MXPA01001906A - Breast pump insert - Google Patents

Abstract

A flexible resilient breast pump insert adapted to fit onto a vacuum generating breast pump operable to cyclically generate and release a negative pressure is disclosed. The insert has deformable zones (11, 14) spaced from each other along the longitudinal axis of the insert which are connected to the source of negative pressure so that the zones (11, 14) are deformed sequentially when the negative pressure is applied, to cause them to move inwardlyand outwardly relative to the users nipple and areola and apply a peristaltic pressure thereto.

Description

INSERT FOR CHEST PUMP The present invention relates to an insert or accessory insert, usable in a breast pump, elastic and flexible, which is adapted to fit or mold with a pump for breast generating vacuum, and more particularly, the present invention relates to an insert or insertion accessory that is designed to massage the nipple of a woman who uses it, that is to say of the user, with a peristaltic action that resembles rather the action of suckling performed by a baby.

Research has shown that when a baby is being fed to its mother's breast, the baby applies peristaltic pressure to the mother's nipple, inserting it between her tongue and the roof of her mouth when she sucks on the nipple. This peristaltic pressure on the nipple extracts milk from it.

When the pressure is released, when the baby takes a breath, a new supply of milk flows into the nipple ready for the baby to extract it again, a Ref No.: 127503 once the "abandoned" reflex is activated due to the release of "oxytocin" from the mother.

It is known that from GB 2297913A, there is provided an insert or insert used in a breast pump, elastic and flexible, adapted to fit with a rigid funnel portion, a breast pump vacuum generating, operable for generating a negative pressure, the insert comprises a mouth portion having an open end, configured to receive and have contact with the areola of a woman's breast, and an internal portion of reduced size to receive the nipple of the woman, and it has an inner wall with an internal and external surface, means for connecting around the mouth portion, to connect said mouth portion to a funnel portion of the chest pump, rigid, so as to form an airtight seal therewith, having the mouth portion a wall with an internal surface adapted to make contact with the areola of the woman around the nipple and an outer surface with at least one cavity formed therein , the thickness of the wall of the mouth portion that is in the region of, or of each cavity is smaller than the rest of the mouth portion and operable means to connect the, or each of the cavities with the source of pressure negative. While this insert has been found to be extremely beneficial, it tends to apply pressure to the area of the breast areola rather than to the nipple itself.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved insert or insert for use with a breast pump, which is specifically designed to stimulate the chest area adjacent to the nipple and nipple itself, this when Apply a negative pressure generated cyclically to the breast of a mother, placed inside the insert.

An insert or insert for a breast pump, elastic and flexible, according to the present invention, is characterized in that at least one additional cavity is formed on the external surface of the internal portion, the thickness of the wall of the internal portion that is in the region of, or of each additional cavity is smaller than the rest of the internal portion; said operable means for connecting to, or to each of the cavities with the source of negative pressure also operable to connect to, or to each of the cavities with the source of negative pressure by means of which, in use, the region or each the wall regions with reduced thickness in the mouth and the inner portion deforms and deviates having contact with the internal surface of the rigid funnel portion of the chest pump, in response to a negative pressure applied to the outer surface of the wall of said mouth and the internal portion, whereby massage is given and milk secretion from the nipple is stimulated.

In a preferred embodiment, the wall thickness of the mouth portion that is in the region of each cavity is different from the wall thickness of the inner portion that is in the region of each additional cavity, such that when used, the cavity or each of the cavities, and the cavity or each of the additional cavities deform in sequence, and deviate by contacting the inner surface of the rigid funnel portion of the pump for chest, in response to a negative pressure applied to the outer surface of the wall of said mouth portion, the cavity and the additional cavity recover or return to their original configuration upon release from negative pressure.

Preferably, a plurality of discrete cavities interconnected and spaced circumferentially around the insert are provided. Alternatively, it may be a single annular cavity or pit. Conveniently, the cavities are circumferentially separated from each other at an equal distance.

The connection means on the mouth portion may comprise an annular lip adapted to fit in, and fit with, the outer edge of the rigid funnel of the breast pump. Suitably, the annular lip is molded to provide a scour or groove that cooperates with the connecting means on the mouth portion to thereby form a hermetic seal (relative to the pressure) therewith.

