WO2004058330A1

WO2004058330A1 - Manual breast pump

Info

Publication number: WO2004058330A1
Application number: PCT/NO2003/000436
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tone Fleischer Ytteborg; Tore Grüner BJERKE
Original assignee: Mamma Lactans As
Priority date: 2002-12-27
Filing date: 2003-12-22
Publication date: 2004-07-15
Also published as: NO20032659D0; AU2003288805A1; NO317311B1

Abstract

A manual breast pump is described comprising a breast cup (1), a pump housing (2) with a piston (3) and an activation mechanism in the form of a handle (5), together with a container, preferably in the form of a bottle (6) for collection of the milk, said breast cup (1) comprises a preferably rigid outer part (8) and an inner, preferably completely or partially flexible, part (9), where two mutually separate chambers (15, 16) are provided between the outer part (8) and the inner part (9). The piston (3) comprises a membrane (21) that connects the periphery of the piston (3) with the wall of the pump housing (2) and thereby divides the pump housing (2) into an upper chamber (23) and a lower chamber (24), said upper chamber (23) is in liquid contact with the chambers (15, 16) of the breast cup (1) with the help of two openings (28, 29) with associated tubes (17, 18) and the lower chamber (24) is in liquid contact with the inside of the breast cup (1).

Description

MANUAL BREAST PUMP

The present invention relates to a manual breast pump of the type which is given in the preamble of claim 1.

The number of women who breastfeed their children has been steadily increasing in recent years. From a nutritional and physiological point of view it is considered to be best both for the mother and the infant.

The most common method of suckling is to let the infant itself suck directly from the breast. However there are a number of instances where it is not appropriate or possible to let the infant suck directly from the breast. Examples of such instances can be:

- when the infant is premature and is unable to suck on its own

- when the mother has too little milk

- when the mother is ill and requires stronger stimulus

- medically indicated mastitis where the mother cannot suckle the infant due to the treatment, and where the breast must be depleted of milk.

For purely practical purposes it can also be appropriate to enable individuals other than the mother to feed the infant.

There are a number of physiological and psychological factors which affect milk production, and which can stop it. An important factor is stimulation of the breast to initiate milk production. The stimulation of the breast comprises three components in all, which must be present so that milk production can start:

Stimulation of the breast itself, where the largest stimulus is at the perimeter of the areola. The so-called 'milk lakes' are found here and pressure on these will release Oxytocin from the pituitary gland. This hormone directly influences the milk ducts so that these are expanded and opened for depletion. This occurs in that the infant grasps the breast by opening its mouth wide. The jaws and the lips will then stimulate the areola, and this lies around 2.5 - 3 cm from the base of the nipple.

Stimulation of the nipple itself by it being squeezed and massaged. This occurs in that the infant's tongue and palate surround the nipple. Tactile stimulation causes a strong stimulus and with it a hormone response. The sucking itself occurs in that the infant sucks.

A series of different breast cups and associated breast pumps have been developed, which to some extent stimulate some of the abovementioned factors.

In addition to that the breast pumps must be able to stimulate these factors, they must in addition be comfortable when used, be soft and be able to adapt to the different shapes and sizes of the breast. At the same time they must be simple to use.

A series of different breast pumps are known, which comprise a cup or the like that is placed over the breast, a manual or mechanical vacuum pump connected to the cup which forms an intermittent vacuum in the cup, and a receptacle for the expressed milk. Typically, the expressed milk flows from the cup and into a receptacle for storage and later use.

The aim of the manual breast pump according to the present invention is that the user shall obtain a pulsating stimulation of both breast and nipple, at the same time as an adjustable vacuum is created between breast and breast cup.

The manual breast pump, according to the present invention, distinguishes itself from previously known products in that there is a sequential supply of compressed air to the membranes in the breast cup with the aim of simulating the sucking movements of the infant's mouth, tongue and palate. The small membranes in the breast cup shall typically replace the swallowing movements of the infant, which, in the main, also force the milk out of the nipple.

