GB2149306A

GB2149306A - Ostomy bag

Info

Publication number: GB2149306A
Application number: GB08330111A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Leslie Steer
Original assignee: Craig Medical Products Ltd
Current assignee: Craig Medical Products Ltd
Priority date: 1983-11-11
Filing date: 1983-11-11
Publication date: 1985-06-12
Also published as: GB2149306B; GB8330111D0

Abstract

An ostomy bag having first and second walls 12, 10, the former having a stomal orifice 18 and means 16 whereby it can be attached to a wearer, or to an apertured pad worn by the wearer. The bag also has a third wall 22 extending part-way down the height of the bag from the bag top edge, the second and third walls defining a compartment into which the gas can enter through a single opening. The compartment carries a filter pad 34, there being a cover layer 36 over the inner surface of the pad. The cover layer is of chalk- filled polypropylene or material having similar properties thereto and is attached all around its periphery to the inner surface of the second wall. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ostomy bag This invention relates to an ostomy bag, particularly though not exclusively useful for ileostomates.

It is a useful feature to provide a filter on ostomy bags so that flatus gases can be discharged from the bag, after having been deodorised by being filtered. Many designs have been proposed for this purpose, but to the best of the present inventor's knowledge and belief, they have all suffered from the defect that the liquid or slurry like nature of many discharges causes clogging of the filter within a few hours of use. When this occurs, either gas cannot be effectively discharged so the bag distends in an unacceptable manner, or the gas which is discharged has not been properly deodorised because of the lessening in effectiveness of the filter. For examples of prior ostomy bag and filter designs, see the following British Patent Specifications: 1117204, 1 295 252, 1 363 644, 1 379 464, 2 031 282 B and 2 083 792 A.

As the bags are normally disposed of after use, it would be desirable to have a simple and cheaply-made bag, with no separate parts and in particular no separate filter, which is an improvement in respect of clogging or contamination of the filter.

According to the invention, there is provided an ostomy bag having first and second walls, the first wall having a stomal orifice therein and means whereby it can be attached to a wearer, or to an apertured pad worn by the wearer, the bag having a third wall extending part-way down the height of the bag from the bag top edge, the second and third walls defining a compartment into which the bag contents can enter through a single opening, and the inner surface of that part of the second wall which bounds the compartment carrying a filter pad, there being a cover layer over the inner surface of the pad, the cover layer being of chalk-filled polypropylene or material having similar properties thereto and being attached all around its periphery to the inner surface of the second wall.

The opening may be a gap in a weld seam which joins a lower region of the third wall to the second wall. Alternatively it may be one or more holes, e.g. circular holes in the third wall which then would be welded to the second wall all around the periphery of the third wall. The function of the opening is to freely permit gases to pass into the compartment, and to inhibit passage of liquid and slurry discharge thereinto. Of course such passage cannot be entirely prevented and the function of the cover layer is to inhibit and delay contamination of the filter by the bag contents. It has been found that if one uses a cover layer of an expensive material such as "MICROPORE" or its equivalents for this purpose, then while the liquid and slurry materials are prevented from reaching the filter, the cover layer is insufficiently permeable to gas.In other words, it seriously slows down the discharge of flatus from the bags, which thus remains uncomfortably distended.

Preferably, the third wall extends over about half to about three-quarters of the height of the bag. Preferably, but not necessarily, the cover layer is circular and from about 50 to 100 millimeters (2 to 4 inches) in diameter.

The filter may be a pad or disc of open-cell Polyurethane foam loaded with activated charcoal. The bag second wall may be pricked with a pin by the user, in the region of the filter pad, to provide a vent path for the flatus gases.

The preferred material for the cover layer is the chalk-loaded polypropylene film known as "VALMAC" film and available from Van Leer (UK) Limited, Flexibles Division, Wilverley Estate, Fleets Lane, Poole, Dorset, BH 1 5 3BT.

The invention will be better understood from the following non-limited description of examples (an example) thereof given with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view, taken in a central vertical plane, through one example of ostomy bag according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a front view of the bag shown in Fig. 1.

The bag illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is intended particularly for ileostomy patients, and has front and rear walls 10 and 12. As is conventional, these are of plastics material, and are welded together by a weld 14 around their periphery. When the bag is being worn by a user, the front, or first, wall 10 is outwardly of the body of the user and the second, or rear, wall 12 is closer to the body.

The wall 12 has means, generally indicated at 16, whereby the bag may be coupled to a pad or face plate secured to the wearer, either directly, or through the agency of an ostomy bag coupling. One example of a successful version of ostomy bag coupling is shown in British Patent specification number 1 571 657. A stomal orifice 18 is thereby defined in the wall 12 and in normal use discharged matter falls to a lower region of the bag as is indicated at 20.

