Patents Assigned to Willow Innovations, Inc.
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Patent number: 11951238Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2018Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: John Chang, Joshua Makower, Brian Mason, Fred Co, Mathew Calmer, Arash Sabet
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Patent number: 11883185Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2021Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Joshua Makower, John Y. Chang, Theodore M. Bender, Brendan M. Donohoe
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Apparatus and methods to create posterior compression at the breast during expression of breast milk
Patent number: 11806453Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2019Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Jeffery B. Alvarez, Polina A. Segalova -
Patent number: 11660380Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2022Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: John Chang, Joshua Makower, Brian Mason, Fred Co, Mathew Calmer, Arash Sabet
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Patent number: 11583616Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2020Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Jeffery B. Alvarez, Leo Centeno, William Tolmasoff, Brett Swope, Alex Forman, Kyung R. Park
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Patent number: 11534535Abstract: 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 assembly.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2018Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: John Chang, Brian Mason, Fred Co, Erica Keenan
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Patent number: 11413379Abstract: A system for synchronizing one or more breast-pumping sessions of an individual (such as a mother) and milk consumption by a second individual (such as a baby or infant) is described. In particular, based on measurements of a volume of the collected milk as a function of time and received information specifying milk consumption by the second individual as a function of time, a control circuit may determine a need for milk. Then, the control circuit may provide feedback based on the determined need for milk that synchronizes the one or more breast-pumping sessions and the milk consumption. For example, the feedback may alert the individual to initiate a breast-pumping session and/or may provide a signal to a breast pump that initiates a breast-pumping session.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2018Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Joelle Barral, Venita Chandra, Mary Garrett, Jessica Hudak, Asha Nayak, Erika Palmer, Sandra Waugh Ruggles, Beverly Tang
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Patent number: 11400189Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2017Date of Patent: August 2, 2022Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: John Y Chang, Joshua Makower, Brendan M Donohoe, Michele Torosis
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Patent number: 11241521Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2019Date of Patent: February 8, 2022Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Jeffery B. Alvarez, Polina Segalova
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Patent number: 11185619Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2019Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: John Y. Chang, Joshua Makower, Brendan M. Donohoe, Michele Torosis
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Patent number: 11089991Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2017Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Joshua Makower, John Y Chang, Theodore M Bender, Brendan M Donohoe
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Patent number: D905230Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2018Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: John Chang, Brian Mason
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Patent number: D958963Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2019Date of Patent: July 26, 2022Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Brian Mason, Fred Co, John Chang
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Patent number: D977625Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2018Date of Patent: February 7, 2023Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Brian Mason, John Chang, Joshua Makower
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Patent number: D997349Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2021Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Jason Chamberlain, Jenny Teng, Simon Swain, Marvin Patel
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Patent number: D998137Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2018Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Brian Mason, John Chang
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Patent number: D1017019Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2021Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: Willow Innovations, Inc.Inventors: Jason Chamberlain, Marvin Patel