Title of Invention	BREAST CUP
Abstract	Disclosed is a breast cup made of an electrically non-conducting material, comprising meter electrodes (5) at predefined locations which penetrate the wall of the cup funnel (1') and are provided with a contact surface (5") on the inside of the cup and a connector contact (5') on the outside thereof.

Full Text

Breast cup Technical field The present invention relates to a breast cup, in particular for breast pumps, and to a method for detecting changes in a mother's breast when expressing milk from the mother's breast. State of the art Breast cups for suction pumps and for suction devices for expressing breast milk are widely available in many different designs and are used all over the world. Breast-feeding a baby is not always straightforward. The causes of problems may lie with the mother or with the baby. Expressing breast milk by means of suction pumps or suction devices, also called breast pumps, can also be problematic for some mothers. Nowadays, therefore, in the development of suction pumps and of their operating conditions, increased efforts are being made to better understand what is going on inside the mother's breast during expression of breast milk. During use of the breast pump, however, it is difficult to carry out exact measurements on the mother's breast. Such measurements would, however, provide information on the processes going on during the stimulation phase and during the actual expression of milk. Disclosure of the invention It is therefore an object of the present invention to make available a device and a method which permit straightforward measurement of the processes going on inside the breast, even during the expression of milk. This object is achieved by a breast cup having the features of patent claims 1 and 3 and by a method having the features of patent claim 12. The surprisingly simple solution according to the invention uses a breast cup designed in accordance with claims 1 and 3. Thus, according to the invention, a breast cup is used which is provided with sensors. The sensors used can be all types of sensors suitable for detecting changes in the mother's breast, in particular electrodes, optical sensors, acoustic sensors or thermal sensors. Accordingly, various measurement methods are possible, for example X-rays, ultrasound, purely electronic measurement currents which record resistance and impedance between two spatially distinct areas of the breast, etc. Electrodes are placed on the breast skin for measuring the electronic signals, optical sensors for measuring the X-rays, and acoustic sensors for measuring ultrasound. The design of the breast cup according to the invention allows measurements to be carried out on the breast in general and also, in a special design as claimed in claim 2, during the expression of breast milk. The method according to the invention and the device according to the invention provide information in particular on the process known as milk surge. Further advantageous embodiments and variants of the method are set out in the dependent patent claims. Brief description of the accompanying drawing Illustrative embodiments of a breast cup according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective and purely diagrammatic view of a breast cup according to the invention, and Figure 2 shows a similar view looking at the open end of the breast cup according to Figure 1. Embodiments of the invention Figure 1 shows a breast cup 1 of truncated cone shape which, via a tubular connection piece 2, leads to attachments 3 for a breast pump (not shown) and 4 for a milk-collecting container (not shown). The cup 1 with the parts 2-4, made of transparent plastic for example, is itself of conventional design. The cup funnel 1' is provided with a number of electrodes 5 arranged at predetermined locations. On the inside face of the funnel wall 1', the electrodes have contact surfaces 5', and, on the outside face of the funnel wall, they have connection contacts 5'. When the cup 1 is placed on a breast, the contact surfaces 5' lie on the breast cup, while a desired voltage can be applied via the connection contacts 5' (as parts of the electrodes leading through the funnel wall). This cup construction also permits measurements via the electrodes during the expression of breast milk. The corresponding appliance for evaluating the measurements can be integrated in the breast pump or can be a separate appliance. Instead of or in addition to the electrodes 5, other types of sensors can also be arranged in the breast cup, for example acoustic sensors, optical sensors or thermal sensors. Depending on the type of sensor, it does not necessarily need to have a contact surface 5'. For example, in the case of optical sensors, it is sufficient for them to be disposed sufficiently close to the breast surface. When using optical sensors, it is advisable if at least the area of the breast cup immediately surrounding the sensor is made transparent to the optical wavelength used for the measurement, or at least no reflections are permitted on the inside face of the breast cup. Depending on the type of sensors used, the breast cup and its main body do not necessarily have to be made of an electrically non-conducting material. If using electrodes as sensors, it may also suffice for only the areas of the breast cup which are adjacent to the electrodes to be made electrically non-conducting. As can be discerned from the figures, the nipple of the mother's breast protrudes into the funnel opening. The sensors are thus arranged at a distance from the nipple, so that the latter is not disturbed during the expression of milk. WE CLAIM: 1. The breast cup for a breast pump for placing on a mother' s breast, characterized in that sensors are arranged in the breast cup, which sensors, during the expression of breast milk, detect processes in the inside of the mother's breast. 