2. Description of the Prior Art Various bags have been developed for the sterile transportation and/or storage of samples in the medical and food fields, such as human fluid samples, milk, water in environmental studies, etc.

Such a plastic bag is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 5,564,829 issued on October 15,1996 to Lafond. As seen in Fig. 1, in this patent a disposable sterile plastic bag B comprises a two-ply sheet flexible material consisting of front and rear sheets 8 integrally joined at opposed side edges 12,12 thereof (or the bag may be made from a tube) and including opposite upper and lower ends 10 and 14, respectively. The front and rear sheets 8,8 are joined at the upper and lower ends 10 and 14 thereof respectively by upper and lower heat seals 16 and 18, respectively, with a sealed sample receiving chamber being defined between the two plastic sheets 8,8 inwardly of the bag\'s side edges 12,12 and upper and lower sealed ends 16 and 18. Inwardly of the upper seal 16, there is defined a tear-off line 20 transversely across the two sheets 8,8 and parallelly to the upper seal 16 thereby forming a detachable strip 24 outwardly of the tear-off line 20. The tear off line 20 is punctured through both sheets 8 across the upper end 10 of the bag B and lower than the upper heat seal 16 such that the upper heat seal 16 extends substantially parallelly between the tear off line 20 and an upper edge 26 of the bag B. When the liquid sample is ready to be introduced in the bag B, the strip 24 is removed from the

bag B by pulling it so as to cause rupture of the two sheets 8,8 at the tear-off line 20. The bag\'s chamber is thus sterile when the sample is introduced therein and the bag B, when so opened, defines a mouth 22 through which the liquid sample may be introduced in the bag B.

The bag\'s sterility does not depend on how the bag is packaged or on the integrity of the packaging\'s seal as the bag is itself sterile until the strip 24 is removed therefrom, that is until the bag B is ready to be used.

Such plastic bags may also include near an open end thereof a wire or metal strip which is mounted transversely across the bag with ends extending past the side edges of the bag. Once the bag has been filled with the sample to be transported/stored, the open end is folded at least once over the bag about the wire or metal strip so as to close the open end and the ends of the wire or metal strip are then folded at the side edges of the bag and brought around so as to extend inwardly behind the bag. This safely and effectively encloses the sample in the plastic bag.

Such plastics bags are, for instance, used for storing breast milk which has been collected by way of a breast pump into a rigid container, such as a bottle, which is in fluid communication with the breast pump and which has then been transferred in to the plastic bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a support for flexible bags, which allows breast milk to be conveyed from the breast pump directly into the flexible bag.

Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a support for a flexible bag adapted to be filled with breast milk by way of a breast pump, comprising a hollow body having opposed ends adapted to be fluidly connected to an outlet of the

breast pump and to an inlet of the flexible bag, whereby milk retrieved by the breast pump from a breast is conveyed by the breast pump through said support and into the flexible bag.

Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a support in combination with a breast pump and with a flexible bag adapted to be filled with breast milk, comprising a hollow body having first and second opposed ends, said first end being adapted to be fluidly connected to an outlet of said breast pump, with said second end being adapted to be fluidly connected to an inlet of said flexible bag, whereby milk retrieved by said breast pump from a breast is conveyed by said breast pump through said support and into said flexible bag.

Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of filling a flexible with breast milk, comprising the steps of: a) providing a breast pump, a flexible bag and a support for said flexible bag; b) fluidly connecting said support between said breast pump and said flexible bag; and c) operating said breast pump such that said breast pump retrieves milk from a breast, with the milk being conveyed through said support and into said flexible bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective, view of a sterile plastic bag adapted to hold therein liquid samples, wherein the sterile bag is shown in a partly open position;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of another sterile plastic bag, wherein the sterile bag is shown in a closed or sealed position thereof; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the sterile bag of Fig. 2 which has been opened, filled with a liquid and closed for storing the liquid; Figs. 4a to 4i illustrate various steps followed by the bag of Figs. 2 and 3 when used in a typical cycle; Figs. 5 to 9 are schematic exploded views of various bag supports in accordance with the present invention for flexible bags and used in conjunction with a breast milk pump; and Fig. 10 is a schematic perspective view of an electric breast pump.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Fig. 1 illustrates a conventional sterile plastic bag B made for instance from heavy-gauge transparent polyethylene. More particularly, the bag B can be made from an elongated sleeve which is transversely cut so as to obtain a bag of desired length or height, that is the distance between the opposed open ends of the severed sleeve. Such a construction produces a bag having no side seams which reduces the costs of manufacture of the bag B and increases the efficiency of the protection afforded by the bag B. Then, the bottom end of the severed sleeve is closed, for example, by heat sealing thereby producing a bag having an open upper end.

