The HIV nipple shield is a device designed to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV through breast feeding. The invention is a breast milk ‘filter’ in the form of a textile disk impregnated with a microbicide that is incorporated in a modified nipple shield. The invention can inactivate HIV in breast milk without greatly disrupting breast feeding. A mother would open a blister pack and insert a dry textile disk through the retention ring so that it is held in the tip of the nipple shield. The mother would then place the device over her breast and feed her baby. The textile disk would be replaced periodically, e.g. once or twice per day, depending on the exact parameters of the particular active agent and excipients.

 

In another application that we are researching, the textile disk may also be impregnated with therapeutic formulations, including but not limited to antibiotics, vitamins, minerals, etc. There are several advantages to a delivery mechanism of this type. For example, current administration of antibiotics is commonly done in syrups. However, preparing syrups for infants is expensive, time consuming, and typically leads to a much shorter half-life of drug stability compared to drugs in the dry state. With our device, a single dose of a drug, with various flavoring agents and sugar, could be impregnated onto a textile disk and dried, then easily dispensed by a pharmacist to a mother without the need for syrup preparation.