EP4630073A1

EP4630073A1 - Passive milk collector

Info

Publication number: EP4630073A1
Application number: EP23832980.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Chen Xu; Yifan Wang
Original assignee: Medela AG
Current assignee: Medela AG
Priority date: 2022-12-06
Filing date: 2023-12-12
Publication date: 2025-10-15
Also published as: CN120752061A; CN220110178U; WO2024121439A1; AU2023390980A1; WO2024121439A8

Abstract

The present invention relates to a passive milk collector (2) having a body (4) shaped, at least in part, to fit inside a bra of a user. The body (4) comprises a compressible milk pouch (6), a sealing surface (12) and an opening (14). The compressible milk pouch (6) is adapted to be manually compressed by the user to create a negative pressure inside the milk pouch (6). The opening (14) is adapted to receive the nipple of the user. The sealing surface (12) is adapted to seal the milk collector (2) against the breast of the user while the milk pouch (6) is manually compressed and while the nipple is received within the opening (14). The opening (14) is surrounded by the sealing surface (12) and the opening (14) is in fluid communication with a reservoir (16) provided by the milk pouch (6). The body (4) is formed from a single piece of plastic.

Description

MAG 11/22 1 Passive Milk Collector The present invention relates to a passive milk collector. Such collector is generally known from WO 2021/084283 A1. The passive milk collector has milk pouch which is compressible and adapted to be manu- ally compressed by the user to create the negative pressure inside the milk pouch for express- ing milk from the breast of the user. During use, respective collector can be fit inside the bra and supported by the bra of the user. The passive collector is wearable within the bra. In other words, the user does not need to hold the collector in place. Even in sequences of pausing the manual activity for compressing the milk pouch, the collector will remain in place with the nipple of the breast of the user arranged in an opening, which opening is in fluid communication with the milk pouch. The milk pouch provides a reservoir for the expressed milk. The opening is the only aperture of the milk pouch. Apart from the opening, the milk pouch is sealed from ambient. Thus, the milk pouch is predominantly, if not exclusively arranged below the opening in a use position of the collector. In the following description the use position refers to a position of the collector being laid against the breast of the user in an orientation in which a longitudinal axis of the body of the col- lector extends essentially parallel to the sagittal plane. The longitudinal axis usually is the longi- tudinal axis of symmetry of the body. Respective body usually is shaped in a mirror symmetric fashion relative to this longitudinal axis. Thus, the passive milk collector can be used for ex- pressing milk from the left or the right breast in the same way. In the use position, the body of the collector may be slightly inclined relative to the sagittal plane in a top view of the body such that the upper part or top of the body is arranged outwardly whereas the lower part or bottom of the body is arranged inwardly relative to a plane being parallel to the sagittal plane. A milk collector in generally needs to meet various requirements. The milk collector should have a low weight as the same is supported by the bra but at the same it should be rigid enough to maintain the shape during use e.g. when fitted inside the bra, and such a rigidity shall not prevent compression of the milk collector and shall not cause collapse of the milk collector when it is compressed by hand. Furthermore, the collector shall need to be manufactured economi- cally and easily. Materials used should comfort the skin, which in particular applies to those ma- terials being in direct contact with the breast of the user. The breast of a lactating mother is in particular sensitive. The present invention aims to provide a passive milk collector which addresses at least a portion, if not all of the above problems and requirements. MAG 11/22 2 For this, the present invention proposes a milk collector having a body e.g. shaped, at least in part, inside the bra of the user. The body comprises a compressible milk pouch, a seal- ing surface and an opening. As in prior art, the compressible milk pouch is adapted to be manu- ally compressed by the user to create a negative pressure inside the milk pouch. The opening of the body shape is adapted to receive the nipple of the user. Usually, the opening is the only opening to and of the milk pouch. The body of the milk collector furthermore provides a sealing surface which is adapted to seal the collector against the breast of the user while the milk pouch is manually compressed and while the nipple is received within the opening. The opening is sur- rounded by the sealing surface and in fluid communication with the milk pouch, specifically a reservoir within the milk pouch. The body of the passive milk collector of the present invention is formed from a single piece of plastic. Thus, the body of the present invention is a unitary plastic body. The entire passive milk