This upper end, in the present invention, is temporarily sealed by a further heat seal which is carried out between the upper edge of the bag and a tear off line defined transversely across the bag at its upper end, whereby when the bag is required for holding a sample, for instance for subsequent use in a laboratory blender, the tear off strip defined between the tear off line and the upper edge of the bag can be detached from the

latter. With this construction, the bag remains substantially and sufficiently sterile until it is used, that is until the tear off strip is removed therefrom.

The bag B is initially produced and sold in a sealed position where the tear off is not detached from the rest of the bag. When a sample or the like must be deposited in the bag B, the bag B is opened by proceeding as illustrated in Fig. 1.

More particularly, in Fig. 1, the bag B is of the two-ply type having identical front and rear sheets 8 integrally joined at side edges 12 thereof and having opposite upper and lower ends 10 and 14, respectively.

The two sheets 8 are joined in a tight sealed manner at the upper end 10 of the bag B by known connection means, such as a heat seal 16. Similarly, the sheets 8 are sealingly joined at the lower end 14 of the bag B by a lower heat seal 18.

A tear off line 20 is punctured through both sheets 8 across the upper end 10 of the bag B and lower than the upper heat seal 16 such that the upper heat seal 16 extends substantially parallelly between the tear off line 20 and an upper edge 26 of the bag B. Therefore, there is a tear off strip 24 defined at the upper end 10 of the bag B which when detached from the remainder of the bag B in a manner initiated in Fig. 1, reveals an open mouth 22 of the bag B through which the bag B can obviously be filled with the sample intended to be stored therein.

Now turning to another type of sterile bag, Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a disposable sterile plastic bag 100 for holding therein liquids, for instance breast milk such that it may be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. The bag 100 has a basic structure similar to the conventional bag B of Fig. 1 in that it comprises identical front and rear sheets 108 integrally joined at side edges 112 thereof, generally as a result of the bag 100 being made from a tube, and having opposite upper and

lower ends 110 and 114, respectively. The two sheets 108 are joined in a tight sealed manner at the upper end 110 of the bag 100 by a heat seal 116 with two parallel and spaced heat seals 116 being herein shown. Similarly, the two sheets 108 are sealingly joined at the lower end 114 of the bag 100 by a lower heat seal 118, also herein embodied by a pair of heat seals 118 which ensure total sterility and leakproofness of the bag 100.

A tear off line 120 is punctured through both sheets 108 across the upper end 110 of the bag 100 and lower than the upper heat seals 116 such that the upper heat seals 116 extend substantially parallelly between the tear off line 120 and an upper edge 126 of the bag 100. Therefore, there is a tear off strip 124 defined at the upper end 110 of the bag 100 which when detached from the remainder of the bag 100 (in a manner initiated and shown for the conventional bag B in Fig. 1), reveals an open mouth 122 (see Fig. 4b) at the tear off line 120 of the bag 100 through which the bag 100 can obviously be filled with, for instance, the breast milk intended to be stored in the bag 100. The tear off strip 124 preserves the sterility of the bag 100 until its manipulation.

The bag 100 further includes near the mouth 122 thereof, that is just below the tear off line 120, a closure member 130 which is mounted transversely across the bag 100 with ends 132 (acting as pull-tabs) of the closure member 130 extending past the side edges 112 of the bag 100. The closure member, in a known manner, includes a pair of metal strips or wires 134 (one disposed outwardly on each of the front and rear sheets 108) and a pair of adhesive tapes 136 disposed outwardly over the metal wires 134 to attach the metal wires 134 to the front and rear sheets 108 of the bag 100 with the tapes 136 adhering to the bag 100 inwardly of the side edges 112 thereof while adhering together outwardly of the side edges 112. The closure member 130 allows for the

bag 100 to be repeatedly opened and closed without risk of loss of contents.

At least one of the front and rear sheets 108 of the bag 100 is provided thereon, for instance by printing, with indicia 138 which indicate the approximate volume of liquid (e. g. breast milk) in the bag 100.

Calibrated reference markings 140 indicate liquid levels whereas scales of volumes, in ounces 142 and in millimetres 144, are associated with each reference marking 140 such that the user can easily determine approximately the volume of liquid being poured, or having been previously put or now remaining, in the bag 100. Opposite each scale of volume indicia 142 and 144, there is provided an indication of the volume measurement unit 146 (i. e."OZ"for ounces and"ML"for millimetres) associated with each scale.

