WO2006054287A1

WO2006054287A1 - Breast milk flow meter apparatus and method

Info

Publication number: WO2006054287A1
Application number: PCT/IL2005/001196
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eliezer Kolberg; Yitzhak Epstein
Original assignee: Mamsense Ltd.
Priority date: 2004-11-18
Filing date: 2005-11-14
Publication date: 2006-05-26
Also published as: WO2006054287B1; US8280493B2; AU2005305439A1; IL165289A0; EP1827210A1; AU2005305439B2; EP1827210B1; CA2586644A1; CA2586644C; IL165289A; JP4865723B2; JP2008520329A; US20090054771A1

Abstract

Provided according to the invention is an apparatus for measuring the quantity of milk consumed by an infant during a breast-feeding session. The apparatus comprises a brassiere-like garment (30) with openings allowing the breasts to be exposed for nursing an infant. Lining (32) is attached to the inside of the brassiere. Ultra-sonic Doppler-Effect transmitter probes (44) and receiver probes (46) are annexed to the brassiere lining pointing at the direction of the respective nipple of the nursing person. Means are provided for translating flow measurements by the probes (44, 46) into volume units.

Description

BREAST MILK FLOW METER APPARATUS AND METHOD

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and a device for monitoring

and measuring the quantity of milk an infant consumes during breast-feeding.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Breast-feeding of infants has important medical and moral benefits

including nutrition and immunity to illnesses. Furthermore, the breast-feeding

processes also help bonding the mother and the child.

There is an essential need for monitoring and measuring the amount of milk an

infant consumed in every meal.

The conventional, ancient and rather primitive method for measuring the

amount of milk an infant has consumed is to weigh the infant before and after

breast-feeding. This method is quite inaccurate and does not provide real time

information.

An attempt to tackle this problem has been made in US Patent No.

5,827,191 (Rosenfeld), proposing to employ an elastic nipple with a built-in

propeller-based flow meter, thus giving real time information of the consumed

milk quantity.

The obstacles in reducing this method into practice seems to be

technically insurmountable; besides, an obvious disadvantage resides in that

the nipple partitions the baby from the natural contact with the flesh of his

mother.

The same seems to apply to International Publication No. WO 01/54488

(Vaslov Traders (Pty) Ltd.). It is therefore the prime object of the invention to provide real time

measurement information about milk quantity consumed by an infant during

breast-feeding.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method and a device

for accurate measuring of the quantity of milk an infant consumes during

breast-feeding without creating any partition between the infant and his

mother's breast.

It is a still further object of the invention to utilize an ultrasonic flow

meter of the Doppler Effect type for measuring the milk quantity consumed by

an infant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus provided according to one aspect of the invention is a method for

measuring the quantity of milk consumed by an infant during a breast-feeding

session, comprising the steps of: providing a brassier of the breast-feeding

type; annexing to the brassiere at each one of the two respective breast

holding portions thereof ultra-sonic Doppler-Effect transmitter and receiver

probes in a position directed to a location proximate to the nipple of the nursing

person wearing the brassiere; activating the probes during the breast-feeding

sessions whereby the amount of flow through the respective nipple is

measured; and translating and accumulating the flow measurements into

volume units of the consumed quantity.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus

for measuring the quantity of milk consumed by an infant during a breast¬

feeding session, comprising: a brassiere-like garment with openings allowing the breasts to be exposed for nursing an infant; an ultra-sonic Doppler-Effect

transmitter probe annexed to the brassiere aiming in the direction of the nipple

of the nursing person; an ultra-sonic Doppler-Effect receiver probe annexed to

the brassiere aiming in the direction proximate to the nipple of the nursing

person.

The apparatus further comprises means for activating the probes to function

as flow measuring means; means for translating and accumulating the flow

measurements into volume units; and a reader unit for displaying the total of

the consumed quantity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and additional features of the invention will become more clearly

understood in the light of the ensuing description of a preferred embodiment

thereof given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying

drawings, wherein-

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a human breast;

Fig. 2 is a schematic three-dimensional view of a breast-feeding subject

using a brassiere designed according to the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a top-view schematically showing the location of the ultra-sonic

Doppler transmitter and receiver probes relative to the breast;

Fig. 4 is a side-view of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows a brassiere lining used as probes and related wiring carrier;

Fig. 6 shows the brassiere with the lining attached thereunder; and Fig. 7 shows the breast-feeding brassiere with the front cover caps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Before referring to the specifics of the present invention a certain

introductory explanation is required with regard to the Doppler measurement

technique, as well as of the physiology relevant to breast feeding.

The use of ultrasonic flow meter of the Doppler type for measuring the

flow of liquids is known for industrial as well as for scientific and medical

applications. For example, in US. Pat. No. 5,682,896 there is described a

method and apparatus for generating volume flow measurement through blood

vessels. Once the cross-section (usually the diameter) of the vessel is known

the volume of flow can be reckoned by simply multiplying the cross-section by

the average velocity and by the lapse of time.

