Breast pump

Abstract

The invention relates to a breast pump (2), in particular a breast pump wearable inside a bra, comprising: a bra (6) adapted to at least partially receive a breast of a suckling user; an assembly (74) for generating a suction force to extrude milk from the breast; a milk container (14) providing a reservoir (46) for the squeezed milk; an accelerometer (130); and a controller (82) operatively connected with the accelerometer (130) and arranged for controlling the aggregate (74). In order to determine the volume of extruded milk within a milk container with higher accuracy, the invention proposes to dispense a sensor (120) to the reservoir (46) for determining the milk level within the reservoir (46), where the controller (82) is operatively connected to the sensor (120), and where the controller (82) is operatively connected to the sensor (120) for determining the milk level within the reservoir (46). The controller (82) is adapted to output a signal indicative of a risk of milk overflow in the reservoir (46) based on signals received from the accelerometer (130) and the sensor (120).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to breast pumps, and particularly to breast pumps adapted to more accurately obtain and, in particular, output information relating to the amount of milk expressed and collected in the milk container of the breast pump. Background Technology

[0002] WO 2018 / 229 504 A1 discloses a bra-integrated breast pump having a housing for receiving a collection assembly, a controller, and a power source for energizing the collection assembly and the controller. The bra and a milk container are connected to the housing. In other words, all components of the breast pump can be connected to form a bra-integrated breast pump unit that can be suspended within the user's bra.

[0003] The breast pump disclosed in WO 2018 / 229 504 A1 has an accelerometer connected to the pump's controller, which infers the amount of movement or tilt angle during the pumping process. If the tilt angle exceeds a threshold, the system warns or alerts the user, for example, by an optical and / or acoustic warning that spillage is imminent, prompting the user to change her position. Alternatively, the system can also stop pumping to prevent spillage, and pumping can automatically resume once the tilt angle decreases below the threshold to indicate a minor risk of milk spillage. By sensing movement or tilt angle during the pumping process, the system can also obtain information about the user's activity, such as walking, standing, or lying down. The accelerometer determines whether the liquid is sufficiently still to accurately measure or infer the amount of liquid in the container. Therefore, unreliable measurements of the fill level are excluded.

[0004] The above proposals demonstrate an attempt to provide a method for accurately determining the filling level within the milk container. Determining the filling level of a bra-integrated breast pump is a challenging task due to the frequent movement of the milk container. Furthermore, the spatial relationship between the surface of the milk within the container and any sensor cannot be considered as known as in breast pumps where the milk container rests on a surface, or is designed such that the milk container can be considered to be suspended discreetly beneath the bra when the user is seated upright and the pump is held in an upright position. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a breast pump that can be worn inside a bra, preventing, counteracting, or alerting users to the risk of milk leakage without making such prevention, counteracting, or alerting actions overly intrusive or annoying due to the numerous actions or alarms that may be associated with milk leakage. For example, the breast pump prevents, counteracts, or alerts the user or mother to the risk of milk leakage in cases where tilting the pump causes milk to come too close to the vent or nozzle of the breast pump's milk reservoir.

[0006] As a solution to the above objectives, the present invention provides a breast pump that can be worn inside a bra. In other words, the entire breast pump has a size and shape suitable for wearing inside a bra. The outer surface of the user's breast, when the breast pump is in use, typically mimics the shape of a woman's breast. The breast pump has a bra adapted to at least partially receive the breast of a lactating user. The bra typically has a nipple channel that receives the nipple of the breast and can provide a path for the expressed milk to proceed further toward a milk container. The wearable breast pump has an assembly for generating suction to express milk from the breast. The assembly is typically powered by a rechargeable battery within the housing of the breast pump. The assembly can be any suitable device for generating negative pressure suitable for expressing milk from the breast. The assembly can be a motor for driving a reciprocating suction generating device that forces fluid within the breast pump to generate negative pressure within the bra for expressing milk. Such reciprocating suction generating devices typically include, or are formed of, a piston, a diaphragm driven in a reciprocating manner by a mechanical propulsion device and / or a fluid (liquid or gas). These reciprocating suction generating devices may include, or are formed of, a piezoelectric element of a piezoelectric air pump and / or a diaphragm of such a piezoelectric air pump, or a drive element of a single-stroke or multi-stroke air pump, or a diaphragm of such a multi-stroke air pump. The reciprocating suction generating device may include, or be formed of, a rigid or flexible moving member adapted to generate a full vacuum, i.e., the maximum (absolute) achievable suction pressure, through a single or multiple strokes. The reciprocating suction generating device may be housed within a housing and may cooperate with a diaphragm that defines a pumping chamber within the breast pump. Alternatively, the assembly may be formed from components of an air pump or the entire air pump, which produces different air pressure levels as known from WO 2018 / 229504 A1.

[0007] The following description will refer to a specific state of the reciprocating suction generating device by mentioning a piston. This reference is intended to improve understanding of the feature / specific state, but should not be construed as limiting the term to embodiments of pumps with pistons only. In particular, the locking piston position, locking piston, and / or piston position mentioned below should also apply to embodiments with reciprocating suction devices other than pistons.

[0008] The breast pump also includes a milk container, which provides a reservoir for expressing milk. This reservoir communicates with the bra, particularly with the nipple channel of the bra, and typically has a vent or nozzle leading to the external environment. One or more valves may be provided between the nipple channel and the milk container to guide the flow of milk and may allow a degree of backflow, as known, for example, from WO 2019 / 080995A1.

[0009] In addition, the breast pump also has a controller operatively connected to the assembly for controlling the assembly. The controller is typically operatively connected to a user interface on the outer side of the breast pump, particularly the outer side of the housing, which houses the assembly, a power source in the form of a battery, and other components, particularly electrical components. The invention is preferably based on the concept of manufacturing the bra and milk container from a dishwasher-safe material, and configuring the bra and milk container such that they can be interconnected and / or connected to the housing to form an integrated breast pump. The bra and milk container can be releasably attached to each other and / or the housing. The bra and / or milk container can be formed from one or more components. In particular, the milk container can be adapted to function as a reservoir for storing a quantity of expressed milk.

