JP2017509379A - Method, apparatus and system for milking human breast milk - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for milking milk are provided. In one aspect, the system includes a milking device having an interface configured to engage the breast and an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface. Actuation of the actuating assembly causes the interface to apply reduced pressure to the breast and milk the breast from the breast. The system also includes a computing device configured to communicate with the milking device via a data connection.

Description

(Cross-reference)
This application is a non-provisional application of US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 937,027 [Attorney Document No. 44936-704.101] filed on Feb. 7, 2014, and the benefit of this provisional application. The entire contents of this provisional application are incorporated herein by reference.

  The subject matter of this application is US Patent Application No. 14 / 221,113 filed on March 20, 2014 [Attorney Document No. 44936-703.201], and US Provisional Patent filed on July 7, 2014. Application No. 62 / 021,601 [Attorney Document No. 44936-705.101], US Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 021,597 filed July 7, 2014 [Attorney Document No. 44936- 706.101], US Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 028,219 filed July 23, 2014 [Attorney Document Number 44936-708.101], and filed September 19, 2014 No. 62 / 052,941 [Attorney Document No. 44936-709.101], the entire contents of these applications are hereby incorporated by reference. It is use.

(Background of the Invention)
(1. Field of the Invention)
The present invention relates generally to medical devices and methods, and more particularly to devices and methods for milking and collecting human breast milk.

  Breast pumps are commonly used to collect breast milk so that mothers can continue breastfeeding even when they are separated from their children. Currently, there are two basic types of breast pumps: small but inefficient and manual devices that cause fatigue due to use, and efficient but bulky electric devices. For this reason, it would be desirable to provide an improved breast pump that is small and very efficient for milking and collecting milk. Additional features such as quantifying breast milk output, evaluating breast milk characteristics, and communicating with mobile devices are further desirable to enhance user convenience. At least some of these objectives will be met by the devices and methods disclosed below.

(2. Description of background art)
The following US patents relate to milking and collection of human breast milk. U.S. Patent Nos. 6,673,036, 6,749,582, 6,840,918, 6,887,210, 7,875,000, 8,118,772, And No. 8,216,179.

US Pat. No. 6,673,036 US Pat. No. 6,749,582 US Pat. No. 6,840,918 US Pat. No. 6,887,210 US Pat. No. 7,875,000 US Pat. No. 8,118,772 US Pat. No. 8,216,179

(Summary of the Invention)
The present invention relates generally to medical devices and methods, and more specifically to devices and methods for milking and collecting human breast milk.

  In a first aspect of the invention, a system for milking breast milk from a breast is provided. The system may comprise a milking device having an interface configured to engage the breast and an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface. Actuation of the actuating assembly can cause the interface to apply reduced pressure to the breast and milk milk from the breast. The system further comprises a computing device configured to communicate with the milking device via a data connection.

  In many embodiments, the breast is a human breast. The interface can be configured to fluidly seal against the breast.

  In many embodiments, the data connection utilizes wireless communication, near field communication, or a USB cable to transmit data between at least a portion of the milking device and the computing device. The computing device may be a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer.

  In many embodiments, the milking device further includes a sensing unit configured to generate measurement data indicative of one or more characteristics of breast milking. Measurement data can be transmitted to a computing device via a data connection. The computing device can include an application configured to analyze the measurement data. The computing device can transmit the measurement data to the server. The milking device can further include a processing unit configured to analyze the measurement data and generate an analysis result, and a display unit configured to display the analysis result to a user. The analysis results can be displayed in a graph, chart or table. The analysis results can be transmitted to the computing device via the data connection, and the computing device can display the analysis results to the user.

  In many embodiments, the computing device can control at least one functionality of the milking device via a data connection. The functionality may comprise one or more of milking machine power, reduced pressure applied by the milking machine, or a cycle per minute of the milking machine.

  In many embodiments, a notification to remind the user to milk the milk may be transmitted to the computing device via the data connection. The notification can be transmitted to at least a portion of the milking device via a data connection. Firmware updates can be transmitted to at least a portion of the milking device via a data connection.

  In many embodiments, the computing device can comprise a communication module that communicates with a server over a network. A notification to remind the user to milk the milk may be transmitted from the server to the computing device. The computing device may comprise a mobile phone associated with the mobile phone number and the notification may be transmitted over the network to the mobile phone number by a short message service (SMS).

  In another aspect of the present invention, a method for measuring milking of breast milk from the breast is provided. The method includes providing a breast milking apparatus having an interface, an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface, and a sensing unit. The method further includes engaging the interface and the breast and activating the actuation assembly, thereby causing the interface to apply reduced pressure to the breast. The method further includes milking breast milk from the breast. The method may further include measuring the milking characteristics of the breast milk using the sensing unit to generate measurement data. Measurement data may be transmitted from the sensing unit to the computing device via a data connection.

  In many embodiments, the measurement data may be stored in one or more data stores of the computing device. The measurement data can be analyzed via an application on the computing device and an analysis result can be generated, and the analysis result can be displayed to the user via the computing device. The analysis results can be displayed in a graph, chart, table, or any other visual, audible, or tactile indicator.

  In another aspect of the invention, a method for controlling milking of breast milk from a breast is provided. The method includes providing a breast milking device having an interface and an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface. The method further includes engaging the interface and the breast. The control signal may be received from the computing device via a data connection. The method may further include activating the actuation assembly based on the control signal and causing the interface to apply a reduced pressure to the breast. The method further includes milking breast milk from the breast.

  In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for milking breast milk from a breast is provided. The apparatus includes an interface configured to engage the breast and an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface. Actuation of the actuating assembly can cause the interface to apply reduced pressure to the breast and milk milk from the breast. The apparatus can also include a communication module that communicates with the server over a network.

  In many embodiments, the network includes an Internet network. The apparatus can further include a sensing unit configured to generate measurement data indicative of one or more characteristics of breast milking, wherein the measurement data is transmitted to a server via a network. be able to. The server can include an application configured to analyze the measurement data.

  In many embodiments, the apparatus further includes a processing unit configured to analyze the measurement data and generate an analysis result, and a display unit configured to display the analysis result to a user. . The analysis result can be transmitted to the server via the network. The analysis results can be displayed on a computing device that communicates with the server.

  In many embodiments, at least one functionality of the actuation assembly is controlled by an application on the server via a network. Functionality can include the power of the actuation assembly, the reduced pressure applied by the actuation assembly, or the cycles per minute of the actuation assembly.

  In many embodiments, a notification to remind the user to milk the milk may be transmitted over the network to an email address. A reminder to the user to milk the milk can be transmitted to the mobile phone number over the network by a short message service (SMS), such as SMS from the server to the smartphone associated with the mobile phone number. . A notification to remind the user to milk the milk can be transmitted to the communication module via the network. The firmware update can be transmitted to the communication module via the network.

  In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for measuring milking of breast milk from a breast. The method includes providing a breast milking device that includes an interface, an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface, and a sensing unit. The interface may be engaged with the breast. The actuation assembly can be actuated to cause the interface to apply a reduced pressure to the breast. Breast milk is milked from the breast. The sensing unit may be used to measure milking characteristics of milk and generate measurement data. The measurement data may be transmitted to the server via the network.

  In many embodiments, the server is a distributed computing server. The characteristics of breast milking can be measured by the sensing unit as the milk moves from the interface to a collection reservoir in fluid communication with the interface. The measurement data can be stored in one or more data stores associated with the server. The measurement data can be analyzed through an application on the server and an analysis result can be generated. The analysis results can be transmitted from the server to the computing device and displayed to the user via the computing device.

  In another aspect of the invention, a method for remotely controlling milking of breast milk from a breast is provided. The method includes providing a breast milking device comprising an interface and an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface. The interface may be engaged with the breast. A control signal can be received from the server via the network. The actuation assembly may be actuated based on the control signal and cause the interface to apply a reduced pressure to the breast. Breast milk may be milked from the breast.

  In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for measuring fluid milking from a breast is provided. The apparatus includes an interface configured to engage the breast and an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface. Actuation of the actuating assembly causes the interface to apply reduced pressure to the breast and milk the breast from the breast. The apparatus includes a sensing unit configured to generate measurement data indicative of a volume of fluid pumped from the breast.

  In many embodiments, the breast is a human breast. The interface can be configured to fluidly seal against the breast. The fluid can be breast milk or colostrum. The measurement data can indicate the volume per unit time of the milked fluid, the volume per pump stroke, or the volume per pump power cycle.

  In many embodiments, the interface includes a valve that allows passage of milked fluid, and the sensing unit comprises an accelerometer that measures the movement of the valve. Measurement data can be generated based on valve motion.