collector is provided by a single unitary body, which body results from a single piece of solidified or cured plastic. In order to facilitate manufacturing of the body, the same is preferably molded from a sin- gle plastic material. This single plastic material is preferably the only material used for making the milk collector. Respective plastic material preferably is a silicon material. To improve tight sealing of the breast during use, the opening preferably is surrounded by a collar protruding outwardly the sealing surface, which may for this embodiment form a con- cave contact surface adapted to contact the breast of the user as the milk pouch is compressed for expressing milk as at least the opening in this embodiment may be sealed by the collar. The collar will not only project respective concave surface. It will furthermore provide a rather large contact surface for the breast so that the negative pressure inside the milk pouch can be main- tained. Thus, the collar may provide a funnel-shaped elastic sealing surface which can be laid against the breast in a sealing manner and which by being laid against the breast in a sealing manner can be deformed by e.g. widening the funnel provided by the funnel-shaped surface and/or altering the inclination of the funnel-shaped surface. Moreover, the collar may be de- formed within a stem portion which stem portion of the collar provides a certain distance be- tween a sealing surface of the collar and the concave contact surface. The collar may have a varying wall thickness in circumferential direction of the collar. The lower part of the collar may have a rather thin wall thickness corresponding to the wall thickness of the milk pouch whereas an upper circumferential section of the collar may have a thick wall surface and/or may be rigid without any voids to improve rigidity of the collar. This embodiment assumes that the upper part of the body of the collector may not be deformed considerable as the collector is used i.e. activated while the lower portion of the body including the milk pouch will be elastically deformed and displaced to a certain degree while not losing contact with the MAG 11/22 3 breast of the user and thereby maintaining the negative pressure within the milk pouch. The cir- cumferential section of the collar being furthest space from the milk pouch, which circumferential section is the portion of the collar with the largest wall thickness can likewise be formed by a tip of the housing. The tip may be rigid to provide a backbone forcing the milk pouch to assume an initial position as the compression of the milk pouch during use of the collector is released. In comparison to a portion of the body surrounding, at least in part, the opening and hav- ing a larger wall thickness, the portion of the body defining, at least in part, the milk pouch has a thinner wall thickness. In view of this, the milk pouch preferably is completely surrounded by a thin wall. The portion of the body having the thin wall may terminate with an entrance channel being defined by the opening and the abovementioned collar projecting outwardly from the con- cave contact surface or a funnel-shaped recess projecting inwardly into the body from the seal- ing surface. The inwardly projecting funnel-shaped recess improves sealing against the breast of the user. For a better sealing performance it is proposed to provide an intersection of the fun- nel shaped recess and the outer concave contact surface, which intersection defines a longish contour. This longish contour extends along a longitudinal symmetry axis of the body, which lon- gitudinal symmetry axis in a use position of the milk collector extends essentially parallel to the sagittal plane. In a top view, the body appears in the shape of a droplet with a large bottom section and a conical but rounded tip section. In particular within the outer circumference defined by such drop shape, the milk pouch is defined between a bottom circumference of the body and an interface line extending in a convex fashion between two points, which point are arranged on the bottom circumference. In fact, the points are positioned mirror symmetric with the respect to the longitu- dinal symmetry axis. The points are provided in the range of the largest width of the body in a top view. In other words, the interface line extends in a convex fashion from opposite lateral sections of the lower part of the outer circumference of the body. Preferably, the opening is en- circled by the interface line. In other words, the opening in a top view is provided between the interface line and the bottom circumference. Preferably, the section above the interface line is solid. The section of the body below the interface line provides the milk pouch, most preferably completely surrounded by a wall of constant thickness, which thickness is comparatively thin. Preferably, the interface line separates the portion of the milk collector with thinner wall thick- ness from the portion having a thicker wall thickness. The abovementioned tip section in a cross sectional view along the longitudinal symmetry axis preferably exhibits a concave outer surface and a concave inner surface. Preferably, the tip section