Adhesive Breast Shield for Hands-Free Pumping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional breast pumps require manual operation and support, limiting a mother's ability to perform other tasks while expressing milk, and often involve cumbersome straps or special bras, making them uncomfortable and difficult to use in non-home settings.
Innovation Solution
A hands-free breast pump system featuring a breast shield with an adhesive inner surface for secure attachment to the breast, combined with a vacuum adapter and tubing system that allows milk expression without external support structures, enabling hands-free operation and compatibility with conventional pumps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional breast pumps use straps or bra-type structures to hold the shield in place, then the shield can be secured during milk expression, but the pump becomes bulkier and more difficult to attach, and requires special bras or clothing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the unnecessary straps, bra-type structures, and external support components from the breast pump system. The shield is designed to be self-supporting through its adhesive properties and structural design, extracting out the complex external support mechanisms while maintaining reliable shield securing during milk expression.
2Ease of operation
If conventional breast pumps require manual operation and hand support, then the pump can be operated, but the user's hands are occupied making it difficult to perform other activities
Solution Approach 1:
The breast pump system is designed to be self-holding and self-supporting through the adhesive shield and stable adapter connection. Once attached, the system maintains itself without requiring continuous manual support or adjustment, allowing the user to immediately engage in other activities while the pump operates autonomously.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional breast pumps are used away from home, then milk production can be maintained, but the pump requires special bras or uncomfortable clothing choices
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts out the requirement for special bras or modified clothing by designing a pump system that adheres directly to the breast and body without external support structures. The adhesive shield and compact adapter allow the pump to be worn under regular clothing or without restrictive garments, providing comfort and location flexibility.
4Ease of operation
If breast pumps use adhesive materials for shield attachment, then hands-free operation is enabled, but the adhesive may lose effectiveness after washing and reuse
Solution Approach 1:
The invention addresses adhesive degradation through proper cleaning protocols that preserve adhesive effectiveness, and includes provisions for adhesive renewal. The system is designed to maintain adhesive properties through appropriate washing methods, and provides means to recover adhesive effectiveness when needed, ensuring continuous hands-free operation capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables comfortable, hands-free milk expression, allowing mothers to perform other activities while pumping, reducing bulk and discomfort, and maintaining milk production away from home without the need for special bras or adhesives.
Implementation Method 1
a formed member, or breast shield, made of a material that provides for an adhesive inner surface for adhering to a woman's breast
Implementation Method 2
A vacuum from the pump is generally intermittently generated within the shield to generate negative pressure on the nipple, causing milk to be expressed from the breast within the breast shield
Data Source
AI summary
A hands-free breast pump system is disclosed. A breast shield having an adhesive inner surface for adhering to a woman's breast is disclosed. The breast shield may be connected to an adapter for transferring a vacuum generated by a pump to the breast. The adapter also allows milk expressed from the breast to drain from the adapter to a container. In the alternative, the breast shield may form part of a breast shield adapter system which is connected to a conventional breast shield by a drain line so that a conventional breast pump system is used to supply a vacuum and to collect the milk.