  In many embodiments, the apparatus can further include a second interface configured to engage the second breast. Actuation of the actuating assembly may alternately apply reduced pressure to the breast and the second breast to alternately pump fluid from the breast. The second interface can include a second valve that allows passage of fluid pumped from the second breast, and the sensing unit includes a second accelerometer that measures the position of the second valve. Can be included. The sensing unit can determine user movement based on movement detected by both the accelerometer and the second accelerometer. The user motion may be subtracted from the motion detected by at least one of the accelerometer or the second accelerometer when determining the position of at least one of the first valve or the second valve. it can.

  In many embodiments, the interface may comprise an interface housing and a valve that allows passage of milked fluid. The sensing unit may comprise a first accelerometer coupled to the interface housing and a second accelerometer coupled to the valve. The first accelerometer may be configured to measure the position of the interface housing. The second accelerometer may be configured to measure the position of the valve. Measurement data may be generated based on the position of the interface housing and the position of the valve. The sensing unit can determine the background motion based on the motion detected by the first accelerometer. The background motion may be subtracted from the motion detected by the second accelerometer when determining the position of the valve.

  In many embodiments, the interface may be coupled to a reservoir configured to collect milked fluid. The sensing unit may be coupled to the reservoir. The reservoir may comprise a processing unit in communication with the sensing unit, and the processing unit may be configured to receive measurement data generated by the sensing unit. The processing unit may further comprise a communication module configured to transmit the measurement data to the computing device via the data connection. The communication module of the processing unit may be configured to transmit measurement data to the server via a network.

  In many embodiments, the sensing unit includes a beam block sensor configured to detect the passage of milked fluid in the vicinity of one or more sensor components of the beam block sensor. The measurement data can be generated based on the length of time that the milked fluid passes between the sensor components.

  In many embodiments, the interface includes a valve that allows passage of milked fluid, and the sensing unit is configured to count milked fluid droplets passing through the valve. (CCD). Measurement data can be generated based on one or more CCD images of the droplet.

  In many embodiments, the interface includes a tube that allows passage of milked fluid and the sensing unit includes a capacitive sensor configured to sense the milked fluid contained within the tube. The interface can be coupled to a reservoir configured to collect milked fluid, and the sensing unit is configured to measure the volume of milked fluid contained in the reservoir Can be included.

  In many embodiments, the sensing unit includes a strain gauge configured to measure the volume of milked fluid. The interface can include a valve that allows passage of milked fluid, and a strain gauge can be coupled to the valve and configured to determine displacement of the valve over time. The interface can be coupled to a reservoir configured to collect milked fluid, and a strain gauge is coupled to the reservoir and configured to measure the volume of milked fluid contained within the reservoir Can be done. The reservoir may comprise a bottom inner surface having a bellows element. The bellows element can be configured to minimize absorption by the bottom inner surface of the load applied to the bottom inner surface by the milked fluid.

  In many embodiments, the sensing unit includes a camera coupled to the interface and configured to capture one or more images of the milked fluid. The apparatus can further include a processing unit configured to analyze one or more images and determine a volume of milked fluid or other characteristics of the milked fluid. The one or more images can be transmitted to a computing device configured to analyze the one or more images and determine the volume of the milked fluid. The computing device can be a smartphone. The camera can be installed on a mobile device.

  In many embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a processing unit and a control unit operably coupled to the actuation assembly and controlling at least one functionality of the actuation assembly. At least a subset of the measurement data may be transmitted as feedback to at least one of the processing unit and the control unit. The actuation assembly can include a pump and feedback can be used to adjust the pump's vacuum stroke or pump's cycle per minute to maintain optimal fluid milking.

  In another aspect of the invention, a method for measuring the volume of fluid pumped from a breast is provided. The method includes providing a breast fluid milking device that includes an interface, an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface, and a sensing unit. The interface is engaged with the breast. The actuation assembly is actuated, causing the interface to apply a reduced pressure to the breast. The fluid is milked from the breast. Measurement data indicative of the volume of the milked fluid is generated via the sensing unit.

  In many embodiments, the method further includes altering the operating parameters of the operating assembly based on at least a subset of the measurement data. The actuation assembly is actuated based on the altered actuation parameter.

  Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent upon review of the specification, claims and appended drawings.

(Quoted by reference)
All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification are intended to indicate that each individual publication, patent, or patent application is specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. To the same extent, it is incorporated herein by reference.

  The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pump device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a hydraulic pump device, according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a hydraulic pump device according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 illustrates an actuation assembly coupled to a drive mechanism, according to an embodiment. 5A-5B illustrate an actuation assembly coupled to a controller, according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a breast interface, according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of another breast interface, according to an embodiment. FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of a valve integrated into a flexible membrane in an open position, according to an embodiment. FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of a valve integrated into a flexible membrane in a closed position, according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a breast interface with a mechanically deformable member, according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a mechanical drive for a mechanically deformable member, according to an embodiment. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. 11A-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a sensor for detecting fluid. FIG. 12 illustrates a controller and mobile device according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 illustrates short range communication between a controller and a mobile device, according to an embodiment. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a pump device in communication with a computing device and a server, according to an embodiment. FIG. 15 is a graph illustrating the pump performance of an exemplary pump device compared to a commercially available device, according to an embodiment. FIG. 16 is a graph illustrating the pump efficiency of an exemplary pump device compared to a commercially available device, according to an embodiment. FIG. 17 illustrates a schematic diagram of a system for milking milk. FIG. 18 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a system for milking breast milk. 19A-19C illustrate exemplary displays on a computing device. 20A-20B illustrate exemplary displays within a breast milking system. FIG. 21 illustrates the use of a feedback control loop to control a breast milking device. FIG. 22 illustrates a double milking system.

(Detailed description of the invention)
Specific embodiments of the disclosed systems, devices, and methods will now be described below with reference to the drawings. Any detailed description is not intended to suggest that any particular component, feature, or step is essential to the invention. Although the present invention is primarily concerned with breast milk, any description herein of milking and collection of milk can also be applied to other types of fluids that are milked from the breast, such as colostrum. Furthermore, the disclosed embodiments may be used in other applications, particularly in applications involving pressure differential formation and transmission, such as sleep apnea treatment and / or other remote pressure needs.

  The systems, devices, and methods of the present invention provide an improved pump device for milking and collecting breast milk, such as human breast milk. In contrast to existing devices, the mechanisms described herein allow for the development of smaller and more efficient electric pump devices, thereby improving convenience and ease of use. In addition, at least some of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein incorporate sensors for measuring milking characteristics of breast milk. The obtained data can be used, for example, as feedback to improve pump efficiency and provide users with information and / or analysis related to milking milk. Further, in a preferred embodiment, the data is transmitted to another device that communicates with the pump device, thereby allowing control, display and / or analysis of milking of the milk to be performed remotely. Can do.

  FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The pump device 100 (also known as a “milking device”) is also referred to as a controller 115 (also referred to as a “pendant unit”) that is operatively coupled to the breast interface 105 through the breast interface 105, the tube 110, and the tube 110. May be included). The breast interface 105 includes a resilient and conforming flange 120 for engaging the breast and forming a fluid seal thereto, and a collection container 125. The controller 115 stores the power supply and the drive mechanism of the pump device 100, as described in further detail herein, and also controls the pump device 100, quantifies breast milk output, and communicates with other devices. Etc., including hardware for various functions. Tube 110 transmits a suitable energy input, such as a mechanical energy input, over a long distance from controller 115 to breast interface 105. The breast interface 105 converts the energy input to reduced pressure on the breast in a highly efficient manner, resulting in milking the milk into the collection container 125. The device 100 may further comprise one or more sensors configured to track various properties of the collected fluid, as described in further detail herein. Power may be provided to one or more sensors via a connection to the controller 115 or another power source. In embodiments in which one or more sensors are coupled to one or more portions of breast interface 105 or collection container 125, the sensors are further configured to transmit signals between the sensors and the controller. May be coupled to the controller 115 via one or more communication lines.

Hydraulic (Hydraulic) Pump Device The hydraulic system can reduce the required pumping force and thus reduce the size of the pump device while maintaining high pump efficiency. In a preferred embodiment, the pump device can utilize a hydraulic pump system to generate a pressure differential with respect to the breast for milking and collection of breast milk.

  An exemplary hydraulic pump device is shown in FIGS. FIG. 2 illustrates a pump device 150 having a syringe 155 fluidly coupled to the breast interface 160 by a tube 165. Syringe 155 is coupled to tube 165 through three-way valve 170. The breast interface 160 includes an outlet port 175. The syringe 155 drives the fluid 180 contained in the tube 165 toward a flexible member stored in the breast interface 160 to generate the pressure differential required for milking the breast milk from the breast.

  FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the pump device 200. Actuation assembly 205 includes an assembly housing 210, a drive element 215, a seal 220, and a shaft 222. Drive element 215 is operatively coupled to a controller, such as controller 115, through shaft 222. Tube 225 contains fluid 230 and is fluidly coupled to actuation assembly 205 and breast interface 235. The breast interface 235 comprises an interface housing 240, a flexible membrane 245, a reservoir 250, a sealing element 255, a milking area 260, and a discharge port 265. Seal element 255 includes a deformable portion 270. Alternatively, the flexible membrane 245 may comprise a sealing element 255 having a deformable portion 270 that is fluidly sealed against the breast engaged in the breast interface 235. By doing so, it is configured to function as a sealing element. The discharge port 265 is coupled to the collection container 275 and includes a flap valve 280.

  Actuating assembly 205 displaces fluid 230 contained within tube 225, which can be a flexible line. Fluid 230 occupies reservoir 250 in breast interface 235 and is coupled with flexible membrane 245. Preferably, the coupling between the flexible membrane 245, the sealing element 255, and the interface housing 240 is a liquid tight coupling such that the fluid 230 is contained within the reservoir 250 and cannot infiltrate into the milking area 260. It is. The flexible membrane 245 transmits reduced pressure from the fluid 230 to the deformable portion 270 of the sealing element 255. When the breast is engaged into the breast interface 235 by the sealing element 255 and fluidly sealed therewith, the displacement of the actuating element 215 causes a substantial vacuum to the breast through the flexible membrane 245 and the deformable portion 270. Pressure is generated, resulting in milking of the milk into the milking area 260. Alternatively, the flexible membrane 245 forms a fluid seal against the breast with which the flexible membrane 245 is engaged in the breast interface 235 and deforms the flexible membrane 245 from the fluid 230 with reduced pressure. A sealing element 255 having a deformable portion 270 may be provided to communicate to the possible portion. Milked milk is discharged into the collection container 275 through the discharge port 265. The discharge port 265 is configured with a flap valve 280 and provides passage of breast milk while maintaining a reduced pressure within the milking area 260. The collection container 275 can be any suitable container such as a bottle or bag. In many embodiments, the collection container 275 is removably coupled to the flexible membrane 245. Collection vessel 275 can be coupled directly or remotely via any suitable device, such as extended tubing. Preferably, the collection container can be quickly disconnected from other components of the pump device 200 (eg, for breast milk storage, cleaning, etc.).

  The fluid of the hydraulic pump device can be any suitable fluid, such as an incompressible fluid. In many embodiments, the incompressible fluid can be a liquid such as water or oil. In many embodiments, the fluid can be a fluid having properties such that the reduced pressure applied to the fluid by the pump device does not result in degassing of the fluid. Alternatively, the fluid can be any suitable gas, such as air. Any liquid or gas suitable for use with the hydraulic system can be used for the hydraulic pump device described herein.

Actuation Mechanisms Many actuation mechanisms known to those skilled in the art can be utilized for actuation assembly 205. The actuation assembly 205 can be a piston assembly, a pump such as a diaphragm pump, or any other suitable actuation mechanism. The optimal configuration of the actuating assembly 205 depends on many factors, such as decompression requirements, size, power, and other needs of the pump device 200, and the characteristics of the fluid 230 such as viscosity, biocompatibility, and fluid life requirements Can do.

  FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment where the actuation assembly 205 is a piston assembly and the drive element 215 is a piston. Actuating assembly 205 includes a seal 220, such as an O-ring, rotating diaphragm seal, or wiper seal, to seal against assembly housing 210 to prevent undesired exudation of fluid 230 and allow fluid 230 to be driven. .

  FIG. 4 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of an actuation assembly 300 that includes a pair of pistons 305.

  In a preferred embodiment, the actuation assembly includes a drive element that is powered by a suitable drive mechanism, such as a drive mechanism in controller 115. Many drive mechanisms are known to those skilled in the art. For example, a drive element, such as drive element 215, may be electromechanically actuated by a motor or manually actuated by a suitable user-actuated interface such as a lever. Various drive modes known to those skilled in the art can be used. In particular, the implementation of an exemplary hydraulic pump device as described herein allows the use of suitable drive modes such as direct drive and solenoids due to the reduced force requirements of the hydraulic system.

  Referring now to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4, the piston 305 includes a coupling 310 to the crankshaft 315. Crankshaft 315 is operably coupled to motor 320 through belt drive 325. Crankshaft 315 drives a pair of pistons 305 at the same stroke timing so as to apply reduced pressure to both breasts simultaneously, a feature that is desirable for increased milk production. Alternatively, the crankshaft 315 can drive the pair of pistons 305 at any suitable stroke timing, such as alternating or offset stroke cycles. Alternate or offset stroke cycles can have the advantage of reducing the power requirements of the motor 320.

  The drive mechanism can be powered by any suitable power source such as a local battery or an AC adapter. The drive mechanism can be controlled by hardware such as a built-in electronic device arranged in the controller 115.

  FIG. 22 illustrates another embodiment of an alternating pump system 2200. System 2200 includes a dual milking device with an interface 2212 that is sized and shaped to match a target tissue, here a breast 2220. Reservoir 2214 is threaded or otherwise coupled to the milking device. A hydraulic line 2210 fluidly couples each milking device to a hydraulic piston assembly 2204 having an incompressible fluid, such as oil in the piston chamber, and an actuatable piston 2206. One hydraulic line 2210 is coupled to the high pressure side 2208 of the hydraulic piston, and the other hydraulic line is coupled to the low pressure side 2208 of the piston. A motor 2202 activates the piston 2206. Thus, in operation, as the piston is actuated, the high pressure side generates a higher pressure in one of the milking devices and a lower pressure in the other milking device. Lower pressure milking devices result in reduced pressure and cause milking of the milk, while the high pressure side does not milk the milk. Then, as the piston reaches the end of its stroke and reciprocates in the opposite direction, the high and low pressure sides are reversed, thereby producing milking on the opposite side and the original side Does not cause milking. This process allows breast milk to be collected in an alternating fashion. The milking device, reservoir in the system may be any of the components disclosed in any of the present disclosure.

  5A-5B illustrate an exemplary embodiment of an actuation assembly 350 that includes a removable coupling 355. FIG. 5A is an isometric view of the actuation assembly 350 and controller 360 coupled via a removable coupling 355. FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of actuation assembly 350 with removable coupling 355. Preferably, the actuation assembly 350 is removably coupled to the controller 360 and the drive mechanism stored therein. The coupling can be a mechanical coupling or any suitable rapid desorption mechanism known to those skilled in the art. The releasably coupled design allows flexibility in configuration and use of the pump device. For example, the user experience can be improved through different sized breast interfaces for compatibility with different breast sizes. In addition, this feature allows a common pump device to be used in conjunction with a replaceable breast interface, thus reducing the risk of pathogen spread. Furthermore, the removable coupling allows for easy replacement of individual parts of the pump device.

Flexible Membrane In many embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the flexible membrane 245 is located within the breast interface 235 and disposed to cover at least a portion thereof, and the interface housing 240 and A reservoir 250 is formed between the flexible membrane 245. Preferably, the flexible membrane 245 substantially deforms when exposed to negative pressure formed when the fluid 230 is displaced from the reservoir 250 by the actuation assembly 205. The amount of deformation of the flexible membrane 245 can be controlled by a number of factors (eg, wall thickness, durometer, surface area) and can be optimized based on the pump device (eg, pump power, decompression requirements). .

  FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary flexible membrane 370 having a specific thickness and durometer.

  FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of a flexible membrane 375 with pleated features 380 for increased surface area.

  Suitable materials for the flexible membrane are known to those skilled in the art. In many embodiments, the flexible membrane is designed to expand and contract when exposed to pressure from binding fluids such as silicone, polyether block amides such as PEBAX, and polychloroprene such as neoprene. It can be made from a material. Alternatively, the flexible membrane can be made from a substantially rigid material, such as stainless steel, nitinol, a high durometer polymer, or a high durometer elastomer. In these embodiments, the rigid material will be designed with stress and / or strain distribution elements that allow substantial deformation of the flexible membrane that does not exceed the yield point of the material.

  FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate a preferred embodiment of a breast interface 400 in which an outlet valve 405 is integrated into the flexible membrane 410 to control the flow of milked breast milk through the outlet port 415. The outlet valve 405 is opened when the flexible membrane 410 is relaxed, as shown in FIG. 8A, allowing fluid flow, and as shown in FIG. 8B, the flexible membrane 410 is Closed when deformed to prevent fluid flow. The outlet valve 405 allows substantial vacuum pressure to be present in the milking area 420 during extraction while allowing breast milk to drain during the rest phase of the pump stroke. While many conventional breast pump valves function only with pressure differentials, the outlet valve 405 can preferably be configured to function also for mechanical movement of the flexible membrane 410. Incorporating mechanical functionality as described herein into the integrated outlet valve 405 can improve the seal of the breast interface 400 during decompression formation. Furthermore, the integrally formed outlet valve implementation within the flexible membrane 410, such as the outlet valve 405, reduces the number of parts to be cleaned.