Also, the lower end 114 defines an extension 148 of dimensions sufficient to allow for some information to be provided on the bag 100 regarding the contents thereof. The extension 148 is basically comprised of the lower ends of both the front and rear sheets 108, that the portions thereof extending below the lower heat seals 118 (although the extension could include a single layer, such as either one of the front and rear sheets 108). Various information may be provided, for instance by writing, on the extension 148, such as the date of bagging on line 150 and the volume of liquid (e. g. breast milk) on line 152 with references 154 and 156 reading, in such a case, as"DATE"and"VOLUME", respectively.

Importantly, as the extension 148 is located outwardly of, that is not opposite to, the liquid containing chamber of the bag 100 (see Fig. 3), there is no risk or damaging or piercing the bag 100 when writing information at areas 150 and 152 of the extension 148, and thus there is no risk of causing a leak in the bag 100. The extension 148 being planar, it is possible to

easily write thereon even after the bag 100 has been filled with liquid.

Therefore, once the tear off strip 124 has been removed from the bag 100, the bag 100 may be opened by spreading side pull-tabs 158 (one such pull-tab extending outwardly from the middle of each adhesive tape 136) thereby avoiding contamination of the inside of the bag 100. Then, the liquid (breast milk) may be inserted in the bag 100 while allowing space in the bag 100 for expansion of the liquid if, for instance, it is intended to be frozen. The longitudinal ends or pull-tabs 132 of the closure member 130 (i. e. its portions extending outwardly beyond the side edges 112 of the bag 100) are then pulled away so as to draw the front and rear sheets 108 together opposite the closure member 130 thereby substantially closing the upper mouth 122 of the bag 100.

After, pressure is applied on the outside of the bag 100 to remove trapped air. The closure member 130 is then rolled down, for instance four (4) times over, and the longitudinal ends 132 of the closure member 130 are folded inwardly, at the side edges 112 of the bag 100, over either the front and rear sheets 108 to prevent the "unrolling"of the closed upper end of the bag 100. This safely and effectively encloses the liquid in the plastic bag 100. In Fig. 3, the bag 100 so contains a liquid, such as breast milk, with a level thereof being indicated at L.

Using a regular ball point pen, the user may indicate, for instance, date and volume information on lines 150 and 152 of the extension 148 located at the bottom of the bag 100.

When one is ready to use the breast milk stored in the bag 100, it is possible to use the bag 100 as a bottle liner with Playtex-type feeding bottles of the type having a cylindrical configuration and open opposite longitudinal ends, the upper end having outside threads screwably engageable by inside threads of a bottle cap

provided with a nipple, wherein a bag is typically introduced in the feeding bottle and the upper end of the bag is folded outwardly over the upper end of the feeding bottle and the outside threads thereof such that, when the bottle cap is subsequently engaged to the feeding bottle the folded over upper end of the plastic bag is imprisoned between the outside threads of the feeding bottle and the inside threads of the bottle cap.

When the bag 10 filled with milk is used with such Playtex-type feeding bottles, the bag 100 is first completely unrolled and then the upper end of the bag 100 is cut, below the closure member 130. The rest of the bag 100 containing the breast milk is then inserted in the feeding bottle and the upper end of the bag 100 is peeled outwardly over the upper rim of the feeding bottle, in a conventional manner, covering completely the outside threads of the feeding bottle, whereafter the bottle cap (and its nipple) are screwed onto the feeding bottle and the bag.

Therefore, the milk does not have to be transferred from any storage container into the conventional bag used with the feeding bottle, thereby eliminating possible contamination of the breast milk.

Furthermore, milk pumped from the breast using, for instance, a breast pump, may be fed directly into the bag 100 thereby again eliminating a transfer from the standard container attached to the pump to a storage container. Indeed, milk may be pumped directly into the bag 100 which can then be used for storage purposes and thereafter used as a bottle liner, as described hereinabove. For this, the bag 100 is attached to the outlet of the pumping unit, e. g. its transfer hose,. by using the closure member 130 which is brought around the outlet and tied thereat by twisting together the longitudinal ends 132 of the closure member 130. Then, the pump may be activated and the resulting pumped breast milk is conveyed into the bag 100.

