Breast Pump Vibratory Waveform to Reduce Duct Shear Stress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breast pumps often struggle to efficiently empty the breast in a short amount of time, leading to challenges in maintaining milk supply and preventing engorgement, and lack the ability to be easily adjusted for individual user needs.
Innovation Solution
The application of vibrations during the breast pump cycle, known as a vibratory waveform, enhances milk extraction by reducing shear stress and stimulating letdown, using various devices and methods to generate vibrations, including modulating the vacuum pump, solenoid, or adding a separate vibratory motor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional breast pump cycles are used without vibrations, then the pump structure is simpler, but the milk volume flow rate and extraction efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibrations to the breast during the breast pump cycle through a vibratory device. The vibrations are generated by modulating the vacuum pump or solenoid, or by adding a separate vibratory motor, piezoelectric element, speaker, or shaking element. This mechanical vibration increases the volume flow rate of expressed milk and enhances extraction efficiency without fundamentally changing the pump's basic structure.
2Productivity
If the pump cycle speed and suction level are adjusted to maximize efficiency, then more milk can be extracted, but the adjustment complexity increases and ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automated algorithms that use feedback from sensors (optical, acoustic, or force sensors) to automatically adjust the vibratory waveform parameters, cycle speed, and suction level. The system self-regulates to optimize milk extraction efficiency without requiring manual adjustment by the user, thereby maintaining ease of operation while maximizing productivity.
3Quantity of substance
If the breast pump runs for longer periods to empty the breast completely, then more milk is extracted, but the time required increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The vibratory waveform applied during the breast pump cycle enhances milk flow rate and facilitates more complete extraction in shorter time. The vibrations reduce shear stress of milk against duct walls and stimulate letdown reflex, enabling the system to extract the same or greater quantity of milk in reduced time, thereby resolving the contradiction between total milk extracted and pumping duration.
4Productivity
If higher suction levels are applied to increase milk flow rate, then extraction efficiency improves, but the shear stress on milk ducts increases causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies vibrations to the breast during pumping to reduce the shear stress of milk against the inner walls of the milk ducts. This allows the system to maintain or increase milk flow rate while reducing the harmful shear stress effects, thereby resolving the contradiction between productivity and object-affected harmful factors.
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 vibratory waveform increases milk volume flow rate and efficiency, allowing for more complete milk extraction in a shorter time, and can be adjusted to suit individual needs through user control or automated algorithms.
Implementation Method 1
activating a vacuum pump of the control unit to create a pressure difference
Implementation Method 2
activating the solenoid to release the vacuum by equalizing a pressure between the chamber and an external environment
Implementation Method 3
The vibrations may facilitate improved letdown and reduce the shear stress of milk against the inner walls of the milk ducts, to help increase the volume flow rate of milk flowing out of the milk duct
Data Source
AI summary
A method for facilitating milk extraction from a female breast may involve applying a breast contacting portion of a breast pump system to a breast, activating the breast pump system to administer multiple breast pumping cycles, and applying vibrations to the breast during at least a portion of each of the breast pumping cycles, using a vibration device. A vibration generating device may be a component of a breast pump system, an added attachment on a breast pump system or a separate component that works in conjunction with a breast pump system.