Breast fluid expression device

摘要

Disclosed herein are biologically inspired, either manual or electronic, portable fluid expression system to be used for, but not limited to, breast milk expression from nursing women and other milk expression from any species of mammal. The fluid expression systems can be configured to mimic the anatomy of a suckling infant and the biomechanics and fluid dynamics associated with this behavior. The fluid expression system can be used by nursing mothers to express breast milk efficiently, painlessly, and discreetly. The systems can include a single, contiguous flexible structure designed to resemble the lips and oropharyngeal cavity of a newborn infant of the mammalian species of interest. Rigid external housings or stiffening structures can be used to mimic the bony anatomy of the infant or mammalian species of interest.

主权项

1. A mammalian fluid expression device comprising:
a soft, contiguous, partially collapsible structure comprising a fixed superior aspect, a movable inferior aspect, and an internal channel therethrough that can receive a nipple-areola complex when in use, and connect to a receptacle, wherein when actuated for fluid expression, the inferior aspect of the soft structure is configured to be repeatedly asymmetrically deformed in an inferior direction away from the fixed superior aspect to generate negative pressure gradients within the internal channel and express fluid, and wherein upon fluid expression, fluid is transported inferiorly from the soft structure into the receptacle.