Gravity feeding device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9265699-B2
Application number	US-57741909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2009
Priority date	Oct 12, 2009
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A gravity fed infant feeding device is disclosed. The gravity feeding device may have a cover with a through hole that allows liquid nutrients within the infant feeding device to be fed to an infant by way of gravity. If the infant feeding device clogs up, then either an integrated pump or a separate pump may be applied to the infant feeding device to increase pressure and push out the clog from the system. the through hole may be covered with a hydrophobic filter to allow air to pass there through and allow the feeding of the infant by way of gravity yet liquid nutrients within the infant feeding device cannot escape or be contaminated during use.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a feeding device for an infant, the method comprising the steps of:
providing an enteral feeding tube to an infant;
filling a rigid body defining a fluid chamber of the infant feeding device with liquid nutrients;
orienting a reduced size throat of the infant feeding device to a lowered position to discharge the liquid nutrients from the fluid chamber by way of gravity;
discharging the liquid nutrients out of the reduced size throat and through the enteral feeding tube to the infant by way of gravity by providing air communication between the fluid chamber and the environment through a vent formed above a liquid level of the liquid nutrients disposed within the fluid chamber;
when the reduced size throat is clogged, placing a user's finger in direct contact with the vent to close the vent and increasing pressure within the fluid chamber to unclog the reduced size throat by pushing the closed vent toward the fluid chamber to increase pressure within the fluid chamber;
removing the user's finger from the vent to open the vent; and resuming the discharging step.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the vent is traverseable between a depressed position and a retracted position, and the pushing step comprises the step of pushing the vent located within a diaphragm toward the fluid chamber.

Assignees

• Hyun Dongchul D
• Medela Holding Ag

Inventors

• Hyun Dongchul D

Classifications

• A61J9/00 Primary

  Feeding-bottles in general · CPC title

• A61J15/0026

  Parts, details or accessories for feeding-tubes (external tubes from medical containers to a connector outside of the body A61M39/08) · CPC title

• A61J1/2075

  for external venting · CPC title

• A61J1/1412

  Containers with closing means, e.g. caps · CPC title

• A61J9/04

  with means for supplying air · CPC title