279 results about "Breast shield" patented technology

A system uses reduced pressure to provide a therapeutic force to a person's breast area. The system includes a dressing assembly shaped and configured to be placed on the breast area, a releaseable circumferential connector for holding the dressing assembly against at least a portion of the breast area, and a sealing subsystem for providing a fluid seal over the dressing assembly against a person's epidermis. The system may further include a reduced-pressure subsystem for providing reduced pressure to the dressing assembly. When reduced pressure is supplied, the system generates a force against at least a portion of the breast area of the person. The dressing assembly may be formed as a brassiere having a first cup and a second cup formed from a bolster material.

A device that supports a breast pump in a “hands-free” manner is disclosed. The device includes a cover with an opening and strap that connects the cover to an article of clothing such as a nursing bra. When connected, the device securely orients a breast shield of a breast pump over the breast of a user.

A garment structure in the form of a brassiere, halter-top, or bathing suit for supporting an individual's breasts, and methodology for wearing the same that has a flexible breast support piece, a left and a right bottom connector and a left and right side connector. The garment structure may also include an additional left and right bottom connector and an additional left and right side connector. The connectors may be in a variety of forms such as hooks, eyes, buttons, openings, snaps, and rings, and are adapted to receive a variety of support components that may be in the form of straps, beads, or a scarf. The appearance of the garment structure may altered by changing the configuration of the support components.

A breast milk collection apparatus includes a milk collection bottle, a breast shield, and a suction transfer assembly for mounting on the bottle. The suction transfer assembly includes a housing for connecting to the vacuum pump and the breast shield. Included in the suction transfer housing is a reversible diaphragm made of a deformable elastomeric material configured with a spiral undulatory configuration. The breast shield includes a unitary funnel member from a relatively rigid polymer as well as an annular deformable lip for enhanced comfort. In one preferred construction, a pump enclosure defines a well for receiving a bottle with deformable gripping projections which adapt to changes in bottle size.

A disclosed reclining breast pumping system includes a breast shield that forms a passageway. Material of the breast shield adjacent to a first end of the passageway is shaped to fit over an area surrounding the areola and nipple of a woman's breast. Material of the breast shield that extends from a second end of the passageway is formed into a tube. When the breast shield is fitted onto a woman's breast, the part of the passageway closest to but not touching the nipple of the breast extends in a direction that is non-perpendicular to the areola. Variations and methods are also disclosed.

A motorized pump is disclosed that includes a flexible diaphragm fitting within a rigid member, a motor drive mechanism for drawing a puller member attached to the diaphragm away from the rigid member to create a space between the diaphragm and the rigid member and form a negative pressure region within that space, and an outlet communicating with the negative pressure region. In one embodiment, the pump provides a negative pressure in a single chamber which can be used to operate one or two breast shield assembles. In another embodiment, the pump is particularly adapted for double-pumping and provides two chambers which generate vacuum.

A natural shape enhancing brassiere comprising a pair of idealized-shaped breast cups centrally joined and supported on a woman's upper chest by use of a surrounding band and, optionally, shoulder straps. Each idealized-shaped breast cup is in the form of a multi-layer construction comprising an intermediate foam layer configured with an idealized upper breast slant and an idealized lower breast convex curve, an outer shell layer composed from a material capable of conforming to the intermediate foam layer and an inner lining layer.

A molded bra of a layered assembly of a plurality of plies of flexible moldable material. The layered assembly generally defines two molded breast cups a bridge intermediate of the two breast cups and a chest band from which each of the molded breast cups are disposed. The assembly includes an outward ply of a fabric material presenting a first outermost surface of the bra to the convex side of the breast cups of the bra, and an inward ply disposed to the opposite side of the assembly where the first outermost ply is presented and presenting a second outermost surface of the bra to the concave side of the breast cups of the bra. The layered assembly includes at least the inward and the outward ply at the entire perimeter about the bra regions and wherein the outward ply has been folded at the perimeter to provide a hem affixed to the inward ply.

The invention is a wearable breast pump system including a housing shaped at least in part to fit inside a bra and a piezo air-pump. The piezo air-pump is fitted in the housing and forms part of a closed loop system that drives a separate, deformable diaphragm to generate negative air pressure. The diaphragm is removably mounted on a breast shield.

An athletic brassiere with breast band, having the general form of a brassiere, for use when engaging in vigorous physical exercise or activities, such as running, tennis, and the like. An embodiment comprises an inner liner and outer panel, an internal breast band sleeve, and a breast band slidably retained within the sleeve. The breast band has a fastener enabling the breast band length to be adjusted; the breast band is adjustable vertically and horizontally. Embodiments hold the breasts down with the breast band slidably retained within the garment, providing support and protecting the wearer from discomfort or injury from excessive upward and downward breast movement. The breast band alleviates upward and downward movement of the breasts and does not cinch, flatten or compress the wearer's breasts against the chest wall, nor lift and bold the breasts. The garment is attractive and can be worn alone or under another garment.

