Submersible Breast Pump Protection Mechanism for a Breast Milk Collection Device with Self-Contained Reservoir

A breast milk collection device, comprising:

• an adaptor adapted at one end to receive a woman's breast therein, a second end of said adaptor communicating with a reservoir, said reservoir adapted to receive breast milk from said adaptor;
• a source of cyclical application and relief of vacuum force in communication with said adaptor, said application and relief of vacuum force adapted to be cyclically applied to the woman's breast located in said adaptor for the expression of breast milk into said adaptor;
• a valve assembly in communication with said adaptor, said valve assembly including a fluid passageway and a valve element extending into said reservoir, said valve element adapted to permit breast milk to enter said reservoir through said fluid passageway and to submerge said valve element in said milk, said valve element adapted to prevent breast milk from passing from said reservoir to said fluid passageway;
• said valve assembly including a flexible barrier, said flexible barrier having an interior hollow chamber in fluid communication with said cyclical source of vacuum force and relief pressure, said flexible barrier fluidly isolating said source from said reservoir and isolating said source from the breast milk receiving portions of said valve assembly;
• said valve assembly further including a barrier housing, an interior of said barrier housing in fluid communication with said fluid passageway, said flexible barrier inflatably extending into said barrier housing when said relief pressure is applied to said interior hollow chamber of said flexible barrier, said flexible barrier becoming deflated when said source applies a vacuum force to said hollow interior chamber of said flexible barrier.

A breast milk collection device, comprising:

• an adaptor adapted at one end to receive a woman's breast therein,
• a second end of said adaptor communicating with a reservoir, said reservoir adapted to receive breast milk from said adaptor;
• a source of cyclical application and relief of vacuum force in communication with said adaptor, said application and relief of vacuum force adapted to be cyclically applied to the woman's breast located in said adaptor for the expression of breast milk into said adaptor;
• a valve assembly in communication with said adaptor, said valve assembly including a fluid passageway and a valve element extending into said reservoir, said valve element adapted to permit breast milk to enter said reservoir through said fluid passageway and to submerge said valve element in said milk, said valve element adapted to prevent breast milk from passing from said reservoir volume to said fluid passageway;
• said valve assembly including a hydrophobic barrier, said hydrophobic barrier having a first surface in communication with said cyclical source of vacuum force and relief pressure, and a second surface adapted to be in contact with breast milk in said fluid passageway, said hydrophobic barrier isolating said source from said reservoir and isolating said source from the breast milk receiving portions of said valve assembly;
• said valve assembly further including a barrier housing, an interior of said barrier housing in fluid communication with said passageway, said hydrophobic barrier extending over an opening of said barrier housing;
• said hydrophobic barrier allowing said vacuum force and said relief pressure to pass through said hydrophobic barrier, said barrier adapted to prevent breast milk from flowing through said barrier from an interior volume of said barrier housing to said source of cyclical application of vacuum force and relief pressure.