical surface defining a mouth of the receptacle. The assembly may further include a bottle insert including a flange, the flange having an outer circumference greater than or equal to a circumference of the mouth. A top surface of the bottle insert may include a plurality of apertures and a top portion of a hollow protrusion. A bottom surface of the bottle insert may include a bottom portion of the hollow protrusion, the plurality of apertures and a diaphragm.

A container for feeding a patient includes a deformable receptacle having a cavity for holding a flowable food product and a rigid cover attachable to the upper end of the deformable receptacle. The rigid cover may have a male feeding tube connector that is uniquely connectable to a female feeding tube connector of a feeding tube or may have a female feeding tube connector that is uniquely connectable to a male feeding tube connector of a syringe. With the male and female feeding tube connectors connected, the deformable receptacle and the feeding tube or syringe are in fluid tight fluid communication to allow the flowable food product to be forced out of the opening of the deformable receptacle and into the feeding tube or syringe when the deformable receptacle is squeezed.

The present patent application discloses a multifunctional feeding-bottle, including an outer cup, a liner, a nipple assembly connected to an opening of the outer cup, and a bottom cover connected to the bottom of the outer cup. The feeding-bottle further includes a valve piece disposed between the bottom of the outer cup and the bottom cover. An air inlet is disposed in a central part of a body of the valve piece. A stiffener is disposed at a part other than the air inlet. A cavity is formed between one side of the valve piece provided with the stiffener and the bottom cover. A sealing protrusion capable of sealing the air inlet is disposed at a central part of the bottom cover. An air vent is disposed at a part different from the sealing protrusion. The liner is disposed in the outer cup, and is configured to be removed from the outer cup.

A nut for ensuring compatibility of a nipple having an anti-colic valve affixed to a baby bottle having a bottom vent and a mouth; the nut comprises a flange which has a central opening for receiving the nipple extending therethrough, the central opening has an edge configured to engage in an annular groove of the nipple, the nipple also comprises a flange; the nut comprises means for inhibiting the anti-colic valve which comprise: a first annular rib formed on the inner surface of the flange, which is configured to abut the flange of the nipple between the anti-colic valve and the edge of the central opening of the flange, a second rib, concentric with the first rib, which is configured to provide a hydraulic seal between the flange of the nipple and the mouth of the baby bottle, a depression interposed between the first rib and the second rib, which is configured to abut against the anti-colic valve of the nipple when the nut and the nipple are coupled together and are applied to a baby bottle to inhibit the anti-colic valve.

The invention relates to a device for equalizing the pressure inside a milk-containing baby bottle, by bottom venting, during suction from the nipple.

The device is positioned inside the cover which closes the bottom of the baby bottle.

The cover comprises a dome-shaped element axially emerging from said bottom wall, which has at least one hole located in its cusp-shaped end and in communication with the environment outside the cover.

A diaphragm member with a flexible region is placed above said dome-shaped element of the cover and, when the device is mounted in the bottle, is arranged axially above said hole.

A central disk-shaped element is provided in the flexible region and has at least one cut that opens toward the hole and hence toward the exterior of the bottle, as milk is being sucked, and equalizes the pressure inside the bottle.

The flexibility of the flexible region is obtained, in particular, by the presence of a central dome-shaped region, an annular depression, concentric with said dome-shaped region, located radially outside the latter, and an annular rib, concentric with said depression, located radially outside both said depression and said dome-shaped region.

A feeding bottle configured to receive milk for small children, the feeding bottle including a water bottle; a suction nipple; a heater; a milk powder depot that is separate from the water bottle; and a temperature sensor coupled to the heater.

A container for feeding a patient includes a deformable receptacle having a cavity for holding a flowable food product and a rigid cover attachable to the upper end of the deformable receptacle. The rigid cover may have a male feeding tube connector that is uniquely connectable to a female feeding tube connector of a feeding tube or may have a female feeding tube connector that is uniquely connectable to a male feeding tube connector of a syringe. With the male and female feeding tube connectors connected, the deformable receptacle and the feeding tube or syringe are in fluid tight fluid communication to allow the flowable food product to be forced out of the opening of the deformable receptacle and into the feeding tube or syringe when the deformable receptacle is squeezed.

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and provides for an improved method and apparatus for self-sterilizing a bottle. A self-sterilizing bottle comprises a container, a mouthpiece, a collar and a cap. The container has a sidewall and a bottom defining a liquid holding space, with the sidewall forming an open end with a neck. The collar has a first position and a second position and is adapted to fasten to the neck and for removably fastening the mouthpiece to the collar when in the first position. The cap is configured to have an upright position and an inverted position and when in the upright position is adapted to fasten to the collar and cover the mouthpiece when the mouthpiece and cap are attached to the collar and when in the inverted position to rest stably on a surface. Also when in the inverted position, the cap is further adapted to hold a liquid and support the collar above the liquid when the collar is in the second position.

In another embodiment, a method for self-sterilizing a bottle is described wherein the bottle comprises a cap, a collar, a mouthpiece and a container having an open end. The method comprises placing the cap on a support surface in a position to hold a liquid. Then adding a liquid to the cap. Then placing the collar on the cap so that the collar remains above the liquid in the cap. Then placing the mouthpiece within the container. Then placing the open end of the container with the mouthpiece therein on the collar to form a self-sterilizing assembly. Then placing the self-sterilizing assembly in a microwave oven. Then heating the self-sterilizing assembly in a microwave oven for a time sufficient to sterilize the self-sterilizing assembly.

A bottle teat consisting of a soft elastic material for a drinking bottle, in particular for infants and small children, having: a teat flange, a hollow teat sleeve that projects upward from the teat flange and is connected at its bottom end to the teat flange, a hollow suction part that is connected at its bottom end to the top end of the hollow teat sleeve and projects upward therefrom, a dome-shaped palate-contacting region on a side of the mouthpiece facing the palate, at least one drinking hole in the palate-contacting region that extends from the outside to the inside of the mouthpiece, wherein: an elevated surface that bulges to the outside is on the outside of the palate-contacting region, and the at least one drinking hole is arranged in the elevated surface so that the suction part with the elevated surface can be pressed in a sealing manner against an inwardly bulging sealing surface on the inside of the cap bottom of a cap to cover the bottle teat.