[0010] In the breast pump of this invention, a controller is operatively connected to an accelerometer. This accelerometer senses the orientation of the breast pump in a gravitational field and is therefore adapted to provide a signal indicating the tilt of the breast pump, i.e., the milk container, in the gravitational field. The accelerometer can measure the tilt angle in the frontal and lateral directions with reference to the vertical direction defined by gravity. The accelerometer can be adapted to detect acceleration in all three directions within a Cartesian coordinate system. Signal processing can allow indication of movement distance and / or positional changes within a room. Furthermore, a sensor is provided for determining the milk level within the reservoir. For example, an infrared sensor is provided as a sensor, typically attached to and / or received within the housing, and distributed within the reservoir for determining the milk level within the reservoir. A preferred infrared sensor can be any sensor that emits and receives electromagnetic waves. The infrared sensor can be based on the principle of transmitting electromagnetic waves to at least a portion of the milk container or reflecting electromagnetic waves onto the surface of the milk, particularly within the milk container, to determine the milk level in the reservoir of the milk container. Other examples of sensors include, for instance, inductive sensors. In practice, any sensor suitable for determining the filling level within a reservoir can be used.

[0011] The controller is adapted to output a signal indicating the risk of milk spillage from the reservoir. This risk increases with the increase in the volume of milk in the reservoir. The risk of milk spillage is determined based on signals received from an accelerometer and sensors. Below, an infrared sensor is referenced by way of example only, and this example should not be construed as limiting a more general understanding of the characteristic "sensor".

[0012] Therefore, and in the breast pump of the present invention, not only is feedback regarding the risk of milk spillage from the reservoir determined by an infrared sensor, but the tilt of the milk container in the gravitational field is also considered when processing the signal from the infrared sensor. The controller may have a lookup table to correct a specific signal received from the infrared sensor based on a signal received from an accelerometer. The lookup table may be stored in the controller's memory and may be based on experimental results that correlate the exact volume of milk in the reservoir with the signal from the infrared sensor according to the tilt of the milk container sensed by the accelerometer. The accelerometer will generally be adapted to provide information about the tilt of the breast pump in any direction. Furthermore, other methods of linking the signals from the infrared sensor and the accelerometer are also possible, for example, analytical equations or relationships calculated based on breast pump design or experimental data.

[0013] To improve the accuracy of overflow risk levels in the reservoir, the controller may have a data storage device with historical data. This historical data may come from actual measurements by sensors on a specific breast pump equipped with the data storage device, or it may be stored in the data storage device based on general calculations or simulations, or by analyzing historical or operational data from multiple other pumps. The historical data is preferably data from the same pumping process as when the risk of milk overflow was detected. For example, the controller may be adapted to connect to the internet and / or the cloud via cable or wirelessly.

[0014] As described above, the present invention provides an apparatus for improving the accuracy of signals emitted by a controller.

[0015] The solution in WO 2018 / 229504 A1 uses a single infrared sensor, which calculates the volume within the reservoir based on the time elapsed between the emission of electromagnetic waves from the infrared sensor and the reception of a signal reflected from the surface of the milk within the reservoir. Such a solution would provide a signal indicating the milk level within the reservoir, which is largely influenced by the tilt of the milk pump. To further improve accuracy, the present invention proposes multiple sensors, particularly infrared sensors, each assigned to the reservoir. The sensors are spaced apart to provide a signal indicating a specific fluid level within the reservoir. The multiple infrared sensors emit electromagnetic waves towards different locations within the reservoir, and thus observe the milk level at different locations within the reservoir. These different locations can be specifically assigned, in the assumed orientation of the milk container, to different fill levels in the height direction of the reservoir. In the following description, the assumed orientation can be considered to correspond to an orientation in which the nipple channel of the bra extends substantially horizontally, and the breast pump is in an upright position, in which it can be assumed that the milk container has a bottom that defines the lowermost portion of the milk container in a gravitational field. Multiple sensors are typically configured to provide information about different fill levels. The different sensors are typically vertically spaced apart from each other in the assumed orientation.

[0016] In the case of an infrared sensor arrangement, when milk accumulates in the reservoir, the lowest infrared sensor first sends a signal indicating the presence of milk at the location of the first infrared sensor. As the volume of milk in the reservoir increases further, a second infrared sensor, positioned higher than the first infrared sensor, sends a second signal indicating that the milk level has reached a certain level. However, even under ideal conditions—where the milk pump remains completely stationary, the milk level continuously increases, and no milk is splashed into the reservoir due to the user's movement—the controller does not have any information about the filling level between the first and second sensors until the milk level reaches or exceeds the second infrared sensor.

[0017] To address this issue, the present invention proposes a flow-volume assessment device for evaluating the volume within a breast pump. A controller is adapted to assess and output a signal indicating an intermediate milk level between two specific milk levels based on information from the flow-volume assessment device. Therefore, the controller calculates the assessed flow rate to contribute to the additional milk volume within the reservoir. This additional milk volume is added to the volume sensed by a lower infrared sensor. Because the volumetric flow rate is considered when calculating the total milk volume within the reservoir, the controller's signal indicating the total volume within the milk container corresponds more accurately to the actual milk volume within the reservoir. Due to this measure, interference from preventative, counteracting, or alarm actions is further reduced, as the amount of milk within the reservoir is better understood, and the breast pump can be tilted at greater angles without triggering an alarm.

[0018] According to another aspect of the invention, a volumetric flow rate assessment device is adapted to assess the volumetric flow rate within a breast pump based on at least one operating parameter of the assembly. This aspect provides a separate aspect of the invention that can be used with any breast pump, regardless of whether it is a breast pump that can be worn in a bra or any other breast pump. Details of such a volumetric flow rate assessment device will be described below. Preferred embodiments utilize at least one operating parameter of the assembly, compared to conventional methods of determining milk flow within a breast pump. This operating parameter may be a parameter set within a controller for controlling the assembly and / or a pump parameter sensed by a sensor, such as obtaining information about the operating parameters of the assembly, such as the displacement of moving parts of the assembly and / or pressure conditions within the breast pump caused by the operation of the assembly. Such pressure conditions may be provided by the working fluid of the assembly—which is typically separated from the milk within the pump by a flexible membrane—and / or may be pressure sensed along the path of the milk from the nipple channel to the container, which may be sensed in the nipple channel, in the container, or at any location between the nipple channel and the milk container.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the assembly includes a reciprocating suction generating device that moves in a reciprocating manner to generate a specific pressure distribution acting on the breast received within the bra. The volumetric flow rate assessment device is preferably adapted to estimate the volumetric flow rate based on the movement of the reciprocating suction generating device. Typically, in this preferred embodiment, the movement of the reciprocating suction generating device is allocated to the corresponding output of extruded milk. Ideally, it is assumed that the stroke volume of the reciprocating suction generating device, particularly the stroke volume of the piston, corresponds to the volume of milk extruded in each stroke.

