Programmable electric breast pump

In an automatic breast pump system, a method for synchronizing a vacuum pump with a natural refractory time of a breast, comprising:

• a controller receiving a selected vacuum rate signal manually selected by a user using a vacuum rate selector on a housing of the breast pump system;
• a controller receiving a selected vacuum level signal manually selected by a user using a vacuum level selector on the housing of the breast pump system;
• driving the vacuum pump responsive to the selected vacuum rate signal;
• cycling vacuum pressure between a minimum vacuum and a maximum vacuum determined in the controller according to the selected vacuum level signal;
• and
• adjusting the selected vacuum level signal until the vacuum pressure cycles in phase with the natural refractory time;
• counting time elapsed during a single cycle of the breast pump system;
• and
• stopping the vacuum pump if the time elapsed is less than a predetermined minimum time.

A method for controlling a breast pump system for extracting milk by use of a breast cup, comprising:

• providing a source of vacuum from a vacuum pump fluidly connected to the breast cup;
• using a vacuum relief valve bypassing the vacuum pump to control the level of vacuum provided to the breast cup;
• a user manually selecting a vacuum pump rate using a manual vacuum rate selector;
• the user manually selecting a vacuum level using a manual vacuum level selector;
• driving the vacuum pump in response to the selected vacuum pump rate;
• cycling the vacuum relief valve between a minimum vacuum level and a maximum vacuum level determined from the selected vacuum level;
• the user observing the magnitude of felt vacuum in the breast cup during the pumping session and manually adjusting the vacuum level selector to maintain a comfortable level of vacuum during the pumping session;
• and
• the user observing the resulting periodic cycling during the pumping session and manually adjusting the vacuum rate selector to maintain a desired pumping rate;
• sensing a temperature in the breast pump system;
• and
• stopping the vacuum pump if the sensed temperature exceeds a predetermined maximum temperature.

A method for synchronizing a breast pump suction cycle with a natural refractory time of a lactating breast, the method comprising:

• turning the vacuum pump on, a vacuum relief valve bypassing the vacuum pump to control suction;
• a user manually using a vacuum pump rate selector on a housing of the breast pump system to select a vacuum pump rate;
• providing a vacuum pump rate signal from the vacuum pump rate selector to a microcontroller to control the vacuum pump rate;
• the user manually using a vacuum level selector on a housing of the breast pump system to select a vacuum level;
• providing a vacuum level signal from the vacuum level selector to the microcontroller;
• setting a minimum vacuum pressure threshold and a maximum vacuum pressure threshold by the microcontroller based on the vacuum level selected by the user;
• sensing a vacuum signal in at least one breast cup;
• comparing the vacuum signal to the minimum vacuum pressure threshold and closing the vacuum relief valve if the vacuum signal is less than the minimum vacuum pressure threshold;
• comparing the vacuum signal to the maximum vacuum pressure threshold and opening the vacuum relief valve if the vacuum signal is greater than the maximum vacuum pressure threshold;
• the user manually adjusting at least one of the vacuum pump rate selector and the vacuum level selector to synchronize the breast pump suction cycle with the natural refractory time of a lactating breast;
• and
• the user observing a let-down reflex during the pumping session and making manual adjustments to at least one of the breast pump during a pumping session when the let-down reflex occurs as the session progresses.