Nutritional Composition for Infant Cognitive Development

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Solution Overview

Problem

Cow's milk and many infant formulas lack essential components like long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, lactoferrin, and polar lipids, which are crucial for optimal brain growth and development, leading to a need for a nutritional composition that mimics human milk to support cognitive, immune, and gastrointestinal health in infants and children.

Innovation Solution

A nutritional composition combining buttermilk, long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), prebiotics, and optionally lactoferrin and vitamin B12, designed to provide specific levels of fat, protein, and prebiotics to support cognitive development in pediatric subjects, promoting neuronal maturation and overall health.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If cow's milk and traditional infant formulas are used, then they provide basic nutrition, but they lack essential components like long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, lactoferrin, and polar lipids needed for optimal brain growth and development

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveessential components (LCPUFAs, lactoferrin, polar lipids)VSAvoidability to support cognitive, immune, and gastrointestinal health
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent copies the composition and qualities of human milk by incorporating buttermilk, long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, prebiotics, lactoferrin, and polar lipids into the infant formula, creating a formula matrix that mimics the beneficial components of human milk to support brain growth and development

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite nutritional composition by combining multiple ingredients (cow's milk base, buttermilk, LCPUFAs, prebiotics, lactoferrin, and polar lipids) to achieve a formulation that provides both basic nutrition and essential components for cognitive, immune, and gastrointestinal health

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Quantity of substance

If human milk is used, then it provides optimal components for brain growth and development, but it is not always available or sufficient for all infants

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponents for brain growth (LCPUFAs, lactoferrin, polar lipids)VSAvoidavailability and scalability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates an artificial copy of human milk's beneficial components by formulating infant formula with buttermilk, LCPUFAs, prebiotics, lactoferrin, and polar lipids, making the optimal nutritional profile artificially available and scalable for all infants regardless of breastfeeding availability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Ease of manufacture

If traditional infant formulas are used, then they are easy to manufacture and distribute, but they do not provide sufficient levels of nutrients needed for optimal cognitive, language, and motor skills development

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing and distribution simplicityVSAvoidneurodevelopmental nutrients (LCPUFAs, prebiotics, lactoferrin)
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the nutritional parameters of traditional infant formulas by increasing the levels of LCPUFAs to about 5-90 mg/100 kcal, adding prebiotics at about 0.015-1.5 g/100 kcal, and incorporating buttermilk at about 0.25-16 g/100 kcal, thereby enhancing cognitive development support while maintaining formula structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enhances traditional infant formula by adding composite functional ingredients (buttermilk, prebiotics, LCPUFAs, lactoferrin, and polar lipids) to create a more nutritionally complete formulation that supports neurodevelopment while remaining manufacturable and distributable

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS10945446B2Nutritional compositions and methods for promoting cognitive development
Publication Date: 2021.03.16 JOHNSON MEAD NUTRITION CO

AI summary

A method for enhancing cognitive development in a pediatric subject involving administering to the subject a nutritional composition which includes up to 7 g/100 Kcal of a fat or lipid; up to 5 g/100 Kcal of a protein or protein equivalent source; 0.25 g/100 Kcal to 16 g/100 Kcal of buttermilk; 5 mg/100 Kcal to 90 mg/100 Kcal of a source of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid; and 0.015 g/100 Kcal to 1.5 g/100 Kcal of a prebiotic.