[0020] This assumption may be suitable for evaluating volumetric flow rate within the pump. However, the accuracy of milk content calculations based on the motion of the reciprocating suction generating device can be improved by considering the following phenomena:

[0021] Due to friction and / or leakage, a certain movement of the reciprocating suction generating device may be unrelated to or not produce milk flow. This fact will be taken into account by locking the piston position, which corresponds to the position of the reciprocating suction generating device, specifically the piston, in which the pump is intended to provide milk flow but will not provide milk flow because, for example, the negative pressure is reduced due to leakage within the system, thus allowing air to enter the system, particularly in the milk path between the nipple channel and the reservoir. The locking piston position indicates the position of the reciprocating suction generating device, which is intended to generate suction but cannot be associated with milk flow from the breast or within the breast pump and / or will not cause the expulsion of milk from the breast as measured, for example, within the pump, and therefore will not cause any milk flow within the breast pump due to the activation of the assembly. The locking piston position can be stored as a preset value in a locking piston position memory. This value can be set based on the total leakage that typically occurs during operation of the breast pump. The total volumetric flow rate is assessed by the volumetric flow rate assessment device by reducing the stroke of the reciprocating suction generating device by locking the piston position. In other words, when estimating the milk flow based on the motion of the reciprocating suction generating device, only the portion of the stroke that can be allocated to the milk flow is considered.

[0022] The position of the locking reciprocating suction generating device can be measured, for example, during the stimulation phase, which is the initial phase of the milk pumping process for expressing milk, followed by the expression phase from the breast. In other words, during each pumping process, the initial operation of the breast pump can be assumed to be a state without milk flow, where the phenomena observed within the pump are unrelated to milk flow.

[0023] To further refine the above concept, the present invention proposes a pressure sensor adapted to generate a suction pressure signal indicating the suction pressure generated by the assembly. A controller is operatively connected to the pressure sensor to determine the locking piston position based on the signal from the pressure sensor. In other words, the reciprocating suction generating device, particularly the piston, is arranged in a position within its stroke that is generally intended to generate negative pressure, but which does not result in any suction due to friction or leakage, etc. Therefore, the pressure sensor may not provide a negative pressure signal indicator. Thus, in addition to a signal indicator of the position of the reciprocating suction generating device, particularly the piston of the pump, the pressure sensor can be used to sense and thus determine the locking piston position, and thereby assess the volumetric flow rate based on the effective movement of the reciprocating suction generating device, particularly the piston, in which suction is generated and therefore milk is extruded. The locking piston position identified by the pressure sensor can be stored in a locking piston position memory to utilize the locking position for multiple strokes without needing to evaluate the signal from the pressure sensor for each stroke. Such operation is feasible, for example, under the assumption that the factors preventing the milk flow from being produced do not change after the pump is assembled and during pump operation. Under this assumption, the leakage volume for each stroke can be assumed to be constant. Therefore, the correction for the volumetric flow rate based on the pump's motion for each stroke can be performed solely by measuring the position of the locked piston using a single pressure sensor to determine the position of the individual pumping process.

[0024] A pressure sensor can, for example, observe a decrease in suction pressure within a breast pump because the reciprocating suction generator has been moved to maximize the volume of the pumping chamber, which is periodically changed by the movement of the reciprocating suction generator to generate suction for milk expression. In this position of the reciprocating suction generator and in a flow-free state where no milk flows within the breast pump, the decrease in suction pressure is attributed to leakage within the system. The leakage volume corresponds to the volume that can be allocated to the locking piston position. For example, a flow-free state can be assumed during the stimulation phase, where the assembly operates in a different mode than in the extrusion phase, which follows the stimulation phase of the pumping process. During the stimulation phase, no milk is expressed, and negative pressure may be generated by the assembly.

[0025] The signal from the aforementioned pressure sensor can be assigned to the operating parameters of the assembly, which are control setpoints. However, since this setpoint may not reflect the actual position of the reciprocating suction generating device, a preferred embodiment of the invention includes a piston position sensor adapted to generate a signal indicating the position of the reciprocating suction generating device. A controller is operatively connected to the piston position sensor to determine the locking piston position based on the position signal. Therefore, determining the locking piston position based on the suction pressure signal from the pressure sensor depends on the actual position of the reciprocating suction generating device. The piston position sensor can be an encoder assigned to components within the transmission system, such as components from a motor driving the reciprocating suction generating device, particularly the piston, including the shaft of the electric motor driving the reciprocating suction generating device, particularly the piston or a nut element threadedly engaged with the piston for advancing the reciprocating suction generating device, particularly a piston that moves linearly as the nut element rotates. The piston position sensor can also monitor the axial displacement of the piston or another component attached to or cooperating with the reciprocating suction generating device.

[0026] The above measures are proposed to improve the assessment of volumetric flow rate based on reciprocating suction generating devices, especially the motion of pistons.

[0027] According to an alternative proposal that can also be used in conjunction with the above-described assessment of volumetric flow rate based on the motion of a reciprocating suction generating device, the breast pump according to the invention may include a pressure sensor adapted to generate a suction pressure signal indicating the suction pressure generated by the assembly. In this embodiment, a controller is operatively connected to the pressure sensor. A volumetric flow rate assessment device is adapted to estimate the volumetric flow rate based on at least one operating parameter of the assembly and the suction pressure signal. The suction pressure signal can be assigned to a specific volumetric flow rate. Thus, the controller may have a lookup table in which a specific negative pressure within the breast pump, measured by the pressure sensor, is assigned to a specific volumetric flow rate. Such a memory can, for example, allocate a specific volume of milk to the overall suction distribution measured for each stroke of the membrane generating suction pressure on the milk side of the breast pump.

[0028] The controller may have a lookup memory that assigns the sensed pressure distribution of a single pumping cycle to the volumetric flow rate within the pump. The memory can provide information about the pumped liquid level when there is no flow during a single pumping cycle. Any deviation from the distribution sensed by the pressure sensor can be assigned to the milk flow within the pump. The memory will also contain different pressure distributions stored therein, each assigned to a specific volumetric flow rate. By comparing the sensed pressure distribution with the recorded distribution, the controller can select an appropriate value for the milk flow within the pump based on the sensed pressure information.