The upper body undergarment is designed to be worn under a brassiere to provide support to a user's upper body by supporting a woman's breasts and underarms and constricting the loose parts of the upper body, without interfering with the specific desired appearance of the brassiere under outerwear. The upper body undergarment is made from hosiery material and includes tapered sides having sub-pectoral support portions that lift and support the breasts. The tapered sides are releasably attached to each other. The upper body undergarment may additionally include underarm support portions of the sleeves that are similar to the sub-pectoral support portions, and armpit panels made from breathable fabric attached between the shoulder portions and the sleeves at the armpit areas of the wearer to allow for greater ventilation. Strips of cloth are provided to attach the brassiere straps to the upper body undergarment. The bottom edges of the sleeves and the bottom edge of the torso area, in the front and the back, have extra elasticity for a more secure fit.

The present invention is a compact and hands-free human breast milk collection device that fits into a mother's existing nursing or standard brassiere. The invention can be attached to a conventional electric or manual pump for active milk collection and also can be used without a pump for passive milk collection. Additionally, the invention can be used for collection of hand-expressed milk. The invention comprises a breast adaptor which, in an embodiment, has at one end a funnel-shaped inlet coupled to a reservoir, wherein when the breast is inserted into the breast adaptor, the breast milk is expressed into the reservoir through a unique valve assembly and the milk is stored in the reservoir until the device is removed and the collected milk emptied into a container. In an embodiment, the valve assembly is mounted concentrically on a second end of the breast adaptor. The valve assembly alternately opens and closes communication between the breast adaptor and the reservoir. The valve assembly further includes an overflow chamber and a baffle structure to prevent backflow of milk into the pump and associated vacuum or suction line. The invention, in an embodiment, also includes a unique connection apparatus that enables the vacuum hose of the disclosed breast milk collection device to be sealingly attached to a vacuum hose of varying sizes attached to a vacuum pump mechanism.

A hands-free breast pump system is disclosed. A breast shield having an adhesive inner surface for adhering to a woman's breast is disclosed. The breast shield may be connected to an adapter for transferring a vacuum generated by a pump to the breast. The adapter also allows milk expressed from the breast to drain from the adapter to a container. In the alternative, the breast shield may form part of a breast shield adapter system which is connected to a conventional breast shield by a drain line so that a conventional breast pump system is used to supply a vacuum and to collect the milk.

A nipple configuration for use on baby bottles and in breast shields particularly adapted for feeding and nursing newborns. The configuration includes body and nipple portions integrally formed of a soft flexible material and defining raised ridges or other surface irregularities thereon so as to provide the feel of a mother's breast and nipple. The nipple projects outwardly from the body portion and defines a fluid passageway extending axially therethrough and a plurality of discharge openings in the extended end thereof. A flexible reinforcing tube extends through the passageway communicating the fluid openings with the interior of the body portion and preventing the nipple from collapsing upon being sucked by a newborn. The device can also be used on a pacifier for developing the sucking reflex and, in a modified form, for feeding and nursing newborns having a cleft-lip or palate.

A device for expressing human breast milk has a breast shield for bearing against a mother's breast, a vacuum pump for generating a vacuum, a line which connects the vacuum pump to the breast shield and is intended for transmitting the vacuum generated to the breast shield, and a chamber. The line ends on the pump side in a first port of the chamber. The chamber has a second port for connection to a milk collecting container. The two ports in the chamber are connected to each other in terms of fluid communication. During the expressing operation, the line forms a milk line for transporting breast milk expressed in the breast shield to the chamber and from the chamber to the milk collecting container. The pump can be designed to be quiet and small.

A motorized pump is disclosed that includes a flexible diaphragm fitting within a rigid member, a motor drive mechanism for drawing a puller member attached to the diaphragm away from the rigid member to create a space between the diaphragm and the rigid member and form a negative pressure region within that space, and an outlet communicating with the negative pressure region. In one embodiment, the pump provides a negative pressure in a single chamber which can be used to operate one or two breast shield assembles. In another embodiment, the pump is particularly adapted for double-pumping and provides two chambers which generate vacuum.

A brassiere which comprises an assembly of plies of material defining a first breast cup, a second breast cup, and a bridge between said first and second breast cups, said assembly comprising at least a first and a second plies of material molded to define the shape of the breast cups, said first breast cup including a lower periphery which extends from said bridge and away from said second breast cup and a side periphery which extends between said lower periphery and a point of said first breast cup where a shoulder strap is or can be engaged to said first breast cup, wherein adjacent at least one of said lower and side peripheries of said first breast cup, there is embedded by the plies of material of said assembly a reinforcement zone.

