Two stage colostrum collection system

A colostrum collection system includes a breast cup, an intermediate reservoir, a syringe attached below the intermediate reservoir, and a vacuum pump drawing vacuum from the breast cup and syringe, through the intermediate reservoir. The vacuum pump maintains vacuum throughout a vacuum pump cycle, but varies the level of the vacuum between a low vacuum and a high vacuum. During high vacuum, the colostrum is drawn from the breast and into the intermediate reservoir, and air is drawn from the syringe creating reduced air pressure in the syringe. During low vacuum, the colostrum is drawn into the syringe by the reduced air pressure in the syringe.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to breast milk collection and in particular to colostrum collection.

Known breast pump systems include vacuum pumps cycling between vacuum and pressure. During vacuum, breast milk is drawn from the breast into an adapter, and the milk flows under gravity from the adapter into a collection bottle attached to the adapter. The breast milk is sufficiently thin to easily flow into the collection bottle. Unfortunately, when known breast pump systems are used to collect thicker colostrum, the systems fail to efficiently draw and deposit the colostrum into the collection bottle.

Further there is a desire to collect colostrum in a syringe for providing the colostrum to a newborn baby. Because it is important to maintain a closed system free of contaminates, it is preferred to directly deliver the colostrum into the syringe through the small passage of the syringe opposite to the piston. Unfortunately, thick colostrum resists flowing through the small passage.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a colostrum collection system which includes a breast cup, an intermediate reservoir, a syringe attached below the intermediate reservoir, and a vacuum pump drawing vacuum from the breast cup and syringe, through the intermediate reservoir. The vacuum pump maintains vacuum throughout a vacuum pump cycle, but varies the level of the vacuum between a low vacuum and a high vacuum. During high vacuum, the colostrum is drawn from the breast and into the intermediate reservoir, and air is drawn from the syringe creating reduced air pressure in the syringe. During low vacuum, the colostrum is drawn into the syringe by the reduced air pressure in the syringe.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a colostrum collection system maintaining at least a low vacuum at all times. Because colostrum is thicker than breast milk, a system cycling between vacuum and pressure suppresses the flow of colostrum. Maintaining at least low vacuum at all time provides a continuous draw on the colostrum.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a colostrum collection system having unrestricted fluid communication between a collection bottle attached to an intermediate reservoir and vacuum pump. During high vacuum, air is drawn from the collection bottle, during low vacuum, a pressure gradient between the collection bottle and the intermediate reservoir draws colostrum in the intermediate reservoir into the collection bottle.

In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a closed colostrum collection system. A filter resides in series with tubing connecting the breast pump to the system preventing ambient air from entering the system and contaminating the colostrum collected by the system.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for colostrum collection. The method includes connecting a breast pump to an adapter, connecting a breast cup and a reservoir to the adapter, connecting a container to the reservoir, operating the breast pump to provide a cycle of increasing and decreasing vacuum, drawing periodic vacuum from the breast cup, the reservoir, and the container, drawing colostrum from a breast into the reservoir during high vacuum portions of the breast pump period, and drawing the colostrum in the reservoir into the syringe between high vacuum portions of the breast pump period.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Where the terms “about” or “generally” are associated with an element of the invention, it is intended to describe a feature's appearance to the human eye or human perception, and not a precise measurement. References to drawing a vacuum are generally equivalent to drawing air from a closed volume.

A colostrum collection system10according to the present invention is shown inFIG. 1. A breast cup12is pressed against a woman's breast and attached to an adapter16. Tubing24connects a breast pump28to the adapter16to provide fluid communication between the breast pump28and the adapter16. A filter26between the breast pump28and the adapter16prevents contaminants from entering the colostrum collection system10which is a closed system. A reservoir14is attached to the adapter16to collect colostrum received from the breast cup12and a container18is attached under the reservoir14. The container18is preferably a syringe, and more preferably a syringe including features to retain a syringe piston20in a withdrawn position during all of a vacuum cycle of the breast pump28. The retaining features may be, for example, a raised ring22or and annular groove inside the syringe which a piston head21engages.

A partition16apreferably blocks a direct flow from the breast cup12into the tubing24to deflect colostrum which might otherwise enter the tubing24. The partition16amay be a wall, or may be an internal path in the adapter16, for example, a continuation of the tubing24. While a separate adapter and reservoir are described inFIG. 1, the adapter and reservoir may be a single piece providing the same function.

The container18is preferably a syringe. The syringe has a small luer dimension L of preferably between 2 mm and 4 mm, and more preferably 2.9 mm. Such small luer resists a low of breast milk into the syringe, and even more resists a flow of colostrum into the syringe.

The breast pump28provides a vacuum cycle between a minimum vacuum and a maximum vacuum (seeFIG. 2) creating an air flow34between the breast pump28and the adapter16. The breast pumps28preferably maintains vacuum during the entire cycle of breast pump operation, preferably maintaining a minimum vacuum of preferably between 5 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and 40 mmHg, and more preferably 14 mmHg during the cycle. The breast pump(s)28preferably reach a maximum vacuum between 200 mmHg and 400 mmHg, and more preferable around 140 mmHg.

A first flow of colostrum30flows from the breast cup12, through the adapter16, and into the reservoir14while the breast pump in providing higher levels of vacuum, and the flow30is reduced or eliminated during lower levels of vacuum. Air is drawn from the container18during the higher levels of vacuum creating container vacuum in the container18. During low levels of vacuum, the container vacuum draws an air flow back into the container18through the reservoir, and carries some or all of the colostrum in the reservoir14into the container18as a second flow of colostrum32.

FIG. 2shows breast pump vacuum and colostrum flows30and32. The breast pump vacuum is always a positive vacuum (i.e., a negative gauge pressure) between the minimum vacuum and the maximum vacuum. The flow30into the reservoir is always positive. The flow32represent both a flow from the reservoir and a flow into the container.

FIG. 3shows a method for collecting colostrum according to the present invention. The method includes connecting a breast pump to an adapter at step100, connecting a breast cup and a reservoir to the adapter at step102, connecting a container to the reservoir at step104, operating the breast pump to provide a cycle of increasing and decreasing vacuum at step106, drawing periodic vacuum from the breast cup, the reservoir, and the container at step108, drawing colostrum from a breast into the reservoir during high vacuum portions of the breast pump period at step110, and drawing the colostrum in the reservoir into the syringe between high vacuum portions of the breast pump period at step112. It is important to note that the flow of colostrum into the reservoir is at high vacuum portions of the cycle, and the flow of colostrum from the reservoir into the container is at low vacuum portions of the cycle, the flow into the container urged by vacuum in the container developing during the high vacuum portions of the cycle.