Mechanical Pump Device FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a breast interface 600 where a mechanically deformable member 605 can be used instead of a flexible membrane. The mechanically deformable member 605 can be constructed from techniques similar to those used for the flexible membranes described herein. Mechanically deformable member 605 is coupled to tensioning element 610. In some cases, the tension element 610 is disposed within the axial load absorbing member 615. The axial load absorbing member 615 is disposed in the tube 620. Preferably, the tension element 610 is concentrically disposed within the axial load absorbing member 615 and the axial load absorbing member 615 is concentrically disposed within the tube 620. In an alternative configuration of the tensioning element 610, an axial load absorbing member 615 and a tube 620 can also be used.

  FIG. 10 illustrates a tensioning element 610 that is coupled to the drive element 625 of the actuation assembly 630 in the assembly housing 635. Drive element 625 is operably coupled through shaft 640 to a drive mechanism, such as a drive mechanism stored in the controller. The axial load absorbing member 615 in the tube 620 is fixedly coupled to the assembly housing 635. The displacement of the drive element 625 transmits tension through the tension element 610 to the mechanical deformation member 605 and generates a reduced pressure against the breast. The drive element 625 can be actuated by a suitable drive mechanism such as the embodiments previously described herein.

  The tensioning element 610 can be any suitable device such as a wire, coil, tube, braid, rope, or any combination thereof. For example, the tension element 610 can be a miniature nitinol wire with a stainless steel braid placed around it. The tensile element 610 can be made from a number of suitable materials having a high tensile strength, such as a metal, polymer, or elastomer. The axial load absorbing member 615 can be made from any suitable material that is axially synthetic, such as metal or polymer, and is configured in any suitable geometric shape that is axially synthetic, such as a tube or coil. Can.

Fluid collection and quantification systems In many cases, collection such as milk production and collection, such as the amount of milk production (eg, volume, weight), frequency of milking (eg, time, date), and / or milking duration It may be desirable to measure and track various properties of the treated fluid. In existing approaches, tracking milk production is typically accomplished by manual measurement and recording. The exemplary embodiments of the devices described herein provide digital-based means for improved convenience, efficiency, and accuracy, and can automatically measure and track breast milk production. Good. For example, a sensor can be used to measure the volume of milked milk. In preferred embodiments, the volume is measured as volume per unit time, volume per pump stroke (eg, stroke of the actuation assembly), or volume per pump power cycle (eg, power cycle of the actuation assembly). Can do.

  In an exemplary embodiment, the pump device described herein may use one or more measurement data to generate one or more characteristics of breast milking, such as the volume of milk pumped. Including more sensors. Any description herein relating to measuring volume can also be applied to measuring other properties, and vice versa. Any suitable type of sensor can be used, such as accelerometers, Hall effect sensors, and photodiode / LED sensors, CCD sensors, cameras, and other imaging devices, capacitive sensors, strain gauges, etc. The sensors can be used in any number and combination. The sensor can be located at any location suitable for monitoring fluid flow from the breast, such as on or near the breast interface (eg, milking area 260, drain port 265, collection container 275). In embodiments where breast milk is milked simultaneously from a pair of breasts via a pair of breast interfaces, the sensor is located on or near both breast interfaces or only one of the breast interfaces. be able to. The sensor may be integrally formed with the pump device or permanently attached thereto. Alternatively, the sensor may be provided separately and coupled to the pump device prior to use.

  FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a breast interface 450 with a valve integrated sensor 455. Sensor 455 is preferably located in a valve, such as flap valve 460, but is also located in outlet valve 465 or any other valve (eg, on or near the collection vessel) that is opened by fluid flow. May be. In the exemplary embodiment, sensor 455 includes an accelerometer that measures valve position and / or movement, such as the length of time that the valve is opened, and the resulting measurement data is for quantifying fluid flow. Can be queried. Preferably, breast interface 450 is used in conjunction with a second identical breast interface to milk milk from a pair of breasts in parallel (eg, simultaneously, alternately or sequentially). A pair of accelerometers can be used to detect the position and / or movement of the corresponding valve in each interface. In some cases, the user's movement may cause the accelerometer to generate a motion signal that is misinterpreted as a valve motion. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, a preferred approach is used to distinguish between signals resulting from user movement and signals generated by valve movement. For example, the pump device can be configured to milk milk alternately from each breast so that the corresponding valves are also opened alternately. As a result, motion detected simultaneously from both accelerometers can be considered to have resulted from user motion, not from valve motion. User motion can be subtracted from the total motion signal obtained by the accelerometer to obtain valve motion, thereby determining the position of each valve. Alternatively or in combination, the sensor 455 may comprise a set of background motion accelerometers in addition to the set of valve accelerometers, the background motion accelerometer, as described in further detail herein. It is configured to measure background motion including user motion. The background motion measured by the background motion accelerometer may be subtracted from the motion measured by the valve accelerometer to obtain an isolated valve motion.

  FIG. 11C more clearly illustrates an embodiment with an accelerometer 470. The accelerometer 470 is coupled to a valve 476 on the output of the milking device 472 having a breast interface 474 (which may also be referred to herein as a distal assembly). Valve 476 may be a flap valve, a duckbill valve, or the like. The milking device and the breast interface may be any of the embodiments disclosed herein. As breast milk 468 is milked, it is collected at the output of the device. When sufficient fluid is collected, the flap valve 470 opens and the breast milk 468 is drained into the reservoir 462 and collects the layer 464 therein. The reservoir 462 is preferably threadably connected to the milking device 472 so that it can be easily installed and removed. The movement of valve 476 is tracked using accelerometer 470. Data from the accelerometer is then processed, transmitted, or displayed using any of the methods or means disclosed herein.

  FIGS. 11L-11N illustrate an exemplary embodiment having a background motion accelerometer 473 and a valve motion accelerometer 478. FIG. 11L is an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 11M is a side cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment. The background motion accelerometer 473 may be coupled to a portion of the breast interface 235, for example, the housing 240 of the breast interface. The valve accelerometer 478 may be coupled to a valve 471 that is configured to open in response to pressure or weight applied by a flap valve, duckbill valve, or milked breast milk 468. Any other valve may be used. Background motion accelerometer 473 and valve motion accelerometer 478 may be coupled to a power source, eg, controller 115, through power line 482. The background motion accelerometer 473 and the valve motion accelerometer 478 may further be coupled via a communication line 480 to a processing device or communication module of a pump control unit, such as the controller 115. Alternatively or in combination, the accelerometer may be coupled to a communication module disposed on a portion of the breast interface or reservoir, the communication module configured to communicate wirelessly with a controller or computing device. . The power line 482 and the communication line 480 may comprise one or more wires and are located in different channels or the same channel 484 of the flexible tubing 110 to connect the breast interface 235 to the actuation assembly of the pump device. May be combined. The background motion accelerometer 473 may be disposed on the surface of the housing 240 so as to be positioned in proximity to the power line 482 and the communication line 480. Similarly, the valve motion accelerometer 478 may be placed on the surface of the valve 471 so as to be positioned proximate to the power line and communication line. The valve 471 may be arranged in a configuration such that a valve accelerometer 478 disposed thereon can be positioned in proximity to the power and communication lines. Preferably, the background motion accelerometer 473 may be placed in a location and orientation whose sensing axis is aligned with the axis of the valve accelerometer 471 so as to optimize the consistency of the position data generated by the accelerometer. Good.

  As shown in FIG. 11M, the milked milk 468 can enter the milking area 260 of the breast interface 235 and subsequently enter the drain port 265 coupled to the collection container. The fluid flow of breast milk 468 can generate pressure on the valve 471 and cause the valve 471 to open. For example, valve 471 may be displaced in the direction indicated by arrow 485 up to configuration 486. The movement of the valve 471 may be tracked by the valve motion accelerometer 478. Valve motion accelerometer 478 can often measure background motion that is not associated with valve motion 471, such as user motion, in addition to valve motion 471. In order to normalize the measurement of the valve motion accelerometer 478 relative to the background motion, the background motion accelerometer 473 measures the overall pump device in space to measure the background motion of the device unrelated to the valve motion 471. Can be configured to track global movement. Data generated by accelerometers 473 and 478 may be transmitted via communication line 480 to the communication module of the pump control unit, which communicates the data to the pump control unit for data analysis and / or display. Or it may be configured to transmit to any processing device of another computing device. Alternatively, or in combination, the data generated by the accelerometer may be transmitted wirelessly via a communication module that is integrated with a portion of the breast interface or reservoir.

  FIG. 11N shows an exemplary graph of the motion signal generated by the background motion accelerometer 473 and the valve motion accelerometer 478. As shown in the graph, the valve signal 487 generated by the valve motion accelerometer 478 is different from the background signal 488 generated by the background motion accelerometer 473. To exclude or minimize the background motion contribution to the measured valve motion, the background signal 488 may be subtracted from the valve signal 487 to produce a normalized valve signal 489.

