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US 10,780,024 B2Granted
Custom-made artificial nipple
AssigneeDenslojac, LLC
InventorsMaura J. Lofaro, Shannon Roberts
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An artificial nipple is formed of an elastomeric polymer by use of 3D printing after imaging of a mother's breast in an active state of lactation. The artificial nipple used as an attachment to a baby bottle or as the nipple component of a pacifier. Use of an artificial nipple formed in this manner mitigates a problem with nipple confusion, as may otherwise manifest in newborn offspring.
Claims10
A process for making an elastomeric artificial nipple to be utilized as a substitute nipple for presentation to a child, the process comprising steps of:
- placing a nipple region of a breast using a physical stimulus into an active state of lactation;
- casting the nipple region of the breast in the active state of lactation and devoid of the physical stimulus to obtain an impression representing at least the nipple region of the breast,
- the active state of lactation being characterized by morphological changes to the actual nipple that naturally occur due to the accumulation of milk in interior ducts proximate an areola associated with the actual nipple;
- recasting from the impression to obtain a positive reproduction of the nipple region;
- fitting the positive reproduction of the nipple region to a base section for support of the positive reproduction to form a casting aid;
- casting the casting aid to form a mold;
- and
- casting from the mold to form an artificial nipple structure made of an elastomer.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.