[0029] According to a preferred embodiment of a solution with a pressure sensor for assessing volumetric flow rate within the pump, the assembly includes a reciprocating suction generating device that moves in a reciprocating manner to generate suction. A volumetric flow rate assessment device is adapted to estimate the volumetric flow rate based on the suction pressure difference sensed by the pressure sensor when the reciprocating suction generating device is stationary at the suction generating position. This suction generating position is typically the position where the reciprocating suction generating device generates maximum pressure, i.e., the position corresponding to the maximum stroke position of the reciprocating suction generating device. The decrease in negative pressure when the reciprocating suction generating device, particularly the piston, remains stationary can be attributed to the volume entering the milk path due to a constant negative pressure. In other words, the pressure difference in the milk path can be attributed to the milk volumetric flow rate. Therefore, this embodiment typically has a lookup table where the negative pressure signal from the pressure sensor is assigned to a specific volume of milk extruded through the reciprocating suction generating device in its stationary position. This preferred embodiment is particularly based on the concept of holding the reciprocating suction generating device in the maximum stroke position for a longer period to extrude milk from the breast under maximum negative pressure. In other words, this implementation is specifically based on the concept of having an expansion phase, a holding phase, and a reduction phase. In the expansion phase, the pumping chamber on the milk side expands to increase the negative pressure on the milk side. In the holding phase, the reciprocating suction generating device and the piston are held at the reciprocating suction generating device at its maximum expansion, especially at the piston at its maximum expansion, for a specific period of time. In the reduction phase, the reciprocating suction generating device, especially the piston, moves to reduce the volume in the pumping chamber to first reduce the negative pressure level in the milk path and finally transfer the milk from the milk path in the milk pump to the reservoir.

[0030] Before the start of a new expansion phase, the reciprocating suction generating device may be stationary during the relaxation phase, which is an intermediate phase between the end of the reduction phase and the start of the next expansion phase. When milk is transferred to the reservoir, the pressure within the nipple channel may still be negative due to the baseline valve located between the nipple channel and the pumping chamber, see WO2019 / 080995 A1.

[0031] The accuracy of volumetric flow rate assessment based on pressure sensor signals can be improved by using a lockout memory suitable for storing a lockout pressure, which indicates the pressure difference sensed by the pressure sensor in a milk-free state. Any variation in the negative pressure value in a milk-free state, and preferably during the maximum stroke stationary phase, can be attributed to leakage flow. The volume that leaks into the milk path corresponds to a volume that does not contribute to the flow of milk into the reservoir. Therefore, measuring, or at least evaluating, the portion of the pressure sensor data attributed to phenomena other than milk flow within the pump will improve the accuracy of the volumetric flow rate assessment.

[0032] Locking pressure can be measured, for example, during the stimulation phase, which is the initial stage of the pumping section for expressing milk and followed by the expression phase for expressing milk from the breast. In other words, the initial operation of the breast pump in each pumping process can be assumed to be a state of no milk flow and can be used, for example, for the initial determination of locking pressure. When the reciprocating suction generating device remains stationary at the suction generating position, particularly at the maximum stroke position, the locking pressure can correspond to a negative pressure differential. Any difference in the pressure signal when the reciprocating suction generating device, particularly the piston, is not moving can be attributed to leakage.

[0033] As described above, each defined stimulation phase within the controller's logic is a phase in which a flow-free state exists. However, it can be advantageous to determine the locking position of the reciprocating suction generating device throughout the pumping process and thereby improve the reliability of volumetric flow rate assessment based on the assembly's operating parameters. For this purpose, the controller is preferably adapted to determine the flow-free state during the extrusion phase. This adaptation of the controller can be achieved through analysis within the controller, which compares a series of sensor signals to conclude that a flow-free state exists. For this purpose, a series of sensor signals, which can be signals from pressure sensors or infrared sensors, will be analyzed to infer from these signals that no milk flow has been transferred to the reservoir. The controller may have a memory storing typical sensor signals as well as a particular series of sensor signals indicating no flow into the reservoir. Such data can be stored in the memory, for example, based on experimental results of the typical behavior of the corresponding milk pump in the flow-free state.

[0034] To further improve accuracy, the controller is adapted to periodically determine the milk-free flow state during a pumping process. Therefore, the locking pressure or locking piston position is periodically evaluated. New values ​​for the locking pressure or locking piston position can be entered into the register while overwriting old values. During pumping, and even though the extrusion phase may have been initiated, the user's breast will not release any milk for a period of time. These intervals will be particularly suitable for periodically determining the milk-free state.

[0035] According to the concept of the present invention, information obtained using improved means and methods is input into the controller of the assembly to stop the assembly, for example, when the milk collected in the reservoir has reached its maximum volume. As known from WO2018 / 229504 A1, the controller can at least temporarily stop the assembly when the accelerometer detects excessive movement by the user. Furthermore, the controller can be operatively connected to a user interface to output information indicating the milk level in the reservoir. Therefore, a device configured to more accurately determine the volume of milk squeezed out of the reservoir is also used to indicate to the user the amount of milk squeezed out during the pumping process. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Other preferred embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0037] The invention will now be described with reference to figures illustrating some examples. In the figures:

[0038] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the various parts and components of a breast pump with a milk container, which has a transparent section.

[0039] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a breast pump in its assembled state;

[0040] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional top view of the inner surface of the shell;

[0041] Figure 4 shows the... Figure 1 and Figure 2 A schematic functional model view of the piston pumping chamber of the embodiment;

[0042] Figure 5 The pressure distribution during the pumping cycle is shown, and

[0043] Figures 6 to 11 Breast pumps with different tilt angles are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0044] Figure 1 A breast pump 2 is shown, which is at least partially shaped to fit inside a bra and includes a housing 4, a bra 6 provided with an element 8 having a nipple channel 10 adapted to receive a nipple, and a flange 12. The breast pump 2 has a milk container 14 adapted to contain a predetermined amount of expressed milk M.

[0045] The housing 4 is annular and circumferentially closes the orifice 16. L represents the longitudinal axis extending through the orifice 16. A user interface 20 is provided circumferentially on the top section 18 of the housing 4. The user interface 20 has buttons 22 and an optical indicator 24 that indicates pump operation information. (See from...) Figure 1 It can be deduced that the front surface 26 of the shell 4 adjacent to the milk container 14 is flat, while the rear surface 28 of the shell 4 is concave and mimics the shape of a female breast.

