Method and apparatus for fortifying breast milk

Abstract

Concentrating nutrients in breast milk may be achieved using an apparatus comprising a first sheet of material comprising a forward osmotic membrane, a second sheet of material sealed to the first sheet of material about a common outer perimeter thereof, the first sheet of material arranged so that water can traverse the forward osmotic membrane to an interior of the first and second sheets, and a dry carbohydrate within the interior of the first and second sheets exhibiting an osmotic draw property to draw water from un-concentrated, expressed human milk to form concentrated human milk. After a predetermined time, or upon the milk remaining after drawing of water through the membrane being a desired amount, the water draw can end.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 placing, into contact with a quantity of un-concentrated, expressed human milk, a forward osmotic membrane separating a material exhibiting an osmotic draw property from the quantity of un-concentrated, expressed human milk to draw water from the quantity of un-concentrated, expressed human milk to form concentrated human milk; and   withdrawing the forward osmotic membrane from contact with the concentrated human milk when the concentrated human milk reaches a desired nutrient level.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 measuring the quantity of un-concentrated, expressed human milk before placing the forward osmotic membrane.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the material is a dry carbohydrate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the dry carbohydrate is at least one of sucrose, dextrose or lactose. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the concentrated human milk reaches the desired nutrient level at a predetermined time from a time of placing the forward osmotic membrane. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 placing the quantity of un-concentrated, expressed human milk into a container with measurement indicia; and wherein:   placing the forward osmotic membrane comprises placing the forward osmotic membrane at one end of the container such that the material is located within a second container opposite from the quantity of un-concentrated, expressed human milk in the direction of gravity; and   the concentrated human milk reaches the desired nutrient level when a level of the concentrated human milk indicated by the measurement indicia is a desired value.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 placing the quantity of un-concentrated, expressed human milk into a container with measurement indicia; and wherein:   placing the forward osmotic membrane comprises placing the forward osmotic membrane at one end of the container such that the material is located within a second container opposite from the quantity of un-concentrated, expressed human milk in the direction of gravity; and   the concentrated human milk reaches the desired nutrient level when no further water can be drawn into the second container.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the forward osmotic membrane forms a pouch enclosing the material. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pouch is formed of two sheets of the forward osmotic membrane sealed about a common outer perimeter thereof or of a single sheet of the forward osmotic membrane sealed to itself to surround the material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the pouch is formed of a single sheet of the forward osmotic membrane sealed to an expandable sheet of material about a common outer perimeter thereof. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a first sheet of material comprising a forward osmotic membrane;   a second sheet of material sealed to the first sheet of material about a common outer perimeter thereof, the first sheet of material arranged so that water can traverse the forward osmotic membrane to an interior of the first and second sheets; and   a dry carbohydrate within the interior of the first and second sheets exhibiting an osmotic draw property to draw water from un-concentrated, expressed human milk to form concentrated human milk.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a first container holding the un-concentrated, expressed human milk, the un-concentrated, expressed human milk, the first container having measurement indicia indicating a quantity within the container.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a second container configured to attach to one end of the first container and supporting the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material such that the first sheet of material is closer to the first container than the second sheet and is in contact with milk within the first container.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the dry carbohydrate is a powder. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the dry carbohydrate comprises at least one of sucrose, dextrose or lactose. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein second sheet of material comprises the forward osmotic membrane.