Methods and systems for custom nipple

A custom nipple system addresses latching issues by generating a personalized nipple based on individual nipple characteristics, improving latching success and feeding efficiency.

WO2025213195A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2025-10-09JONES THEODORE
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/US2025/032524
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-04-06
Filing Date
2025-06-05
Publication Date
2025-10-09

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Infants struggle with latching issues due to generic pre-made nipples, leading to feeding difficulties and reduced milk production for mothers, as they do not account for individual differences in nipple shape, flow, and sucking patterns.

Method used

A custom nipple system is generated using a series of images of a stimulated, non-producing nipple state to create a custom mold, which is then used to produce a customized nipple portion and base, optimizing latching and transitioning between breastfeeding and bottle feeding.

Benefits of technology

The custom nipple system enhances latching success, facilitates proper jaw development, allows non-mother caregivers to assist, and provides a wider latch, optimizing feeding and child development.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

Methods and systems are described for creating a custom nipple generated from a custom mold based on a series of images of a nipple region.
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Description

METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CUSTOM NIPPLECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 575,699 filed on April 6, 2024, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for nursing an infant, and more specifically, to generating a custom feeding nipple that is user specific.BACKGROUND

[0003] Many infants struggle to latch properly, which is essential for effective breastfeeding. Once an infant does latch to a mother’s breast, transferring to bottle feeding can be challenging. Some infants experience flow preference, making it difficult to transition between breastfeeding and pre-made nipples due to differences in shape of the nipple, flow of the milk, and sucking patterns. Pre-made nipples are typically generic sizes and shapes, making them often ineffective for proper latching for many infants. This can cause frustration for both infants and caregivers, leading to feeding issues for the infants and breast engorgement and reduced milk production for the mothers. It is with these issues in mind, among others, that various aspects of the present disclosure were developed.SUMMARY

[0004] Implementations described and claimed herein address the foregoing issues by providing systems and methods for generating a custom nipple.

[0005] In some implementations, a nipple system includes a nipple portion customized based on a series of images of a nipple in a stimulated, non-producing state (e.g., a stimulated, nonnursing state), wherein the series of images are used to generate a scan file of the nipple, the scan file processed to produce a custom mold scan, the custom mold scan used to create a custom mold, the custom mold creating a cavity with a premade mold, the cavity filed with an elastic material to create the nipple portion; and a nipple base supporting the nipple portion.

[0006] In some implementations, a system includes: an imaging system receiving a series of images of a nipple in a stimulated, non-producing state captured from a plurality of angles surrounding a nipple and processing the series of images; a mold generation system creatinga custom mold file using the series of images to produce a custom mold; and a molding system generating one or more custom nipple portions using the custom mold.

[0007] In some implementations, a method for creating a custom nipple includes: receiving a series of images of a breast portion including a nipple in a stimulated, non-producing state, wherein the series of images are captured from a plurality of angles surrounding the nipple; generating a scan file of the nipple using the series of images; processing the scan file to produce a custom mold file; providing the custom mold file to a printing device to create a custom mold; and generating one or more custom nipples using the custom mold.

[0008] Other implementations are also described and recited herein. Further, while multiple implementations are disclosed, still other implementations of the presently disclosed technology will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative implementations of the presently disclosed technology. As will be realized, the presently disclosed technology is capable of modifications in various aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the presently disclosed technology. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not limiting.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The disclosure is more easily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings and description. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, as the focus is on illustrating the principles of the disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system for producing a custom nipple.

[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates an example processing system.

[0012] FIG. 3 illustrates an example computing device.

[0013] FIG. 4 illustrates an example molding system.

[0014] FIG. 5 illustrates an example molding system.

[0015] FIG. 6 illustrates an example custom nipple system.

[0016] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of a method of creating an example custom nipple.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Aspects of the present disclosure generally involve systems and methods for creating a custom nipple. As described herein, the presently disclosed technology provides a nipple system that is customizable to each infant and / or mother, provides latch training for infants, helps to properly develop infant jaw structure and teeth, allows caretakers other than the mother to care for infants, provides a wider latch for infants, and provides a custom nipple that is comparable to the mother’s breast, thereby optimizing feeding and child development and increasing latching success, particularly in transitioning to bottle feeding. Other advantages and features of the presently disclosed technology will be apparent from the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system 100 for producing a custom nipple. The system 100 includes an image capturing device 110, a processing system 120, and a molding system 130. The system 100 may also include one or more databases 140. The image capturing device 110, processing system 120, molding system 130, and / or one or more databases 140 may communicate via a network 150. In some implementations, the processing system 120, molding system 130, and / or one or more databases 140 may communicate via a wired or wireless connection.

