Breast Milk Expression System with Quantification Sensors

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current breast pumps lack the ability to quantify and manage breast milk properties and inventory effectively, making it difficult for mothers to track production, nutritional information, and inventory management, especially due to fluctuating supply and limited shelf-life.

Innovation Solution

A system that includes a breast milk expression device with a sensor unit to quantify attributes like volume and composition, and a peripheral device to associate these attributes with a unique identifier for the milk, enabling inventory management and forecasting through a label printer and RFID tags for tracking and organization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If breast pumps only collect milk without additional features, then device complexity is low, but information about milk production and nutritional content is not provided

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemilk production and nutritional informationVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the breast pump collection function with a sensor unit and peripheral device to create an integrated system that simultaneously collects milk and quantifies its attributes, eliminating the need for separate tracking devices and reducing overall information loss

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The breast pump system is designed to perform multiple functions: collecting milk, sensing volume and composition attributes, storing data, and providing nutritional information, thereby transforming a single-function device into a multi-functional system that addresses multiple information needs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Productivity

If manual inventory tracking is used, then device complexity is low, but time management and inventory control efficiency are poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinventory management efficiencyVSAvoidinventory management system

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automatic inventory management where the sensor unit continuously monitors milk volume and the peripheral device automatically tracks consumption patterns, eliminating the need for manual tracking and significantly improving inventory management efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where consumption data is continuously monitored and used to generate forecasts for future production and consumption, enabling proactive inventory management and reducing waste from expired milk

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If no quantitative measurement is provided, then device complexity is low, but nutritional information characterization is unavailable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemilk attribute quantificationVSAvoidsensor and measurement system

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual estimation methods with electronic sensor units that automatically measure milk volume and composition attributes, providing precise quantitative data without requiring mechanical intervention and enabling accurate nutritional characterization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS9623160B2Quantification and inventory management of expressed human breast milk

Publication Date: 2017.04.18 WILLOW INNOVATIONS INC

AI summary

Systems, methods, and devices for milk expression are provided. In one aspect, a system includes an expression apparatus having an interface configured to engage a breast and an actuation assembly operably coupled to the interface. Actuation of the actuation assembly causes the interface to apply vacuum pressure against the breast to express milk from the breast. The system also includes various sensors for quantifying characteristics of the expressed milk, and a unique identifier allows inventory management of the expressed milk.