GB2228416A - Colostomy bag - Google Patents

Abstract

A bag for the collection of body secretions comprising a body contacting wall 2 having an aperture 3 surrounded by a pressure sensitive adhesive surface 5 and a second wall 7 provided with a vent (8) and a partition 12 located between the two walls preventing direct communication between the aperture and the vent. <IMAGE>

Description

Colostomy Bag This invention relates to a bag, more particularly a colostomy bag, for the collection of body secretions.

Colostomy bags are used widely for the collection of body secretions discharging through a stoma or aperture which for one reason or another has had to be formed surgically into the wall of the intestine of the human body. Colostomy bags vary in design. However one especially common form comprises a bag of approximately rectangular shape having rounded corners made of a thin flexible sheet of plastics material. The bag has two walls one of which, when the bag is in use, is in contact with the body of the wearer. The body contacting wall is provided with an aperture through which body secretions discharging from the stoma of the wearer are able to pass into the bag.In order to maintain the latter in position the aperture in the bag is surrounded by a disc presenting a pressure sensitive adhesive surface which not only secures the bag firmly to the wearer but in addition provides a waterproof and gas tight seal. The bag is then allowed to remain in position until sufficient secretions have collected to necessitate its replacement by an empty one.

Whilst the bag is in position, gas is also being discharged through the stoma into the bag. Accordingly one of its walls usually the body contacting wall, is provided with a small vent. Since it is important that the vent does not become blocked by secretions it is located in the upper part of the bag usually between the upper edge of the adhesive ring and the upper edge of the bag. A further consideration arises from the fact that discharge of gas is usually accompanied by some odour which, generally, is removed by securing a small filter, in the form of a small disc made of activated carbon, to the wall of the bag over the vent.

Conventional colostomy bags suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example as a result of the need to locate the vent and filter between the top of the adhesive disc and the top of the bag the latter extends so far up the front of the wearer's body so as to cause other problems i.e. being visible above shorts when sunbathing or being compressed by a trouser belt. When a wearer is in a sitting position the flow of secretions to the bottom of the bag can become restricted. As a consequence the secretions are forced up to the vent which becomes blocked.

This in turn results in pressure building up within the bag to an extent which can result in the watertight seal between the pressure sensitive adhesive disc and the skin of the wearer becoming disrupted or the bag bursting. The vent can also become blocked when the wearer is lying prone in bed.

A further disadvantage of the existing bag stems from the fact that whilst the part of the bag above the stoma is too large for the reasons stated it can nevertheless be too small to permit the accommodation of a filter which is large enough to function to the desired extent. The present invention is directed to an improved colostomy bag which seeks to avoid these disadvantages.

Accordingly this invention provides a bag for the collection of body secretions, the bag being made from flexible waterproof sheet material and comprising a body contacting wall having an aperture surrounded by a pressure sensitive adhesive surface, a second wall provided with a vent, and a partition located between the two walls preventing direct communication between the aperture and the vent.

This invention is illustrated but not restricted by the following drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view taken in vertical section of one preferred form of colostomy bag made according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a view taken in plan along line A of the bag shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view taken in vertical section showing the filter in greater detail.

In these figures a bag shown generally as numeral (1) is made of flexible sheet of material and has a width taken at the widest part of about 13.5 cms and a depth of 17.0 cms although there is nothing specially critical about these dimensions. The bag consists of a body contacting wall (2) provided with an aperture (3) which is surrounded by a disc (4) covered with a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive.

The disc can comprise a layer of pressure sensitive applied to a shoulder of wall (2) defining apperture (3). However since the use of very thin sheet material is preferred in the construction of the bag a separate reinforcing disc made preferably of plastics material is bonded to the shoulder and the outward facing surface of the disc is treated to present a pressure sensitive adhesive surface (5). During storage of the bag this adhesive layer is protected by an easily removable guard sheet (6) made of a suitable material such as a paper of high tear strength and treated with a release agent. This sheet is then removed prior to use of the bag.

The body contacting wall (2) is connected to or forms part of a second wall (7). The two walls can be made from separate sheets of plastics material which have been heat sealed around all four edges. Alternatively a single sheet of the material can be used in which case one of the edges of the bag may be formed by a fold. Wall (7) is provided with a vent (8) which is in communication with a filter (9) made of activated carbon. The filter is ring shaped and is bonded to the inner surface of wall (7) with its hole (10) in register with apperture (8). The inner surface of the filter is covered with a layer of water insoluble vapour impermeable material. In contrast to known forms of colostomy bags more space is available to accommodate the filter and as a consequence larger and more effective filters can be employed. The present filter disc can have a diameter of from 1.5 to 2.0 cms.It wll be appreciated that filters having different shapes and dimensions can be employed also.

The two walls (2 & 7) are separated over part of their area by a partition (12) which extends from the top of the bag to below aperture (3) and preferably below filter disc (9).

The partition can be made of the same material from which the bag has been made. In order to facilitate manufacture of the bag the upper edge of the partition and of the two walls can be heat sealed together simultaneously.

In use the guard sheet (6) is peeled from the disc to expose the layer of pressure sensitive adhesive (5). The disc is then applied to part of the body surrounding the stoma. Body secretions enter through aperture (3) and fall into the bottom of the bag and are prevented from blocking vent (8) by the partition (12). At the same time any gas which collects in the bag enters filter (9) through its exposed edges (13) and after passing through the main mass of activated carbon it reaches the cavity (10) in the centre of the disc in a filtered condtion before discharging through vent (8) to the atmosphere. As a consequence of this arrangement the possibility of leakage due to blocking of the exhaust vent is minimised. Thus a user can wear the present bag for longer periods with confidence between changes compared with the use of known forms of colostomy bags.

Claims (8)

Claims.

1. A bag for the collection of body secretions comprising a body contacting wall having an aperture surrounded by a pressure sensitive adhesive surface, a second wall provided with a vent and a partition located between the two walls preventing direct communication between the aperture and the vent.

2. A bag according to Claim 1 wherein an edge of each of the body contacting wall, the second wall and the partition are sealed together.

3. A bag according to either of Claims 1 and 2 wherein the apperture is defined by shoulders to which is secured a flexible disc made of plastics material presenting a pressure sensitive adhesive surface.

4. A bag according to anyone of the preceding claims wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive surface is covered by a removable guard sheet.

5. A bag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the vent communicates with a filter.

6. A bag according to Claim 5 wherein the filter is made of activated carbon.

7. A bag according to Claim 6 wherein the filter is in the form of an annulus having a diameter of from 1.5 to 2.0 cms.

8. Bags for the collection of body secretions as herein before described with particular reference to the drawings.