Breast Milk Collection Through Multisensory Mammary Stimulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breast milk collection methods using breast pumps often result in insufficient milk collection and cause discomfort due to continuous negative pressure suction, leading to pain and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A breast milk collecting method that stimulates the mammary gland through auditory, visual, and tactile sensations using an audio-playing device, video-playing device, and a breast pump with deformable members to mimic breastfeeding, thereby inducing the secretion of prolactin or oxytocin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If continuous negative pressure suction is applied by the breast pump, then breast milk can be suctioned, but the breastfeeder feels pain and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by alternately performing suction phase and massage phase. The breast pump operates in cycles: during the suction phase, negative pressure is applied to draw out breast milk; during the massage phase, the compression roller massages the breast tissue to stimulate milk flow. This periodic alternation prevents continuous suction that causes pain, while maintaining effective milk collection through repeated stimulation cycles.
2Quantity of substance
If breast pump continuously suctions the breast, then some breast milk can be collected, but no further breast milk can be suctioned after a while
Solution Approach 1:
The compression roller is designed to automatically move along the breast surface under the influence of negative pressure and elastic recovery, without requiring additional power input. As the roller compresses the breast tissue, it stimulates milk flow, and the negative pressure naturally draws the roller forward. This self-service mechanism ensures continuous stimulation of different breast areas, enabling sustained milk collection over extended periods.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple sensory stimulations are added to stimulate pituitary gland, then breast milk secretion increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The breast pump is designed with multi-functionality by integrating multiple stimulation mechanisms into a single device. The compression roller serves dual purposes: it massages the breast tissue to stimulate milk flow and simultaneously moves along the breast under negative pressure to provide continuous stimulation. The audio-playing device and video-playing device are integrated with the breast pump, allowing one device to provide mechanical, auditory, and visual stimulation simultaneously, thereby increasing milk secretion without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A breast milk collecting method by stimulating the mammary gland of a breastfeeder to eject breast milk includes providing an audio-playing device to generate an auditory stimulation, providing a video-playing device to generate a visual stimulation, and providing a breast pump to generate a tactile stimulation and collect the breast milk. In this method, the breast pump is placed on a breast of the breastfeeder, and one or more deformable members of the breast bump is inflated or deflated alternately to touch and press the breast so as to mimic a breastfeeding condition to generate the tactile stimulation, so that the pituitary gland of the breastfeeder can be directly stimulated by the multiple sensory stimulations to secret prolatine or oxytocin, thereby allowing the mammary gland of the breastfeeder to eject the breast milk to be collected by the breast pump and treated collectively.