Figs. 4a to 4i show the use of the bag 100 through a typical cycle. More particularly, Fig. 4a illustrates the removal of the safety tear off strip 124 from the bag 100. Fig. 4b shows the outward pulling of side pull-tabs to open the bag 100 and define an upper open mouth 122 therefor. Fig. 4c illustrates an outlet tip 160 of a breast pump 162 inserted in the mouth 122 of the bag 100 with the closure member 130 being wrapped around the outlet tip 160 and the longitudinal ends 132 of the closure member 130 being shown as they are being tied together by twisting such as to secure the upper end of the bag 100 to the outlet tip 160 of the breast pump 162; once milk has been expressed from the breast into the bag 100, the ends 132 of the closure member 130 are untwisted and detached from each other thereby allowing the filled bag 100 to be removed from the breast pump 162.

As seen in Fig. 4d, the longitudinal ends 132, now acting as pull tabs, are then pulled away from each other to close the mouth 122 of the bag 100 with air being removed from the bag 100 by pressing with one\'s fingers on the outside of both the front and rear sheets 108. In Fig. 4e, the bag 100, while being firmly held by the longitudinal ends 132 of the closure member 130, is rotated e. g. 4 or 5 times) about the closure member 130 to close the upper end of the bag 100. Fig. 4f illustrates the longitudinal ends 132 being folded inwardly substantially about the side edges 112 of the bag 100 to"lock"the rolled-up upper end of the bag 100 and so provide a leakproof seal.

Fig. 4g shows the writing of the extraction date and extracted milk volume at areas 150 and 152 of the extension 148. Fig. 4h illustrates the milk being stored in a freezer 164 or refrigerator 166 and then being taken out therefrom generally for consumption of the frozen or cold milk. Finally, Fig. 4i shows the bag 100 being used as a disposable liner for a feeding bottle

168, wherein the bag 100 is first cut just under its closure member 130 (see left image in Fig. 4i) with the bag section carrying the closure member 130 being discarded and with the remainder of the bag being inserted in the feeding bottle 168; this is followed by the upper end of the bag being folded outwardly over the upper rim of the bottle 168 (see middle image in Fig.

4i), and then by a bottle cap 170 (provided with a nipple 172) being screwed onto the upper end of the bottle 168 thereby imprisoning the folded upper end of the bag between the bottle 168 and the bottle cap 170.

It is noted that flexible bags other than those described hereinabove and shown in Figs. 1 to 3 can be used to receive breast milk, for instance for storing purposes thereof.

In order to facilitate the step shown in Fig.

4c of conveying the breast milk directly from a breast pump, such as the breast pump 162 of Fig. 4c, into the flexible bag B (Fig. 1) or 100 (Figs. 2 and 3), there is proposed in accordance with the present invention a support for holding the flexible bag while it is being filled with breast milk by the breast pump. Figs. 5 to 9 illustrate a number of such bag supports used with a suitable flexible bag and with a breast pump identified by reference P. These bag supports also serve as a support for the user\'s hand during the pumping action; indeed, the hand can grasp the bag support and hold the bag support and the flexible bag steady, whereas in the absence of such a rigid support for the flexible bag, one would have to hold on to the flexible bag itself, which cannot be easily done, if at all, whereby a rigid bottle instead of the flexible bag would have to be used. In the present description, the bag support will be described in use with the flexible bag 100 of Figs. 2 and 3, although it could be used with any number of flexible bags, including bag B of Fig. 1. The bag support may also

be used to support, or to help supporting, the breast pump P.

In Fig. 5, there is shown a first embodiment of the bag support of the present invention, that is bag support 200. The bag support 200 comprises a hollow body 202 that includes an inlet upper end 204, which may be threadably secured to a lower cylindrical, inwardly threaded, outlet end 1002 of the breast pump P, and that also includes an outlet lower end 206 adapted to be inserted through an inlet, such as the mouth 122, of the flexible bag 100. The closure member 130 of the bag 100 is used to secure the upper end 110 of the bag 100 to the bag support 200. The lower end 206 of the bag support 200 defines a frusto-conical edge 208 which assists in preventing the bag 100 from slipping off the lower end 206 of the support 200. Therefore, with a breast receiving cup 1004 of the breast pump P properly positioned onto a breast (not shown), the operation of the pump P causes milk to convey from the breast through the lower end 1002 of the pump P, through the bag support 100 and finally into the bag 100.

Fig. 6 illustrates a second embodiment of the bag support of the present invention, that is bag support 300. The bag support 300 is similar to the bag support 200 of Fig. 5 in that it comprises a hollow body 302 that includes an upper end 304, which may be threadably secured to the lower end 1002 of the breast pump P, and that also includes a lower end 306 adapted to be inserted through the mouth 122 of the flexible bag 100. The closure member 130 of the bag 100 is used to secure the upper end 110 of the bag 100 to the bag support 300. The lower end 306 of the bag support 300 defines a frusto- conical edge 308 which assists in preventing the bag 100 from slipping off the lower end 306 of the support 300.

