Abstract:
A cap and rigid bottle converts an expressed milk syringe from an open system to a closed system. The cap is in fluid communication between a breast pump and breast cup. The rigid bottle is attached to the bottom of the cap and the syringe is captured inside the bottom under the cap in a sealed environment. The pump provides varying positive vacuum to the cap and through the cap to the breast cup. Milk is drawn by the vacuum into the cap and flows by gravity down into the syringe. A passage between the interior of the syringe and the interior of the bottle equalizes pressure and allows the syringe to fill while maintaining a closed system, allowing a piston in the syringe to remain stationary. The closed system protects a mother&#39;s milk being pumped into a milk collecting syringe from air born contaminants.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/856,179 filed Jul. 19, 2013 and of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/857,316 filed Jul. 23, 2013, which applications are incorporated in their entirety herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to breast pumps and in particular to a completely closed syringe system to protect a mother&#39;s expressed milk from contamination. 
     The syringe is used to feed the mother&#39;s milk to her sick baby in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). Currently, the milk is collected and stored in an open syringe for feeding babies in the NICU. The milk is not protected from air born contaminants. 
     Known electric breast pump systems include a special bottle cap which fits a standard baby bottle for collecting milk. The special bottle cap is used to connect the bottle between the electric breast pump and a breast cup. The various electric breast pump system models use their own special cap to work with their pump system. These known electric breast pump systems do not allow directly filling a syringe for use in NICUs. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a cap and rigid bottle converts an expressed milk syringe from an open system to a closed system. The cap is in fluid communication between a breast pump and breast cup. The rigid bottle is attached to the bottom of the cap and the syringe is captured inside the bottom under the cap in a sealed environment. The pump provides varying positive vacuum to the cap and through the cap to the breast cup. Milk is drawn by the vacuum into the cap and flows by gravity down into the syringe. A passage between the interior of the syringe and the interior of the bottle equalizes pressure and allows the syringe to fill while maintaining a closed system, allowing a piston in the syringe to remain stationary. The closed system protects a mother&#39;s milk being pumped into a milk collecting syringe from air born contaminants. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a completely enclosed system for collecting mother&#39;s milk into the syringe while preventing air borne contaminants for reaching the milk. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided an adapter bottle to enclose the syringe. The syringe is sealed inside the bottle and pressure is equalized between the syringe and the bottle, allowing continued filling and allowing a piston in the syringe to remain stationary. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows a first breast pump system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a cross-sectional view of a first syringe of the first breast pump system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view of a second breast pump system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  shows a cross-sectional view of a second syringe of the second breast pump system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  shows a cross-sectional view of a cap for the second syringe of the second breast pump system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6A  shows a cross-sectional view of an adapter of the second breast pump system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6B  shows a top view of the adapter of the second breast pump system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 6C  shows a bottom view of the adapter of the second breast pump system according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims. 
     A cross-sectional view of a first closed breast pump system  10   a  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1  and a cross-sectional view of a first syringe  20   a  having a syringe interior  15  and open syringe base  15   a  is shown in  FIG. 2 . The breast pump system  10   a  includes a first cap  12   a , a bottle  13 , a first syringe  20   a , a pump  30 , and a breast cup  40 . The bottle  13  is preferably clear plastic with a cylindrical shape and of a size sufficient to enclose the syringe  20   a . The bottle  13  includes an open end  13   a  including male threads  16   a , and closed walls  13   c  and a closed end  13   b . The bottle  13  is preferably hard plastic and can withstand a vacuum level of at least 400 mm Hg without deformation or damage. The cap  12   a  is similar to a standard baby bottle cap but includes an outer rim  14   a  including female threads  16   b  which cooperate with the threads  16   a  to attach the cap  12   a  to the bottle  13  and an open passage  17  placing the syringe interior  15  in fluid communication with the cap interior  12 ′. A silicone rubber washer  18   b  is preferably included to ensure an airtight seal when the cap  12   a  and bottle  13  are fully threaded together. 
     The syringe device  20   a  includes a syringe mating surface (e.g., male threads)  24   a  and the cap  12   a  includes an inner rim  14   b  having a cap mating surface (e.g. female threads)  24   b  cooperating with the male threads  24   a  to connect the syringe  20   a  to the cap  12   a . A second silicone rubber washer  18   a  may be included between the syringe  20   a  and the cap  12   a , and a closing device (for example, a piston  26 ) resides in or under the base of the syringe  20   a . The cap  12   a  is connected to the pump  30  and to the breast cup  40 . A cyclic air flow  31  between the pump  30  and the cap  12   a  varies a vacuum level in the cap  12   a  between a lower and a higher positive vacuum, and maintains at least some level of positive vacuum at all times in the cap  12   a , for example, to prevent the breast cup  40  from falling away. The vacuum levels are maintained regardless of the size of the syringe  20   a  or the amount of milk  42  inside the syringe  20   a . The vacuum is drawn from the cap  12   a , the syringe  20   a , interior  13   d  of the bottle  13  through the vent  22 , and the breast cup  40  by the pump  30 . The vacuum draws milk  42  from the breast cup  40  into a cap interior  12 ′ of the cap  12   a . The milk  42  then falls by gravity from the cap interior  12 ′ into the syringe  20   a . Because the vent  22  maintains equal vacuum in the syringe  20   a  and the bottle interior  13   a , the vacuum level is the same both inside and outside the syringe  20   a  and there is no force on the piston  26 . If there were no vent  22 , the piston  26  would tend to move upward under vacuum, gradually rising in the syringe  20   a.    