[0046] The bra element 8 is made of transparent material. Figure 1 A bidirectional valve element 32 made of flexible material is shown located next to the free inner end 30 of the nipple channel 10. The bidirectional valve element 32 can be mounted on the free inner end 30 of the nipple channel 10.

[0047] The bra element 8 is provided with threads 34, which are arranged circumferentially spaced from each other on the outer circumference of the nipple channel 10.

[0048] The milk container 14 includes a spherical container housing element 38 and a cap element 40. The cap element 40 includes a flat cap section 42 and a slightly elongated nipple channel receiving portion 44. Reference numeral 46 identifies a reservoir sealed between the inner wall of the spherical container housing element 38 and the flat cap section 42 in the assembled state of the milk container 14. The nipple channel receiving portion 44 extends into the reservoir 46.

[0049] The top section of the spherical container housing element 38 is provided with a nozzle 48. A flat cover section 42 slidably holds a nozzle closure element 50, which can slide to open and close the nozzle 48. A hinge 52 releasably connects the container housing element 38 and the cover element 40.

[0050] The inner circumference of the nipple channel receiving part 44 is provided with a thread 56 that mates with the thread 34 of the nipple channel 10, so as to fix the bra element 8 against the milk container 14 when the nipple channel 10 protrudes through the opening 10 of the housing 4 and is received in the nipple channel receiving part 44.

[0051] Reference numeral 54 identifies a membrane sandwiched between the milk container 14 and the housing 4 for sealing the membrane chamber 57, which is formed by a groove 58 projecting from the flat cap section 42 toward the reservoir 46. See Figure 54. Figure 2 .

[0052] As from Figure 2 As can be seen, the membrane 54 is in contact with a reciprocating suction generating device 59 in the form of a piston 60, which has a cap section 62 that is hermetically connected to the collecting membrane 64, which is sandwiched between the housing 4 and a drive housing 66 received within the housing 4. The drive housing 66 rotatably supports a nut element 68. The nut element 68 engages with a drive belt 70 to drive the nut element 68 to the drive shaft 72 of the electric collecting element 74. The nut element 68 engages with the main shaft 76 of the piston 60. The nut element 68 is rotatably supported by a roller bearing 78 held by the drive housing 70.

[0053] Reference numeral 80 indicates a rechargeable battery / rechargeable battery adapted to power the electric assembly 74 and the controller 82. For charging, the rechargeable battery 80 is connected to a USB interface on the outside of the housing.

[0054] Figure 2Details of the pumping chamber 90 are explained, which includes a membrane chamber 57 disposed between the membrane 54 and the groove 58, a pumping channel 92, and an outlet space 94 disposed between the free inner end 30 of the nipple channel 10 and the front closed end 96 of the nipple channel receiving portion 44. The closed end 96 has a protrusion 98 defining a flat closing surface 100 that mates with a two-way valve element 32. The two-way valve element 32 has a central reflux opening 102 that mates with the flat closing surface 100 to define a reflux valve 104. Figure 2 In the accompanying drawing, reference numeral 106 indicates the milk outlet of the open two-way valve element 32, which is provided by the breast shield element 38. The wall section 108, together with the milk outlet opening 106, defines the milk outlet valve 110.

[0055] As from Figure 2 It can be deduced that a container valve 112 is provided at the lower end of the outlet space 94, which seals the pumping chamber 90 relative to the reservoir 46. This container valve 112 prevents milk contained in the reservoir 46 from flowing back into the outlet space 94. The container valve 112 is formed as a separate element made of a soft elastomeric material and attached to the milk container 14, specifically to the nipple channel receiving portion 44. The container valve 112 can be attached to the cap element 40 or detached from the cap element 40 for cleaning or replacement.

[0056] For operation, the nipple is positioned within the nipple channel 10. Next, the pump 2 is actuated via button 22 on the user interface 20. Figure 2 As shown, starting from the initial position in which piston 60 extends toward the milk container and thus into the membrane chamber 57, piston 60 will... Figure 2 The piston moves to the right. Therefore, during this expansion phase, a negative pressure is created in the pumping chamber 92. By way of example, piston 60 can enter its maximum stroke position, in which the piston retracts into the housing and has maximum displacement. Reaching the maximum stroke position marks the end of the expansion phase. In this maximum stroke position, the movement of piston 60 will pause. After holding piston 60 at its maximum stroke position (holding phase), a reduction phase is initiated, in which piston 60 moves toward the milk container 14 and into the membrane chamber 57. Piston 60 will reach its initial position and will remain in this initial position for a period of time (relaxation phase).

[0057] When the reflux valve 104 is closed, a negative pressure is created in the nipple channel 10 through the open milk outlet valve 108. During the reduction cycle of the suction source, the extracted milk is drawn in through the milk outlet opening 106. During the reduction phase, in which the manifold membrane 84 and therefore the protective membrane element 60 move toward the membrane chamber 57, the milk outlet valve 118 closes. The suction pressure within the pumping chamber 92 decreases, i.e., the pressure increases. The reflux valve 104 remains open until a reduced threshold suction pressure is reached within the nipple channel 10. Therefore, the negative pressure is maintained at the minimum or baseline suction pressure within the nipple channel 10, see WO2019 / 080995A1. Under the appropriate pressure differential, the milk M flows into the reservoir 46 through the container valve 122, which acts as a one-way valve. During the expansion phase, in which the manifold membrane 84 and therefore the protective membrane element 60 move toward the drive housing 70, the suction force within the pumping chamber 94 increases. Finally, container valve 112, acting as a one-way valve, closes to prevent milk M from flowing back from reservoir 46 into pumping chamber 92. Milk outlet valve 110 opens to allow milk to flow from nipple channel 10 into outlet space 94 of pumping chamber 90, which is substantially completely filled with milk M. Therefore, when nipple channel 28 is filled with milk M and the nipple is continuously positioned in a negative pressure environment, the level of pumped milk M in reservoir 46 increases during pump operation.