Therefore, with the breast receiving cup 1004 of the breast pump P properly positioned onto a breast, the operation of the pump P causes milk to convey from the

breast through the lower end 1002 of the pump P, through the bag support 300 and finally into the bag 100. In Fig.

6, there is also provided a support stand 310 adapted to rest on a support surface for holding the bag support 300, and the flexible bag 100, at a distance thereabove.

The support stand 310 comprises a lower base 312, an upper connector 314 and a substantially vertical leg 314 extending between the lower base 312 and the upper connector 314. The upper connector 314 is adapted to be engaged around the body 312 of the bag support 300 to retain the same above the support surface, whereby the bag support 300, as opposed to the bag support 200 of Fig. 5, does not have to be held by the user. The system of Fig. 6 allows the flexible bag 100 to be used with an electric breast pump P\', as shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 7 illustrates a third embodiment of the bag support of the present invention, that is bag support 400. The bag support 300 is similar to the bag support 200 of Fig. 5 in that it comprises a hollow body 402 that includes an upper end 404,, which may be threadably secured to the lower end 1002 of the breast pump P, and that also includes a lower end 406 adapted to be inserted through the mouth 122 of the flexible bag 100. The closure member 130 of the bag 100 is used to secure the upper end 110 of the bag 100 to the bag support 400. The lower end 406 of the bag support 400 defines a flared edge 408 which assists in preventing the bag 100 from slipping off the lower end 406 of the support 400.

Therefore, with the breast receiving cup 1004 of the breast pump P properly positioned onto a breast, the operation of the pump P causes milk to convey from the breast through the lower end 1002 of the pump P, through the bag support 400 and finally into the bag 100. In Fig.

7, the bag support 400 defines above its flared edge 408 a groove 410 within which the closure member 130 of the flexible bag 100 may be lodged for further preventing the bag 100 from coming off the bag support 400.

Fig. 8 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the bag support of the present invention, that is bag support 500. The bag support 500 is similar to the bag support 400 of Fig. 7 in that it comprises a hollow body 502 that includes an upper end 504, which may be threadably secured to the lower end 1002 of the breast pump P, and that also includes a lower end 506 adapted to be inserted through the mouth 122 of the flexible bag 100. The closure member 130 of the bag 100 is used to secure the upper end 110 of the bag 100 to the bag support 500. The lower end 506 of the bag support 500 defines a flared edge 508 which assists in preventing the bag 100 from slipping off the lower end 506 of the support 500. Also, the bag support 500 defines above its flared edge 508 a groove 510 within which the closure member 130 of the flexible bag 100 may be lodged for further preventing the bag 100 from coming off the bag support 500. In Fig. 8, the bag support 500 further includes a bag retention member, such as a resilient band 512, which is adapted to be engaged around the upper end 110 of the bag 100 and into the groove 510 for securing the bag 100 to the bag support 500. Therefore, with the breast receiving cup 1004 of the breast pump P properly positioned onto a breast, the operation of the pump P causes milk to convey from the breast through the lower end 1002 of the pump P, through the bag support 500 and finally into the bag 100.

Fig. 9 illustrates a fifth embodiment of the bag support of the present invention, that is bag support 600. The bag support 600 is similar to the bag support 200 of Fig. 5 in that it comprises a hollow body 602 that includes an upper end 604, which may be threadably secured to the lower end 1002 of the breast pump P, and that also includes a lower end 606 adapted to be inserted through the mouth 122 of the flexible bag 100. The closure member 130 of the bag 100 is used to secure the upper end 110 of the bag 100 to the bag support 600. The lower end 606 of the bag support 600 defines a frusto-

conical edge 608 which assists in preventing the bag 100 from slipping off the lower end 606 of the support 600.

Therefore, with the breast receiving cup 1004 of the breast pump P properly positioned onto a breast, the operation of the pump P causes milk to convey from the breast through the lower end 1002 of the pump P, through the bag support 600 and finally into the bag 100. In Fig.

9, the bag support 600 also comprises a handle 610, which extends from the body 602, for helping the user in holding the bag support 600.

All of the above bag supports, as well as other variants not herein described or shown, include a hollow body having opposed ends adapted to be put in fluid communication with the outlet of the breast pump and with the inlet of the flexible bag such that breast milk retrieved by the pump is conveyed by the pump though the bag support and into the flexible bag.