Infant care management apparatus and method

Abstract

The invention relates to an infant care management device and method. The infant care management apparatus includes: an input interface configured to receive input information related to breast feeding and / or infant care from a user; an output interface configured to output a prompt to a user; and processing circuitry configured to retrieve input information via the input interface by the application program and control the output interface to output cues designated to the user based on the input information and pre-stored timeline data, the cues including a timer expiration reminder of a breast feeding related action or an infant care related action. The invention also relates to a computerized method for infant care management and to a computer application adapted to be configured on a mobile device or on a personal computer or on a notebook computer to perform such an infant care management method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the management of breastfeeding and infant care, as well as infant management in conjunction with breastfeeding. Background Technology

[0002] It is known that breastfeeding is very beneficial for newborns, and that mothers should breastfeed their babies. For this reason, mothers naturally begin breastfeeding after the baby is born, and in many cases, mothers will try to continue breastfeeding for the first few months after the baby's birth.

[0003] The problem to be solved

[0004] Currently, mothers begin breastfeeding their babies after birth. However, no action is taken before or after the baby's birth to prepare for breastfeeding, or even to support and maintain breastfeeding.

[0005] Breastfeeding requires both that the mother produce milk and that the baby receive it. To date, these steps have not been adequately supported in ways that ensure mothers are prepared to produce milk at birth, maintain sufficient milk production after birth, and that babies receive adequate and proper milk after birth.

[0006] Scope of Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a digital environment that can digitize the mother's breastfeeding experience and further support and promote the breastfeeding process for both mother and baby.

[0008] Digital solutions should support mothers in maintaining a balance between themselves, their babies, and their families in a smart way, rather than simply focusing a lot of time and energy on breastfeeding.

[0009] Furthermore, while breast milk can only be produced by the mother, raising an infant is a complex task requiring the participation of the entire family and society. Here, digital solutions bring all stakeholders together to collaborate and support each other, thereby raising infants more efficiently.

[0010] Currently, mothers only receive support after the baby is born. This concept recognizes that providing support to mothers before the baby is born allows for better and longer-term support.

[0011] Invention Description

[0012] As at least a partial solution to the above problems, the present invention provides an infant care management device, a breastfeeding management system, and a computerized method for infant care management.

[0013] According to a first aspect of the present invention, an infant care management device is provided, comprising: an input interface configured to receive input information related to breastfeeding and / or infant care from a user; an output interface configured to output a prompt to the user; and a processing circuit configured to obtain the input information from the input interface via an application and control the output interface to output a prompt specified to the user based on the input information and pre-stored timeline data, the prompt including a timer expiration reminder for breastfeeding-related actions or infant care-related actions.

[0014] The pre-stored timeline data may be information about ideal feeding cycles or other details about infant care tasks, thereby creating conditions for optimal health of the infant and / or mother, and for example, for the infant's growth. This information may be stored in the device and / or may originate from a server. Additionally, the pre-stored timeline data may include a time reference.

[0015] The time reference includes a calculated time reference for prompting the user, where the real time reference is the actual time the event occurred. The calculated time reference is used to calculate prompts for the user that occurred before the real time reference, and the real time reference is used to calculate prompts for the user that occurred after the real time reference.

[0016] The actual time reference is the baby's birth.

[0017] Infant care management devices are specifically any handheld device, such as a mobile phone or tablet, that can be adapted for specific tasks via an application. This application can be specifically provided for download by the manufacturer or supplier of breastfeeding or infant care equipment. The input interface of such an infant management device is configured to receive input information related to breastfeeding and / or infant care via the application. For this purpose, the application will typically provide at least one specific mask on the user interface through which breastfeeding and infant care-related information can be entered. Breastfeeding input information may in particular include information related to pumping milk to obtain secreted milk from the breasts of a lactating mother.

[0018] Specifically, the digital management environment has a timeline and sends reminders and / or instructions based on this timeline. Furthermore, even if actions, communications, and evaluations are preferably independent of the timeline, they can be linked to it, allowing the digital management environment to perform actions or provide communications at a given time based on a time reference.

[0019] The output interface of the infant care management device is configured to provide prompts to the user. Such prompts may include at least one of breastfeeding guidelines, breast pump operation guidelines, breast pump usage time guidelines, and infant care guidelines and prenatal guidelines. The corresponding output information is prepared and generated by processing circuitry configured to receive input information via an input interface through an application, and to control the output interface to output prompts specified to the user based on the input information and pre-stored timeline data. These prompts may include timer reminders for breastfeeding-related actions or infant care-related actions.

[0020] Corresponding infant care and / or breastfeeding-related actions may include data on the intervals between milk pumping processes. This data is based on, for example, the mother's prenatal or postnatal status and / or breast pump parameter data from a series of pumping processes. Pre-stored timeline data may be stored on a server and provided to the infant care management device as needed. The pre-stored timeline data may be based on user-specific profiles related to, for example, the mother's postnatal or prenatal status, and the health-related data of the infant and / or mother.