A vast number of other patents relate to the same subject-matter.

As shown in Fig. 1, the breast is a gland, which consists of connective and

fatty tissues 10 that support and protect the milk producing areas. The milk is

produced in small clusters of cells 12 called alveoli and travels down through

thin tubes 14 called ducts to milk sinuses 16, functioning as collecting

reservoirs. The milk sinuses 16 drain to the outside of the breast through

openings in nipple 18. The nipple is located at the center of the areola 20

having many small openings.

There are 15-20 milk ducts 14 in each breast, and the milk flows from

these through the openings 18 in the nipple.

In view of the foregoing, it will be readily understood that in order to

apply the Doppler-based measurement method to breast-feeding, there must be first ascertained the sum of the cross-section areas of the nipple outlet

openings 18 (or of one of the milk ducts 14, which can then be multiplied by

their number).

Alternatively, an initial calibration procedure can be applied before routine

use of the system, e.g. by actually measuring the supply of milk per time unit.

Still another possibility is to empirically prove that there exists an average

cross-sectional area which can be taken as applicable to most cases.

Reference shall now be made to Figs. 2-7 illustrating a preferred

embodiment of a brassiere tailored to serve the purposes of the present

invention.

The brassiere garment generally denoted 30 is multi-layered, namely

consisting of a basic structure 32, having shoulder straps 34, but with large

openings around the nipples area to allow exposure of the breasts for feeding

the baby as known with regard to conventional breast-feeding brassieres.

The second component of the brassiere garment 30 consists of a lining

member generally denoted 36 in Fig. 5. It is adapted to be attached to the

basic structure 32 from inside by press-buttons 38. The lining 36 carries wiring

40 preferably sewn to the fabric as shown. The wiring 40 connects control and

data processing unit 42 to two pairs of spaced ultra-sonic Doppler Effect

transmitter probes 44 and receiver probes 46 (or transceivers) in such a

manner that they are oriented towards a point X proximate to the nipples of the

user (Figs. 3 and 4).

The angles α and β between the probes of each pair (in different planes)

are relevant parameters in Doppler measurements processing as know in the art, and may be considered constant in spite of small changes that may occur

during use due to the somewhat non-stable support thereof.

Caps 50 are provided for each breast, connectable to the brassiere by

the press-buttons 38 seen in Figs. 5 and 7.

One or the other of these covers 50 are removed during the breast-feeding

sessions.

Reader unit 52 is connected by wire 54 to the processing unit 42,

conveniently worn over the neck of the user (Fig. 2).

It will be readily appreciated that the measurements produced by the

unit 52 are also indicative of the presence, as well as density (i.e. quality) of

the monitored milk flow at any given time.

While the above brassiere design is considered advantageous, many

other possibilities are feasible for the sake of reducing the present invention

into practice.

Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will readily

appreciate that numerous changes, variations and modifications can be

effectuated without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as

defined in and by the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method for measuring the quantity of milk consumed by an

infant during a breast-feeding session, comprising the steps of:

providing a brassier (30) of the breast-feeding type;

- annexing to the brassiere at each one of the two respective

I breast holding portions thereof ultra-sonic Doppler-Effect transmitter

and receiver probes (44; 46) in a position directed to a location

proximate to the nipple of the nursing person wearing the brassiere;

activating the probes during the breast-feeding sessions whereby

the amount of flow through the respective nipple is measured; and

translating and accumulating the flow measurements into

volume units of the consumed quantity.

2. The method of Claim 1 comprising the further step of initally

calibrating the measurments of flow into volume units as a function

of time.

3. An apparatus for measuring the quantity of milk consumed by an

infant during breast-feeding session comprising:

a brassiere-like garment (32) with openings allowing the breasts

to be expose for nursing an infant;

an ultra-sonic Doppler-Effect transmitter probe (44) annexed to

the brassiere aiming in the direction proximate to the nipple of the

nursing person; an ultra-sonic Doppler-Effect receiver probe (46) annexed to the

brassiere aiming in the direction proximate to the nipple of the nursing

person;

means (42) for activating the probes to function as flow

measuring means;

means for translating and accumulating the flow measurements

into volume units; and

a reader unit (52) for displaying the total of the consumed

quantity.

4. The apparatus of Claim 3 wherein the probes are mounted to an

inner lining member (36) attachable to the brassiere from inside.

5. The apparatus of Claim 4 wherein the brassiere is further

provided with caps (50) for covering the said openings and said probes.

6. The apparatus of Claim 5 further comprising a control and data

processing unit (42) mounted at the center of the brassiere, a reading

unit (52) being provided connected to the control and data processing

unit.

7. The apparatus of Claim 6 wherein the reading unit (52) is worn

around the neck of the nursing person.