US 12,005,166 B2
Breast pump
Carr Lane Quackenbush, Monson, MA (US); Scott Liddle, Raleigh, NC (US); Scott Cooper, Apex, NC (US); and Erin Simons, Raleigh, NC (US)
Assigned to Momtech Inc., Matthews, NC (US)
Filed by Momtech, Inc., Matthews, NC (US)
Filed on Aug. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/819,481.
Application 16/004,742 is a division of application No. 15/403,578, filed on Jan. 11, 2017, granted, now 10,016,548, issued on Jul. 10, 2018.
Application 17/819,481 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/473,838, filed on Sep. 13, 2021, granted, now 11,413,381.
Application 17/473,838 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/060,302, filed on Oct. 1, 2020, granted, now 11,147,905, issued on Oct. 19, 2021.
Application 17/473,838 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/036,605, filed on Sep. 29, 2020, granted, now 11,116,880, issued on Sep. 14, 2021.
Application 17/060,302 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/251,198, filed on Jan. 18, 2019, granted, now 10,806,837, issued on Oct. 20, 2020.
Application 16/251,198 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/004,742, filed on Jun. 11, 2018, granted, now 10,286,130, issued on May 14, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/927,365, filed on Oct. 29, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0378989 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. A61M 1/06 (2006.01); A61M 39/24 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 1/064 (2014.02) [A61M 39/24 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3344 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for extracting breast milk from a breast, said device comprising:
an external shell defining an internal cavity, said external shell including:
a neck portion defining a proximal end and a distal end; and
a feed channel defined at the distal end of the neck portion of the external shell; and
an elastic membrane disposed within the internal cavity of the external shell, said elastic membrane including:
a funnel-shaped portion configured to receive and seal against the breast of a user; and
a neck portion extending from the funnel-shaped portion and defining a proximal end and a distal end adapted to receive and position a nipple of the breast, said neck portion of the elastic membrane narrowing at said distal end of the neck portion of the elastic membrane to an exit port of the elastic membrane, wherein said neck portion of the elastic membrane fits in the neck portion of the external shell such that the exit port of the elastic membrane is in operative communication with the feed channel, and
wherein further, when the nipple of the user is positioned in the neck portion of the elastic membrane, said neck portion of the elastic membrane defines an unoccupied volume between a nipple tip and the distal end of said neck portion of the elastic membrane;
wherein the unoccupied volume between the nipple tip and the distal end of said elastic membrane is in operative communication, via the exit port, with a suction source; and
wherein the exterior of the elastic membrane is sealed to the interior of the external shell to form a hermetic chamber between the neck portion of the external shell and the neck portion of the elastic membrane, wherein the external shell further comprises a side port configured to operatively connect the hermetic chamber to the suction source and the positive pressure source;
wherein the suction source is configured to control pressure in the hermetic chamber via the side port;
wherein the suction source is configured to control pressure in the unoccupied volume via the exit port of the elastic membrane;
wherein the elastic membrane is configured to receive a suction pressure below atmospheric pressure from the suction source via the distal end of the neck portion of the elastic membrane that is applied to the unoccupied volume inside the elastic membrane around and in front of the nipple positioned therein to extend the nipple towards the distal end of the neck portion of said elastic membrane and to extract breast milk,
wherein, the neck portion of the elastic membrane is configured to relax radially outwardly, allowing clearance for the nipple to extend when the suction pressure is introduced into the hermetic chamber via the side port, wherein said suction pressure in the hermetic chamber is equivalent to the suction pressure applied to the unoccupied volume inside the elastic membrane around and in front of the nipple positioned therein, and
wherein a portion of the elastic membrane of the hermetic chamber is configured to expand radially inwardly when a positive pressure greater than the suction pressure then present within the unoccupied volume inside the elastic membrane around and in front of the nipple positioned therein is introduced into the hermetic chamber from the positive pressure source via the side port causing the elastic membrane as so expanded to contact and compress the nipple to control nipple edema;
wherein the neck portion of the elastic membrane is configured for both radial outward and radially inward movement with alternating application of the suction pressure and the positive pressure into the hermetic chamber via the side port.