[0019] The image capturing device 110 is used to capture a series of images 112 of a breast including a nipple region 114 and may be part of a computing device or a stand-alone device that transmits images to a computing device. For example, the image capturing device 110 may be a camera, a video recorder, a smartphone, tablet, a computing device with built-in camera, etc. Further examples of computing devices are provided below with regards to FIG. 2. The image capturing device 110 may include software such as an application, or other software that may be used to capture, manipulate, compile, and / or edit images, as non-limiting examples. For example, the series of images 112 may be captured using a smartphone at a user’s home, using a camera or tablet at a doctor’s office or maternity center, etc.

[0020] In some implementations, the image capturing device 110 may include a calibration feature, which uses an object captured along with a breast to calibrate the image capturing device and / or determine measurement information to ensure accurate scaling for creating a custom, three-dimensional (3D) mold of the nipple region 114. For example, the image capturing device 110 may capture an image of a known object, such as a quarter, a dime, a credit card, a business card, or any other object with a known measurement together with the breast including the nipple region 114. This helps determine the scaling for the nipple region 114 to produce a scan that is suitable for creating a custom mold. In some implementations,the image capturing device 110 may include adjusting settings for brightness, contrast, color, etc. to ensure images captured are adequate to produce a custom mold.

[0021] The image capturing device 110 captures a series of images 112 of the nipple region 114 including the nipple region 114 of a mother in a state adequate for producing a custom mold. The nipple region 114 may have various states. For example, the nipple region 114 may be in a stimulated state (e.g., nipple is stimulated), a non-stimulated state, a nursing state (e.g., milk is actively being released by the nipple), a non-producing state (e.g., non-nursing state, prior to giving birth, and / or before milk production or milk let-down), and / or so forth. In some examples, the image capturing device 110 captures the series of images 112 with the nipple region 114 in a stimulated, non-producing state to produce a scan that is adequate for generating a custom mold. The series of images 112 may be captured prior to giving birth or after giving birth. For example, the series of images 112 may be taken at home or at a doctor’s office prior to giving birth while the nipple region is in a stimulated state.

[0022] The series of images 112 of the nipple region 114 is captured from a variety of angles. The image capturing device 110 may be moved (e.g., rotated, translated, etc.) to different viewpoints about the nipple region 114 to capture the series of images 112. In some implementations, the series of images 112 captured includes views from 180 degrees about the nipple region 114. The series of images 112 includes a threshold number of images to create a 3D mold of the nipple region. For example, the threshold number or images may be from 100 to 1 ,000 images, although more or fewer images may be used. In some implementations, 140-160 images may be used. In some examples, 150 images may be used. In some implementations, fewer images may be captured and the images captured may be supplemented with images stored in the one or more databases 140 and / or obtained using machine learning algorithms.

[0023] The image capturing device 110 generates a scan file including the series of images 112 and transmits the scan file via the network 150 to a processing system 120. In some implementations, the series of images are transferred to the processing system 120 prior to generating a scan file. The image capturing device 110 may include additional information with the scan file that is transmitted to the processing system 120. For example, a user may provide information such as name, address, due date of the infant, other shipping information, customization information, etc. In some implementations, the user may provide an infant name or other identifying information that may be engraved or otherwise placed onto the custom mold and / or the custom nipple.

[0024] The processing system 120 may be a cloud-based system, one or more servers, etc. The processing system 120 may receive the scan file including the series of images 112 and refine the scan file to make the file suitable for creating a custom mold. For example, the scan file may be meshed, adjusted, edited, supplemented, etc. Once the custom mold file is created, the processing system 120 sends the custom mold file to a manufacturing or printing device to create a custom mold which is used by the molding system 130 to create the custom nipple. The custom mold may be produced by printing, manufacturing, etc. and will be described further below.

