Abstract:
A method of and apparatus for nursing in which a container is filled with milk. The container has flexible membrane forming a pouch for holding the milk. A rim defines a stable opening of the pouch, and a lid is secured to the rim to cover the opening. The container is inserted into a nursing device and the lid is opened to expose the milk. A nursing nipple is secured to the nursing device with the container disposed therein.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a method and apparatus for storing and using breast milk. 
     BACKGROUND 
     It is common to extract or express human breast milk and store it before using it to feed an infant. A breast pump may be used to collect expressed breast milk into a receptacle. The milk may then be stored in the receptacle by removing the receptacle from the breast pump and sealing the receptacle with a cover. Alternatively, the milk is transferred from the receptacle to a reusable storage container. Often, the breast milk must be transferred to a feeding device, such as a nursing bottle or a nursing bottle liner, before being used to feed an infant. Other times, the reusable storage container or the breast pump receptacle with the breast milk still in it may be combined with a nursing nipple and collar to form a feeding device. 
     It is desirable that all containers coming into contact with breast milk be sterile before each use. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention, in various aspects, features a container with a flexible membrane and a cover. Advantageously, the container can, in several circumstances, also be employed to collect and store breast milk and to line a nursing device. 
     One aspect of the invention features a method of nursing. The method includes filling a container with milk. The container has flexible membrane forming a pouch for holding the milk. A rim defines a stable opening of the pouch, and a lid is secured to the rim to cover the opening. The container is inserted into a nursing device and the lid is opened to expose the milk. A nursing nipple is secured to the nursing device with the container in the nursing device. 
     In some cases, the lid is integrally attached to the rim and, for example, the method includes removing the lid from the container. In other cases, the method includes storing the milk in the flexible container for a period of time in between filling the container and opening the lid. In still other cases, the method includes freezing the milk. In other cases, the method includes inserting an empty container into a breast pump and extracting milk from a breast into the container. 
     In some cases, the rim has an upper surface, a sealing lip on the upper surface to form a fluid seal with the nursing nipple, an inner surface, and a sealing lip on the inner surface to form a fluid seal with the lid. In other cases, the lid has a lower surface, a wall on the inner surface, and a sealing lip on the wall to form a fluid seal with the rim. In still other cases, the flexible membrane extends from a closed end to the stable opening. 
     Another aspect of the invention features a nursing bottle having a nursing nipple. A liner has a flexible membrane forming a milk storage pouch joined to a rim. The rim permanently defines a stable opening of the pouch. An integral lid is formed with the rim and has a lower surface. A rigid holder is disposed about the liner and has a shoulder supporting the lower surface of the rim. A removable collar is attached to the holder to secure the rim and the nipple, and to permit fluid communication between the liner and the nipple. 
     In some cases, the rim has an upper surface. A sealing lip is disposed on the upper surface and is configured to form a fluid seal with the nursing nipple. The rim has an inner surface and a sealing lip disposed on the inner surface and configured to form a fluid seal with the lid. In other cases, the lid has a lower surface, a wall disposed on the inner surface, and a sealing lip disposed on the wall and configured to form a fluid seal with the rim. In still other cases, the flexible membrane extends from a closed end to the stable opening. 
     In another aspect, the invention features a disposable, drop-in bottle liner. An elongated container is sized to fit within a baby bottle and has a closed end and an open end. A flange extends about open end of the container and has a lower surface, an upper surface, and an inner surface bounding an opening. A lid has a perimeter wall configured to fit within the flange to form a fluid-tight seal with the inner surface of the flange. 
     In some cases, the bottle liner has a sealing ring disposed on and projecting from the upper surface of the flange and configured to form a fluid-tight seal with a nipple. In other cases, the baby bottle defines an opening having an inner diameter. The flange is sized to extend beyond the inner diameter and prevent the flange from entering the opening. In still other cases, the inner surface has a sealing ring forming a fluid-tight seal with the sealing ring disposed on the wall. In still other cases, the lid is integrally connected to the flange by a living hinge, while in other cases, the lid is integrally connected to the flange by a tether. 