[0058] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As can be seen, the breast pump 2 also includes multiple infrared sensors 120, each comprising a transmitter 122 for emitting electromagnetic waves and a receiver 124 for receiving electromagnetic waves. Each infrared sensor 120 is designed to provide a sensor signal for detecting the expressed milk M. The electromagnetic waves are in the form of infrared light. The controller 82 has a printed circuit board 126 for controlling the suction source, i.e., the assembly 74, and the controller 82 is adapted to receive signals from the infrared sensors 120. The infrared sensors 120 are mounted on the printed circuit board 126. The cover element 40 has windows 128, each of which is at least partially transparent to infrared waves. The windows 128 are arranged to contact the expressed milk M, and each window 128 is assigned to an outer sensor among the infrared sensors 120.

[0059] Window 128 and infrared sensor 120 are assigned to four filling levels L1, L2, L3, and L4. The highest filling level among L1, L2, L3, and L4 is the final filling level L4, corresponding to 120 ml of milk in milk container 14 when pump 1 is positioned in the assumed location. In the assumed location, the milk pump 2 remains upright, i.e., its axis L extends horizontally, and the nozzle 48 represents the highest point of milk container 14 in the gravitational field.

[0060] The controller 82 is connected to another sensor of the breast pump 2, in the form of an accelerometer 130, which is mounted on a printed circuit board 126. The accelerometer 130 can be any sensor that provides a signal indicating the orientation of the breast pump 2 in a gravitational field. Reference numeral 132 identifies a piston position sensor in the form of an encoder assigned to the nut element 72. The piston position sensor 132 is used to determine the position of the piston 60 via angular movement of the nut element 72. Reference numeral 134 identifies a pressure sensor that is integrally molded and received within the material forming the milk container 14. The pressure sensor 134 is operatively coupled to the controller 82 via a contact pad 136 at the junction between the milk container 14 and the housing 4.

[0061] The controller 82 is adapted to receive and process sensor signals from all sensors 120, 130, 132, and 134. In this regard, the printed circuit board 126 may house the CPU, GPU, RAM, memory, and in particular, sensors 120 and 130.

[0062] The following description of the different devices used to assess the volumetric flow rate in the reservoir 46, with reference to FIG4, provides a basis for a proper understanding of the locking piston position.

[0063] Figure 4 simplifies the pumping chamber 90 and piston 60, which is assumed to correspond to the piston inside the cylindrical part. Figure 3 The left side shows a situation where there is no milk flow. Figure 4a At this point, the reduction phase has been completed. The pumping chamber 90 has a minimum volume. When the piston 60 retracts and moves to the right-hand side of Figure 4, the suction pressure increases. Since the nipple passage 10 is sealed and no milk is squeezed out of the breast, no flow occurs, and the negative pressure formed in the pumping chamber 90 corresponds to the displacement of the piston 60.

[0064] As the volume of pumping chamber 90 decreases during the movement from b to c, the suction pressure within pumping chamber 90 becomes higher. The negative pressure has a lower absolute value.

[0065] The left-hand side of Figure 4 assumes air leakage within the system. In other words, the suction during the expansion and reduction cycles of piston 60 causes fluid to flow into pump chamber 90 to some extent. Therefore, in Figure 4c In the middle, the 0 mm Hg position of piston 60 after one cycle does not correspond to Figure 4a The initial position is shown. Assume the remaining volume inside the cylindrical component is filled with air A, which enters the system due to leakage.

[0066] With the diameter of the cylindrical part and Figure 4cThe volume corresponding to the locking piston position marked by LP corresponds to the locking volume, which is the volume not used to draw milk into the pumping chamber 90 and push the milk into the reservoir 46 during a pumping cycle.

[0067] In the presence of milk flow, the effect of locking position LP is... Figures 4d to 4f As shown in the diagram. After one cycle and at a pressure of 0 mm Hg, the residual volume of milk M is contained within the cylindrical component. The amount of air A trapped in the cylindrical component corresponds to... Figure 4c The amount of air at the locked position LP.

[0068] When evaluating the volumetric flow rate within the breast pump 2, the phenomena discussed above will be considered in the described embodiment.

[0069] Based on the above description, it is evident that when the breast pump 2 is set in an assumed orientation and is completely stationary, each infrared sensor in the infrared sensor 120 can only provide information about a specific milk level within the reservoir corresponding to levels L1 to L4. Intermediate milk levels between each of levels L1, L2, L3, and L4 can be calculated by the controller 82 based on volumetric flow rate information. According to the first embodiment, the position information of the piston 60 is used to assess the volumetric flow rate.

[0070] More precisely, it can be assumed that the volume of milk pushed into reservoir 46 in each cycle corresponds to the volume reduced in each reduction phase or generated in each expansion phase. Therefore, each stroke of piston 60 provides some information about the volumetric flow rate. Since the movement of piston 60 is a known operating parameter through the logic of controller 82, controller 82 can calculate the volumetric flow rate based on the known geometry of piston 60 and the volume changes in each expansion or reduction phase.

[0071] Because air may leak into the pumping chamber, the memory of controller 82 is adapted to store the locked piston position LP. This locked position can be obtained, for example, using the signal from pressure sensor 134. During the stimulation phase, in which controller 82 assumes a flow-free state, controller 82 can compare two positions of piston 60, one before the expansion phase E and the other after the reduction phase RD, at which the same pressure is measured. The position difference between the first and second positions identified by piston position sensor 132 corresponds to the volume of air that has entered pumping chamber 90 due to leakage. The corresponding value can be input into the memory of controller 82 as the locked piston position LP.

[0072] Will be by reference Figure 5 This describes the spindle positioning method used to evaluate flow volume. Figure 5 This is a graph of the negative pressure during a pumping cycle when no leakage occurs in the pumping chamber 90. During the stationary phase R, the piston 60 is stationary. In the expansion phase E, the volume of the pumping chamber 90 expands. The suction pressure increases. The lower solid curve indicates the suction pressure formed without any milk flow. After reaching the maximum stroke position corresponding to -200 mm Hg, the holding phase H begins. The suction pressure remains constant without any flow. After the holding phase H, the reduction phase RD begins. The negative pressure has a higher value. At the end of the stroke, the relaxation phase R reaches 0 mm Hg.

[0073] The upper curve illustrates the case with milk flow MF. During the expansion phase E, milk has already flowed into pump chamber 90. During the holding phase H, negative pressure causes more milk to enter pump chamber 90. Therefore, the suction pressure is not constant during holding phase H. In fact, the suction pressure decreases at the end of holding phase H. During the reduction phase RD, the negative pressure is higher, and the milk flow MF decreases. Finally, the milk is expelled from pump chamber 90 and transferred to reservoir 46. Figure 5 This is an idealized view. In reality, as the milk flows, the 0 mm Hg level is reached earlier, resulting in a positive pressure being created in the final part of the reduction phase RD, which pushes the milk into the reservoir 46.