[0025] The system 100 is configured to receive user inputs via one or more input systems using, for example, a computing device to input text, audio, and / or interact with an interactive user interface displayed on one or more output systems of, for example, the computing device, which will be described further below with regards to FIG. 6. The image capturing device 110 and the processing system 120 are configured to interact with one another via a network(s) 150. As illustrated in greater detail below, any and / or all of the processing system 120, the image capturing device 110, computing devices, molding system 130, and the one or more databases 140 may, in some instances, be special-purpose computing devices configured to perform specific functions.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 2, an example processing system 120 is illustrated. The example processing system 120 includes an imaging system 202, a mold generating system 204, one or more memory devices 206, one or more processors 208, an output system 210, and one or more communication interfaces 212. The processing system 120 may store and retrieve data from the one or more databases 140 and / or the one or more memory devices 206. The processing system 120 communicates with one or more input systems and one or more output systems using communication interface(s) 212 via the network(s) 150. The processing system 120 may be a computing device such as described with regards to FIG. 3, a cloud computing device, or combined with the image capturing device 110, the molding system 130, etc.

[0027] The processing system 120 may be configured to execute one or more algorithms to perform the techniques, as discussed in greater detail below. For instance, the one or more algorithms may include one or more machine learning algorithms. In an implementation, the processing system 120 includes instructions that direct or cause the imaging system 202 to execute processing techniques on images received to create scan files, retrieve images in a scan file, retrieve images from one or more databases 140, edit scan files, etc., to create a custom mold. For example, the imaging system 202 may use the series of images 112 received to create a custom mold file or may use a received image scan file including the series of images 112 to produce a custom mold file. The imaging system 202 may edit,manipulate, and / or validate the image scan file or the series of images 112 to produce a custom mold file that may be used to produce a custom mold that is used by the mold generation system 204 for the creation of a custom nipple specific to the infant and / or mother. For example, the imaging system 202 may crop the scan file to retain a nipple portion of the scan file while removing other portions of the scan file.

[0028] In an implementation, the processing system 120 includes instructions that direct or cause the mold generation system 204 to execute processing techniques to produce a custom mold from a custom mold file obtained from the imaging system 202. The mold generation system 204 produces a custom mold file that is used by the molding system 130 for the creation of a custom mold for the custom nipple. For example, the mold generation system 204 may transmit instructions to a printing device, a manufacturing device, etc. to produce the custom mold.

[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates an example computing device 302 that may be used with the systems and methods disclosed herein. The example computing device 302 includes one or more processors 304, one or more memory devices 306, an input / output (I / O) port 308, and one or more communication ports 310. The computing device 302 may be applicable to the system 100, the image capturing device 110, the processing system 120, the molding system 130, and / or other computing or network devices. It will be appreciated that specific implementations of these devices may be of differing possible specific computing architectures not all of which are specifically discussed herein but will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0030] In some instances, the computing device 302 may include a computer, a personal computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a terminal, a workstation, a server device, a cellular or mobile phone, a mobile device, a smart mobile device a tablet, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch, smart glasses, a smart epidermal device, etc.) a multimedia console, a television, an Internet-of-Things (loT) device, a smart home device, a medical device, a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) device, a vehicle (e.g., a smart bicycle, an automobile computer, etc.), or the like. The computing device 302 may be integrated with, form a part of, or otherwise be associated with the systems described herein. It will be appreciated that specific implementations of these devices may be of differing specific computing architectures not all of which are specifically discussed herein but will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0031] The computing device 302 may be a computing system capable of executing a computer program product to execute a computer process. Data and program files may be input to the computing device 302, which reads the files and executes the programs therein.Some of the elements of the computing device 302 include one or more processors 304, one or more memory devices 306, and / or one or more ports, such as input / output (IO) port(s) 308 and communication port(s) 310. Additionally, other elements that will be recognized by those skilled in the art may be included in the computing device 302 but are not explicitly depicted in FIG. 3 or discussed further herein. Various elements of the computing device 302 may communicate with one another by way of the communication port(s) 310 and / or one or more communication buses, point-to-point communication paths, or other communication means.

[0032] The processor 304 may include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), and / or one or more internal levels of cache. There may be one or more processors 304, such that the processor 304 comprises a single central-processing unit, or a plurality of processing units capable of executing instructions and performing operations in parallel with each other, commonly referred to as a parallel processing environment.

[0033] The computing device 302 may be a conventional computer, a distributed computer, or any other type of computer, such as one or more external computers made available via a cloud computing architecture. The presently described technology is optionally implemented in software stored on the data storage device(s) such as the memory device(s) 306, and / or communicated via one or more of the I / O port(s) 308 and the communication port(s) 310, thereby transforming the computing device 302 in FIG. 3 to a special purpose machine for implementing the operations described herein. Moreover, the computing device 302, as implemented in the systems in Figures 1-3, receives various types of input data, such as images, and transforms the input data into new types of data files, such as scan files, custom mold files, etc. Moreover, these new data files may be transformed into output data. The output data may be sent to the computing device 302 to present the output data to a user to allow the user to view, edit, and / or otherwise manipulate the output data. In some implementations, the output data may be sent from the computing device 302 to another computing device or to one of the other systems described herein.

