SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING HUMAN MILK PRODUCTION

1 . A breast milk flow monitoring system, comprising:

a milk flow monitoring sensor including a plurality of electrodes having electrically conductive surfaces arranged to contact a skin surface of a breast; and

a controller in communication with the plurality of electrodes;

wherein the controller includes an instruction set that is executable to:

apply an electrical excitation signal to the skin surface of the breast via one of the plurality of electrodes;

receive, via others of the plurality of electrodes, an electrical response signal responsive to the electrical excitation signal;

execute an impedance-based analysis of the electrical response signal, wherein the impedance-based analysis is calibrated for breast milk flow; and

determine a breast milk flow parameter based on the impedance-based analysis of the electrical response signal.

2 . The breast milk flow monitoring system of claim 1 , further comprising the plurality of electrodes being coupled to a conformable wearable substrate configured to engage the breast, wherein the plurality of electrodes is arranged to maintain a spatial relationship between the plurality of electrodes.

3 . The breast milk flow monitoring system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of electrodes are arranged as a plurality of electrode pairs, the electrode pairs being positioned on different locations of the breast to generate an electrical field to monitor the breast associated with milk flow.

4 . The breast milk flow monitoring system of claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of electrode pairs includes a first electrode that is positioned proximal to an areola of the breast and a second electrode that is positioned distal to the areola of the breast.

5 . The breast milk flow monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical response signal responsive to the electrical excitation signal is indicative of breast tissue impedance, and wherein the breast tissue impedance is indicative of a fluid level of milk in the breast.

6 . The breast milk flow monitoring system of claim 1 , further comprising the controller arranged to determine the breast milk flow parameter based upon multiple executions of the impedance-based analysis of the electrical response signal.

7 . A breast milk flow monitoring system, comprising:

a milk flow monitoring sensor including a plurality of electrodes; and

a controller;

wherein each of the plurality of electrodes includes an electrically conductive surface that that arranged to contact a skin surface of a breast;

wherein the controller is in communication with the plurality of electrodes; and

wherein the controller is operative to:

generate a first excitation signal that is communicated via a first of the plurality of electrodes to a first location on the breast,

receive, via another of the plurality of electrodes, a first current response signal in response to the first excitation signal,

generate a second excitation signal that is communicated via the first of the plurality of electrodes to the first location on the breast,

receive, via another of the plurality of electrodes, a second current response signal in response to the second excitation signal,

execute an analysis of the first excitation signal, the second excitation signal, the first current response signal, and the second current response signal, wherein the analysis is calibrated for breast milk flow, and

determine a breast milk flow parameter based upon the analysis.

8 . The breast milk flow monitoring system of claim 7 , wherein the first excitation signal has the same frequency as the second excitation signal.

9 . The breast milk flow monitoring system of claim 7 , wherein the first excitation signal operates at a first frequency, wherein the second excitation signal operates at a second frequency, and wherein the first frequency is less than the second frequency.

10 . The breast milk flow monitoring system of claim 7 , wherein the first excitation signal comprises a low frequency excitation signal for a duration of less than 100 ms, and wherein the second excitation signal comprises a high frequency excitation signal for a duration of less than 100 ms.

11 . The breast milk flow monitoring system of claim 7 , comprising:

wherein the controller is operative to:

determine a ratio of the first current response signal and the second current response signal,

execute a bio-impedance spectroscopic analysis of the ratio of the first current response signal and the second current response signal, wherein the bio-impedance spectroscopic analysis is calibrated for breast milk flow, and

determine a breast milk flow parameter based upon the bio-impedance spectroscopic analysis;

wherein the controller being operative to execute the bio-impedance spectroscopic analysis of the ratio of the first current response signal and the second current response signal includes the controller being operative to:

determine a first parameter associated with at least one of impedance (z), reactance (Xc), resistance (R), or phase (Ph) for the first current response signal,

determine a second parameter associated with at least one of impedance (z), reactance (Xc), resistance (R), or phase (Ph) for the second current response signal,

determine a ratio of the first parameter and the second parameter, and

determine the breast milk flow parameter based upon the ratio of the first parameter and the second parameter.

12 . The breast milk flow monitoring system of claim 7 , further comprising an article of wearable clothing including a nursing bra having a cradle portion and cups composed of cup frames and detachable panels;

wherein the controller is detachably affixed to the cradle portion; and

wherein the plurality of electrodes of the milk flow monitoring sensor are detachably affixed to the cup frames.

13 . The breast milk flow monitoring system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of electrodes are arranged on a common plane that is parallel to a chest wall of a subject nursing mother when the milk flow monitoring sensor is arranged on an article of wearable clothing that is arranged on the subject nursing mother.

14 . The breast milk flow monitoring system of claim 7 , further comprising:

wherein each of the plurality of electrodes is arranged as an electrode pair, the electrode pair including a first electrode arranged to send an excitation signal and a second electrode arranged to receive a response signal;

wherein the first electrode is arranged at a superomedial location distal to an areola of a breast of a subject nursing mother; and

wherein the second electrode is arranged at an inferolateral location distal to the areola of the breast of the subject nursing mother when the milk flow monitoring sensor is arranged on an article of wearable clothing that is arranged on the subject nursing mother.

15 . The breast milk flow monitoring system of claim 7 , further comprising:

a cellular device including an executable application, the cellular device being in communication with a cloud environment;

wherein the cellular device is configured to receive the breast milk flow parameter from the controller,

wherein the cellular device is configured to communicate the breast milk flow parameter to the cloud environment, and

wherein the cellular device is configured to visually display the breast milk flow parameter.

16 . The breast milk flow monitoring system of claim 7 , further comprising the controller being operative to determine the breast milk flow parameter based upon the bio-impedance spectroscopic analysis, wherein the breast milk flow parameter correlates to milk expressed from the breast during infant feeding and pumping.

17 . A method for monitoring breast milk flow, the method comprising:

applying, via a first electrode disposed on a skin surface of a breast at a first location, a first excitation signal to monitor the breast;

receiving, via a second electrode disposed on the skin surface of the breast at a second location, a first response signal indicative of breast tissue impedance, wherein the first response signal is responsive to the first excitation signal; and

determining a breast milk flow parameter based on an analysis of the first response signal, wherein the breast milk flow parameter correlates to milk flow expressed from the breast during infant feeding or pumping.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein determining the breast milk flow parameter based on the analysis of the response signal comprises executing a bio-impedance spectroscopic analysis of the response signal, wherein the bio-impedance spectroscopic analysis is calibrated for breast milk flow.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

applying, via a third electrode disposed on a skin surface of a breast at a third location, a second excitation signal to breast tissue of the breast;

receiving, via a fourth electrode disposed on the skin surface of the breast at a fourth location, a second response signal indicative of breast tissue impedance, wherein the second response signal is responsive to the second excitation signal; and

determining a breast milk flow parameter based on an analysis of the first response signal and the second response signal, wherein the breast milk flow parameter correlates to expressed milk flow from the breast during infant feeding and pumping.