A breast shield support is provided which in one embodiment includes a central harness body adapted to hold a breast shield. The central harness body may include three spaced straps connected to or extending from the central harness body. Each of the harness straps includes a clip, for example, for attaching a respective strap to a portion of a nursing brassiere and at least one strap includes a plurality of protrusions or grooves formed along the length of the strap for engaging a respective clip and permitting the clip to be easily adjusted and held in a desired position along the length of the strap.

A variable compression hybrid design sports bra offers both compression and encapsulation to support the breasts of a user. The front member of the bra includes a rib band extending across the front, and left and right cups connected at bottom portions thereof to the rib band so as to extend above the rib band. The front member also includes a shaped compression panel or bust cup which receives the left and right cups therein. This compression panel is made of an elastic material, is connected to the rib band at a lower portion thereof, and has left and right upper front portions extending from a main portion thereof. An attachment system or mechanism adjustably attaches the compression panel with a strap system to adjustably stretch the compression panel over and thus compress the left and right cups. The cups are supported by crossing slings.

A motorized pump is disclosed that includes a flexible diaphragm fitting within a rigid member, a motor drive mechanism for drawing a puller member attached to the diaphragm away from the rigid member to create a space between the diaphragm and the rigid member and form a negative pressure region within that space, and an outlet communicating with the negative pressure region. In one embodiment, the pump provides a negative pressure in a single chamber which can be used to operate one or two breast shield assembles. In another embodiment, the pump is particularly adapted for double-pumping and provides two chambers which generate vacuum.

The breast pump shield assembly includes a breast shield having a parabolic shape with upper and lower apertures. A conduit in fluid communication with the lower aperture receives the expressed milk and directs it to a container. A vacuum introduces through the upper aperture creates a suction within the breast shield. A center insert fits closely within the lower aperture and has a flared end with an annular surface for contacting and applying an outward force against a circular area around the nipple. A stepped-down distal section of the center insert has an outlet end with a flap valve to prevent suction from being drawn into the breast milk container while permitting expressed milk to flow into the container.

A mobile breast-feeding assembly is shown for feeding a child while traveling in a motor vehicle, as where the child being fed is seated in a child safety restraint seat. The apparatus has a conically shaped breast shield, a length of flexible tubing, and a nipple adapter that threadingly engages an exchangeable nipple element. Engagement regions on the nipple adapter allow a variety of exchangeable nipple elements to be utilized with the basic assembly. The assembly can be formed of disposable materials.

A breast pump assembly includes a vacuum pump for creating suction within one or two breast shields to the vacuum pump, and electronic recording device comprising a microphone, a memory for storing the sound received via the microphone, and a playback activator. The sound module or sound chip can be used to record and playback sounds made by a woman's baby to enhance the let-down reflex during pumping to facilitate collection of milk.

A molded breast cup for a brassiere includes a molded cup form and laminated structure of a first panel of a flexible foam material and a second panel of flexible material. The first and second panels are substantially coextensive to each other and define a breast cup perimeter shape. The first panel of flexible foam material is of varying thickness, providing a zone of greater thickness at a region or regions away from the perimeter at a general area where the nipple of the wearer of the brassiere will normally be positioned in order to provide greater thickness of material or density of material at such regions to reduce the visibility of the nipple through the brassiere.

A breastpump assembly is disclosed. The breastpump assembly includes a breast shield within which a woman's breast is received, a conduit structure communicating with the breast shield, a container for collecting milk, and a valve mechanism closing the breastpump assembly from ambient air when initially provided to a user, the valve mechanism being opened to allow ambient air to pass into the breastpump assembly through removal of the container, so as to substantially disable the breastpump.

A hands-free breast pump system is disclosed. A breast shield having an adhesive inner surface for adhering to a woman's breast is disclosed. An adapter is connected to the breast shield for transferring a vacuum generated by a pump to the breast. The adapter also allows milk expressed from the breast to drain from the adapter to a container. The breast shield adheres to the breast and supports the weight of the adapter and collector bottle without separate adhesives, gels, straps, or specially designed support bras. The adhesive breast shield allows for hand-free expression of milk.

A brassiere is provided having a pair of breast-receiving cups, each cup comprising at least one fabric layer molded to at least one foam layer, and an inner breast-receiving side and a lower periphery and an upper periphery. A first shaped pocket is formed on the breast-receiving side having a slit formed therein. A first shaped cushion conforming substantially to the shape of the pocket is removably insertable into the pocket to provide breast enhancement to a wearer.