Infant Impact Assessment System for Breast Milk Substance Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods fail to accurately determine the impact of active substances in breast milk on infants, leading to potential short- and long-term harmful effects due to the lack of precise consideration of the infant's age and weight, as well as the substance's concentration and metabolism rate.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising a parameter providing unit for infant age and weight, an intake estimation unit, a substance level determination unit, and an impact determination unit that interacts with a user or device to provide guidance on breastfeeding timing and substance intake limitations based on the active substance's level in breast milk, considering the infant's age and weight.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a comprehensive review of assay methods is used to detect drugs in breast milk, then the detection capability is improved, but the system complexity and lack of personalized assessment worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the assessment into distinct functional modules: parameter providing unit for infant data, intake estimation unit for substance consumption, substance level determination unit for milk concentration, and impact determination unit for risk assessment. This segmentation allows each module to handle specific detection tasks independently, improving measurement precision while managing system complexity through modular design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback loops where the impact determination unit continuously receives data from the substance level determination unit and adjusts breastfeeding recommendations accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables personalized assessment by constantly monitoring substance levels and adapting guidance to the specific infant-substance combination, resolving the contradiction between comprehensive detection and system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If generic drug detection methods are applied, then the ease of operation is improved, but the measurement precision of infant impact assessment deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidimpact assessment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality by tailoring the impact assessment to each specific infant's characteristics (age, weight, metabolism rate) rather than using uniform generic methods. The impact determination unit calculates personalized risk levels based on the specific combination of infant parameters and substance levels, ensuring measurement precision is optimized for each local case while maintaining ease of operation through automated calculations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts assessment parameters based on infant-specific data. The parameter providing unit collects variables such as infant age, weight, and metabolism rate, which are then used by the impact determination unit to modify the assessment criteria. This parameter adaptation enables precise impact measurement for each infant while the automated system maintains ease of operation by handling complex calculations internally.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If real-time substance level monitoring is implemented, then the reliability of impact determination is improved, but the loss of time for data collection and processing worsens

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of impact determinationVSAvoiddata collection and processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-collecting and storing infant parameters (age, weight, metabolism rate) in the parameter providing unit before substance level monitoring begins. This preparation allows the impact determination unit to immediately process real-time substance level data without delays for data collection, thereby maintaining reliability while minimizing time loss through advance setup of assessment criteria and infant profiles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3555780B1System and method for determining an impact of an active sub-stance on an infant
Publication Date: 2020.10.21 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV
  • EP3555780B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3555780B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3555780B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system (1) and corresponding method for determining an impact of an active substance on an infant comprises: a parameter providing unit (10) for providing age and weight of the infant, an intake estimation unit (20) for estimating the amount of intake of the active substance by a breastfeeding caregiver of the infant, a substance level determination unit (30) for determining a level of the active substance in breast milk at the time of breastfeeding based on a history of the estimated intake of the active substance, and an impact determination unit (40) for determining an impact of the active substance on the infant based on i) the determined level of the active substance in the breast milk at the time of breastfeeding, and ii) the age and weight of the infant. The system (1) allows a determination of the impact of an active substance on the infant.