forms part of the collar. MAG 11/22 4 Preferably, the outer concave surface adapted to contact the breast of the user during use is provided with a scale adapted to show the volume of expressed milk within the milk pouch. Such scale preferably is provided below the opening. The particular configuration of the milk collector, with a hollow section providing the milk pouch and a solid tip section, proved to be rigid while at the same time allows compression of the pouch without risk of collapse. The embodiment with interface line extending in a convex fashion between the tip section and the milk pouch further and with opening encircled by the in- terface line in a top view of the body further improve rigidity, without preventing compression. The present invention will now be described by referring to the drawing. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view of a first embodiment of the milk collector along a longi- tudinal symmetry axis of the embodiment; Fig.2 is a rear view of the first embodiment; Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view of the first embodiment; Fig.4 is a front perspective view of the first embodiment; Fig.5 is a side view of the first embodiment; Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view of a second embodiment of the milk collector along a longitudinal symmetry axis of the embodiment; Fig.7 is a rear view of the second embodiment; Fig. 8 is a rear perspective view of the second embodiment; Fig.9 is a front perspective view of the second embodiment; Fig.10 is a side view of the second embodiment; Fig.11 is a rear view of a variant of the first embodiment and Fig.12 is a rear view of a variant of the second embodiment. In the drawings reference number 2 identifies the passive milk collector, which passive milk collector 2 is defined by a body 4. This body 4 consists of a milk pouch 6 in a lower section 8 and a solid tip section 10 in an upper section of the body 4. A rear side of the body 4 to be laid against the breast of the user provides a sealing sur- face 12. Respective sealing surface 12 is concave in longitudinal direction of the body 4 and in a direction transverse thereto. Figure 1 likewise shows an opening 14 within the sealing surface 12, which opening 14 leads into a reservoir 16 provided by the milk pouch 6. Accordingly, the opening 14 is sur- rounded by the sealing surface 12. The opening 14 is provided on a longitudinal axis, which for the embodiments shown in the drawings is the longitudinal symmetry axis L. The body 4 is mir- ror symmetrically shaped relative to this longitudinal symmetry axis L. MAG 11/22 5 The body 4 of each embodiment is formed from a single piece of plastic. In fact, the body 4 is molded from a silicon material, which silicon material is the only material forming the body. By way of printing or molding the plastic material against a negative contour, elements of a scale 18 are provided on the sealing surface 12, which scale 18 extends along the longitudinal symmetry axis L. In figure 1, reference numeral 20 identifies a funnel-shaped recess projecting inwardly into the body 4. This funnel-shaped recess 20 extends from the sealing surface 12. An intersection 22 of this funnel-shaped recess 20 and the sealing surface 12 defines a longish contour extend- ing along the longitudinal symmetry axis L of the body 4. While the sealing surface 12 is essentially completely shaped concave to provide a con- cave contact surface for the breast of the user, an outer surface 24 of the body 4 is curved strictly convex; see figure 3. The intersection between the outer surface 24 and the sealing sur- face 12 provides the outer circumference of the body 4 identified with reference numeral 26. In the used condition, in which the longitudinal symmetry axis L extends essentially paral- lel to the sagittal plane of the user, the opening 14 is provided in the upper vertical half of the body 4. The milk pouch 6 is essentially provided below the opening 14. The breast of the user can rest against the sealing surface 12. The nipple of the user will project through the opening 14. The funnel-shaped recess 20 will improve sealing of the breast while the user will compress the milk pouch 6 to create a negative pressure within the milk pouch 6 for expressing milk from the breast of the user. Relative movement may lead to an in- complete sealing on the entire sealing surface 12. Yet, the funnel-shaped recess 20 will, on reg- ular basis, provides complete circumferential sealing of the opening 14. Thus, compression of the milk pouch 6 will lead to the generation of a negative pressure inside the milk pouch 6. The elastic properties of the body will force the body to assume an initial shape of the body 4 as compression is released, which initial shape corresponds to the shape which the body 4 as- sumes without any external force exerted on the body 4. The design of the thickness of the different sections of the body 4 also becomes apparent from the following description. The opening 14 is provided within an entrance channel 28 providing a further surface ex- tended perpendicular to the opening 14. The lower limit of this entrance channel 28 has a cross sectional shape of a lip 30. The upper