Conveniently, the operable means for connecting the cavity or each cavity, and the cavity or each of the additional cavities with the source of negative pressure, is a pair of conduits or channels formed on the external surface of the inner portion, a conduit being it leads from one of the cavities to the remote end of the inner portion of the insert, and the other conduit is conducted from one of the cavities to the remote end of the insert. The cavities can have any configuration that is convenient, but in the preferred embodiment these are pear shaped, the most extensive or main axis of each of the cavities is aligned with the main longitudinal axis of the insert, the additional cavities are generally circular. In this embodiment, the pear-shaped cavities are provided primarily in the mouth portion of the insert, while the circular cavities are arranged circumferentially around the inner portion of the insert that receives the user's nipple.

In the preferred embodiment, each conduit is an open channel formed on the outer surface of the wall of the inner portion, and a right or upright pellet extends along both sides of the channels and around each additional cavity and cavity, said pellet is operable, in use, to form an airtight seal with the interior surface of the funnel.

Preferably the cavity, or each of the cavities and the or each of the additional cavities projects inwardly from the inner surface of the insert. The bottom of each hole is preferably arched to provide the projection or each of the projections. Given the natural elasticity of the material from which the insert is molded, each additional cavity and cavity will deform outwardly in contact with the funnel of the breast pump upon application of the negative pressure to it, but will recover its normal configuration upon release of the negative pressure given the natural elasticity of the shape of the material from which the insert is molded, which is preferably silicone or natural or synthetic rubber. It should be noted that it is an important feature of the invention that moderate pressure is applied to the nipple or areola as a result of the cavities regaining their original shape, providing excellent stimulation for milk secretion. Thus, the negative pressure initially deforms the cavities and additional cavities in a direction away from the chest, but these then recover their shape thanks to the natural elasticity of the silicone rubber which is molded from the insert, to apply a moderate pressure to the chest. In some of the devices of the prior art, the negative pressure deforms the cavities inwards and extracts them in a firmer contact with the chest of the user with which he is massaged directly. Users have found that these prior art arrangements are unsatisfactory, because too much pressure can be applied directly to the breast and nipple area, which the mother finds uncomfortable and can also cause them to become tense (breast and nipple) ), which can result in poor lactation or milk secretion.

Preferably, the surface area of the cavity or of each of the cavities is greater than the surface area of the cavity or each of the additional cavities, such that the cavity or each of the cavities of larger surface area is will deform out of the insert, before the or each of the cavities with smaller surface area for each cycle of the negative pressure applied to it. Alternatively, the thickness of the walls of the cavity can be varied or the combination of both can be used.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a flexible insert or insert of the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the flexible insert or insert, shown in Figure 1, before its insertion into the rigid funnel portion of a breast pump; Figure 3 is a perspective view, in elevation, of the insert shown in Figures 1 and 2; the. figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the flexible insert of figures 1-3 showing the chest of a woman located therein; Y Figure 5 is a figure similar to Figure 4, but shows the insert in its twisted and deformed condition with the wall portions of the mouth portion, having contact with the internal surface of the funnel, of the breast pump, rigid .

Referring to the drawings, in Figure 2 there is shown an elastic flexible insert or insert of the present invention, just before insertion to the portion 1 of a rigid funnel of a known breast pump (not shown). The rigid funnel portion 1 has a conical configuration and includes an inner tubular portion 3 extending forward therefrom, and connected to the body (not shown) of the breast pump. The rigid funnel portion 1 has a margin around its periphery for reasons explained hereinafter.

The flexible insert or insert 5 is molded in one piece, and includes a conical mouth portion 6 which is connected to a tubular inner portion 7, whose outer diameter is substantially equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular portion. internal 3 of the pump funnel for chest. The mouth portion 6 is molded with a ball or annular molding 8 abutting the margin 4 in the rigid funnel portion 1 of the breast pump to form a fluid seal that is airtight (see figures 4 and 5). A peripheral, flexible and annular portion 10 extends circumferentially around the ball or annular molding 8. The internal surface 6B of the mouth portion 6 is uniform as is the internal surface of the internal tubular portion 7.

