Breast Pump Drive Arrangement for Feedback Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breast pumps require dedicated feedback systems, increasing product cost and size, which are not efficiently integrated into wearable designs.
Innovation Solution
A breast pump that generates audible and tactile feedback using the existing drive arrangement components, such as the pump motor and valve, to provide operational status and user input confirmation without additional hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a dedicated feedback system is added to the breast pump, then user feedback capability is improved, but product cost and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drive arrangement is designed to perform dual functions: controlling the expression process and generating user feedback. The same motor and valve components that control vacuum generation and release are repurposed to create audible and tactile feedback signals, eliminating the need for separate feedback hardware
Solution Approach 2:
The breast pump's existing components serve themselves by generating feedback signals without external assistance. The drive arrangement automatically produces feedback signals during normal operation, using its own operational cycles to create both expression control and user notification functions
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 cost-effective and compact feedback integration by utilizing existing components to convey operational status and user inputs through pressure waveforms, reducing the need for additional systems.
Implementation Method 1
The drive arrangement is for controlling the expression process, and the controller is adapted to control the drive arrangement thereby to generate audible and/or tactile feedback to a user
Implementation Method 2
a vacuum is applied such that milk is extracted. In full function designs, the breast pump has two operating modes, namely a stimulation mode and an extraction mode. During the stimulation mode, the milk ejection reflex is stimulated. When the breast pump is activated, a pressure source such as a vacuum pump inside the breast pump generates a vacuum
Data Source
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AI summary
:A breast pump comprises an expression system. Audible and/or tactile feedback is generated for a user of the breast pump by controlling the expression system.