[0034] The one or more memory device(s) 306 may include any non-volatile data storage device capable of storing data generated or employed within the computing device 302, such as computer executable instructions for performing a computer process, which may include instructions of both application programs and an operating system (OS) that manages the various components of the computing device 302. The memory device(s) 306 may include, without limitation, magnetic disk drives, optical disk drives, solid state drives (SSDs), flash drives, and the like. The memory device(s) 306 may include removable data storage media, non-removable data storage media, and / or external storage devices made available via awired or wireless network architecture with such computer program products, including one or more database management products, web server products, application server products, and / or other additional software components. Examples of removable data storage media include Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), Digital Versatile Disc Read-Only Memory (DVD-ROM), magneto-optical disks, flash drives, and the like. Examples of nonremovable data storage media include internal magnetic hard disks, SSDs, and the like. The one or more memory device(s) 306 may include volatile memory (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), etc.) and / or non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, etc.).

[0035] Computer program products containing mechanisms to effectuate the systems and methods in accordance with the presently described technology may reside in the memory device(s) 306 which may be referred to as machine-readable media. It will be appreciated that machine-readable media may include any tangible non-transitory medium that is capable of storing or encoding instructions to perform any one or more of the operations of the present disclosure for execution by a machine or that is capable of storing or encoding data structures and / or modules utilized by or associated with such instructions. Machine-readable media may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more executable instructions or data structures.

[0036] In some implementations, the computing device 302 includes one or more ports, such as the I / O port(s) 308 and the communication port(s) 310, for communicating with other computing, network, or vehicle computing devices. It will be appreciated that the I / O port 308 and the communication port 310 may be combined or separate and that more or fewer ports may be included in the computing device 302. The I / O port 308 may be connected to an I / O device, or other device, by which information is input to or output from the computing device 302. Such I / O devices may include, without limitation, one or more input devices, output devices, and / or environment transducer devices.

[0037] The input device(s) may be an alphanumeric input device, including alphanumeric and other keys for communicating information and / or command selections to the processor 304 via the I / O port 308. The input device(s) may be another type of user input device including, but not limited to direction and selection control devices, such as a mouse, a trackball, cursor direction keys, a joystick, and / or a wheel; one or more sensors, such as a camera, a microphone, a positional sensor, an orientation sensor, an inertial sensor, and / or an accelerometer; and / or a touch-sensitive display screen (“touchscreen”). The output devices may include, without limitation, a display, a touchscreen, a speaker, a tactile and / or hapticoutput device, and / or the like. In some implementations, the input device and the output device may be the same device, for example, in the case of a touchscreen.

[0038] In one implementation, the communication port 310 is connected to the network(s) 150 so the computing device 302 may receive network data useful in executing the methods and systems set out herein as well as transmitting information and network configuration changes determined thereby. Stated differently, the communication port 310 connects the computing device 302 to one or more communication interface devices configured to transmit and / or receive information between the computing device 302 and other devices by way of one or more wired or wireless communication networks or connections. Examples of such networks or connections include, without limitation, Universal Serial Bus (USB), Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, Near Field Communication (NFC), and so on. One or more such communication interface devices may be utilized via the communication port 310 to communicate with one or more other machines, either directly over a point-to-point communication path, over a wide area network (WAN) (e.g., the Internet), over a local area network (LAN), over a cellular network (e.g., third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), fifth generation (5G), etc.) or over another communication means. Further, the communication port 310 may communicate with an antenna or other link for electromagnetic signal transmission and / or reception.

[0039] The computing device 302 set forth in Figure 3 is but one example of a computer system that may employ or be configured in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that other non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions for implementing the presently disclosed technology on a computing system may be utilized.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 4, an example molding system 400 is illustrated. In some implementations, the molding system 400 includes a premade mold 410, a custom mold 420, and a mold mount 430. The premade mold 410, custom mold 420, and the mold mount 430 may be constructed of a material such as metal, steel, metal alloys, etc. The premade mold 410 and the custom mold 420 may have a radius of between .5 inches and 2.5 inches.