The abovementioned aims are attained with a manual breast pump encompassing a breast cup, a pump housing with a piston and an activating mechanism in the form of a handle, together with a container preferably in the form of a bottle for collection of the milk, said breast cup comprises a preferably rigid outer part and an inner, preferably partially flexible, part where two mutually separated chambers are provided between the outer part and the inner part, characterised in that the piston comprises a membrane which connects the periphery of the piston to the wall of the pump housing and thereby divides the pump housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, said upper chamber is in liquid contact with the chambers of the nipple by the aid of two openings with associated tubes and the lower chamber is in liquid contact with the inside of the breast cup.

The pump housing is preferably equipped with a valve that closes one of the two openings when the breast pump is in rest position (fig. 1).

The valve is preferably a flap valve with a general Y-shaped cross- section, where one of the arms of the Y is secured to the upper part of the pump housing, and one of the Y's other arms, in the lower position of the piston (fig. 1), will rest against one of the two openings and close this, while the other arm extends downwards in the upper chamber, and in the piston's upper position (fig. 4) the downwardly extending arm will be pushed in an upward direction and the other arm will move from its resting position against the hole and open this.

The piston rod is preferably provided with a slit or notch, which, when in the piston's lower position (fig. 1), will allow liquid contact between the upper chamber of the piston housing and the surroundings.

The lower chamber of the pump housing is preferably in liquid contact with the bottle by the aid of a valve, preferably of the membrane type. The invention will be explained in more detail below with the aid of embodiment examples with reference to the enclosed drawings.

Figure 1 is a section that shows an embodiment of the manual breast pump according to the present invention.

Figures 2 to 4 show the breast pump in fig. 1 in different stages of activation.

Figure 5 shows a detail of the breast cup for use with the breast pump according to the present invention.

Figure 6 is a diagram that shows pressure/vacuum as a function of time for activation of the breast pump.

In figure 1 a section of a manual breast pump according to the present invention is shown. In general, the breast pump comprises a breast cup 1 , a pump housing 2 with a piston 3, a piston rod 4 connected to a handle 5, a bottle 6 for collection of the milk and a valve 7.

Preferably, the breast cup 1 has a shape as described and shown in the international patent application no. WO 02/102439. This breast cup is shown in more detail in figure 5, which shows the breast cup 1 according to WO 02/102439 in a non-assembled state. The breast cup consists of an outer, preferably rigid, part 8 and an inner, preferably completely or partially flexible, part 9. The inner part 9 can, for example, be comprised of flexible sections equipped with membranes 10,11. For a more detailed explanation of the breast cup, reference is made to the abovementioned publication WO 02/102439. The inner and outer parts 9,8 are connected to each other at the largest opening 12, at a mid-section 13 and at the smallest opening 14, respectively, (see fig. 1) so that two separate chambers are formed between these joints, in the following described as large chamber 15 and small chamber 16. The joints 12, 13, 14 are, for example, formed in that the inner part 8, the outer part 9 or both these parts are equipped with complimentary shaped gaskets (12', 13', 14' in fig. 5). Each of the chambers 15, 16 are connected to the piston housing 2 with the help of their own tubes, 17, 18, respectively.

The outer part 8 of the breast cup 1 can, for example, constitute an integral part of the pump, while the inner part 9 of the breast cup 1 can constitute a separate part, which is secured to the outer part 8 with the aid of, for example, a bayonet catch, so that the breast cup can be dismantled for cleaning. The joining bodies 12', 13', 14', can then be constituted of integrated, concentric gaskets on the inner part 9.

