Breast pump system
A breast pump system ( 1 ) comprises a breast pump arranged to extract milk from a user; and a breathing guidance means configured to provide a suggested breathing pattern to the user. The breathing guidance means may be produced by a motorized breast pump unit ( 10 ), or may be a series of stimuli at a stimuli frequency, which are perceivable by the user. The system ( 1 ) may include a heart rate monitor for measuring the heart rate of the user, and the suggested breathing pattern may be coupled to the measured heart rate.
1. A breast pump system, comprising:
a breast pump arranged to extract milk from a user; and
a breathing guidance means configured to provide a suggested breathing pattern to the user timed for a selected breathing rate for the user to facilitate release of oxytocin in the user.
2. A breast pump system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the breast pump comprises a breast pump unit motorised to operate at a pumping frequency; and
the breast pump unit is the breathing guidance means and the pumping frequency provides the suggested breathing pattern.
3. A breast pump system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the pumping frequency is controlled to be constant, or, the pumping frequency is controlled to change from a first frequency to a second frequency.
4. A breast pump system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the pumping frequency is controlled to reduce rapidly once a milk ejection reflex has been triggered, and/or, the pumping frequency is controlled to reduce gradually over period of time.
5. A breast pump system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the pumping frequency is variable and coupled to a measured heart rate.
6. A breast pump system as claimed in claim wherein the breathing guidance means produces a series of stimuli at a stimuli frequency, which are perceivable by the user to form the suggested breathing pattern.
7. A breast pump system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the stimuli are at least one of audio, visual, touch or heat stimuli.
8. A breast pump system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the stimuli frequency is controllable independently of the breast pump.
9. A breast pump system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the breast pump comprises a breast pump unit motorised to operate at a pumping frequency, and the stimuli are produced at a stimuli frequency which is coupled to the pumping frequency.
10. A breast pump system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the pumping frequency and stimuli frequency are coupled to a measured heart rate.
11. A breast pump system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the stimuli frequency is coupled to a measured heart rate.
12. A breast pump system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the breast pump system includes a heart rate monitor for measuring the heart rate of the user.
13. A breast pump system as claimed in claim 12 wherein the system further comprises a feedback unit arranged to provide feedback to the user on a coherence state of the user's heart rate.
14. A breast pump system as claimed in claim 12 wherein in a first state when the heart rate monitor detects coherence above a threshold level, the breathing guidance means is configured not to produce any stimuli, and in a second state when the heart rate monitor detects coherence below a threshold level, the breathing guidance means is configured to produce the series of stimuli.
15. A breast pump system as claimed ire claim 1 wherein the breast pump comprises:
a pump unit;
a handheld unit for receiving a breast of the user and capturing expressed milk;
a tube connecting the pump unit to the handheld unit and containing a working fluid which is pumped back and forth by the pump unit for varying the pressure within a part of the handheld unit.
16. A method of operating breast pump system as claimed in claim 1 , comprising:
operating the breast pump in order to extract milk; and
breathing substantially in time with the breathing pattern provided by the breathing guidance means.
17. A breast pump system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the breathing rate is less than 10 breaths per minute.