2. The breast cup as claimed in claim 1 with a funnelshaped main body made of electrically nonconducting material, which is intended to be placed with contact on a breast, wherein the sensors are electrodes which are incorporated in the funnel-shaped wall of the main body at prederermined locations, which electrodes, on the inside face of the funnel, have contact surfaces for the breast skin, lead through the funnel wall and, on the outside face of the funnel, have electrical connection contacts. 3. The breast cup as claimed in claim 2, wherein the main body is of truncated cone shape and, at the end of smaller diameter, it has a tubular -continuation which leads to attachments for a milk-collecting container and a suction pump. 4. The breast cup as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensors are arranged at a distance from the nipple. 5. The breast cup as claimed in either of claims 1 and 4, wherein the breast cup consists of a funnel-shaped main body which is intended to be placed with contact on the mother's breast and in that the sensors are arranged in the funnel-shaped wall of the main body. 6. The breast cup as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sensors are incorporated into the wall of the main body at predetermined locations. 7. The breast cup as claimed in either of claims 5 and 6, wherein the sensors, on the inside face of the main body facing the mother's breast, have contact surfaces for the breast skin. 8. The breast cup as claimed in one of claims 1, 4 through 7, wherein the sensors are electrodes. 9. The breast cup as claimed in claims 5 and 8, wherein the electrodes lead through the funnel wall and, on the outside face of the funnel, have electrical connection contacts. 10. The breast cup as claimed in one of claims 1, 4 through 9, wherein it has optical sensors. 11. The breast cup as claimed in one of claims 1, 4 through 9, wherein it has acoustic and/or thermal sensors. 12. A method for measuring changes in a mother's breast during expression of breast milk from the breast in which method a breast pump having a breast cup provided with sensors is used, and in which the breast cup is placed on the mother's breast during expression of milk, so that the sensors are at a distance from the nipple, and the changes are measured by means of the sensors detecting processes in the inside of the mother's breast during expression of milk. 13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the sensors detect these processes electrically, optically, by means of heat measurement, or by means of sound. 14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein an impedance measurement is carried out. 15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein ultrasound is used. Disclosed is a breast cup made of an electrically non-conducting material, comprising meter electrodes (5) at predefined locations which penetrate the wall of the cup funnel (1') and are provided with a contact surface (5") on the inside of the cup and a connector contact (5') on the outside thereof.

Documents:

1003-KOLNP-2004-(27-01-2012)-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf

1003-KOLNP-2004-(27-01-2012)-OTHER PATENT DOCUMENT.pdf

1003-KOLNP-2004-(27-01-2012)-PA.pdf

1003-KOLNP-2004-CORRESPONDENCE 1.1.pdf

1003-KOLNP-2004-CORRESPONDENCE.pdf

1003-KOLNP-2004-FORM 27-1.1.pdf

1003-KOLNP-2004-FORM-27-1.1.pdf

1003-KOLNP-2004-FORM-27.pdf

1003-KOLNP-2004-FROM 27.pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-abstract.pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-assignment.pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-claims.pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-correspondence.pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-description (complete).pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-drawings.pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-examination report.pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-form 1.pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-form 13.pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-form 18.pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-form 3.pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-form 5.pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-gpa.pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-reply to examination report.pdf

1003-kolnp-2004-granted-specification.pdf