Breast Shield Valve Head Integrating Time-of-Flight Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breast shield units for expressing human breastmilk are complex and costly, making them inefficient for cost-effective production and easy cleaning, especially since they often need to be used only once or a few times.
Innovation Solution
A breast shield unit with a valve head that includes a fill level sensor, such as a time-of-flight sensor, integrated into the valve head to measure the breastmilk volume in the collection container, allowing for precise measurement and data transmission to external units, enabling cost-effective design and reuse of components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a fill level sensor is integrated into the valve head, then measurement precision of breastmilk volume is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve head is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both a flow control component with a check valve and a housing for the fill level sensor. By integrating the sensor into the valve head, the patent eliminates the need for separate sensor housings or modifications to other components, thereby achieving precise measurement without proportionally increasing overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The valve head serves as an intermediary structure that bridges the functional requirements of flow control and volume measurement. The check valve flap mechanism and the fill level sensor coexist within the valve head, allowing both functions to be achieved without requiring separate dedicated components for each function
2Ease of manufacture
If standard parts are used in the breast shield unit, then ease of manufacture is improved, but measurement precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The valve head is designed as a multi-functional standard component that incorporates both the check valve mechanism and the fill level sensor. This standardized design allows for cost-effective manufacturing through bulk production while maintaining precise measurement capabilities, as the sensor is integrated into a commonly used component rather than requiring custom-built specialized parts
Solution Approach 2:
The patent acknowledges that breast shield units are often disposable or single-use. By using standard, cost-effective components including a conventional fill level sensor in the valve head, the system achieves precise measurement at low cost, making the entire unit economically viable for single-use applications where precision is needed but long-term durability is not required
3Ease of operation
If the breast shield unit is designed for single use, then ease of cleaning is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical flow measurement mechanisms (such as flow sensors requiring complex calibration and cleaning) with an optical fill level sensor that measures volume directly. This substitution simplifies the cleaning process while maintaining accurate breastmilk collection measurement, allowing the unit to be easily disposed of or cleaned without compromising measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The fill level sensor provides automatic measurement and data transmission of breastmilk volume without requiring manual intervention for counting or measurement. This self-measuring capability maintains high productivity in terms of accurate collection tracking while simplifying the user's post-use tasks to merely removal and disposal or simple cleaning
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 solution allows for accurate measurement of breastmilk volume during pumping, facilitating real-time data updates and control of pumping parameters, and enabling the use of standard parts, thus reducing costs and simplifying the design of breast shield units while ensuring precise milk capture and efficient data handling.
Implementation Method 1
A breast shield unit with a valve head that includes a fill level sensor, such as a time-of-flight sensor, integrated into the valve head to measure the breastmilk volume in the collection container
Data Source
AI summary
A breast shield unit of a breast pump for expressing human breastmilk includes a breast shield (1) to be placed onto a mother's breast, a breastmilk collection container (5) for receiving expressed breastmilk, an adapter (2) for connecting the breast shield (1) to the breastmilk collection container (5) and a valve head (4). A breastmilk channel extends from the breast shield (1) into the breastmilk collection container (5) through the adapter (2) and the valve head (4). The valve head (4) includes a valve (40) which closes and opens the breastmilk channel during the pumping action, wherein a fill level sensor (6) for measuring a fill level of the breastmilk collection container (5) is arranged in the valve head (4). The breast shield unit according to the invention facilitates a fill level measurement without a structural change of the breast shield and breastmilk collection container. Moreover, it facilitates data interchange with external information storage and/or information processing units.