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An Alternate Breast Pump
Cracked nipples and the agony of nursing a hungry baby at the same time is quite a severe situation that only moms will understand. Breast pumps are a solution and even if we use it for convenience purposes, the whole idea of an artificial nipple squeezer is quite alien to a lactating mother. The goal of the IUNO Breast Pump is not to offer a quick pumping session, but to offer a comforting, more intimate and less intimidating experience. The bowl is shaped more like a baby’s head than a bottle tube for that sake.
How does it work:
Instead of a funnel connected to a bottle, the part of the pump held against the breast is a sphere. It encompasses all the different parts that are found in today’s pumps: funnel, diaphragm, valve and milk reservoir.
The funnel’s shape has been designed to be more organic and closer to what actually goes on in a baby’s mouth during suckling during which the nipple’s shape is changed and the areola is massaged against the baby’s palate. In addition, the funnel is lined with a separate thick silicone lining for the mother’s comfort. It is this lining that massages the area surrounding the nipple when the vacuum is applied.
The base houses the pump itself as well as holding the sphere when it’s not held by the mother. It includes a digital timer as well as controls for the vacuum levels and the number of cycles per minute.
Designer: Dan Almagor
17 Comments »
max says
I like the funnel shape a lot. Simulating the tongue may also be a good idea. Look to the fleshlight for the technology
We appreciate having the bottle attach directly to the funnel in our current set-up. I’m not sure, but pouring it from the sphere into the bottle might unnecessarily invite bacteria into the process and create an opportunity for spills.
That guy says
boobies!
Anneibclcl says
Grow up. Get a copy of Penthouse if you want to see "boobies" that much, unless you're too young to legally buy one. You sound like you're in the 4th grade.
Anneibclcl says
Grow up. Get a copy of Penthouse if you want to see “boobies” that much, unless you're too young to legally buy one. You sound like you're in the 4th grade.
Michael says
Intriguing idea on the part attaching to the breast. I agree, though. Pouring the milk into another container isn’t a good idea. Having done some work on breast pump designs in the past, storage of the milk is a huge deal as well.
Nevertheless, this is a good starting point!
Melissa says
Your pump design is interesting. As a lactation consultant, I am always keeping an eye out for new lactation tools. Is this items still a concept design or is it actually in the process of being brought to market?
Melissa says
Your pump design is interesting. As a lactation consultant, I am always keeping an eye out for new lactation tools. Is this items still a concept design or is it actually in the process of being brought to market?
Joan Miller says
I am also a Lactation Consultant and would like to know if this is or will be on the market. I disagree that there needs to be a storage/bottle attached. Most mothers I have helped often transfere their milk into some other container than the one used for pumping. Breast milk has own antibodies so risk of contamination is minimal.
Joan Miller says
I am also a Lactation Consultant and would like to know if this is or will be on the market. I disagree that there needs to be a storage/bottle attached. Most mothers I have helped often transfere their milk into some other container than the one used for pumping. Breast milk has own antibodies so risk of contamination is minimal.
Linda says
Wow! I love this design. My only concern is cleaning the parts thoroughly and fitting to different sizes. Women are not "one size fits all". If a mom already has sore nipples, the massaging feature might produce more irritation if it doen't fit well, or cause damage when there was none before. Some women can pump quite alot of milk at one sitting. What's the capacity of the sphere? Do you have a double pump in the works too?
Linda says
Wow! I love this design. My only concern is cleaning the parts thoroughly and fitting to different sizes. Women are not “one size fits all”. If a mom already has sore nipples, the massaging feature might produce more irritation if it doen't fit well, or cause damage when there was none before. Some women can pump quite alot of milk at one sitting. What's the capacity of the sphere? Do you have a double pump in the works too?
Heather says
I pumped for 6 months straight for my preemie and I think that if I had something like this I would have expressed more milk, and would have been able to nurse and pump longer than I did.
Kat says
Wow that looks interesting. I've used quite a few different brands of pumps so it would be interesting to see if this one was actually more comfortable. For me it hasn't really been the shape of the pump that is bothersome. More the constant suction left on the nipple causing it to swell.
Heather says
I pumped for 6 months straight for my preemie and I think that if I had something like this I would have expressed more milk, and would have been able to nurse and pump longer than I did.
Kat says
Wow that looks interesting. I've used quite a few different brands of pumps so it would be interesting to see if this one was actually more comfortable. For me it hasn't really been the shape of the pump that is bothersome. More the constant suction left on the nipple causing it to swell.
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