  In other exemplary embodiments, the pump device described herein is in a suitable location within the pump device (eg, within or near a valve, outlet port, or other component that allows fluid passage). One or more beam block sensors (eg, infrared-based, laser-based, etc.) installed in The beam block sensor can include a plurality of sensor components and can be configured to detect the passage of fluid between or near one or more of the components. Preferably, the sensor can be configured to generate a signal when the milked fluid blocks the beam by passing between the beam emitter and the beam detector. The resulting signal can be used to generate measurement data indicative of the volume of the milked fluid. For example, the measurement data can be based on the length of time that the fluid passes between or near sensor components.

  FIG. 11D illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a breast milking device that employs a beam block sensor 477. Milking device 472 includes a breast interface 474 and a reservoir 462. The reservoir is threaded or otherwise coupled to the milking device 466. Any of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, such as milking devices, interfaces, reservoirs, etc., may be used in the exemplary system. The beam block sensor 477 is positioned adjacent to the output of the milking device, thus blocking and milking the light beam 477a as the milk droplet 468 is discharged from the milking device outlet into the reservoir 462. Allows fluid measurement. Fluid is collected in layer 464 within reservoir 462. Data from the sensor can then be processed, transmitted, or otherwise displayed using any of the methods disclosed herein.

  In another exemplary embodiment, the pump device described herein is a milking volume, such as a charge coupled device (CCD), an active pixel sensor in a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS), or a camera. Can be included to include one or more image sensors for capturing an image of the fluid. The image sensor may be integrated with or coupled to a suitable part of the pump device. Conversely, the image sensor can be located on another device separate from the pump device, such as a smartphone or other mobile device. In an exemplary embodiment, the breast interface includes a valve that allows passage of milked fluid, as previously described herein, and a suitable image sensor captures an image of the fluid passing through the valve. Therefore, it is positioned on or near the valve. Preferably, the image sensor is operably coupled to a processing unit configured to analyze the image data (eg, using a suitable image analysis algorithm) to determine fluid volume. For example, an image sensor can be used to capture an image of a fluid droplet, and the image can be analyzed to count the number of droplets. In some instances, the image data can be transmitted to a computing device (eg, a smartphone) for analysis, as described in further detail below.

  FIG. 11E illustrates an exemplary embodiment having a CCD or CMOS device 479 adjacent to the exit of the milking device. Milking device 472 includes an interface 474 and a reservoir 462, any of which may be any of the embodiments disclosed herein. As breast milk 468 is milked, it passes through the outlet of the milking device beyond the CCD or CMOS 479, which detects fluid and allows its quantification as described above. Breast milk 468 then accumulates in layer 464 within reservoir 462. Data from device 479 may then be processed, transmitted, or otherwise displayed using any of the methods disclosed herein.

  FIG. 11F illustrates an exemplary embodiment of characterizing milked breast milk using an image of the reservoir. Once breast milk 468 is collected in reservoir 462, the reservoir may optionally be removed from the milking device. A cell phone with a suitable application to analyze the photos, determine the amount of milked milk, and optionally provide other details about the milked milk, then take a photo 463a of the reservoir May be used to The data is processed, transmitted, or otherwise displayed using any of the methods disclosed herein.

  FIG. 11G illustrates an alternative embodiment of the optical sensor system. After breast milk 468 is milked and collected in reservoir 462, a camera in pump control unit 465 obtains an image of breast milk in the reservoir and analyzes it for volume or other characteristics May be used. The pump control 465 may be any of the pump controls described herein, and the data is processed, transmitted, or displayed using any of the methods disclosed herein. May be.

  In some exemplary embodiments, the pump devices described herein can employ one or more capacitive sensors to measure fluid volume. The capacitive sensor allows passage of fluid from any suitable part of the pump device, such as fluid contained within the collection reservoir and / or breast interface (eg, milking area 260, valve, outlet port, or tubing interface) The volume of fluid contained within the component.

  11H-11I illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a milking device using a capacitive sensor. The milking device 472 may be any of the milking devices disclosed herein and similarly has an interface 474, which may be any of the interfaces disclosed herein. Reservoir 462 is threaded 466 or otherwise coupled to the milking device, and the reservoir may be any of the reservoirs described herein. As breast milk 468 is milked and collected at the outlet of the milking device, it passes through the volume sensor 475, which then allows the fluid volume to be measured. FIG. 11I is similar to the embodiment in FIG. 11H, but the main difference is that the capacitive sensor 475a is located in the reservoir 462 near the bottom rather than in the outlet of the milking device. Data from the sensor in any embodiment may then be processed, transmitted, or displayed using any of the techniques described herein.

  In other exemplary embodiments, one or more strain gauges can be used to measure the volume of the milked fluid. The strain gauge can be installed at any suitable location within the pump device. For example, the strain gauge may be coupled to a flap valve (or any other valve that allows passage of milked fluid) and configured to determine volume based on the displacement of the valve over time. it can. Alternatively or additionally, a strain gauge can be coupled to the collection reservoir and configured to measure the volume of milked fluid contained within the reservoir.

  FIG. 11J illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a strain gauge. The milking device 472 includes an interface 474, a thread 466 or otherwise coupled thereto 466, a reservoir 462. Any part of the system may be any of the components described elsewhere herein. As the milk is milked 468, it accumulates in the outlet of the milking device. Ultimately, the accumulated breast milk weight is sufficient to activate and open valve 476. A strain gauge 481 is coupled to the flap valve and the sensor is then used to collect data regarding the movement of the valve, thus it correlates with the collected fluid. Fluid accumulates in layer 464 within reservoir 462. Data from the sensor is then processed, transmitted, or displayed using any of the methods disclosed herein.

  FIG. 11K illustrates an alternative embodiment of a strain gauge. This embodiment generally takes the same form as the previous embodiment, the main difference being that the collected fluid layer 464 is placed on a plate 483 that bears the weight of the collected fluid. . Thus, as the weight increases or decreases, the strain gauge 481a disposed under the plate 483 detects the weight change, which can be correlated to the collected fluid volume. Data from the sensor is then processed, transmitted, or displayed according to any of the methods disclosed herein.

  FIGS. 11O-11Q illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a strain gauge or force sensitive resistor (FSR) comprising an integrated processing unit. FIG. 110 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment. The strain gauge 490 is located in the bottom of the reservoir, such as the reservoir 462 or any reservoir described herein, in a configuration that places the load 469 of the milked milk 468 on the sensor area of the strain gauge or FSR 490. May be integrated. The strain gauge 490 may include a small force sensitive resistor that adjusts its resistance based on the compressive force applied thereto. To maximize the sensitivity of the strain gauge 490 to the load 469, the bottom inner surface 491 of the reservoir 462 may be designed to minimize the absorption of the load 469 as the load is transmitted to the strain gauge. Good. For example, the bottom inner surface 491 may comprise a bellows element 492, allowing the surface 491 to move up and down by extending the surface 491, thereby minimizing the absorption of the load 469. Preferably, reservoir 462 comprises a self-contained electronic device that collects, processes, and communicates data generated using strain gauge 490. A strain gauge 490 may be mounted on the support 493 and coupled to the processing unit 494, as shown in FIG. 11P, which is an exploded view of the embodiment in FIG. Power may be supplied to the processing unit 494 via a direct contact connection such as a battery or cable or pad connector, or preferably via an inductive charging system. The inductive charging system may include a battery 495 coupled to the processing unit and a wireless charger 496 coupled to the battery and may be charged using inductive charging methods known in the art. FIG. 11Q is a detailed view of the processing unit 494. The processing unit 494 may comprise a printed circuit board (PCB) that stores one or more of the microcontroller 494a, the communication module 494b, the strain gauge connection 494c, the power connection 494d, and the timer 494e. . The processing unit 494 may receive a signal from the strain gauge 490 through the strain gauge connection 494c and the signal may be transmitted to the microcontroller 494a. The microcontroller 494a may comprise a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for collecting and processing signals received from the strain gauge 490. The microcontroller 494a may further comprise instructions for transmitting the collected and / or processed signals to the communication module 494b. The communication module 494b may include a wireless transmitter / receiver such as a Blue Tooth module, for example. Communication module 494b may be configured to transmit strain gauge data to another computing device, such as a pump control unit of a milking device or a mobile phone, for data analysis and / or display.

  The integrated processing unit of the embodiment of FIGS. 11O-11Q may also be suitably combined with any other sensor described herein. A milking device with a reservoir with an integrated sensor and processing unit as described helps to automate the management and monitoring of breast milk production, thus reducing the need to manually maintain records related to breast milk production Can do. For example, a strain gauge system as described can monitor the amount of milk produced and automatically process the data and send it to a computing device where the user can easily access the information. . Such a system can greatly improve the convenience for the user and can help reduce human errors associated with manual record keeping.