Referring now to Figure 1, it can be seen that the external surface 6A of the mouth portion 6 is formed with deformable zones, axially separated in the shape of large and small deformable pits 11 and 14. The first zone comprises the large cavities or holes 11 on the mouth portion 6, while the second zone comprises the smaller circular holes 14 around the tubular portion 7. The large holes 11 are interconnected by connecting the conduits 13, and one of the large pits 11 has a main duct 12 extending from there to the inner periphery 22 of the tubular portion 7. Similarly, the smaller pits 14 on the tubular portion 7 are interconnected by connecting ducts 16, and one of the pits more small 14 has a main duct 15 extending therefrom to the inner peripheral rim 22 of the tubular portion 7 for reasons described below. Thus, the small and large holes 11 and 14 are connected to each other circumferentially, but only one of the large or small holes 11 or 14 can be connected to the source of negative pressure, via the main conduits 12 and 15.

The pipe, conduit or main channel 12 is molded on the outer surface of the inner tubular portion 7, and extends from the narrowest end of the largest holes 11 to the end 22 of the inner tubular portion 7, for reasons that explain later. In the illustrated embodiment, there are five cavities or recesses 11 that are arranged circumferentially around the mouth portion 6, and they are separated by equal amounts to leave between them HA spaces having a width greater than that of a finger (see figure 2) . It will be appreciated that the thickness of the mouth portion 6, which is in the region of the portions HA with the measurement of a finger, is the full thickness of the wall of the mouth portion, while the regions of the holes 11, the bottom wall of each hole has a thickness reduced. This can be better appreciated in the cross-sectional views shown in Figures 3 and 4. Thus, the HA portions with the measurement of a finger, provide harder portions around the mouth portion that when used, act on the chest and they stimulate him. Although five holes 11 are illustrated, it will be appreciated that the number and configuration of the holes is not critical. For example, a continuous annular hole may be formed in the mouth portion 6. As illustrated, a straight or upright molding or bead 30 extends between and along the main channel 12, around each hole or cavity 11, and at length of each connecting channel 13. In use, this ball or molding 30 contacts the internal surface of the funnel (not shown), to form a hermetic seal therewith. As a result, any vacuum leakage from the cavities 11 is prevented or substantially reduced, such that the user's chest is stimulated in a more positive manner.

In the same manner as described with reference to the larger pits 11, a ball or molding 24 also extends along each side of the main duct or channel 15 which is led into the small pits 14 and along each side of the ducts 16 connecting the small pits 14 together and around the small pits 14 by themselves. This ball or mold 24 forms a seal with the internal surface of the funnel (not shown) to form a hermetic seal with it, thereby preventing, in use, any vacuum leakage from the small holes 14.

As can be seen in Figure 3, each large hole 11 has a wall 17 of the lower arched portion, and each of the smaller pits 14 has a wall 18 of the lower arched portion, both of which protrude beyond, and into the frusto-conical main surface of the mouth portion 6 for reasons explained below.

In use, the flexible insert 5 is attached to the funnel portion 1 of the rigid chest pump, making the ball or annular molding 8 adjoin the margin 4 of the funnel to thereby form a hermetic seal therewith. The external diameter of the internal tubular portion 7 of the flexible insert 5 is preferably slightly smaller than the internal diameter of the tubular portion 3 of the portion 1 of the rigid funnel of the breast pump, although if necessary, these portions may be have substantially the same diameter.

When the insert is properly attached to the funnel portion 1 of the breast pump, it assumes the position shown in Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 shows the position of the breast 20 of the mother when inserted into the insert 5 , and it can be seen that the chest fills the mouth portion 6. However, it will be appreciated that only the areola is in contact with the internal surface of the mouth portion, conical, and thus with the projections 17. The pezoh 21 projects in the internal tubular portion 7, out of contact with the inner walls thereof, but in contact with the projections 18.

When a negative pressure is generated by the breast pump (not shown) in the known manner, this causes the holes 11, 14 to collapse sequentially, and to be pulled outwardly in contact with the inner surface of the conical portion 2. , of the portion 1 of the rigid funnel, of the pump for chest, as shown in figure 5, the space in the holes communicate with the source of the negative pressure, by means of the main channels 12 and 15 and the interconnection channels 13 and 16. Because the holes 11 have a larger surface area than the holes 14, they deform outwardly before the holes 14. Once the negative pressure is released, the holes 11 and 14 return to its original shape due to the natural elasticity of the material from which the insert is molded, and with which a moderate pressure is applied to the areola 20 in the breast and nipple, in a peristaltic manner to encourage the secretion of milk.