[0021] The reminders output by the processing circuit can be pushed to the user of the management device as push messages. These reminders may include notifications from the processing circuit indicating the start of breastfeeding and / or the commencement of the breastfeeding process and / or the start or cessation of pumping or diaper changing.

[0022] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a control interface for controlling a breast pump is provided. The processing circuitry is further configured to control breast pump parameters or drive the breast pump based on input information or pre-stored data. Breast pump parameters may include the duration of a breast pump cycle of a cyclic pressure distribution, the pressure differential of the pressure distribution, the shape of the pressure distribution, and / or the duration of the pumping process, which is the total duration of the pumping process from the start of operation to allow milk to be expressed from the breast until the start of breast pump operation. Breast pump operation parameters may also include variations in the cycle during a single pumping session and / or transitions from the stimulation phase to the secretion phase and / or pauses between specific cycles. In other words, the infant care management device not only provides reminders of timer expiration to notify the mother or other relevant parties of tasks such as breastfeeding, pumping, or changing diapers, but is also adapted to control the breast.

[0023] The guidelines described above can be provided by processing circuitry as recommendations or suggestions to users or other stakeholders. To customize the guidelines, the input information of the infant care management device of the present invention preferably includes at least one of health-related data, health-related or activity sensor data. The health-related data or sensor data may relate to relevant information about the infant and / or mother. Health-related data, such as weight or temperature, can be input via an input interface. This also applies to sensor data via sensors that can be connected to the infant care management device, preferably wirelessly, for example via Bluetooth. Preferably, the infant care management device is adapted to provide data connectivity with a breast pump, preferably via Bluetooth. Therefore, the infant care management device of the present invention is configured via a control interface to receive breast pump parameter data from the breast pump.

[0024] To ensure rest time for mothers and / or infants, the input information may include notification intervals or times when notifications are not permitted. Therefore, while the infant care management device of the present invention is intended as a digital management environment for mothers and stakeholders and is adapted to output prompts primarily following physiological habits and considerations, the output of corresponding reminders may be excluded during one or more input intervals, thereby disallowing any notifications.

[0025] Regarding the possibility of having breastfeeding guidelines, breast pump operation guidelines, breast pump usage time guidelines, as well as infant care guidelines and prenatal guidelines, it is worth noting that these guidelines provide mothers with timely information on how to perform activities such as using a breast pump or maximizing the efficiency of the breast pump in terms of sustained and adequate milk production, not only during pumping but also throughout the breastfeeding process.

[0026] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the control interface is configured to receive breast pump parameter data from the breast pump. The prompt includes at least one of the following: the amount of milk secreted during each pumping session; the amount of breast milk secreted over a given period of time, typically in days, weeks, or months. In other words, the prompt will be able to display the overall progress of milk production to the user of the infant care management device.

[0027] Therefore, in order to ensure the rest time of mothers and / or infants, the infant care management device of the present invention is configured via a control interface to receive breast pump parameter data from the breast pump.

[0028] The corresponding feedback may be output in the form of assessments, for example, of the production of secreted breast milk compared to baseline secreted breast milk production and / or of health-related data compared to baseline health-related data. Regarding the health-related data discussed, these data may be related to the health of the infant and / or the mother.

[0029] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the infant care management device has a network interface configured to send and / or receive data via a network. Furthermore, processing circuitry is configured to enable users to send messages to a communication server via an application and / or download messages from other users via the communication server. The communication server may be operated by the manufacturer or supplier of the infant care device. Therefore, this network interface will allow the manufacturer of the infant care device to optimize infant care management, including pumping and breastfeeding, by incorporating data input via the input interface of the infant care management device. In this regard, the network interface can specifically forward breastfeeding and / or pumping-related data input into the device via the input interface. Other data, particularly maternal health-related data, can be used to issue prompts via the infant care management device suitable for instructing prenatal mothers on breastfeeding via pumping. To this end, the breast pump can receive specific operating parameters via the infant care management device suitable for preparing the woman's breasts for breastfeeding, which may include massaging the breasts via the breast pump or an alternative device specifically designed to prepare the prenatal woman's breasts, and this device can also provide input information via the input interface.

[0030] Against this backdrop and according to a second aspect of the invention, the present invention provides a breastfeeding management system comprising a data server and a breastfeeding management device. The data server includes a memory for storing data related to breastfeeding and / or infant care, and the breastfeeding management device has the aforementioned network interface and processing circuitry configured to communicate with such data server via an application. Because of the input of infant birth dates and / or health-related data and / or health or activity sensor data, the data server is particularly suitable for grouping users. Within a group, benchmarks can be obtained by analyzing these data and / or setting specific data based on experimental clinical data. The communication server may be the same as or different from the data server of the breastfeeding management system.