limit of this entrance channel 28 is provided by the solid tip section 10. As evident from figure 1, the wall thickness t1 surrounding and thereby defining the milk pouch 6 is considerably smaller than the wall thickness t2 of the solid tip section 10. The wall thickness in general is defined by the distance between the outer and the inner surface of a por- tion of the body 4 extending along a line which line intersects at a right angle at least one of the MAG 11/22 6 inner and the outer surface. Thickness t1 and t2 may anyway vary, but the thickness t2 needs to be large enough for maintaining the rigidness of the solid tip section 10. Due to the limited wall thickness, the walls of the body 4 defining the milk pouch 6 can easily be compressed by the hand of a user with the breast potentially providing, at least in part, a counterforce. The walls of the body 4 defining the milk pouch 6 provide only limited resistance against a hand of the user and compassing the body 4 and compressing the milk pouch 6. The solid tip section 10 provides a backbone which has a higher resistance against deformation. As the tip section 10 is solid, the section itself cannot be considered to be compressible by hand. In figure 2, reference numeral 32 identifies an interface line, which elucidates the border between the milk pouch 6 and the solid tip portion 10. In other words, above this interface line 32, the body 4 is solid whereas it is hollow below the interface line 32. This interface line 32 to- gether with a bottom circumference 34 of the outer circumference 26 are purely shaped in a convex fashion. The interface line 32 extends between two points 36 on the bottom circumfer- ential surface 34. Those points 36 are arranged opposite to each other transverse to the sym- metrical longitudinal extension L of the body 4. The opening 14 is encircled by the interface line 32. In other words, the opening 14 in a top view as in figure 2 is arranged below the interface line 32 and above the bottom circumference 34. This brings the benefit that the pouch is totally below the entrance channel 28, so that a user only needs to insert the brush from one direction to clean the pouch. This is a feature bringing convenience for daily washing. As evident from the top view of figure 2, the body 4 assumes an overall shape like a drop. The entire outer surface is smoothly curved. The solid tip section 10 has a cross section which tapers in a wedge shaped fashion towards the free upper end of the body 4. Figures 6 onwards elucidate a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a collar 38 surrounds the opening 14. The collar 38 outwardly protrudes the sealing surface 12. In the second embodiment, the collar 38 is positioned outwardly remote from the sealing surface 12 by a stem 40, which stem 40 provides an entrance channel 28. As in figure 1, t1 in figure 6 identifies the wall thickness of the body portion 4 surrounding the milk pouch 6, which first thickness t1 is about three times thinner than the thickness t2 of the solid tip section 10, which forms part of the collar 38. A circumferential section 42 of the collar 38 being furthest spaced apart from the milk pouch 6 has the largest wall thickness whereas the smallest wall thickness is provided by a lowest circumferential section 44 of the collar 38. From this description it is evident, that the opening 14 is surrounded by a portion of the housing 4 with varying wall thickness. Due to this, the uppermost part of the collar 38 will more thoroughly rest against the breast of the user while the lower portion may flex during use of the passive collec- tor 2 while the sealing contact of the breast with the collar 38 even in the lower part thereof is MAG 11/22 7 maintained as the lower circumferential section 44 of the collar 38 can be pressed against the breast with a higher degree of performance yet not with a higher degree of pressure. As in the previous embodiment, reference numeral 32 in figure 7 identifies the interface line. Below this interface line, the body 4 provides a hollow section 46, which hollow section 46 provides the milk pouch 6. Above the interface line 32 the body 4 provides the solid tip section 10. As evident from figure 6 this tip section 10 exhibits a concave outer surface 48 and a con- cave inner surface 50, which concave inner surface 50 forms part of the upper circumferential section 42 of the collar 38. Figures 11 and 12 show variants of the embodiments described above for the transition between the sealing surface 12 and the reservoir 16. In the embodiment of figure 11, a funnel- shaped recess 20 is curved in a convex fashion thereby providing a smooth transition and thus sealing against the breast. In the embodiment of figure 12, the collar is provided distant from the sealing surface 12 by a cylindrical stem 40. Thus, the collar 38 is spaced apart from the sealing surface 12 equidis- tant from the surrounding sealing surface 12. The flexible material forming the body 4 can be provided such, that a single embodiment can assume the inwardly directed funnel-shaped recess 20 and the outwardly projecting collar 38. In other words, figures 11 and 12 could be different situations provided by the same body/product.

