Medela Holding Ag

Beda Weber

Etienne Furrer

Brian H Silver

Armin Felber

Daniela Wäckerlin

Erich Pfenniger

Carr Lane Quackenbush

André Schlienger

Mario Rigert

Peter Vischer

Alex Stutz

Martin Thüring

Sam Levey

Erich Pfenninger

Richard Röllin

Charles Giezendanner

Patrik Bosshard

Markus Kerschdorfer

Gamal Khalil

Claudius Dietzsch

Matthias Haas

Roland Koch

Stefan Baumann

Samuel B Levey

Krzysztof Wajtryt

Richard Roellin

Jakub Pawlowski

Daria Schelling

Romana Gander

A breast shield unit of a breast pump for expressing human breastmilk includes a breast shield () to be placed onto a mother's breast, a breastmilk collection container () for receiving expressed breastmilk, an adapter () for connecting the breast shield () to the breastmilk collection container () and a valve head (). A breastmilk channel extends from the breast shield () into the breastmilk collection container () through the adapter () and the valve head (). The valve head () includes a valve () which closes and opens the breastmilk channel during the pumping action, wherein a fill level sensor () for measuring a fill level of the breastmilk collection container () is arranged in the valve head (). The breast shield unit according to the invention facilitates a fill level measurement without a structural change of the breast shield and breastmilk collection container. Moreover, it facilitates data interchange with external information storage and/or information processing units.

Breast shield unit

A breast shield unit of a breast pump for expressing human breastmilk comprises a breast shield to be placed onto a mother's breast, a breastmilk collection container for receiving expressed breastmilk, an adapter for connecting the breast shield to the breastmilk collection container and a valve head. A breastmilk channel extends from the breast shield into the breastmilk collection container through the adapter and the valve head. The valve head includes a valve which closes and opens the breastmilk channel during the pumping action, wherein a fill level sensor for measuring a fill level of the breastmilk collection container is arranged in the valve head. The breast shield unit according to the invention facilitates a fill level measurement without a structural change of the breast shield and breastmilk collection container. Moreover, it facilitates data interchange with external information storage and/or information processing units.

Breastshield unit

A device for expressing human breast milk has a breast shield for bearing against a mother's breast, a vacuum pump for generating a vacuum, a line which connects the vacuum pump to the breast shield and is intended for transmitting the vacuum generated to the breast shield, and a chamber. The line ends on the pump side in a first port of the chamber. The chamber has a second port for connection to a milk collecting container. The two ports in the chamber are connected to each other in terms of fluid communication. During the expressing operation, the line forms a milk line for transporting breast milk expressed in the breast shield to the chamber and from the chamber to the milk collecting container. The pump can be designed to be quiet and small.

Device and method for expressing human breast milk

The present invention provides a breastshield for use in a breastpumping system for expressing milk, the breastshield being of such a construction that substantially limits the amount of air between the breast/nipple and the breastshield surrounding the breast/nipple, and most preferably virtually eliminates any air at least in the area of the breast and nipple. In some embodiments, any air in the breastpumping system is substantially eliminated. With the amount of air limited, the mechanism used for generating the pressure difference in the breastshield (e.g., vacuum or negative pressure), such as a diaphragm pump, does not need to do as much work. Less energy is required for the expression of milk, and thus the size of pump used can be decreased, thereby reducing the overall cost of the device.

Highly efficient breastpump and system for expressing breastmilk

A service system in the field of collecting human breast milk or in the field of medical drainage has a base unit assigned to an individual or an entity and at least one mobile data medium. The mobile data medium can be brought by a user into data-communicating connection on the one hand with products in the field and on the other hand with the base unit. The base unit can be brought by the user into communicating connection with an external information and data platform. The system according to the invention offers optimal care and support of users in the field.

Service system

A system for optimizing guide values, particularly in the field of infant feeding with mother's milk and/or in the field of medical drainage, which includes at least one first data set which has at least one first data group assigned to a first target group. The system also has a second data set, with at least one second data group assigned to a second target group. First data of the first target group are stored in the at least one first data group and second data of the second target group are stored in the at least one second data group. A data processing unit is used for processing the first and second data and for output of the guide values to the second target group. The data processing unit is formed in order to receive new data generated on the basis of the output of the guide values to the second target group and on the basis of the use of these guide values in the second target group and in order to convert the first data set on the basis of these new data for the purpose of optimizing future guide values.

System for optimizing guide values

A suction pump, in particular a breast pump, comprises a bleed valve with a bleed opening, a bleed body which seals the bleed opening and an operating means for operating the bleed body. The bleed body may be operated such that upon opening the valve initially only a partial region of the bleed opening is released and subsequently a greater part thereof or the whole bleed opening is released. The suction pump provides a large functionality with the smallest size and, furthermore, is cheap to produce and easily assembled.

Membrane pump with air release valve

A diaphragm vacuum pump has an electrically operated drive unit and a vacuum diaphragm, which separates a pump chamber into a drive-side part and a drive-remote part and which can be deflected by means of a movable part of the drive unit. The drive unit is an electromagnetic drive unit and the vacuum diaphragm is deflected in the direction of a linear movement generated electromagnetically in the drive unit. Preferably, a ventilation valve is also actuated the movable part. The vacuum pump is relatively small and compact and operates quietly. The vacuum pump is suitable in particular for 'hands-free' applications of breastpumps.

Diaphragm vacuum pump

A mouthpiece has a bite-off-prevention feature. The mouthpiece has been manufactured from an elastomeric parent material with at least one first component, where a reinforcing component embedded within the parent material forms the bite-off-prevention feature and derives from the same group of substances or group of materials as the first component. The reinforcing component is preferably composed of fibers.

Mouthpiece and process for production

A breast shield has a tubular connector and a funnel that is integrally formed thereon, and is intended for resting on a mother's breast. The funnel widens toward the free side thereof which faces away from the connector. A passage, which extends continuously from a breast-side end of the funnel as far as a pump-side end, being opposite the breast-side end, of the connector, and serves to apply a vacuum to the mother's breast and for the flowing away of the expressed breast milk. The funnel is of more flexible design than the connector, and the funnel has a main region extending over a substantial part of the length thereof with a first opening angle of the passage, and a breast-side end region with a second opening angle of the passage. When not in use, the first opening angle is smaller than the second opening angle. In use, at least the first opening angle can be enlarged by axial pressure on the breast shield. The breast shield is pleasant to wear and minimizes the dead volume.

Breast shield for expressing human breast milk

A suction pump, in particular a breast pump, comprises a bleed valve with a bleed opening, a bleed body which seals the bleed opening and an electromagnet for operating the bleed body. The bleed body may be operated such that upon opening the valve initially only a partial region of the bleed opening is released and subsequently a greater part thereof or the whole bleed opening is released. The suction pump provides a large functionality with the smallest size and, furthermore, is cheap to produce and easily assembled.

Membrane pump with bleed valve

A breastpump set for expressing human breastmilk comprises at least one breastshield () to be placed on a mother's breast with a coupling part () for connection to a milk collection container (), and a suction pump unit () with an electrically operated suction pump, wherein the breastshield is provided with a signal transmission and/or reception unit () for transmitting signals to the suction pump unit (), and the signal transmission unit comprises, for example, a programming device for manual or automatic programming of the suction pump unit. The breastpump set according to the invention make it easier for the mother to operate the pump and breastshield while expressing milk.

Growing community of inventors

Sins, Switzerland

Beda Weber