Breast Milk Container with Oxygen and Light Blocking Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional breast milk collection and storage systems fail to maintain the nutritional and chemical stability of breast milk due to oxidation, photodegradation, and lipid adsorption, leading to degradation of essential components such as vitamins and antioxidants, which are critical for infant health.
Innovation Solution
A breast milk collection and storage system featuring a milk container with an oxygen-blocking layer, light-blocking layer, and non-adherent inner surface, along with a quick cooling capability, to minimize oxidation and photodegradation, and maintain suckled quality milk for extended periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional breast milk storage containers are used, then the containers are simple and easy to manufacture, but the breast milk constituents quickly degrade due to oxidation, photodegradation, and lipid adsorption
Solution Approach 1:
The container incorporates multiple protective layers including an oxygen-blocking layer, a light-blocking layer, and a non-adherent inner surface layer. This composite structure addresses oxidation, photodegradation, and lipid adsorption simultaneously while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through layer-by-layer construction
Solution Approach 2:
The container includes an oxygen-blocking layer that creates an inert environment inside the container, preventing oxidation of breast milk constituents. This layer acts as a barrier that maintains a protective atmosphere without requiring active oxygen removal systems
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the container is sealed tightly to prevent oxidation, then the oxygen blocking is improved, but the head space oxygen removal becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The container is pre-evacuated to remove oxygen from the head space before sealing. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex active oxygen removal systems during storage, as the oxygen-free environment is established beforehand through vacuum evacuation and maintained by the oxygen-blocking layer
3Reliability
If rapid cooling is implemented to preserve breast milk quality, then the nutritional component preservation is improved, but the cooling system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container utilizes thin-walled flexible construction that enables rapid heat transfer during cooling. The thin walls provide close thermal coupling between the breast milk and cooling surfaces, achieving rapid cooling without requiring complex active cooling systems within the container itself
4Reliability
If the container has low lipid binding surfaces to prevent lipid adsorption, then the lipid preservation is improved, but the surface area for effective storage is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The non-adherent inner surface layer is applied specifically to the regions of the container where breast milk contacts the surface. This localized treatment prevents lipid adsorption at critical interface areas while maintaining adequate overall storage volume and effective surface area for milk containment
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
The system effectively preserves the nutritional and chemical stability of breast milk, maintaining at least 70-100% of sensitive nutritional components for up to 12 days, reducing lipid peroxide concentration and preventing endocrine active leachates, thus providing high-quality milk for infants.
Implementation Method 1
Breast milk constituents can quickly degrade due to oxidation, hydrolysis, enzymatic degradation, photodegradation, adsorption, denaturization, thermal degradation and physical degradation
Implementation Method 2
Breast milk constituents can quickly degrade due to oxidation, hydrolysis, enzymatic degradation, photodegradation, adsorption, denaturization, thermal degradation and physical degradation
Implementation Method 3
Breast milk constituents can quickly degrade due to oxidation, hydrolysis, enzymatic degradation, photodegradation, adsorption, denaturization, thermal degradation and physical degradation
Data Source
AI summary
A breast milk collection and storage system and methods of use is described. The breast milk collection and storage system may include a milk container operable to hold and store breast milk for an extended period of time. The milk container may include a container wall with an oxygen blocking layer, a light blocking layer, and an inner surface that is non-adherent for lipids and proteins, a container opening surrounded by the container wall, and a foil seal operable to seal the container opening. The milk container may have low oxygen head space and a storage system to enable the rapid cooling of the breast milk.