MAG 11/22 8 List of reference signs 2 passive milk collector 4 body 6 milk pouch 8 lower section 10 solid tip section 12 sealing surface 14 opening 16 reservoir 18 scale 20 funnel-shaped recess 22 intersection 24 outer surface 26 outer circumference 28 entrance channel 30 lip 32 interface line 34 bottom circumference 36 points 38 collar 40 stem 42 circumferential section of the collar 44 circumferential section of the collar 46 hollow section 48 concave outer surface 50 a concave inner surface. L longitudinal symmetry axis t₁ wall thickness of the milk pouch t2 wall thickness of the solid tip section

Claims

MAG 11/22 9 Claims 1. A passive milk collector (2) having a body (4) comprising a compressible milk pouch (6), a sealing surface (12) and an opening (14), wherein the compressible milk pouch (6) is adapted to be manually compressed by the user to create a negative pressure inside the milk pouch (6), wherein the opening (14) is adapted to receive the nipple of the user, wherein the sealing surface (12) is adapted to seal the milk collector (2) against the breast of the user while the nipple is received within the opening (14), wherein the opening (14) is surrounded by the sealing surface (12) and is in fluid communication with a reservoir (16) provided by the milk pouch (6) and wherein the body (4) is formed from a single piece of plastic, characterized in that the body (4) has a hollow section (46) providing the milk pouch (6) and a solid tip section (10) arranged in a use position of the collector (2) above the hollow section. 2. The milk collector according to claim 1, wherein in a top view of the body an interface line extends (32) in a convex fashion between the tip section (10) and the milk pouch (6). 3. The milk collector according to claim 2, wherein in a top view of the body (4) the opening (14) is encircled by the interface line (32). 4. The milk collector according to any of the preceding claims, wherein in a top view the tip section (10) is arranged on a longitudinal symmetry axis (L), which longitudinal symmetry axis (L) in a use position of the milk collector (2) extends essentially parallel to the sagittal plane, wherein said tip section (10) in a top view is shaped mirror symmetric with respect to the longitudinal symmetry axis (L), wherein said tip section (10) in a cross sectional view along the longitudinal symmetry axis (L) exhibits a concave outer surface (48) and a concave inner surface (50). 5. The milk collector (2) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the milk pouch (6) in a top view of the body (4) is defined by a bottom circumference (34) of the body (4) and an inter-face line (32) extending in a convex fashion between two points (36) on the bot- tom circumference (34), which points (36) are positioned mirror symmetric with respect to a longitudinal symmetry axis (L), which longitudinal symmetry axis (L) in a use position of the breast pump (2) extends essentially parallel to the sagittal plane. MAG 11/22 10 6. The milk collector (2) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the body (4) is molded from a single plastic material. 7. The milk collector (2) according to claim 6, wherein the body (4) is molded from a silicon material. 8. The milk collector (2) according to any of claims 1-7, wherein the opening (14) is sur- rounded by a collar (38) outwardly protruding the sealing surface (12). 9. The milk collector (2) according to any of claims 1-7, wherein the opening (14) is defined by an open end of a funnel-shaped recess (20) inwardly projecting into the body (4) from the sealing surface (12). 10. The milk collector (2) according to claim 9, wherein an intersection (22) of the funnel- shaped recess (20) and the sealing surface (12) defines a longish contour extending along a longitudinal symmetry axis (L) of the body (4), which longitudinal symmetry axis (L) in a use position of the breast pump (2) extends essentially parallel to the sagittal plane. 11. The milk collector (2) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a portion of the body (4) defining, at least in part, the milk pouch (6) has a thinner wall thickness (t₁) than a portion of the body surrounding, at least in part, the opening (14). 12. The milk collector (2) according to claim 11 wherein the ratio between the wall thickness (t2) surrounding, at least in part, the opening (14) and the wall thickness (t1) defining, at least in part, the milk pouch (6) is between 3 and 8, preferably between 3 and 6, most preferably between 4 and 5. 13. The milk collector (2) according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the opening (14) is surrounded by a collar (38), which collar (38) in circumferential direction thereof has a varying wall thickness, wherein a circumferential section (42) of the collar (38) being furthest spaced from the milk pouch (6) has the largest wall thickness. 14. The milk collector (2) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the body (4) is shaped, at least in part, to fit inside a bra of a user.