Abstract: A housing and flange assembly arrangement for a breast pump system including or involving a flange having transparent and other structure for facilitating alignment of the breast pump on a breast, and includes structure facilitating ease of assembly of a housing for the breast pump.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are improved devices, systems, and methods for the expression and collection of breast milk, such as human breast milk. A breast shield assembly for expression of breast milk may comprise a breast interface and an actuatable assembly interface fluidly coupled with a tube, wherein the breast interface is configured to engage the breast and the actuatable assembly interface is configured to removably couple to an actuatable assembly. The breast shield assembly may comprise an enclosed fluid reservoir extending between the breast interface and the actuatable assembly interface, the fluid reservoir physically separated from the expressed breast milk and filled with a driving fluid comprising a liquid. The breast shield assembly may further comprise a fill port configured to allow addition or removal of the driving fluid to or from the fluid reservoir.

Abstract: A device for expression and collection of breast milk, the device includes an actuatable assembly and a breast interface. The breast interface is sized to receive a breast and form a fluid tight seal against the breast. The breast interface includes an expandable membrane disposed within at least a portion of the breast interface. The expandable membrane reversibly deforms in response to actuation of the actuatable assembly, thereby applying vacuum pressure at the breast to express the breast milk. The expandable membrane comprises a plurality of expandable pleats which extend radially outward from a central longitudinal axis of the breast interface.

Abstract: An apparatus for biomimetic expression of breast milk can comprise a breast interface having an expandable membrane configured to mimic the geometry of an infant's mouth. Various regions of the expandable membrane may be configured to simulate the structure and/or function of various parts of an infant's mouth. The expandable membrane may comprise one or more of a distal sealing region configured to simulate the lips, a superior region configured to simulate the hard palate, an inferior protruding region configured to simulate the gums, an intermediate curved region configured to simulate the tongue, and one or more internal expansion regions configured to simulate the soft palate and the throat. The expandable membrane may have a varying thickness throughout the one or more various regions to enable movement of the regions similar to the movement of the corresponding regions of an infant's mouth during nursing.

Abstract: Systems and methods for pumping milk from a breast responsive to a controller, wherein the milk is expressed from the breast under suction and milk is expulsed from the pumping mechanism to a collection container under positive pressure.

Abstract: Systems and methods for pumping milk from a breast, wherein the milk is expressed from the breast under suction and milk is expulsed from the pumping mechanism to a collection container under positive pressure.

Abstract: Systems and methods for assessing milk volume changes within a breast are described. Also described are systems and methods for assessing volume changes in the stomach of an infant.

Abstract: Improved devices and methods for the expression of milk from a breast are disclosed herein. A device for expressing breast milk may comprise a breast interface including a flange configured to engage a breast and fluidly seal thereagainst, and an actuatable assembly operably coupled to the breast interface and configured to apply vacuum pressure at the breast interface. The breast interface may be configured to apply anterior compression to an anterior portion of the breast when the actuatable assembly is actuated. The flange may be configured to apply posterior compression to a posterior portion of the breast when the actuatable assembly is actuated. The posterior compression can help improve the efficiency of milk expression by reducing the retrograde flow of milk.

Abstract: Systems and methods for pumping milk from a breast, wherein the milk is expressed from the breast under suction and milk is expulsed from the pumping mechanism to a collection container under positive pressure.

Abstract: A hydraulic pumping system in accordance with embodiments comprises a breast interface operably coupled to an actuatable assembly by means of an actuatable assembly interface. The breast interface comprises a distal membrane coupled to a housing to form a fluid reservoir therebetween. The actuatable assembly interface comprises a proximal membrane. The distal and proximal membranes are fluidly coupled via a tube carrying a driving fluid. The actuatable assembly interface is configured to removably couple to the actuatable assembly, in order to operably couple the actuatable assembly to the breast interface. The actuatable assembly interface comprises a fluid shut off mechanism to reversibly shut off fluid communication between the breast interface and the actuatable assembly interface when the actuatable assembly interface is decoupled from the actuatable assembly.