[0041] The premade mold 410 may be placed relative (e.g., adjacent to and / or above, etc.) to the custom mold 420, which may be mounted on the mold mount 430. Silicone or silicone- type material may be inserted into the molding system 400 to produce one or more portions of a nipple system as will be described further below. The custom mold 420 includes a mold nipple portion 422 and mold base portion 424, one or both of which may be customized to produce a custom nipple. Although a mold mount 430 is depicted, other mounting mechanismsmay be used so that the premade mold 410 remains fixed relative to the custom mold 420 to inject the silicone and create the custom nipple.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 5, an example molding system 500 is illustrated. In some implementations, the molding system 500 includes a base mold 510 and an inserting mold 520. The base mold 510 and inserting mold 520 are made of any material able to receive a material such as silicone (e.g., metal, steel, metal alloys, etc.). The base mold 510 includes one or more cavities 512. Although nine cavities 512 are included in the base mold 510 depicted, the base mold 520 may include more or fewer cavities 512. The inserting mold 520 includes a same number of protrusions 522 as cavities 512. Each cavity 512 includes a base cavity 514 and a nipple cavity 516. The inserting mold 520 is made of one or more protrusions 522. The one or more protrusions 522 are made of a base protrusion 524 and nipple protrusion 526. An enlarged example perspective view 527 and enlarged example cross-section view 528 of one or more protrusions 522 is depicted.

[0043] The cavities 512 and / or protrusions 522 may be customized to mold a custom nipple. For example, the protrusions 522 may be customized based on the series of images 112 of FIG. 1 while the cavities 512 are of one or more preset sizes, or vice versa. In some implementations, the nipple protrusion 526 is customized while the base protrusion 524 is molded from a preset size. In some other implementations, the base protrusion 524 is also customized. In some implementations, one or both of the base cavity 514 and the nipple cavity 516 may be customized, or the cavity 512 may be a preset size.

[0044] Each of the cavities 512 and / or protrusions 522 may have different customizations or multiple cavities may have the same customization. For example, two protrusions 522 may be customized according to a first mother’s nipple region, three protrusions 522 may be customized according to a second mother's nipple region, and four protrusions 522 may be customized according a third mother’s nipple region, etc. In some implementations, the custom nipples protrusions 522 may include identifying information. For example, an operator may include identifying information such as serial numbers, part numbers, etc. to distinguish different custom nipples and / or the mothers may provide identifying information, such as the infant’s name, family name, etc.

[0045] In some implementations, the inserting mold 520 is inserted into the base mold 510 and silicone-type material, such as medical grade or food grade silicone, is injected or placed into a space between the base mold 510 and the inserting mold 520. The silicone fills the nipple cavity 516 which is fitted with the nipple protrusion 526, thereby forming the custom nipple. In some implementations, a lip portion may additionally be formed by including anadditional cavity portion about a circumference of the cavities 512 and an additional protrusion about a circumference of the protrusions 522 as described below.

[0046] FIG. 6 illustrates an example custom nipple system 600 that may be created using a molding system 130, such as the example molding systems of FIGs. 4 and 5. In some implementations, the custom nipple system 600 includes a custom nipple 610, which includes a nipple portion 612 and a nipple base 614 supporting the nipple portion 612. In some implementations, the custom nipple 610 also includes a lip portion 616. The nipple portion 612, nipple base 614, and / or the lip portion 616 may be molded as described above. The nipple portion 612 and the nipple base 614 may be formed as a unitary system or as separate components. If included, the lip portion 616 may be formed as a unitary component with the nipple base 614, or the nipple portion 612 and the nipple base 614. The custom nipple 610 may be attached to a bottle 620 via a bottle attachment 630.

[0047] The nipple portion 612, the nipple base 614, and / or the lip portion 616 may be made of medical grade silicone, food grade silicone, or other similar material. In some implementations, the custom nipple 610 may be attached to a bottle 620 via a bottle attachment 630. The bottle attachment 630 may be a ring or collar that may be placed adjacent to the nipple base 614 and / or the lip portion 616 to secure the custom nipple 610 to the bottle 620. The bottle 620 and / or the bottle attachment 630 may include a fastening mechanism such as threads to secure the custom nipple 610 to the bottle 620.

[0048] As described above, the nipple portion 612 and / or the nipple base 614 may be customized using the systems and methods described herein. In some implementations, the nipple base 614 is a premade base of differing sizes which is made by using preset mold(s) and / or by using preset measurements in one or more of the molds of the molding system 130 as described in FIGs. 4 and 5.