     In some cases the perimeter wall of the lid defines a groove positioned to receive and engage with the inner surface of the flange of the container. In other cases, the perimeter wall of the lid includes a lip extending radially outward from a distal edge of the wall to a diameter greater than a minimum diameter of the opening. In one case, the lip engages the container to form a fluidic seal. In some cases, the perimeter wall of the lid and the opening bounded by the inner surface of the flange are substantially circular. 
     In another aspect, the invention features a bottle liner having stable opening. A stable opening has a rigidity sufficient to maintain a general shape under its own weight. A stable opening also has a rigidity to maintain a general shape under the weight of the contents of the bottle liner. The stable opening maintains its orientation to a wall of the bottle liner before and after filling of the bottle liner. 
     The invention has one or more of the following advantages. A user can collect, store, freeze, warm, and nurse using a single, sterile, disposable bottle liner. The user can perform many of the aforementioned tasks with one hand while holding an infant with the other. A lid integrally attached to a bottle liner can avoid the user having a liner without a corresponding lid. 
     The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an example of a milk storage bag; 
         FIGS. 2A-2C  show a side view and detail views of an open milk storage bag; 
         FIG. 3  shows a detail view of a first closed milk storage bag; 
         FIG. 4  shows a detail view of a second closed milk storage bag; 
         FIGS. 5-7  show top views of other examples of milk storage bags; 
         FIG. 8  shows an example of a milk storage bag and a separate lid; 
         FIG. 9  shows an example of several nested milk storage bags; 
         FIG. 10  shows an example of breast milk being poured into a milk storage bag; 
         FIG. 11  shows an example of a milk storage bag containing breast milk in a first orientation; 
         FIG. 12  shows an example of a milk storage bag containing breast milk in a second orientation; 
         FIG. 13  shows an example of frozen breast milk contained in a milk storage bag being placed in a feeding device; and 
         FIG. 14  shows assembly of a feeding device including a milk storage bag. 
     
    
    
     Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an example of a milk storage bag  10  is shown. Milk storage bag  10  has a body  12  formed from a flexible membrane  14  forming a closed end  16  and an open end  18 . Rim  20  is disposed at open end  18  and stabilizes open end  18 , thereby preventing it from collapsing shut. Lid  22  is integrally attached to rim  20  by a tether  24  that connects to an edge  26  of lid  22  and an edge  28  of rim  20 . 
     In one example, body  12  has a cylindrical shape and a substantially flat closed end  16  so that storage bag  10  can stand unsupported on closed end  16 . Flexible membrane  14  is rigid enough to permit storage bag  10  to be stood on closed end  16  and not collapse under the weight of rim  20  and lid  22 . Flexible membrane  14  is also rigid enough to support the weight of milk within storage bag  10 . Flexible membrane  14  is also flexible enough to collapse under atmospheric pressure when used as part of a nursing device, as described in more detail below. Preferably, flexible membrane  14  is a linear low-density polyethylene having a thickness of about 0.00275 inches. Those skilled in the art will understand that a wide range of materials are suitable for flexible membrane  14 , including polypropylene, polyethylene, including low density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, or high density polyethylene, nylon, synthetic latex, PET, and polystyrene/catalyst combinations. Flexible material  14  is preferably clear, but may be opaque or include a thermochromatic dye, permitting flexible material  14  to change color according to the temperature of flexible material  14 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 A, and  2 B, rim  20  is disposed at open end  18  of body  12  and has an annular shape, for example. Rim  20  includes a flange  30  extending radially from open end  18  and having an upper surface  32 , a lower surface  34 , and an inner surface  36 . Ridge  38  projects from upper surface  32  of flange  30  and allows rim  20  to form a seal with a nursing nipple, as described in more detail below. Sealing ring  40  projects from inner surface  36  into open end  18  and defines an opening  42  sized to accommodate lid  22 . Rim  20  prevents open end  18  from collapsing in on itself. Rim  20  is sized to sit on top of a nursing device container and not pass into the nursing device container when storage bag  10  is deposited within it. In one example, rim  20  has an outer diameter of about 2.2 inches, and an inner diameter of about 2.0 inches. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2C , lid  22  has an outer surface  44 , an inner surface  46 , and a wall  48  projecting from inner surface  46 . In one example, wall  48  has an annular shape and is sized to fit within sealing ring  38 . Sealing ring  50  is disposed on wall  48  and extends radially outward from wall  48 . Sealing ring  50  has an outer diameter larger than opening  42 . Wall  48  and sealing ring  50  are flexible and allow sealing ring  50  to be pressed through opening  42 . 
