Patent ID: 8591458
Filing Date: 2013-11-26
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
1. A breast pump comprising: a suction bell including a flexible member coupled to the outer edge of the breast shield and extending into the breast shield, the flexible member defining therethrough a pathway for receiving the human breast and pumped milk; a suction chamber defined between the flexible member and the breast shield, the suction chamber isolated from hydraulic communication with the human breast; a vacuum cycling pump in hydraulic communication with the conduit and suction chamber through a length of flexible tubing, such that operation of the vacuum pump cyclically evacuates air from the suction chamber causing cyclic deformation of the flexible member towards an inner surface of the breast shield in response to the air evacuation, thereby decreasing the volume of the suction chamber and reducing pressure in the pathway, the flexible member inhibiting hydraulic communication between the pathway and the vacuum pump; a container positioned to receive and contain the pumped milk, the container including a longitudinal axis; and a removable valve separate from the flexible member, the removable valve being disposed at a lower end of the suction bell, between the pathway and the container and adapted to drain pumped milk from the human breast to the container, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the vertically oriented conduit is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container.