     Those skilled in the art will recognize that the vent  22  is only one example of a passage equalizing the vacuum level in the syringe  20   a  and bottle  13 , and other passages may be provided and are intended to come within the scope of the present invention. 
     The bottle interior  13   a  and the syringe interior  15  are in fluid communication to allow air within the syringe  20   a  to escape as it fills with breast milk. The fluid communication may, for example, be provided through a vent  22  in the syringe  20   a , or may be through direct fluid communication between the cap and bottle. The venting prevents a vacuum gradient from developing between the syringe  20   a  and the bottle  13  and the adapter bottle  13  provides an air tight enclosure containing the syringe  20  to allow vacuum build-up within the adapter bottle  13 . Without the adapter bottle  13 , the air drawn from the syringe  20   a  is immediately replaced by air entering the vent, and no significant vacuum is created, and air borne contaminant may enter the syringe. Due to the presence of the adapter bottle  13 , the air within the adapter bottle  13 , the syringe  20   a , and the breast cup  40 , is drawn by the pump  30 , creating vacuum and drawing the milk  42  from the breast cup  40  to fill the syringe  20   a    
     After filling the syringe  20   a  with milk  42 , the syringe  20   a  may be removed from the cap  12   a  and bottle  13 . A handle  28  may be attached to the piston  26 , and a feeding cap  29  attached to the male threads  24   a  for use. A plug  22   a  is inserted into the vent  22  to seal the syringe  20   a.    
     A cross-sectional view of a second closed breast pump system  10   b  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 3 . The closed breast pump system  10   b  functions in the same manner as the closed breast pump system  10   a , but includes an adapter  50  (also see  FIGS. 6A ,  6 B, and  6 C) between a second cap  12   b , and the bottle  13  and second syringe  20   b . The breast pump system  10   b  includes the pump  30  and the breast cup  40  connected to the bottle cap  12   b , the adapter  50 , the syringe  20   b , and the bottle  13 . The cap  12   b  is similar to known baby bottle caps and preferably includes a downward reaching rim  14   c  having female threads  24   c  which cooperate with threads  24   d  of the adapter  50 . The threads  24   c  are preferably comparable with standard baby bottle threads. A first silicone rubber washer  18   a  preferably resides between the bottle cap  12  and adapter  50  and ensures an airtight seal when the cap  12   b  and adapter  50  are fully threaded together. 
     The adapter  50  includes an outer downward extending rim  14   d  having female threads  16   b  which engage the threads  16   a  on the bottle  13 . A second silicone rubber washer  18   b  preferably resides between the adapter  50  and hard bottle  13  and ensures an airtight seal when the adapter  50  and bottle  13  are fully threaded together. 
     The adapter  50  includes an inner downward reaching skirt  51  and the second syringe device  20   b  engages the downward reaching skirt  51  and resides in the hard outer bottle  13 . The cap interior  12 ′ is vented through adapter  50  and the syringe  20   b  into the bottle interior  13   a  to allow air to pass and between the interior of the bottle  13  and the syringe  20   b  during operation of the breast pump system  10   b  and equalize the vacuum in the syringe  20   a  and bottle interior  13   a . The adapter  50  and hard plastic bottle  13  provides an air tight enclosure outside the syringe  20   b  to allow equal vacuum build-up within the syringe  20   b  and hard plastic bottle  13 . 
     A cross-sectional view of the syringe  20   b  is shown in  FIG. 4  and a cross-sectional view of a syringe cap  66  is shown in  FIG. 5 . The syringe  20   b  includes a mouth  60  extending up from an otherwise closed end  62 . The mouth  60  engages a downward extending nipple  56  (see  FIG. 6   a ) inside the adapter skirt  51  to receive the milk  42  and to allow air to pass between the cap  12   b , adapter  50 , and syringe  20   b . The syringe  20   b  further includes an annular groove  64  just below the closed end  62  which engages a protrusion  52  (see  FIG. 6A ) in the adapter skirt  51  to attach the syringe  20   b  to the adapter  50 . The syringe cap  66  may be attached to the syringe  20   b  and a plug  67  in the cap enter the mouth  60  to seal the syringe  20   b.    
     A cross-sectional view of the adapter  50  of the breast pump system  10   b  is shown in  FIG. 6A , top view of the adapter  50  is shown in  FIG. 6B , and a bottom view of the adapter  50  is shown in  FIG. 6C . The adapter  50  includes a floor  53  sloping down to the nipple  56 . The nipple  56  reaches into the mouth  60  of the syringe  20   d . The protrusion  52  circles the inside of the skirt  51  and the groove  64  on the syringe  20   b  cooperates with the protrusion to hold the syringe  20   b  in place. 
     The cap  12   b  is ported to the bottle  13  as in the case of the closed breast pump system  10   a  to similarly eliminate a pressure gradient between the syringe interior  15  and the bottle interior  13   a . Such porting may be accomplished by a vent  22  in the syringe  20   b  as in the syringe  20   a , or by other means. For example, a gap  68  may be present between the nipple  56  and mouth  60  porting the syringe interior  15  to a volume  69  between the syringe  20   b  and the adapter  50 , and protrusion  52  and/or skirt  51  may have a notch  54  placing the volume  69  in fluid communication with the bottle interior  13   a . Other portings will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and any closed breast pump system including porting to eliminate pressure gradients between the syringe  20   b  and the bottle  13  are intended to come within the scope of the present invention. 
     While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.