BACKGROUND

Field

The described embodiments relate to an article of clothing that includes a breast pump and techniques for using the breast pump, including synchronizing one or more breast-pumping sessions of a woman with milk consumption by a baby or an infant.

Related Art

Studies indicate that breast milk provides important vitamins and nutrients for babies. However, sometimes direct breastfeeding is not an option or may not desirable.

Breast pumps make it possible for a mother to extract breast milk for her infant(s). In addition, breast pumps can help a mother continue lactating at regular intervals so that she does not lose the ability to generate milk during times when she is away from her infant or when a baby may not be nursing. For example, premature infants or babies born with defects may be put in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a hospital, and therefore may not be able to nurse for a time. In these cases, a breast pump not only keeps a mother lactating, but may allow a baby in a NICU, who is able, to receive breast milk.

However, there are challenges associated with existing breast pumps. In particular, many breast pumps are noisy, and can require regular cleaning and maintenance, which are time-consuming and expensive. Moreover, collecting milk, transferring it to a clean container, and then finding a place to store the milk can be time-consuming and frustrating. In addition, these actions often require a lot of attention or focus, which can be difficult for a mother with a newborn baby. For example, a mother may need to hold a pump or manually pump a device to extract milk. Then, the mother may need to switch breasts and repeat these operations, all while holding and encouraging their child.

Furthermore, existing breast pumps often do not cause sufficient milk letdown, such that mothers may have to wait several minutes or even hours for another milk letdown. This problem may be compounded by the uncertainty it causes, because a mother may not know when her body is going to be ready to produce milk again. In some instances, the mother may have to put away the breast pump only to subsequently have to get it out right away because her milk is coming. The whole process can, therefore, become time-consuming and frustrating.

Hence, there is a need for an improved breast pump and a technique for using a breast pump.

SUMMARY

One group of described embodiments includes an article of clothing. This article of clothing includes a collection mount having an inner surface that mechanically couples to an areola of a breast of an individual, where the collection mount has an opening from the inner surface to an outer surface of the collection mount that is defined by an edge. Moreover, the article of clothing includes a compression element that surrounds at least a portion of the breast, and a pump mechanically coupled to the collection mount by tubing embedded in the article of clothing. During operation, the compression element applies a type of compression pattern at a location on the breast to facilitate lactation. In addition, the pump, in conjunction with the compression element, collects milk. Furthermore, the article of clothing includes a reservoir mechanically coupled to the pump by second tubing embedded in the article of clothing, which stores the collected milk.

For example, during operation the pump may apply a pressure less than atmospheric pressure to a cavity between the areola and the inner surface of the collection mount. In particular, the compression element and the pump may apply time-varying compression to the breast and time-varying suction on the areola to collect the milk. Because of the type of compression pattern concurrently applied by the compression element, a maximum magnitude of the pressure applied by the pump may be less than a pain threshold of the individual. Note that the maximum magnitude of the pressure applied by the pump may be selectable.

In some embodiments, the article of clothing includes: a band that attaches around a circumference of a torso of the individual; and shells, having inner surfaces, which are mechanically coupled to the band. The shells may support breasts of the individual. Moreover, the collection mount and the compression element may be included within a cavity defined by an inner surface of one of the shells. Note that a portion of the tubing may be included in cavities in the one of the shells. Furthermore, the article of clothing may include a cooling element that, during operation, reduces a temperature of the cavities to a temperature below room temperature. Additionally, a stiffness of outer surfaces of the shells may be greater than a stiffness of the internal surfaces of the shells.

Note that the type of compression pattern may include: a circular pattern, a spiral pattern, a rhythmic pattern, a random pattern, a programmable pattern, and/or a localized pattern. Moreover, the type of compression pattern and the location may be selectable.

Furthermore, the compression element may include channels. During operation, the compression element may generate the type of compression pattern using a gas and/or a liquid in the channels. Alternatively or additionally, the compression element may include bearings, and during operation the compression element may generate the type of compression pattern using the bearings.

In some embodiments, during operation, the cooling element reduces a temperature of the reservoir to a temperature below room temperature.