The pump housing 2 is comprised of a piston 3 with a piston rod 4 that extends out from the housing 2 and where a seal or sleeve 20 is placed between the piston rod 4 and the upper part 19 of the housing 2. The piston rod 4 is further provided with a slit or notch 31 , the function of which will be explained further later. The piston rod 4 and piston 3 can possibly be constructed as an integrated unit. The piston 3 itself is connected to the piston housing 2 with the help of a flexible membrane 21. The membrane 21 is secured to the piston housing wall 22 at a position approximately half the height of the piston housing 2. Then, two separate chambers, an upper chamber 23 and a lower chamber 24, will be formed between the piston 3, the membrane 21 and the piston housing 2. The upper chamber 23 communicates with tubes 17, 18, by way of a valve mechanism 30 which will be explained in more detail later, and the lower chamber 24 communicates with the breast cup 1 by way of an opening 25 in the lower part of the valve housing 2. The handle 5 is connected to the valve rod 4 and to the pump. housing 2 with the help of a mechanism (not shown), so that activation of the handle 5 will lead to the piston rod 4, and thereby the piston 3, moving up and down in the piston housing 2. The aim of the membrane 21 , which connects the piston 3 and the pump housing 2, is that the membrane can take up some of the displacement resulting from activation of the pump, and also form a seal between the upper and lower chambers. The pump housing 2 can be shaped so that an upper part 19 of the housing can be removed from the rest of the pump housing 2 for cleaning.

In the embodiment shown, the breast pump is connected to a bottle 6 with the help of an approximately cylindrical section 26, which in its upper end is connected to the breast pump, while the lower end is connected to the bottle 6. The bottle 6 can be any commercially available bottle which is meant to contain food materials. The lower part of the cylindrical section 26 can be equipped with threads or equivalent fastening means which are complimentary shaped with corresponding threads on the bottle 6. The cylindrical section 26 is equipped with a valve 7, which, for example, can be in the shape of a membrane, which, by way of a suitable body, is connected with, for example, the bottom of the pump housing 2.The aim of this valve 7 will be further explained later. The cylindrical section 26 is also in liquid contact with the breast cup 1 with the help of one or more openings or channels 27.

The valve mechanism that connects the pump housing to the breast cup comprises two openings or channels, 28, 29 in the upper part of the piston housing 3, which is connected to the associated tubes 17, 18. Furthermore, the valve mechanism comprises a flap valve 30, the function of which will be further explained below.

In figure 1 , the breast pump according to the invention is shown in the rest position, with the piston 3 in the lower position. The valve 7 is open and the position of the flap valve 30 is such that the hole 28 is closed and the hole 29 is opened.

The slit 31 on the valve rod 4 is in such a position that there is liquid contact between the upper chamber 23 of the pump housing 2 and the surroundings, so that any pressure in the upper chamber is relieved.

The breast cup can now be placed onto the breast so that the nipple and areola are lying close to the membranes 11. When the handle 5 is forced against the bottle 6, as shown in figure 2, the piston 3 will be lifted and the slit 31 in the piston rod 4 will be lying above the sleeve 20 so that there is no longer contact between the upper chamber 23 and the surroundings. The valve 7 will close at the same time. Therefore, pressure in the upper chamber 23 and a vacuum in the lower chamber 24 will begin to build-up. The hole 29, which is in contact with the large chamber 15 of the breast cup 1 , is open so that the membranes 10 are forced inwards towards the breast. The hole 28 is still closed by the flap valve 30. At the same time, a vacuum will be formed between the breast and the inside of the breast cup 1.

In figure 3, the handle 5 is forced further, so that the piston 3 has been lifted even more. This leads to a further increase of both pressure and vacuum. The hole 28 is still closed.

In figure 4, the handle 5 is forced so far in that the piston hits the valve 30 so that this opens the hole 28. Compressed air is thereby supplied to the small chamber 16 and the small membranes 11 force against the nipple itself and the immediate surrounding area.

When the handle 5 is released, the piston 3 will move downwards in the piston housing, the vacuum and pressure are relieved, and the valve 30 will again close the hole 28. The valve 7 will be opened so that the expressed milk can flow into the bottle 6, as shown in figure 1. The pressure in the upper chamber 23 is relieved to the surroundings as explained in connection with figure 1 , at the same time as the vacuum is also relieved.