[0031] As is evident from the above, the present invention provides a digital environment accessible to mothers and potentially other stakeholders to support and facilitate the breastfeeding process, including prenatal preparation for breastfeeding.

[0032] The digital environment is provided by the application of the infant care management device, and thus mothers and stakeholders can easily access it. Reminders are notifications from the digital environment, such as alert signals or push notifications prompting the device user to follow specific tasks output via the output interface. The digital environment can also induce specific actions, which can be driven by software commands or activities, particularly regarding breast pump operating parameters prepared by processing circuitry for controlling the breast pump. Reminders in illustrative form are timely information provided to the mother on how to perform the activities described above. The infant care management device can also allow the mother to exchange information with the software, which can refer to feedback from the software to the mother, such as information based on the development of breastfeeding methods and / or feedback obtained during the pumping process and feedback manually or automatically input via external or internal sensors of the breast pump and / or control parameters received from the breast pump. Similarly, health or activity-related data of the mother and / or infant can generate feedback. Furthermore, the invention allows for the assessment of the current state of the mother and / or infant. The reminders, actions, instructions, communications, and assessments mentioned above can be linked to a timeline so that these can occur at a given time based on a time reference.

[0033] Specifically, the digital environment provided by the infant care management device of the present invention has:

[0034] The prenatal environment defines the reminders, actions, instructions, communications, and assessments that occur before the baby's birth, with the expected date of birth as the time reference; and

[0035] The postnatal environment defines the reminders, actions, instructions, communications, and assessments that occur after the infant's birth, and is referenced to the infant's actual date of birth.

[0036] The environment before birth

[0037] The prenatal environment includes reminders, actions, instructions, communications, and assessments that occur before the baby's birth. The purpose of these reminders, actions, instructions, communications, and assessments is to prepare the breasts for milk production after the baby's birth and to avoid or mitigate potential problems during breastfeeding. The reference is the expected date of the baby's birth.

[0038] This stage of reminders may include recommending products to purchase and apply to the breasts, preparing for a hospital visit, reminding you to massage your breasts, and encouraging exercises.

[0039] Actions at this stage can include using a breast pump to massage the breasts and promote milk production; this can, for example, be linked to a specific time before the expected birth of the baby.

[0040] Instructions are messages sent to the mother at a specific time before the expected birth of the baby, such as 7 days. These instructions may include instructions on how to set up and use a breast pump, information on breast milk production, a list of things to consider before going to the hospital or giving birth in the hospital, etc.

[0041] Communication may include updates to breast size input by the mother via an input interface, feedback on breast growth via an input interface, or other information.

[0042] The assessment at this stage may include generating a personal data report for the mother after she enters her basic personal health data.

[0043] Postnatal environment

[0044] The postnatal environment defines the reminders, actions, instructions, and communications that occur after the baby's birth, with the actual date of birth entered via an input interface as the reference. Its purpose is twofold: to ensure ample milk production and to ensure the breasts do not experience problems during breastfeeding. Furthermore, its purpose for the baby is to ensure that the baby receives an adequate amount of milk and therefore grows healthily.

[0045] Reminders at this stage can include skin-to-skin contact with the baby within the first 30 minutes after birth, breastfeeding reminders within the first hour after birth, and pumping reminders within the first 3 hours.

[0046] Actions at this stage can include driving the breast pump based on settings output from the output interface.

[0047] The instructions may include instructions for setting up a breast pump or other possible instructions, such as instructions for using breast care or baby care products.

[0048] Communication may include: updates from the mother on milk production, infant weight and / or size; feedback on milk production, whether the amount is as expected or lower, and infant growth.

[0049] This phase of the assessment may include generating a personal data report for the mother after she inputs her basic health data. For example, a personal breastfeeding report will be generated whenever the mother uploads or manually enters breast pumping data, and this report can be displayed and shared on social networks according to the mother's wishes. The report includes both the mother's personal data and big data, such as data from all mothers who have used or are currently using the app. In addition, data from the World Health Organization will be referenced to provide a benchmark for the mother and reduce her anxiety.

[0050] Operational examples of apparatus and methods

[0051] The mother installs the application of this invention on her smartphone, tablet, personal computer, laptop, or other device during pregnancy; this installation can occur close to the due date or once the mother knows she is pregnant. First, a digital management environment is prepared.

[0052] During the preparation phase, the mother must register in the digital environment and enter information via an input interface, such as:

[0053] Expected date of birth;

[0054] Expected (or pending) return date;

[0055] Mothers can connect the breast pump to a digital environment;

[0056] The mother can set the time interval for notifications or the time when notifications are not allowed;

[0057] etc.

[0058] After this, the infant care management device is ready to operate.