[0074] At -15 mm Hg, the spindle is locked at position LP. In other words, the remaining stroke will be used to push the air drawn into the pumping chamber 90 out of the pumping chamber and into the reservoir 46, which will eventually be discharged through the nozzle 38.

[0075] according to Figure 4c The position corresponding to the locking piston position used for the spindle positioning method will decrease according to the piston stroke, which is stored in the memory of the controller 82 or identified by the signal of the piston position sensor 132 for each stroke. The volume of milk pushed into the reservoir will be calculated based on the effective stroke, i.e., the absolute stroke minus the locking piston position.

[0076] As shown, the signal from pressure sensor 134 can be used to determine the locking piston position LP, and thus improve the accuracy of the assumption that the stroke volume of piston 60 during a piston cycle corresponds to the volume of milk flow.

[0077] Figure 5 This can also be used to explain alternative concepts for identifying lock-in pressure. In the absence of flow, it can be assumed that the pressure difference measured during the holding phase H—this pressure difference—is... Figure 5The increase in the locking pressure, denoted by Δp, corresponds to the loss of suction pressure due to air leakage into the pumping chamber 90. This locking pressure Δp can be determined in a flow-free state, where any pressure difference sensed during the holding phase H can be attributed to air leakage. The corresponding locking pressure Δp can be input into a memory. The holding phase H can be identified by the controller 82 based on operating instructions that cause the piston 60 to move and thus actuate or suspend the assembly 74 during the holding phase H.

[0078] Since slippage may occur between the drive shaft 72 and the drive belt 70, a more accurate approach is to actually determine the precise position of the piston 60 by the piston position sensor 132 and assign the signal from the piston position sensor 132 to the holding phase H and / or the precise position of the piston 60 and / or the positional change when the suction pressure is measured by the pressure sensor 134.

[0079] Although the determination of the locking piston position LP and / or locking pressure Δp is described with respect to the case where piston 60 is stationary, the leakage amount can also be obtained when operating assembly 74. The processing of the signals from piston position sensor 132 and pressure sensor 134 can be more complex but feasible. In this regard, it is worth noting that the encoders providing piston position sensor 132 and / or pressure sensor 134 can sample the signals at a rate between 200 Hz and 500 Hz within approximately 150 ms, which provides a high degree of accuracy regardless.

[0080] The signal (information) regarding milk volume, measured by an infrared sensor and possibly corrected for by the contribution of measurements of piston position and / or suction pressure as described above, is combined with the signal (information) from the accelerometer to stop the assembly or provide an alarm or feedback in the event of an imminent risk of spillage.

[0081] There is a risk of spillage when milk in the reservoir is close to the nozzle or vent. This risk increases with the amount of milk in the reservoir and the tilt of the breast pump, as the more milk in the container and / or the more the breast pump is tilted, the closer the milk is to the nozzle or vent.

[0082] The controller generates an alarm or feedback or stops the operation of the assembly based on signals indicating the amount of milk in the reservoir and the tilt angle of the breast pump. In this regard, if, for example, the controller implements a lookup table, the lookup table can indicate the tilt angle and can provide a maximum allowable milk volume for each tilt angle. The table below is an example of a lookup table where the angle is in the frontal direction (column; in which the user / mother, for example, bends forward on the abdomen) and the lateral direction (row; in which, for example, the mother's hips bend).

[0083] Figures 6 to 11 The table above shows the tilt angles relative to the vertical axis defined by gravity. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The angles in the frontal direction are shown (e.g., alpha (α) in the table). Figure 6 ) equals 90 degrees and is the angle in the lateral direction (e.g., beta (β) in the table). Figure 7 An example of 0 degrees; this is the reference position of the milk pump, i.e., the "assumed orientation" mentioned above. Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 , Figure 11 A tilted breast pump is shown.

[0084] For example, an angle closer to the measurement angle in the table can be used to determine the maximum permissible milk volume, or an angle that is the next larger or closer angle relative to the measurement angle in the table can be used to determine the milk volume. For example, if Alpha 5 is 90 degrees, Alpha 4 is 80 degrees, and Alpha 6 is 100 degrees, using a smaller angle closer to the measurement angle would make the measured Alpha angle of 87 degrees equal to 80 degrees for calculation; this improves reliability.

[0085] The lookup table provides the maximum permissible milk volume in the reservoir. When the milk volume in the reservoir exceeds the maximum permissible milk volume for the angle measured by the accelerometer, an alarm and / or feedback is generated and / or the assembly and milk pump operation is stopped. The permissible milk level in the reservoir is much higher than existing solutions because this actually takes into account not only the milk volume in the reservoir but also how close a given milk volume can be to the nozzle or vent.

[0086] If excessive movement of the breast pump is detected by the accelerometer 130, a signal can be used to stop the activation of the assembly 74 and / or provide an alarm or feedback to the user of the breast pump, as this excessive movement may pose a risk of spillage through the nozzle 48. Furthermore, the calculated amount of milk accumulated in the reservoir can be displayed via the user interface 20 and / or used to output a signal to the user recommending that the pumping process be stopped and the filled milk container 14 be replaced with a new milk container.