[0049] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of a method 700 of creating an example custom nipple. In some implementations, in step 702, an imaging capturing device 110 may be used to capture a series of images 112 including a nipple region 114 of a breast in a stimulated, non-producing state.

[0050] In step 704, the series of images 112 captured may be compiled into a scan file which is sent to a processing system 120. This may be done for example, by sending an email with the scan file, uploading the scan file, placing the series of images in an application or any other form of communication to provide the scan file for creating the custom nipple. In some implementations, more than one scan file may be provided.

[0051] In step 706, the processing system 120 may process the scan file to produce a custom mold file. For example, the scan file may be meshed, adjusted, edited, supplemented, etc. to generate a custom mold file that may be used to create a custom 3D mold for creating the custom nipple.

[0052] In step 708, the custom mold file may be used to create a custom mold. The custom mold may include different portions, some of which may be customized and some of which may premade. The custom mold may be produced by printing (e.g., 3D printing), manufacturing, etc. The custom mold may create one or more custom nipples.

[0053] In step 710, the custom mold is placed in a custom mold or base mold to create one or more cavities. In step 712, silicone-type material may be injected into the molding system 130 to create a custom nipple.

[0054] In step 714, the custom nipple may be attached to a bottle using an attachment mechanism or device.

[0055] The description above includes example systems, methods, techniques, and / or instruction sequences that embody techniques of the present disclosure. However, it is understood that the described disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. It is believed that the present disclosure and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components without departing from the disclosed subject matter or without sacrificing its material advantages. The form described is merely explanatory, and it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.

[0056] While the present disclosure has been described with reference to various implementations, it will be understood that these implementations are illustrative and that the scope of the disclosure is not limited to them. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. More generally, implementations in accordance with the present disclosure have been described in the context of particular implementations. Functionality may be separated or combined in blocks differently in various implementations of the disclosure or described with different terminology. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements may fall within the scope of the disclosure as defined in the claims that follow.

Claims

CLAIMSWHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A nipple system comprising: a nipple portion customized to at least one of a particular infant or a particular mother, the particular mother having a nipple on a breast portion, the nipple portion formed using a custom mold having a premade mold disposed within a cavity, the cavity filled with an elastic material, the custom mold created based on a custom mold scan generated based on a scan file of the nipple, the scan file generated based on one or more images of the nipple disposed in a stimulated, non-producing state. a nipple base supporting the nipple portion.

2. The nipple system of claim 1 , wherein the elastic material is silicone.

3. The nipple system of claim 1 , further comprising a lip portion about a circumference of the nipple base.

4. The nipple system of claim 1 , wherein the nipple system is attachable to a bottle via an attachment mechanism.

5. The nipple system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the nipple portion or the nipple base includes identifying information.

6. A system comprising: an imaging system receiving one or more series of images of a nipple in a stimulated, non-producing state captured from a plurality of angles surrounding the nipple and processing the one or more series of images; and a mold generation system generating one or more custom mold files using the one or more series of images.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising: a molding system creating one or more custom nipples using the one or more custom mold files.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the stimulated, non-producing state includes a stimulated, non-nursing state.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more series of images are received in a scan file, and the imaging system processes the one or more series of images by modifying the scan file to retain a nipple portion in the scan file and discard remaining portions that include content outside of the nipple portion.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more custom mold files include one or more nipple portions and one or more nipple bases to support the one or more nipple portions.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more custom mold files each includes a lip portion at a circumference of each of the one or more nipple bases.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more custom mold files include identifying information.

13. A method for creating custom nipples, the method comprising: receiving a series of images of a breast portion including a nipple in a stimulated, nonproducing state, wherein the series of images are captured from a plurality of angles surrounding the nipple; processing the series of images to produce a custom mold file; providing the custom mold file to a printing device to create a custom mold; and generating one or more custom nipples using the custom mold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the processing of the series of images includes modifying the series of images to retain a nipple portion in the series of images.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the processing of the series of images includes calibrating the nipple portion in the series of images using an object captured in the series of images.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the one or more custom nipples includes creating one or more cavities using the custom mold and a base mold.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more cavities is filled with an elastic material.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the elastic material is silicone.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more custom nipples each include a nipple portion and a nipple base supporting the nipple portion.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more custom nipples each include identifying information.

Citation Information

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  • Customized nipples for baby bottles and pacifiers, and methods and interfaces for making the same

    US10449121B2

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