[0059] In the first setup phase, the infant care management device sets up a timeline for reminders, actions, instructions, communications, and assessments in the prenatal environment, particularly setting the expected date of the baby's birth.

[0060] Therefore, mothers can rely on a digital environment created by an infant care management device that will accompany them during the prenatal period.

[0061] After the baby is born, the digital management environment needs to be reset based on the actual information manually entered through the input interface.

[0062] In the second setup phase, the mother must set the actual date of the baby's birth into the digital environment, and the system sets up a timeline for notifications in the postnatal environment based on the provided information. Other information that can be set into the system includes the baby's initial size and / or weight.

[0063] Therefore, a digital environment can accompany the mother during the period after the baby is born.

[0064] Other stakeholders may also connect to the digital environment and utilize reminders, actions, instructions, communications, and assessments. These stakeholders could include, for example, fathers, grandparents, caregivers, professional nurses, doctors, etc.

[0065] These stakeholders can access the digital environment and authorize their account information. The mother sends an invitation link, and stakeholders can access the mother's account via this link. The link opens a window displaying titles such as father, grandparent, nanny, etc. These titles are initially set by the mother before sending the invitation. Through this process, invited stakeholders can also share, read, and similarly input baby data to support childcare, especially in scenarios where working mothers must leave their babies from time to time.

Claims

1. An infant care management device, comprising: An input interface configured to receive input information from a user related to breastfeeding and / or infant care; An output interface configured to display prompts to the user; Processing circuitry, the processing circuitry being configured to, via an application program: The input information is obtained through the input interface; as well as The output interface is controlled based on the input information and pre-stored timeline data to output the prompts specified to the user, including timer reminders for breastfeeding-related actions or infant care-related actions.

2. The infant care management device according to claim 1, wherein, The pre-stored timeline data includes a time reference.

3. The infant care management device according to claim 2, wherein, The time reference includes a calculated time reference that indicates the real time reference, and the real time reference is the time when the actual event occurred. The prompt to the user that occurred before the actual time reference is calculated using the calculated time reference, and The prompt to the user that occurs after the real time reference is used to calculate the prompt.

4. The infant care management device according to claim 3, wherein, The actual time referenced is the baby's birth.

5. The infant care management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The prompts assigned to the user include breastfeeding guidelines, breast pump operation guidelines, guidelines on when to use the breast pump, and at least one of infant care guidelines and prenatal guidelines.

6. The infant care management device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The input information includes at least one of the following: Expected date of birth; Health-related data; Data related to breastfeeding or breast pumping; The time interval for notification or the time when notification is not permitted.

7. The infant care management device according to claim 1, further comprising: A network interface configured to send and / or receive data over a network; and The processing circuitry is configured to enable the user to send messages to the communication server and / or download messages from other users through the application.

8. A breastfeeding management system, comprising: A data server, the data server including a storage device for storing data related to breastfeeding and / or infant care; The breastfeeding management device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to download the data related to breastfeeding and / or infant care via the web interface through the application, the data including the timeline data.

9. The breastfeeding management system according to claim 8, further comprising: A communication server configured as a hosting platform that enables users registered via the application to post messages and display messages from other users.

10. A computerized method for infant care management, comprising: Enter information related to breastfeeding and / or infant care via the input interface; Prompts are displayed to the user through the output interface; Processed via processing circuitry configured to be processed by an application: Input information obtained through the input interface; and Pre-stored timeline data controls the output interface. To obtain the prompts designated for the user, including timer reminders for breastfeeding-related actions or infant care-related actions, and The prompt is then displayed to the user.

11. The computerized method for infant care management according to claim 10, wherein, The pre-stored timeline data includes a time reference.

12. The computerized method for infant care management according to claim 11, wherein, The time reference includes a calculated time reference that indicates the true time reference, and the true time reference is the time when the actual event occurred. The prompt to the user that occurred before the actual time reference is calculated using the calculated time reference, and The prompt to the user that occurs after the real time reference is used to calculate the prompt.

13. The infant care management device according to claim 12, wherein, The actual time referenced is the baby's birth.

14. A computer application (app) adapted, when running on a mobile device, personal computer, or laptop computer, to: Enter information related to breastfeeding and / or infant care; Display prompts to the user; deal with: Enter information; as well as Pre-stored timeline data, Based on the input information and the pre-stored time data, the prompt is output to the user, and the prompt includes time reminders for breastfeeding-related actions or infant care-related actions.

15. The computer application program according to claim 14, wherein, The pre-stored timeline data includes a time reference.

16. The computer application program according to claim 15, wherein, The time reference includes a calculated time reference that indicates the true time reference, and the true time reference is the time when the actual event occurred. The prompt to the user that occurred before the actual time reference is calculated using the calculated time reference, and The prompt to the user that occurs after the real time reference is used to calculate the prompt.

17. The computer application program according to claim 16, wherein, The actual time referenced is the baby's birth.