A portable pumping device for drawing milk from a human breast includes a
breast shield adapted to fit over a nipple of a breast and a flow line
coupled to the breast shield. The flow line is adapted to allow air to
flow there through a pump coupled to the breast shield via the flow line.
The pump includes a pump intake and a pump exhaust and is operable to
create a pressure drop between the nipple and the pump, wherein the
pressure drop creates a suction at the breast shield by lowering the
pressure of air in the flow line. A blow-back valve is disposed between
the flow line and the pump. The blow-back valve has a valve piston
disposed in a valve housing The valve housing includes a flow line
aperture that communicates via the flow line with the breast shield, a
valve inlet adapted to communicate external to the flow line, and a valve
exhaust adapted to communicate external to the flow line. The valve
piston is adapted to alternatively seal the valve inlet and the valve
exhaust.