     Tether  24  integrally connects rim  20  to lid  22  allowing a user to handle storage bag  10  as a single, integrated unit. Tether  24  is constructed of the same material as rim  20  and lid  22 . A user may remove lid  22  from storage bag  10  by tearing tether  24  away from flange  30 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , milk storage bag  10  has been closed by positioning lid  22  over rim  20  and pressing wall  48  into and sealing ring  50  through opening  42 , for example. Sealing ring  50  forms a fluidic seal against inner surface  36  and prevents leaking of breast milk from milk storage bag  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , in another example, inner surface  36  extends further into body  12  than in FIG.  3 . Wall  48  and sealing ring  50  extend into opening  42  so that the fluidic seal is formed between sealing ring  50  and a portion  52  of body  12  just below the extended inner wall  36 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-7 , several examples of milk storage bags are shown with different configurations of tether  24 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , another example of milk storage bag  10  has a lid  22  manufactured separately from rim  20 . Tether  24  joins lid  22  to a collar  53 , which has a seating surface  55  and defines an opening  54  sized to accommodate body  12 . Storage bag  10  is assembled by passing body  12  into opening  54  in direction  56  until seating surface  55  comes into contact with lower surface  34  or rim  20 . 
     Storage bag  10  may be manufactured by using a blown film process to form body  12 , an injection molding process to form rim  20 , lid  22 , and tether  24 , and a heat staking process to join body  12  to rim  20 . Alternatively, storage bag  10  could be manufactured using any of the following processes: injection blow molding; stretch blow molding; extrusion blow molding; Thermo form with a plug assist; dip coating; spray coating; or thin wall molding. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , individual storage bags  61 ,  62 ,  63 ,  64 , and  65  form a nested group  70  suitable for packaging and dispensing for use. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 10-14 , an example of a method of use is shown. Referring to  FIGS. 10-11 , a user removes a single milk storage bag from a nested group  70  of storage bags. Storage bag  61  is placed in an open end  106  of a nursing tube  108 . Nursing tubes are well known and are primarily characterized by having a first open end  106  and an opposing open end  110  to allow the a storage bag to collapse under atmospheric pressure during nursing. Alternatively, storage bag  61  could be placed in an appropriately sized nursing bottle (not shown), which are also well known and characterized by an open end and an opposing closed end. Both nursing tubes and nursing bottles may be combined with a nursing nipple and collar to form a feeding device. 
     A user pours breast milk  102 , collected in a container from a device such as a breast pump, into storage bag  61 , which is supported by nursing tube  108 . Thus, the user may pour the breast milk with one hand while holding an infant with the other. The user then seals storage bag  61  by pressing lid  22  into rim  20  until sealing ring  50  is pressed through sealing ring  40 . Storage bag  61  containing milk  102  is then removed from nursing tube  108  and may be stored in a refrigerator or freezer in any position. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 11-13 , storage bag  61  is shown after having been stored in a freezer (not shown) in a generally horizontal position and is ready to be used for nursing. Storage bag  61  is placed into opening  106  of a nursing tube  108 . Alternatively, storage bag  61  could be placed in a nursing bottle. Opening  106  is sized to permit body  14  to pass into nursing tube  108  and to support lower surface  34  of rim  20 . User opens storage bag  61  by removing lid  22  from rim  20 . User then removes lid  22  from storage bag  61  by tearing tether  24  and attaches a nursing nipple  110  and a collar  112  to nursing tube  108  in order to warm milk  102  and begin nursing. 
     A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, lid  22  and rim  20  may be formed separately and without any kind of tethering instead of being integrally formed. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.