Breast cup

Abstract

A breast cup or breast shield, in particular for breast pumps, with a funnel-shaped main body preferably made of electrically non-conducting material. The funnel-shaped body is sized and shaped to contact a breast and includes one or more electrodes incorporated in a wall of the funnel-shaped main body at predetermined locations. Each of the one or more electrodes is provided on an inside face of the funnel-shaped main body with a contact surface adapted to contact the breast skin, is led through the wall and, on an outside face of the funnel-shaped main body, includes an electrical connection contact.

1 - 15 . (canceled)  
     
     
         16 . A breast cup, in particular for breast pumps, with a funnel-shaped main body made of electrically non-conducting material, said funnel-shaped body being sized and shaped to contact a breast, one or more electrodes incorporated in said funnel-shaped main body at predetermined locations, each said one or more electrodes having at least a part extending through to an inside face of said funnel-shaped main body with a contact surface adapted to contact the breast skin, an electrical connection contact with each said one or more electrodes on an outside face of said funnel-shaped main body.  
     
     
         17 . The breast cup as of  claim 16 , wherein said funnel-shaped main body is of a truncated cone shape including a smaller diameter end including a tubular extension which is attachable to a milk-collecting container.  
     
     
         18 . A breast cup for a breast pump for placing on a mother's breast, having one or more sensors arranged in said breast cup adapted for detecting changes in the mother's breast during the expression of breast milk.  
     
     
         19 . The breast cup of  claim 18 , wherein each said one or more sensors is arranged at a distance from the nipple.  
     
     
         20 . The breast cup of  claim 18 , wherein said breast cup comprises a funnel-shaped main body which is sized and shaped to contact the mother's breast, and wherein said one or more sensors is arranged in a wall of said funnel-shaped main body.  
     
     
         21 . The breast cup of  claim 20 , wherein each said one or more sensors is incorporated into said wall at a predetermined location.  
     
     
         22 . The breast cup of  claim 20 , wherein each of said one or more sensors includes a contact surface for the breast skin.  
     
     
         23 . The breast cup of  claim 18 , wherein said one or more sensors is an electrode.  
     
     
         24 . The breast cup of  claim 20 , wherein each said one or more electrodes has a lead through said wall and to an outside face of said breast cup with an electrical connection contact for said lead or leads accessible from said outside face.  
     
     
         25 . The breast cup of any of claims  18  through  24 , further including one or more optical sensors.  
     
     
         26 . The breast cup of any of claims  18  through  24 , further including one or more acoustic sensors.  
     
     
         27 . The breast cup of any of claims  18  through  24 , further including one or more thermal sensors.  
     
     
         28 . A method for detecting changes in a mother's breast during the expression of breast milk from the breast, comprising: 
 providing a breast pump having a breast cup with one or more sensors spaced at a distance from the nipple;    positioning the breast cup on the mother's breast during expression of milk; and    measuring changes in the breast by means of said one or more sensors.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said sensors measure changes by one or more of electrical, optical, thermal, and audible sensing.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising carrying out an impedance measurement for said sensing.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , further including generating and detecting ultrasound.  
     
     
         32 . A device for detecting one or more parameters associated with breastmilk expression in a human female, comprising: 
 a breast shield having an interior part within which a portion of the breast is received including the nipple;    a sensor associated with said breast shield, said sensor adapted to detect a parameter associated with breastmilk expression.    
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 32  further including a plurality of sensors.  
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 33  wherein said sensors are attached to said breast shield.  
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 34  wherein said sensors have a portion which extends to said breast shield interior part and is in contact with the breast.  
     
     
         36 . The device of  claim 35  wherein said sensors include an electrode extending from said contact through the breast shield and terminating in a connection for attachment to a wire.  
     
     
         37 . The device of  claim 36  wherein each said contact is electrically isolated.  
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 37  wherein said sensors include a sensor which detects changes in an electrical field within the breast.  
     
     
         39 . The device of  claim 34  wherein said sensors include an optical sensor.  
     
     
         40 . The device of  claim 34  wherein said sensors include a sensor for detecting changes in a magnetic field within the breast.  
     
     
         41 . The device of  claim 34  wherein said sensors include a sensor for detecting pressure changes of the breast.  
     
     
         42 . The device of  claim 34  wherein said sensors include a sensor for detecting ultrasound.  
     
     
         43 . A method for detecting changes in a mother's breast during the expression of breast milk from the breast, comprising: 
 providing a breast pump having a breast cup with one or more sensors spaced at a distance from the nipple;    positioning the breast cup on the mother's breast during expression of milk; and    detecting changes in the breast by means of said one or more sensors.    
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein said sensors detect changes by one or more of electrical, optical, thermal, and audible sensing.