Moreover, the article of clothing may include an interface circuit, electrically coupled to the compression element and the pump, which communicates with an electronic device using wireless communication. During operation, the interface circuit may receive an activation command from the electronic device to turn on the compression element and the pump and/or may subsequently receive a deactivation command from the electronic device to turn off the compression element and the pump.

Furthermore, the article of clothing may include a milk letdown sensor electrically coupled to the compression element and the pump. During operation, the milk letdown sensor may detect when the individual's milk has letdown, and may provide an activation signal to turn on the compression element and the pump. Alternatively or additionally, when the milk letdown sensor detects that the individual's milk has letdown, the milk letdown sensor may provide feedback to the individual.

In some embodiments, the article of clothing includes a feedback device. During operation of the compression element and the pump, the feedback device may provide, to the individual, encouragement and/or feedback about milk collection.

Moreover, the article of clothing may include a lactation sensor. During operation of the compression element and the pump, the lactation sensor may measure: a milk flow rate, and/or a volume of collected milk.

Another embodiment provides a method for collecting milk from the breast using the article of clothing. During operation of the article of clothing, the compression element may compress the location on the breast to facilitate lactation using the type of compression pattern. Moreover, the pump mechanically coupled by tubing to the collection mount may apply suction to the areola of the breast. Next, the reservoir collects the milk based on the compression and the suction.

A second group of described embodiments includes a system. This system includes: a breast pump, a lactation sensor, an interface circuit that communicates with a consumption sensor associated with a bottle, and a control circuit. During operation, the breast pump collects milk from an individual during one or more breast-pumping sessions. Moreover, the lactation sensor measures a volume of the collected milk as a function of time. Furthermore, the interface circuit receives information specifying milk consumption by a second individual (such as a baby) as a function of time. Additionally, the control circuit determines a need for milk based on a temporal pattern of the volume of the collected milk and a temporal pattern of the milk consumption, and provides feedback based on the determined need for milk that synchronizes the one or more breast-pumping sessions and the milk consumption.

Note that the feedback may alert the individual to initiate a breast-pumping session. Alternatively or additionally, the feedback may include a signal to the breast pump that initiates a breast-pumping session.

Moreover, the system may include a sensor. During operation, the sensor may measure: a vital sign of the individual as a function of time, a biomarker of the individual as a function of time, and/or an activity pattern of the individual as a function of time. Alternatively or additionally, the vital-sign measurements, a biomarker of the individual as a function of time, and/or the activity pattern may be received by the interface circuit. Then, the control circuit may determine the need for milk based on: a temporal pattern of the vital sign, a temporal pattern of the biomarker, and/or a temporal pattern of the activity pattern.

Furthermore, the interface circuit may receive additional information specifying: a vital sign of the second individual as a function of time, a biomarker of the second individual as a function of time, and/or an activity pattern of the second individual as a function of time. Then, the control circuit may determine the need for milk based on: a temporal pattern of the vital sign of the second individual, a temporal pattern of the biomarker of the second individual, and/or a temporal pattern of the activity pattern of the second individual.

In some embodiments, the control circuit determines the need for milk based on a day of the week (and, more generally, a timestamp).

Note that the received information may specify: a temperature of milk in the bottle, and/or a time duration since the milk in the bottle was collected. The control circuit may determine the need for milk based on: the temperature of the milk in the bottle, and/or the time duration.

Moreover, the system may include memory that stores a program module with instructions for determining the need for milk and providing the feedback, and the control circuit may include a processor. During operation, the processor may execute the program module.

Furthermore, the determining may be based on a supervised-learning model that relates the need for milk, the temporal pattern of the volume of the collected milk, and the temporal pattern of the milk consumption.

Note that the feedback may maximize an average volume of the milk collected during a given breast-pumping session.

Additionally, the system may include a feedback device. During a given breast-pumping session, the feedback device may provide, to the individual, encouragement about milk collection.

Another embodiment provides a computer-program product for use with the A/V hub. This computer-program product includes instructions for at least some of the operations performed by the system.

Another embodiment provides a method for synchronizing the one or more breast-pumping sessions of the individual and milk consumption by the second individual. This method includes at least some of the operations performed by the system.

This Summary is provided merely for purposes of illustrating some exemplary embodiments, so as to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the subject matter described herein. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above-described features are merely examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following Detailed Description, Figures, and Claims.

