Heated Breast Pump Garment With Expandable Massage Bladders
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional electric breast pumps that rely solely on suction power often result in incomplete milk extraction and low yield, as they fail to mimic the natural combination of suction, warmth, and movement used by nursing infants.
Innovation Solution
A breast pump accessory system featuring expandable bladders and a circulating pump that applies both heat and massage to the breasts, mimicking the natural process of milk expression by combining warmth, movement, and suction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional electric breast pumps use only suction power, then the device complexity is low, but the milk extraction completeness and yield are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (suction, warmth, and movement) into a single breast pump system. The garment integrates expandable bladders for massage movement, heating elements for warmth, and suction mechanisms, allowing the device to mimic natural infant nursing more completely and improve milk extraction yield.
Solution Approach 2:
The breast pump garment serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides suction through pump interfaces, delivers warmth via heating elements, and creates massage movement through expandable bladders. This multi-functionality allows the device to replicate the comprehensive stimulation of natural nursing, thereby improving milk yield without requiring multiple separate devices.
2Productivity
If traditional electric breast pumps use only suction, then the pumping session duration can be extended, but discomfort increases and extraction efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The expandable bladders in the garment provide periodic massage movements by inflating and deflating in sequence. This periodic action mimics the natural rhythmic motion of an infant's jaw and hands during nursing, enhancing milk extraction efficiency while reducing discomfort compared to continuous suction alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes physical parameters including temperature (through heating elements), pressure (through expandable bladders and suction), and motion (through rhythmic bladder expansion). These parameter changes replicate the varied conditions of natural nursing, improving extraction efficiency while maintaining comfort throughout the pumping session.
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 system enhances milk expression by increasing yield and reducing discomfort during pumping sessions, allowing for more efficient and comfortable milk extraction.
Implementation Method 1
an expandable bladder configured to contact and partially surround a corresponding breast of the wearer
Implementation Method 2
a connector configured to couple to a circulating pump that is separate and distinct from the pumping top, which circulating pump circulates warmed liquid to each supply line
Data Source
AI summary
A pumping top may include a left panel and a right panel, each of the left panel and the right panel having a bottom edge and being configured to cover a side of a wearer's torso and cover and support a breast of the wearer. Each of the left panel and the right panel may include (i) an expandable bladder configured to contact and partially surround a corresponding breast of the wearer, (ii) a supply line coupled at one end to the bladder and at an opposite end to a connector disposed proximate the bottom edge, and (iii) a return line coupled at one end to the bladder and at an opposite end to the connector. The connector may be configured to couple to a circulating pump that is separate and distinct from the pumping top, which circulates warmed liquid through the pumping top.