Feeding system for an infant and method of using such a system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10842718-B2
Application number	US-201615754310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2016
Priority date	Sep 14, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a feeding system ( 1 ) for infants comprising a bottle ( 2 ) for storing and releasing a fluid, at least one sensor ( 10, 20, 30 ) arranged in or at the bottle ( 2 ) for measuring one or more bottle parameters, a data processing unit ( 12, 22, 32 ) for processing the measured bottle parameters to generate an advice related to at least one bottle parameter, and an indicator ( 13, 23, 33 ) for issuing said advice to a user of the feeding system ( 1 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A feeding system for infants, comprising:
a bottle for storing and releasing a fluid,
a set of two or more teats having different flow rates, each of the teats being configured to be arranged on an open end of the bottle,
at least one sensor integrated in the bottle between two layers of the bottle, the sensor configured to measure one or more bottle parameters associated with contents of the bottle,
a data processing unit integrated in the bottle between the two layers of the bottle, configured to process the measured bottle parameters to generate an advice to a user regarding the teat, and
an indicator integrated in the bottle between the two layers of the bottle, configured to issue said advice to said user of the feeding system, and
wherein an inner body of the bottle is arranged to hold the fluid and an outer layer is arranged to cover the at least one sensor, the data processing unit and the indicator, and
wherein the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, a mass sensor, a temperature sensor, a sensor for opening/closing of the bottle, and a stopwatch.

2. The feeding system according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a data storage for storing the measured bottle parameters, predetermined data, resulting data and algorithms.

3. The feeding system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one sensor, the data processing unit and the indicator are arranged in or at the bottle.

4. The feeding system according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a holder wherein the at least one sensor, the data processing unit and the indicator are arranged in or at the holder which is detachably or permanently connected to the bottle, wherein the bottle is arranged to slide into the holder.

5. The feeding system according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a bottle communication unit in or at the bottle for wireless or wired communication with at least one user device comprising a device communication unit.

6. The feeding system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the at least one sensor and the data processing unit are arranged in or at the bottle and the indicator is arranged in or at the user device.

7. The feeding system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the at least one sensor is arranged in or at the bottle and the data processing unit and the indicator are arranged in or at the user device.

8. The feeding system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the indicator is one of an optical, acoustical or tactile indicator or a combination thereof.

9. The feeding system according to claim 1 ,
further comprising at least two environmental sensors including a microphone and at least one of a light sensor and an air flow measurement sensor, arranged in or at the bottle and/or a user device for measuring an environmental parameter, wherein said data processing unit is configured to use the measured environmental parameter to determine a preferred environmental condition.

10. The feeding system according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a combination of a mass sensor or a flow rate sensor with a timer, wherein said mass sensor is configured to measure a change in mass over time and the flow sensor is configured to measure a change in flow over time.

11. The feeding system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the user device is a smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop, a wrist-worn device, or a personal computer.

12. A method of monitoring the feeding of an infant by use of a feeding system comprising a bottle for storing and releasing a fluid, a set of two or more teats having different flow rates, each of the teats being configured to be arranged on the open end of the bottle, and at least one sensor arranged in the bottle for measuring one or more bottle parameters associated with contents of the bottle, the method comprising:
receiving the one or more bottle parameters measured by the at least one sensor integrated in the bottle between two layers of the bottle, during feeding of an infant from the bottle,
generating an advice derived by a data processing unit integrated in the bottle between the two layers of the bottle regarding the teat based on the measured bottle parameters, and
issuing the advice to a user of the feeding system via an indicator integrated in the bottle between the two layers of the bottle.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the method is performed by one of an application or program present on at least one user device which is configured to carry out the method steps.

14. A non-transitory computer storage medium on which is stored computer program code instructions for execution of a method when when executed by a processor for providing control signals for carrying out the steps of the method as claimed in claim 12 when said computer program code instructions are carried out on said computer storage medium.

15. The method according to claim 13 ,
wherein the user device is a smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop, a wrist-worn device, or a personal computer.

16. The feeding system according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a holder wherein the at least one sensor, the data processing unit and the indicator are arranged in or at the holder which is detachably or permanently connected to the bottle, wherein the bottle is arranged to screw into the holder.

17. The feeding system according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a holder wherein the at least one sensor, the data processing unit and the indicator are arranged in or at the holder which is detachably or permanently connected to the bottle, wherein the bottle is arranged to clip into the holder.

18. A feeding system for infants, comprising:
a bottle for storing and releasing a fluid,
a set of two or more teats having different flow rates, each of the teats being configured to be arranged on an open end of the bottle,
at least one sensor arranged in the bottle, configured to measure one or more bottle parameters associated with contents of the bottle,
a data processing unit arranged in the bottle, configured to process the measured bottle parameters to generate an advice to a user regarding the teat, and
an indicator arranged in the bottle, configured to issue said advice to said user of the feeding system, and
a holder, wherein the at least one sensor, the data processing unit and the indicator are arranged in or at the holder which, and wherein the bottle is arranged to slide into the holder.

19. The feeding system according to claim 18 , wherein the holder is removably connected from the bottle.

20. The feeding system according to claim 18 , wherein the holder is permanently connected to the bottle.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Kessels Marijn
• Donkers Pia Petronella Maria

Classifications

• G01D21/02

  Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass · CPC title

• A61J2200/70

  Device provided with specific sensor or indicating means · CPC title

• A61J2200/72

  for temperature · CPC title

• A61J2200/74

  for weight · CPC title

• A61J9/00 Primary

  Feeding-bottles in general · CPC title