  In an exemplary embodiment, some or all of the measurement data collected by the sensor can be fed back to the pump device to optimize fluid milking. Preferably, the feedback is a processing unit and / or control unit (eg, suitable hardware located within controller 115) of the pump device configured to control one or more functionalities of the actuation assembly. Can be transmitted. Based on the feedback, the processing unit can determine changes to the operating parameters of the operating assembly to achieve and / or maintain optimal fluid milking. For example, the feedback can be used to determine the adjustment of the pump, piston assembly, or any other suitable actuation assembly to a reduced pressure stroke or cycle per minute.

  FIG. 21 illustrates an exemplary milking system with feedback control. The system is preferably sized and shaped to mate with a pump unit 2100 and a target anatomy, here a breast 2112, including a controller and processor 2104 and a motor 2102 for operating the device. Assembly 2110. Any of the elements in the present exemplary system may be any of the components disclosed elsewhere herein in other exemplary embodiments. In this embodiment, feedback 2106 from a sensor that monitors milked milk in the milking device 2110 is transmitted from the distal assembly (milking device with interface) to the controller and processor 2104. The data is processed and this information is used to provide instructions to the motor 2102 to increase or decrease the operation of the milking device, which is then sent back to the milking device or distal assembly 2110 via communication 2108. The The feedback information may also be used to provide instructions to the motor 2012 to change the number of strokes or cycles per minute of the milking device. Any of the embodiments herein may include such a feedback loop.

  FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a controller 500 for a pump device that includes a display screen 505. The controller 500 may include suitable hardware for collecting, processing, and storing milking data as described herein, and analysis results obtained from processing the milking data. In the preferred embodiment, this information is displayed to the user of the pump device via display screen 505. Further, as shown in FIG. 13, information can also be transmitted from the controller 500 and displayed on a separate computing device, such as the mobile device 510, as described in more detail below. Information can be presented in any suitable form, including graphs, charts, tables, images, or other visual elements such as one or more lights of different colors. Alternatively or in combination, the information may be provided via an audible indicator. Information may be presented in a form that is static or dynamic (eg, updated in real time, etc.). In addition, the controller 500 includes buttons 515 and input devices that allow a user to interact with displayed information, such as a keyboard, joystick, touch screen, switch, or knob, or a suitable combination thereof. be able to.

Communicating with a computing device In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, the pump device described herein can communicate with another entity, such as one or more computing devices and / or servers. Can be configured to communicate. Exemplary computing devices include personal computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices (eg, smartphones, cell phones). The servers described herein can be implemented across physical hardware, virtualized computing resources (eg, virtual machines), or any suitable combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the server is a distributed computing server (also known as a cloud server) that utilizes any suitable combination of public and / or private distributed computing resources. The computing device and / or server may be in close proximity to the pump device (short range communication) or may be remotely located from the pump device (long range communication). Any description herein relating to communication between a computing device and a pump device can also be applied to communication between a server and a pump device and vice versa.

  FIG. 13 illustrates short range communication 515 between the controller 500 of the pump device and the mobile device 510. The communication 515 can use a wireless communication method as will be described below. In many embodiments, the controller 500 and mobile device 510 are also capable of long-range communication.

  FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a pump device 800 in communication with a computing device 805 and a server 810. The pump device 800 includes one or more breast interfaces 815, an actuation assembly 820, a sensing unit 825, and a communication module 835. Preferably, the communication module 830 is implemented across suitable hardware in the controller (eg, controller 500) of the pump device. The pump device 800 can communicate with the computing device 805 and the server 810 via the communication module 830. In many embodiments, the communication module 830 is communicatively coupled to the computing device 805 and the server 810 via first and second data connections 835, 840. Further, server 810 may be communicatively coupled to computing device 805 via third data connection 845. Although the pump device 800 is depicted herein as communicating directly with the computing device 805 and the server 810, other configurations are also possible. For example, pump device 800 may communicate indirectly with server 810 via computing device 805, or vice versa. Conversely, server 810 may communicate indirectly with pump device 800 via computing device 805, and computing device 805 may communicate with pump device 800 via server 810. Any description herein regarding communication between pump device 800, computing device 805, or server 810 can be applied to direct communication as well as indirect communication between these entities.

  Data connections 835, 840, and 845 can utilize any suitable communication method for transmitting data between pump device 800, computing device 805, and server 810. Such communication methods may include wired communication (eg, wire, cable such as USB cable, optical fiber) and / or wireless communication (Bluetooth®, WiFi, near field communication). In many embodiments, data is transmitted over one or more networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a telecommunications network, the Internet, or a suitable combination thereof. be able to.

  In the exemplary embodiment, pump device 800 transmits milking data for breast milk to computing device 805 or server 810 (directly or indirectly). Breast milking data may include measurement data generated by the sensing unit 825 of the pump device 800, as previously described herein. In many embodiments, the pump device 800 analyzes the measurement data (eg, using suitable built-in hardware and / or software) and transmits the analysis results to the computing device 805 or server 810. Alternatively, the measurement data can be analyzed by computing device 805 or server 810, such as using one or more applications. A computing device 805 or server 810 may be associated with data storage for storage of measurement data and / or analysis results.

  The application (of computing device 805 or server 810) also collects and aggregates measurement data and / or analysis results, as described earlier in this specification, in a suitable format (eg, chart, table, graph, image). Etc.) can be displayed to the user. Preferably, the application allows the user to overlay information such as lifestyle choices, meals, and strategies to increase breast milk output to facilitate comparison of such information with milk output statistics. , Including additional features. The analysis and display functionality described herein may be performed by a single entity or any suitable combination of entities. For example, in many embodiments, data analysis can be performed by server 810 and the analysis results can be transmitted to pump device 800 or computing device 805 for display to the user.

  In addition, the computing device 805 or server 810 may be configured to power the pump device 800 or a portion thereof (eg, the actuation assembly 820), such as power, applied reduced pressure (via the interface 815), or cycles per minute. An application configured to control at least one functionality can be included. For example, the communication module 830 can receive control signals from the computing device 805 and / or the server 810 and transmit the control signals to the actuation assembly 820 to effect the desired actuation. In a preferred embodiment, the control signal is based on the measurement data provided by the sensing unit 825, using feedback provided by the pump device 800 as such feedback, as previously described herein. Can be generated. In addition, the computing device 805 or server 810 may implement machine learning techniques for controlling the pump device 800 to improve and optimize pump performance over time.

  Further, the pump device 800, the computing device 805, and / or the server 810 can be configured to provide a reminder to the user to milk the breast milk. Such notifications can help avoid loss of pump sessions and thus reduce the occurrence of associated complications such as mastitis. The notification may be generated based on previously collected milking data for breast milk, such as data regarding milking frequency and / or timing of previous pump sessions, and based on user preferences. Preferably, the notification functionality is included in a suitable application that runs on computing device 805 or server 810. For example, the pump device 800 sends information about the pump usage time to the computing device 805 or server 810 so that the application can identify when the pumping has occurred and identify the reminder at the desired pump time. can do.

  Notifications can be provided using any suitable method and in any suitable form. For example, the notification is generated by computing device 805 or server 810 and transmitted to pump device 800 (eg, communication module 830) and displayed to the user (eg, on the display of pump device 800 such as display screen 505). )be able to. Conversely, the notification can be generated by pump device 800 and transmitted to computing device 805 and / or server 810. In many embodiments, the notification is displayed to the user by the computing device 805. Alternatively, pump device 800, computing device 805, and / or server 810 can use other methods to provide notifications to the user. For example, the notification can be sent to an email address, via a short message service (SMS) to a smartphone or other mobile device associated with a mobile phone number, or to a web page accessible by the user.

  Other types of data can also be transmitted between pump device 800, computing device 805, and / or server 810. For example, in many embodiments, firmware updates for one or more components of pump device 800 can be transmitted from computing device 805 and / or server 810 to pump device 800.

  FIG. 17 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a system for monitoring milking or other fluids of breast milk. The system 1700 includes a pump unit 1702, a distal assembly 1706 (sometimes referred to herein as an interface), a wireless communication transmitter and receiver 1709, 1712, a computing device 1714, a remote server. 1718. The pump unit 1702 may be any of the pump units described herein or known in the art, and the distal assembly 1708 may also be described herein. Or any of those known in the art. Distal assembly 1706 is preferably sized and shaped to match the target anatomy, which in this exemplary embodiment is breast 1708. Pump unit 1702 operates distal assembly 1706 1704 to produce milk from breast 1708 using any of the activation mechanisms disclosed herein. The transmitter 1709 is preferably disposed on or adjacent to the pump unit and is configured to transmit data 1710 from the pump unit to a receiver 1712 on the computing device 1714. Data may be transmitted wirelessly using methods known in the art, such as those disclosed herein. In an alternative embodiment, a wired connection, such as with a USB cable, may be used to operably couple pump 1702 and computing device 1714 together. The computing device may be a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, or any other electronic computing device that can display data transmitted from the pump unit 1702. The computing device may also send information back to the pump unit to help control the operation of the distal assembly. Computing device 1714 may also communicate 1716 with remote server 1718, which may store or display data. Access to remote service 1718 may be by the Internet or other means known in the art, so that cloud-based data can be easily accessed from any other device using Internet access. obtain.

