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 under positive pressure. In one approach, the breast pump assembly includes a breast adapter and a receptacle configured to cup the breast adapter, and the breast adapter is removable from the receptacle.

A breast milk collection device includes a reservoir volume and an adaptor having one end to receive a woman's breast. The adaptor has a drip tube communicating with the reservoir. A source of cyclical application and relief of vacuum force is applied to the woman's breast located in the adaptor for the expression of breast milk. A one-way assembly permits breast milk to enter the reservoir and to submerge the valve element. The valve assembly includes a flexible barrier having an interior hollow chamber in fluid communication with said cyclical source of vacuum force and relief pressure, the flexible barrier fluidly isolating the source from the reservoir. The flexible barrier inflatably expands when relief pressure is applied to the interior of the flexible barrier, the flexible barrier becoming deflated when a vacuum force is applied to the hollow interior of the flexible barrier.

The combination of a breast pump shield, with its ring, applied to the flange lower end of the shield, and the ring being C shaped in cross-section, having an upper flange, a lower flange, both integrally structured with a base wall. The physiological stimulator integrally formed with the lower flange of the sealing ring extends inwardly and upwardly within the shield, and therein functions as a means to place pressure upon the breast of the mother to help induce and stimulate the flow of breast milk during usage of the associated breast pump.

A method for operating a breastpump unit for expression of human breastmilk and various breast shields for use in this method allow a maximum pumping performance and a minimum pumping duration per pumping session. The breast shield has an inner chamber for receiving a nipple of the breast and also at least one outer chamber which at least partially surrounds the nipple. The inner chamber is subjected to a constant pressure and the at least one outer chamber is subjected to a pulsating pressure.

A breast pump includes a main body and a breast milk suctioning shield. The main body has an accommodation space. The breast milk suctioning shield is assembled in the accommodation space and detachably connected to the main body. A front end of the breast milk suctioning shield has a breast shielding portion, and a nipple passage extends from a rear end of a center portion of the breast shielding portion. One or more deformable members are assembled with an annular connection portion between the breast shielding portion and the nipple passage, and the deformable member is controlled to be inflated or deflated by a first air pump.

A breast pump device (1) comprises i) a fluid pressure arrangement (2, 3) configured to interact with a breast from which milk is to be extracted and to realize a pressure cycle at a position where the fluid pressure arrangement (2, 3) is to face the breast, ii) a controller configured to execute an operation software program for controlling operation of the breast pump device (1), the operation software program including instructions to cause the fluid pressure arrangement (2, 3) to realize the pressure cycle, and iii) a monitoring arrangement configured to monitor functioning of the operation software program and to cause release of underpressure in case malfunctioning of the operation software program is detected. As a result, malfunctioning of the operation software program cannot last and any vacuum that may have built up in such a situation is automatically released.

A method for operating a breastpump unit for expression of human breastmilk and a breastpump unit. The breastpump unit having a pump assembly for generating vacuum pressure, a reservoir for receiving breastmilk, and a breast shield for sealing application to a breast to be pumped. The breast shield has a flexible inner chamber for receiving a nipple of the breast and a second chamber, in particular an outer chamber extending about the outside of the inner chamber and which at least partially surrounds a nipple that is inserted into the inner chamber. The method includes a cycle including evacuating the inner chamber and the reservoir by the pump assembly to a first vacuum pressure, connecting the second chamber to the pump assembly and to the reservoir 24 and evacuating the second chamber to a second vacuum pressure, in which the second vacuum pressure is higher or greater than the first vacuum pressure, and at least partly releasing the vacuum from the second chamber to a lower vacuum pressure, in particular lower than the first vacuum pressure.

A breast shield for expressing human breast milk. The breast shield includes an outer housing and a flexible inner liner within the outer housing. In use, with the breast shield applied to a breast, the inner liner is in contact with the surface of both the areola and nipple of the breast. The breast shield further includes an outer chamber between the outer housing and the inner liner and an inner chamber within the inner liner. In use, the inner and outer chambers, are subjectable to differential pressure and the differential pressure is operable to cause the inner liner to exert a massaging effect against the surface of both the areola and nipple of a breast.

A passive milk collection device for storing milk comprises a flexible inner member including a nipple hole for receiving a nipple, and in which, in use, part of the rear surface of the inner member is configured to securely seal onto a user's breast. The device includes a removable rigid outer member configured to attach onto the front surface of the inner member and to provide a free air space around the nipple area for storing milk from the nipple. The circumference of the outer edge of the rear surface of the flexible inner member is substantially larger than the circumference of the rigid outer member.

A wearable passive suction-based milk collection device comprises a compressible milk pouch with a nipple hole or opening in a rear face of the compressible milk pouch. The rear face of the compressible milk pouch is configured to seal against at least part of the user's breast when the pouch is compressed by a user in order to create a negative air pressure inside the pouch, providing suction onto the nipple thereby drawing milk from the nipple for collection in the milk pouch. The device is shaped, at least in part, to fit inside a bra.