[0087] List of reference numerals

[0088] 2 breast pumps

[0089] 4 housings

[0090] 6 bras

[0091] 8 bra components

[0092] 10 nipple passages

[0093] 12 Bra element flanges

[0094] 14 Milk containers

[0095] 16-hole opening

[0096] 18 Top Section

[0097] 20 User Interfaces

[0098] 22 User Interface Components

[0099] 24 Optical Indicators

[0100] 26 front surface

[0101] 28 Back Surface

[0102] 30 Free inner end

[0103] 32 Two-way valve element

[0104] 34 thread

[0105] 38 Container Shell Components

[0106] 40 cover components

[0107] 42 cover sections

[0108] 44 Nipple Canal Reception Section

[0109] 46 storage units

[0110] 48 nozzles

[0111] 50 Nozzle Closure Element

[0112] 52 Hinges

[0113] 54 membrane

[0114] 56 thread

[0115] 57 Membrane Studio

[0116] 58 slots

[0117] 59 Reciprocating suction generating device

[0118] 60 piston

[0119] 62 Hat Section

[0120] 64-piece assembly membrane

[0121] 66 drive housing

[0122] 68 Nut Component

[0123] 70 drive belt

[0124] 72 drive shafts

[0125] 74 assembly components

[0126] 76 spindles

[0127] 78 roller bearings

[0128] 80 batteries

[0129] 82 controller

[0130] 90 Pumping Chamber

[0131] 92 pumping channels

[0132] 94 Exit Space

[0133] 96 closed end

[0134] 98 protrusions

[0135] 100 flat closed surface

[0136] 102 reflux opening

[0137] 104 reflux valve

[0138] 106 Milk outlet opening

[0139] 108 wall segments

[0140] 110 Milk Outlet Valve

[0141] 112 Container Valve

[0142] 120 infrared sensor

[0143] 122 transmitter

[0144] 124 receiver

[0145] 126 Printed Circuit Board

[0146] 128 windows

[0147] 130 Accelerometer

[0148] 132 Piston Position Sensor

[0149] 134 pressure sensor

[0150] 136 contact pad

[0151] A air

[0152] L longitudinal axis

[0153] L1 First Filling Level

[0154] L2 Second Filling Level

[0155] L3 Third Filling Level

[0156] L4 Fourth Filling Level

[0157] LP Lock Piston Position

[0158] M milk

[0159] MF milk flow

[0160] R relaxation phase

[0161] E Expansion Phase

[0162] H retention phase

[0163] RD Reduction Stage

[0164] Δp locking pressure

Claims

1. A breast pump (2), particularly a breast pump that can be worn inside a bra, said breast pump (2) comprising: Bra (6), said bra (6) being adapted to at least partially receive the breasts of a lactating user; An assembly (74) for generating suction to express milk from the breast; a milk container (14) providing a reservoir (46) for the expressed milk; an accelerometer (130); and a controller (82) operatively connected to the accelerometer (130) and configured to control the assembly (74), characterized in that a sensor (120) is assigned to the reservoir (46) for determining the milk level within the reservoir (46), wherein the controller (82) is operatively connected to the sensor (120), and wherein the controller (82) is adapted to output a signal indicating the risk of milk spillage from the reservoir (46) based on signals received from the accelerometer (130) and the sensor (120).

2. The breast pump according to claim 1 further includes a plurality of sensors (120), each of the plurality of sensors (120) being assigned to the reservoir (46), wherein, The sensors (120) are spaced apart to provide a signal indicating a specific milk level in the reservoir (46), and the milk pump also includes a volumetric flow rate assessment device for assessing volumetric flow rate, and the controller (82) is adapted to assess and output a signal indicating an intermediate milk level between two specific milk levels based on information from the flow rate assessment device and based on signals received from at least one of the accelerometer (130) and the sensors (120).

3. The breast pump according to claim 2, wherein, The volumetric flow rate assessment device is adapted to assess the volumetric flow rate based on at least one operating parameter of the assembly (74).

4. The breast pump according to claim 3, wherein, The assembly (74) includes a reciprocating suction generating device (59), particularly a piston (60), the reciprocating suction generating device (59) moving in a reciprocating manner to generate the suction, and wherein the volumetric flow rate assessment device is adapted to estimate the volumetric flow rate based on the movement of the reciprocating suction generating device (59).

5. The breast pump according to claim 4, wherein, The controller (82) includes a locking piston position memory adapted to store a locking piston position (LP) indicating the position of the reciprocating suction generating device (59), wherein the reciprocating suction generating device (59) is designed to generate suction, but the position of the reciprocating suction generating device (59) is not related to the expulsion of milk from the breast, and wherein the volumetric flow rate assessment device assesses the volumetric flow rate by reducing the stroke of the reciprocating suction generating device (59) with reference to the locking piston position (LP).

6. The breast pump according to claim 4 or 5 further includes a pressure sensor (134) adapted to generate a suction pressure signal indicating the suction pressure generated by the assembly (74), and the controller (82) is operatively connected to the pressure sensor (134) to determine the position of the locking piston based on the signal from the pressure sensor (134).

7. The breast pump of claim 6 further includes a piston position sensor (132) adapted to generate a position signal indicating the position of the reciprocating suction generating device (59), and the controller (82) is operatively connected to the piston position sensor (132) to determine the locking piston position based on the position signal.

8. The breast pump according to any one of claims 3 to 7, further comprising a pressure sensor (134) adapted to generate a suction pressure signal, the suction pressure signal indicating the suction pressure generated by the assembly (74), wherein, The controller (82) is operatively connected to the pressure sensor (134), and wherein the volumetric flow rate assessment device is adapted to estimate the volumetric flow rate based on the at least one operating parameter of the assembly and the suction pressure signal.

9. The breast pump according to claim 8, wherein, The assembly includes a reciprocating suction generating device (59), particularly a piston (60), the reciprocating suction generating device (59) moving in a reciprocating manner to generate the suction, and wherein the volumetric flow rate assessment device is adapted to estimate the volumetric flow rate based on the suction pressure difference (Δp) sensed by the pressure sensor (134) when the reciprocating suction generating device (59) remains stationary at the suction generating position.

10. The breast pump according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The controller (82) includes a locking pressure memory adapted to store locking pressure (Δp), which indicates the pressure difference (Δp) sensed by the pressure sensor (124) in the absence of milk flow.

11. The breast pump according to claim 10, wherein, The controller (82) is adapted to assume a state of no milk flow during the stimulation phase, in which the breast is stimulated for milk expression.

12. The breast pump according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, The controller (82) is adapted to determine a milk-free state during the extrusion phase based on a sequence of sensor signals indicating that no milk flows into the reservoir (46), in which milk is squeezed out of the breast by suction.

13. The breast pump according to claim 12, wherein, The controller (82) is adapted to periodically determine the milk-free flow state during a pumping process.

14. The breast pump according to any one of the preceding claims further includes a user interface (20) operatively connected to the controller (82) to output information indicating the milk level in the reservoir (46), and / or wherein, The controller is adapted to control the assembly (74) based on signals from at least one of the infrared sensor (120), the accelerometer (130), the piston position sensor (132), and / or the pressure sensor (134).

15. The breast pump according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The controller (82) is adapted to output optical and / or acoustic warnings to the user as a signal indicating the risk of milk leakage.

16. The breast pump according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The controller (82) is adapted to stop pumping when a risk of milk leakage is detected, and to automatically resume pumping when the risk of milk leakage is not serious.

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