  FIG. 18 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a system 1800 for milking milk. In this embodiment, system 1800 includes a pump unit 1802, a distal assembly 1806, and a cloud-based or remote server 1812. The pump unit 1802 can be any of the pumps disclosed herein and is operably coupled to a distal assembly 1806 that is sized and shaped to match a target, such as a breast 1808. . The distal assembly may be any of the distal assemblies described herein. Pump unit 1802 activates the distal assembly 1804 using any of the mechanisms disclosed herein to produce milk from breast 1808. Pump unit 1802 also includes a transmitter and receiver 1809 for transmitting pump data 1810 to remote server 1812, which in this embodiment is a cloud-based server. Thus, data may be transmitted to a remote service via the internet and accessed from a cloud-based server via the internet by pump 1802 or any other computing device. Preferably, communication with the cloud-based server is performed by wireless communication.

  19A-19C illustrate an exemplary computing device display 1904. FIG. For example, FIG. 19A illustrates an exemplary display on the mobile phone 1902 and schematically illustrates breast milk production, time of the last pump session, goal achievement graphics, and graphics illustrating user fluid consumption. In addition, display 1904 may also provide user incentives or user feedback based on the amount of milk production. FIG. 19B is an enlarged view of the display 1904 in FIG. 19A. FIG. 19C illustrates additional information that the display 1904 may show when the touch screen is activated (eg, by swiping or touching the screen). For example, the milked milk volume is shown after the “Final Pump Session” section of the display is selected. Some or all items may be expanded as shown in FIG. 19C as well. Additional information, or in some situations, less information may be displayed as desired.

  20A-20B illustrate another exemplary display that may be used in a breast milking system. For example, FIG. 20A is an exemplary display 2002 on any of the computing devices disclosed herein and operably coupled with any of the pump units described herein. The display may show the average volume of breast milk milked over any period, along with the average duration of the milking session during that same period. Graphics (eg, bar charts, pie charts, xy plots, etc.) may be used here to show the milked volume during individual sessions over the course of several days from Monday to Friday. The display may allow the user to annotate the display so that a lost session may be considered if, for example, the session is omitted due to travel, the display may be May indicate a trip. Other annotations may also be added here, such as when a food or nutritional supplement is taken, which is hops or fenugreek. This allows the user to remind when a milked milk sample is obtained for consumption of food or nutritional supplements. The display may have other function buttons such as seeking advice, accessing the cloud, setting an alarm, taking notes, storing data, or establishing system preferences. Communication between the computing device and the pump unit in FIGS. 20A-20B is discussed more fully above with respect to FIG.

  FIG. 20B illustrates an exemplary display 2004 that may be on a computing device in the system or, more preferably, on any of the pumps disclosed herein. The display 2004 is similar to a dashboard gauge and shows the volume and time of the milked and collected fluid. Other information may also be displayed.

Experimental Data FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate experimental pump operation data obtained from a commercial breast pump device and an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The exemplary embodiment utilizes an incompressible fluid for pumping and has a maximum hydraulic fluid volume of 4 cc, while commercially available devices utilize air for pumping and have a maximum volume of 114 cc. did.

  FIG. 15 illustrates a graph of pump performance as quantified by the reduced pressure generated per stroke. For the exemplary embodiment, pressure measurements are made on fluid volumes 1 cc, 2 cc, 3 cc, and 4 cc displaced by the pump, and the stroke number corresponds to volume cc. For commercially available devices, one of seven equally spaced positions along the vacuum adjustment gauge representing 46 cc, 57 cc, 68 cc, 80 cc, 91 cc, 103 cc, and 114 cc of the fluid volume displaced by the pump, respectively. Measurement is performed using a pump set to, and the stroke number corresponds to the position number. Curve 700 corresponds to an exemplary embodiment and curve 705 corresponds to a commercially available device. The exemplary embodiment produced higher levels of reduced pressure per displacement volume compared to commercially available devices, with the highest reduced pressure being -240.5 mmHg and -177.9 mmHg, respectively.

  FIG. 16 illustrates a graph of pump efficiency as measured by maximum reduced pressure per maximum volume of displaced fluid, with bar 710 corresponding to an exemplary embodiment and bar 715 corresponding to a commercially available device. . The exemplary embodiment demonstrated a 42-fold increase in pump efficiency compared to commercially available devices, with efficiencies of −71.1 mmHg / cc and −1.7 mmHg / cc, respectively.

  The various techniques described herein may be partially or fully performed using code that can be stored on storage media and computer-readable media and that can be executed by one or more processors of a computer system. May be implemented. Storage media and computer readable media containing code or part of code include: RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassette, Magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device, solid state drive (SSD) or other solid state storage device, or can be used to store desired information and accessed by system devices Implemented in any method or technique for storing and / or transmitting information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data, including any other medium Not volatile and non-volatile Nonvolatile, including storage media and communication media, such as removable and non-removable media, may include any suitable medium that is known or used in the art. Based on the disclosure and teachings provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate other ways and / or methods to implement various embodiments.

  It should be understood that different aspects of the present invention may be recognized individually, collectively, or in combination with each other. Any suitable element or feature of the embodiments described herein can be combined with or substituted for the element or feature of any other embodiment.

  While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that such embodiments are presented by way of example only. Many variations, modifications, and alternatives can now be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein can be used to practice the invention. The following claims are intended to define the scope of the invention, and the methods, configurations, and equivalents within the scope of these claims are intended to be encompassed thereby.

Claims (91)