The illustrated bag has an intermediate wall 22, which is connected to the wall 10 around the two sides and the top of the bag, and conveniently although not necessarily it may be connected also to the wall 12 over this part of its periphery; in other words, the walls 10, 12 and 22 are welded together by a weld 24 connecting all 3 layers and indicated by the chain dotted line in Fig. 2, the remainder of the peripheral wall joining walls 10 and 12 being indicated at 28. The lower edge of the intermediate wall 22 is welded to the front wall 10 only by welds 30 and 3?. The intermediate wali 22 is herein also referred to as a third wall.

The inner surface of the upper part of the front wall 1 G carries a filter pad or disc 34 which may for example be a pad or disc of open cell foam carrying particles of activated charcoal. Of course ocher filtering and/or deodorising materials may be used. The filter pao 34 is secured in any convenient manner to the wall 10.

A cover layer 36 is placed over the surface internally of the bag. This layer is a layer of chalk-filled propylene or material having similar properties thereto, that is to say a material which is permeable to gasses and slightly permeable to liquids. The cover layer 36 is welded to the wall 10 by a peripheral weld 38. One suitable material is that sold under the designation "VALMAC" film as sold by Messrs. Van Leer, of the address aforesaid.

According to an advantageous but not essential feature of the invention, the edge of the pad 34 is unobstructed but its inner surface is covered by a gas-impermeable film 40 whose presence insures that gasses exiting the bag via the filter pass mainly radially through the filter, whereupon they exit from the filter through a small hole 42 which is punched in the bag by the user, for example by using a pin. The cover layer 36 serves as an additional barrier and reduces the possibility that liquid or slurry materials may gain access to the filtering and deodorising medium. The arrangements of welds 30, 32 constitute an anti-sloshing means which limit undesired sloshing movements of the contents of the bag, and moreover act as a mechanical impediment tending to reducce the chance of the bag contents being present in an upper region of the bag.In any case, due to the arrangement of the welds 30, 32 the tendancy will be for any bag contents urged upwardly by accidental pressure on the bag to move into the space indicated at 44 in Fig. 1 rather than into the space 46.

Practical user trials on an ileostomy bag substantially according to the present invention have shown that the bag could be worn for 5 days and that no contamination of the filter occurred. In the Applicants' knowledge and experience, this represents a great improvement over ostomy bags currently on the market.

In the foregoing description, reference has been made to a cover layer having material with similar properties to a chalk-filled polypropylene sheet. Suitable materials which could be employed other than chalk-filled polypropylene include non-wetting paper, and a film or sheet of open-cell plastics foam. The desirable quality of such material is that it passes gases at such a rate that the gaseous contents of a typical ostomy bag, at atmospheric pressure or only slightly above, migrate through the layer to the exterior in under fifteen minutes.

Claims

1. An ostomy bag having first and second walls, the first wall having a stomal orifice therein and the bag having means whereby it can be attached to a wearer, or to an apertured pad worn by the wearer, the bag also having a third wall extending part-way down the height of the bag from the bag top edge.

the second and third walls defining a compartment into which the bag contents can enter through a single opening, and the inner surface of that part of the second wall which bounds the compartment carrying a filter pad, there being a cover layer over the inner surface of the pad, the cover layer being of chalk-filled polypropylene or material having similar properties thereto and being attached all around its periphery to the inner surface of the second wall.

2. A bag according to claim 1 in which the opening is a gap in a weld seam which joins a lower region of the third wall to the second wall.

3. A bag according to claim 1 in which the opening is a hole in the third wall, and in which the third wall is welded to the second wall all around the periphery of the third wall.

4. A bag according to claim 1. 2 or 3 in which the third wall extends over about half to about three-quarters of the height of the bag.

5. A bag according to any of claims 1-4 in which the cover layer is circular and from about 50 to 100 millimeters (2 to 4 inches) in diameter.

6. A bag according to any preceding claim in which the filter is a pad or disc of open-cell polyurethane foam loaded with activated charcoal.

7. A bag according to any preceding claim in whIch the cover layer is the chalk-loaded polypropylene film known as "VALMAC" film and available from Van Leer (UK) Limited, Flexibles Division, Wilverley Estate, Fleets Lane, Poole, Dorset, BH15 3BT.

8. An ostomy bag substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated (in figures) in the accompanying drawings.

9. Any novel combination or sub-combination disclosed and/or illustrated herein.