A pulsating effect from the breast itself towards the nipple and the immediate surrounding area is achieved in this way, at the same time as a gradually increasing vacuum is also formed.

The pressure that is required to give the desired movement of the membranes 10 and 11 is of the order of 400 mbar. The necessary vacuum to bring about expression of breast milk is around 200 mbar and below.

Experience has shown that the underpressure can be reduced considerably and for most women is only necessary to initiate expression of breast milk. Reduced vacuum is experienced as an advantage with the user. Figure 6 is a diagram that shows pressure and vacuum levels at a squeezing of the handle 7 against the bottle 6 in a cycle of around 1.5 seconds.

To make it possible to disassemble the pump in cases of accidental leakage of breast milk to the chamber at the top of piston 3, the piston housing can be constructed so that it can be dismantled, for example, at the position of the membrane 22. It is then possible to form the piston housing with a bayonet catch, which gives a short twisting movement on assembly/dismantling of the piston housing. Such a solution means that the air tubes 17, 18 can be connected during assembly/dismantling.

The seal 20 between the lid 19 and the piston rod 4 can, for example, be in the form of a plastic sleeve of a self-lubricating material which is elastically suspended from the lid 19.

The flap valve 30 can, for example, have an approximate Y-formed cross-section, where one of the "arms" is clicked into position in a complimentary shaped groove in the upper part 23 of the pump housing 19. So that the user herself shall be able to regulate the vacuum, a regulating valve (not shown) can, for example, be provided in the lower part of the pump housing 2, in the form of, for example, a sliding damper or the like.

Claims

a i m s

1.

Manual breast pump comprising a breast cup (1), a pump housing (2) with a piston (3) and an activation mechanism in the form of a handle (5), together with a container preferably in the form of a bottle (6) for collection of milk, said breast cup (1) comprises a preferably rigid outer part (8) and an inner, preferably partially flexible, part (9), where two mutually separated chambers, (15, 16) are provided between the outer part (8) and the inner part (9), characterised in that the piston (3) comprises a membrane (21) which connects the periphery of the piston (3) with the wall of the pump housing (2) and thereby separates the pump housing (2) into an upper chamber (23) and a lower chamber (24), said upper chamber (23) is in liquid contact with the chambers (15, 16) of the breast cup (1) with the aid of two openings (28, 29), with associated tubes (17, 18) and the lower chamber (24) is in liquid contact with the inside of the breast cup (1), such that when the piston (3) is raised, a pressure will be created in the upper chamber (23) and force the membranes of the breast cup (1) towards the breast, and that a vacuum is created in the lower chamber (24) that creates a vacuum between the breast and the interior of the breast cup (1).

2.

Manual breast pump according to claim 1 , characterised in that the pump housing (2) is equipped with a valve (30) which, when in a rest position of the breast pump (1) (fig.1), closes one of the two openings (28, 29).

3.

Manual breast pump according to claim 2, characterised in that the valve (30) is a flap valve with a general Y- shaped cross-section, where one of the arms of the Y is secured to the upper part of the pump housing (2), and one of the other arms of the Y, in the lower position of the piston (3) (fig.1), will lie against the opening (28) and close this, while the other arm extends downwards in the upper chamber (23), and in the upper position of the piston (3) (fig.4.) the downwardly extending arm will be pushed in an upwards direction and the other arm will move away from its position against the hole (28) and open this.

4.

Manual breast pump according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the piston rod (4) is provided with a slit or notch (31) which will, in the lower position of the piston (3) (fig.1), allow liquid contact between the upper chamber (23) of the piston housing (2) and the surroundings.

5.

Manual breast pump according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lower chamber (24) of the pump housing (2) is in liquid contact with the bottle (6) with the help of a valve (7), preferably of the membrane type.