A system for milking breast milk from the breast,
A milking device comprising an interface configured to engage a breast and an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface, the actuation of the actuation assembly applying a reduced pressure to the interface A milking device for applying to and milking the milk from there,
A computing device configured to communicate with the milking device via a data connection;
A system comprising:   The system of claim 1, wherein the interface is configured to fluidly seal against the breast.   The data connection utilizes one or more of wireless communication, near field communication, and USB cable to transmit data between at least a portion of the milking device and the computing device; The system of claim 1.   The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is selected from a smartphone, a tablet, and a personal computer.   The system of claim 1, wherein the milking device further comprises a sensing unit configured to generate measurement data indicative of one or more characteristics of breast milking.   The system of claim 5, wherein the measurement data is transmitted to the computing device via the data connection.   The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device comprises an application configured to analyze the measurement data.   The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device transmits the measurement data to a server.   The system of claim 5, wherein the milking device further comprises a processing unit configured to analyze the measurement data and thereby generate an analysis result.   The system of claim 9, wherein the milking device further comprises a display unit configured to display the analysis results to a user.   The system according to claim 10, wherein the analysis result is displayed in a graph, a chart, or a table.   The system of claim 9, wherein the analysis result is transmitted to the computing device via the data connection.   The system of claim 12, wherein the computing device displays the analysis results to a user.   The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device controls at least one functionality of the milking device via the data connection.   15. The functionality of claim 14, wherein the functionality includes one or more of: a power of the milking device, a reduced pressure applied by the milking device, and a cycle per minute of the milking device. system.   The system of claim 1, wherein a notification to remind a user to milk breast milk is transmitted to the computing device via the data connection.   The system of claim 1, wherein a notification to remind a user to milk breast milk is transmitted to at least a portion of the milking device via the data connection.   The system of claim 1, wherein firmware updates are transmitted to at least a portion of the milking device via the data connection.   The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a communication module that communicates with a server over a network.   The system of claim 19, wherein a notification to remind a user to milk breast milk is transmitted from the server to the computing device.   21. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile phone associated with a mobile phone number, and the notification is transmitted to the mobile phone number over the network by a short message service (SMS). system. A method for measuring milking of breast milk from a breast,
Providing a breast milking device comprising an interface, an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface, and a sensing unit;
Engaging the breast with the interface;
Activating the actuation assembly, thereby causing the interface to apply a reduced pressure to the breast;
Milking breast milk from the breast;
Using said sensing unit to measure milking characteristics of breast milk, thereby generating measurement data;
Transmitting the measurement data from the sensing unit to a computing device via a data connection;
Including the method.   23. The method of claim 22, further comprising storing the measurement data in one or more data stores of the computing device.   23. The method of claim 22, further comprising analyzing the measurement data via the computing device application and generating an analysis result.   25. The method of claim 24, further comprising displaying the analysis results to a user via the computing device.   26. The method of claim 25, wherein the analysis results are displayed in a graph, chart or table. A method for controlling milking of breast milk from a breast,
Providing a breast milking device comprising an interface and an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface;
Engaging the breast with the interface;
Receiving a control signal from a computing device via a data connection;
Activating the actuation assembly based on the control signal, thereby causing the interface to apply a reduced pressure to the breast;
Milking breast milk from the breast;
Including the method. A device for milking breast milk from the breast,
An interface configured to engage the breast;
An actuating assembly operably coupled to the interface, wherein actuating the actuating assembly causes the interface to apply a reduced pressure to the breast and milk milk therefrom;
A communication module for communicating with a server via a network;
An apparatus comprising:   30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the interface is configured to fluidly seal against the breast.   30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the network comprises an internet network.   30. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a sensing unit configured to generate measurement data indicative of one or more characteristics of breast milking.   32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the measurement data is transmitted to the server via the network.   35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the server comprises an application configured to analyze the measurement data.   32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising a processing unit configured to analyze the measurement data and thereby generate an analysis result.   35. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a display unit configured to display the analysis results to a user.   The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the analysis result is transmitted to the server via the network.   37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the analysis result is displayed on a computing device that communicates with the server.   30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein at least one functionality of the actuation assembly is controlled by an application on the server via the network.   39. The functionality of claim 38, wherein the functionality includes one or more of: power of the actuation assembly, reduced pressure applied by the actuation assembly, and cycles per minute of the actuation assembly. apparatus.   30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein a notification to remind a user to milk breast milk is transmitted to an email address via the network.   30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein a notification to remind a user to milk breast milk is transmitted to the mobile phone number via the network by a short message service (SMS).   42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the notification is transmitted by SMS from the server to a smartphone associated with the mobile phone number.   29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein a notification to remind a user to milk breast milk is transmitted to the communication module via the network.   30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein firmware updates are transmitted to the communication module over the network. A method for measuring milking of breast milk from a breast,
Providing a breast milking device comprising an interface, an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface, and a sensing unit;
Engaging the breast with the interface;
Activating the actuation assembly, thereby causing the interface to apply a reduced pressure to the breast;
Milking breast milk from the breast;
Using said sensing unit to measure milking characteristics of breast milk, thereby generating measurement data;
Transmitting the measurement data to a server via a network;
Including the method.   46. The method of claim 45, wherein the server is a distributed computing server.   46. The method of claim 45, wherein the milking characteristics of the breast milk are measured by the sensing unit as the breast milk moves from the interface to a collection reservoir in fluid communication with the interface.   46. The method of claim 45, further comprising storing the measurement data in one or more data stores associated with the server.   46. The method of claim 45, further comprising analyzing the measurement data via an application on the server and generating an analysis result. Transmitting the analysis result from the server to a computing device;
Displaying the analysis results to a user via the computing device;
50. The method of claim 49, further comprising: A method for remotely controlling milking of breast milk from a breast,
Providing a breast milking device comprising an interface and an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface;
Engaging the breast with the interface;
Receiving a control signal from a server via a network;
Activating the actuation assembly based on the control signal, thereby causing the interface to apply a reduced pressure to the breast;
Milking breast milk from the breast;
Including the method. A device for measuring the milking of fluid from the breast,
An interface configured to engage the breast;
An actuating assembly operatively coupled to the interface, wherein actuating the actuating assembly causes the interface to apply a reduced pressure to the breast and milk fluid therefrom;
A sensing unit configured to generate measurement data indicative of the volume of fluid pumped from the breast;
An apparatus comprising:   53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the interface is configured to fluidly seal against the breast.   53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the fluid is one or more of breast milk and colostrum.   53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the measurement data indicates a volume per unit of time of the milked fluid.   53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the actuation assembly comprises a pump and the measurement data indicates a volume per stroke of the pumped fluid.   53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the actuation assembly comprises a pump and the measurement data indicates the volume per pump power cycle of the milked fluid.   53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the interface comprises a valve that allows passage of the milked fluid and the sensing unit comprises an accelerometer that measures movement of the valve.   59. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the measurement data is generated based on movement of the valve.   A second interface configured to engage a second breast, wherein actuation of the actuation assembly causes reduced pressure to be applied alternately to the breast and the second breast; Alternately milking the fluid, the second interface comprises a second valve that allows the passage of fluid pumped from the second breast, and the sensing unit controls the movement of the second valve. 59. The apparatus of claim 58, comprising a second accelerometer to measure.   61. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein the sensing unit determines user movement based on movement detected by both the accelerometer and the second accelerometer.   The user movement is subtracted from movement detected by at least one of the accelerometer or the second accelerometer when determining movement of at least one of the first valve or second valve. 62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein:   The interface includes a valve that allows passage of the milked fluid, and the sensing unit includes a first accelerometer coupled to the interface and a second accelerometer coupled to the valve. 54. The apparatus of claim 52, comprising.   64. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein the first accelerometer is configured to measure movement of the interface.   64. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein the second accelerometer is configured to measure movement of the valve.   64. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein the measurement data is generated based on movement of the interface and movement of the valve.   64. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein the sensing unit determines background motion based on motion detected by the first accelerometer.   68. The apparatus of claim 67, wherein the background motion is subtracted from motion detected by the second accelerometer when determining motion of the valve.   The interface is coupled to a reservoir configured to collect the milked fluid, the sensing unit is coupled to the reservoir, the reservoir comprising a processing unit in communication with the sensing unit; 53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the unit is configured to receive measurement data generated by the sensing unit.   70. The apparatus of claim 69, wherein the processing unit comprises a communication module configured to transmit the measurement data to a computing device via a data connection.   70. The apparatus of claim 69, wherein the processing unit comprises a communication module configured to transmit the measurement data to a server over a network.   53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the sensing unit comprises a beam block sensor configured to detect the passage of the milked fluid in the vicinity of one or more sensor components of the beam block sensor. .   73. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein the measurement data is generated based on a length of time that the milked fluid passes between the sensor components.   The interface includes a valve that allows passage of the milked fluid, and the sensing unit is configured to count droplets of the milked fluid that pass through the valve. 53. The apparatus of claim 52, comprising a CCD).   75. The apparatus of claim 74, wherein the measurement data is generated based on one or more CCD images of the droplet.   The interface comprises a tube that allows passage of the milked fluid, and the sensing unit comprises a capacitive sensor configured to sense the milked fluid contained within the tube. 52. The apparatus according to 52.   The interface is coupled to a reservoir configured to collect the milked fluid, and the sensing unit is configured to measure a volume of the milked fluid contained within the reservoir 54. The apparatus of claim 52, comprising a sensor.   53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the sensing unit comprises a strain gauge configured to measure a volume of the milked fluid.   80. The interface of claim 78, wherein the interface comprises a valve that allows passage of the milked fluid, and the strain gauge is coupled to the valve and configured to determine displacement of the valve over time. Equipment.   The interface is coupled to a reservoir configured to collect the milked fluid, and the strain gauge is coupled to the reservoir to measure the volume of the milked fluid contained within the reservoir. 80. The apparatus of claim 78, wherein the apparatus is configured as follows.   The reservoir includes a bottom inner surface having a bellows element, the bellows element configured to minimize absorption by the bottom inner surface of a load applied on the bottom inner surface by the milked fluid. The apparatus of claim 80.   53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the sensing unit comprises a camera coupled to the interface and configured to capture one or more images of the milked fluid.   84. The apparatus of claim 82, further comprising a processing unit configured to analyze the one or more images and determine a volume of the milked fluid.   83. The one or more images are transmitted to a computing device configured to analyze the one or more images and determine a volume of the milked fluid. Equipment.   The apparatus of claim 84, wherein the computing device is a smartphone.   The apparatus of claim 82, wherein the camera is mounted on a mobile device. A processing unit;
A control unit operably coupled to the actuation assembly and controlling at least one functionality thereof;
53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein at least a subset of the measurement data is transmitted as feedback to at least one of the processing unit and the control unit.   88. The apparatus of claim 87, wherein the actuation assembly comprises a pump and the feedback is used to adjust the pump's vacuum stroke and maintain optimal fluid milking.   88. The apparatus of claim 87, wherein the actuating assembly comprises a pump and the feedback is used to regulate a cycle per minute of the pump and maintain optimal fluid milking. A method for measuring the volume of fluid pumped from a breast, comprising:
Providing a breast fluid milking device comprising an interface, an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface, and a sensing unit;
Engaging the breast with the interface;
Activating the actuation assembly, thereby causing the interface to apply a reduced pressure to the breast;
Milking fluid from the breast;
Generating measurement data indicative of the volume of the milked fluid via the sensing unit;
Including the method. Changing operating parameters of the operating assembly based on at least a subset of the measurement data;
Activating the actuation assembly based on the altered actuation parameter;
92. The method of claim 90, further comprising:

Images