This process is repeated on a cyclic basis to encourage milk to flow from the mother's breast when it is connected to the vacuum pump (not shown).

It is noted that in relation to the date, the best method known by the applicant to implement the citation invention, is that which is clear from the manufacture of the objects to which it refers.

Having described the invention as above, property is claimed as contained in the following:

Claims (18)

2. An insert or attachment insert for chest pump, elastic and flexible, adapted to fit in a rigid funnel portion of a breast pump, vacuum generator, operable to generate a negative pressure, the insert comprising a mouth portion having a open end configured to receive and have contact with the areola of a woman's breast, and an internal portion of reduced size to receive the nipple of the woman and having a wall with an internal and external surface, the means of connection around the mouth portion, to connect said mouth portion to a funnel portion of the pump for rigid chest, thus forming a hermetic pressure thereby, the mouth portion having a wall with an internal surface adapted to have contact with the areola of a woman, around of the nipple and the outer surface of the wall of the mouth portion that is in the region of, or in each cavity that is smaller than the remaining portion of the n mouth, and operable means for connecting the cavity, or each of the cavities with the negative energy source, characterized in that at least one additional cavity is formed on the external surface of the internal portion, the thickness of the wall of the internal portion that is in the region of, or of each of the cavities is smaller than the remaining of the internal portion; said means is operable to connect the or each of the cavities with the source of negative pressure that is also operable to have contact with the, or each of the cavities with the source of negative pressure with which, in use, the region or each region of reduced wall thickness in the mouth and the inner portion deforms and deflects to make contact with the internal surface of the rigid funnel portion of the breast pump, in response to a negative pressure applied to the outer surface of the wall of said mouth and internal portion, whereby the areola and the nipple region of the breast are massaged and milk lactation stimulated from the nipple.
3. An insert as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the thickness of the wall of the mouth portion in the region of each cavity, is different from the wall thickness of the internal portion of the region of each additional cavity, such way that in use, the cavity or each of the cavities, and. the cavity or each of the additional cavities deform and deviate sequentially upon contact with the inner surface of the rigid funnel portion of the breast pump, in response to a negative pressure applied to the outer surface of the chest wall. mouth portion, the cavity and the additional cavity return to their original configuration upon release from negative pressure.
4. An insert as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cavity, or each of the cavities, and the additional cavity (s) are annular.
5. An insert as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes a plurality of interconnected cavities, spaced circumferentially around the insert.
6. An insert as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the cavities are circumferentially separated from each other by equal distances.
7. An insert as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection means on the mouth portion, comprises an annular lip adapted to mold and fit with the outer edge of the rigid funnel portion.
8. An insert as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the annular lip is molded to provide a scour or groove.
9. An insert as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means operable to connect the or each of the cavities, and the or each of the additional cavities with the source of negative pressure, is a pair of conduits formed in the outer surface of the inner portion, a conduit leads from one of said cavities to the remote end of the inner portion of the insert, and the other conduit leads from one of the additional cavities to the remote end of the insert.9. An insert as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cavity or each of the cavities is pear-shaped, the main axis of each of the cavities is aligned with the main longitudinal axis of the insert.
10. 10. An insert as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the additional cavities are generally circular and arranged circumferentially around the inner portion of the insert.
11. 11. An insert as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that each conduit is an open channel formed in the wall of the internal portion.
12. 12. An insert as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a straight or upright bead or molding extends along both sides of each channel and around each cavity and the cavity or each of the additional cavities, and it is operable, in use, to form an airtight seal with the inner surface of the rigid funnel portion.
13. 13. An insert as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the or each of the cavities, and the cavity or each of the additional cavities protrudes inwardly from the internal surface of the insert.
14. 14. An insert as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the bottom of the, or of each of the cavities, and the cavity or each of the additional cavities are curved.
15. 5. An insert as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the bottom of the, or of each of the cavities, and the cavity or each of the additional cavities are flat.
16. 16. An insert as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface area of the cavity, or of each of the cavities is greater than the cavity or each of the additional cavities, such that the cavity or each of the cavities with larger surface area will deform out of the insert, before the cavity or each additional cavity with smaller surface area for each cycle of negative pressure applied to such or such cavities.
17. 17. An insert as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a third cavity is provided in the insert.
18. 18. An insert as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is molded from a material such as synthetic or natural rubber or silicone.