IE48288B1 - A clip for a surgical drainage bag - Google Patents

Abstract

The colostomy bag (10), which can be emptied has an open bottom and fixture to around the stoma opening (11) also a closure to seal the open bottom part. The closure consists of two parts, the first part of which is a strip bendable in two posns. and has three clamp. The second part is a hollow sleeve enclosed but slidable in a longitudinal direction at the end of one of the clamp clamps. The two end clamps (28, 23) are arranged in such a way as to bend in a pons. parallel to the other clamps, (20) and forming a reliable seal for the bag bottom. The length of the two end clamps is approx. half the length of the intermediate clamp length.

Description

This invention relates to a clip, and particularly although not exclusively to a clip for a bottom-emptying post-surgical drainage bag.

There have been proposals for such clips, see for example British Patent Specification No. 1 213 669, but there is a continuing need for a clip which is securely locked in its fastened condition, is readily opened in a controllable manner, and yet is simple to manufacture and is of a flat and unobstrusive overall shape and outline. Experience suggests that clips which rely for their security of fastening in the resilience of a hook-type catch engaging with another member do not instill full confidence in the user. It will be understood that users of such bags may well be selfconscious and naturally require a high degree of reliability and liquid tightness.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a clip comprising at least three elongated clamping members which can embrace and grip a bag mouth therebetween in order to prevent escape of liquid therefrom, and a catch member longitudinally slidable along one of tbe clamping members between a release position in, which two·of the clamping members can be hinged apart from a third and a fastened position in which the catch member entraps one of the other clamping members to bold it in a position where it is substantially parallel to or collinear with the said one clamping member, and in conjunction with the other two clamping members the bag mouth is gripped.

The catch member may be a hollow tube.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is -24-8288 provided a clip comprising two parts, one being a plastics strip comprising three clamping members hinged at two places and the other being a catch member formed by a hollow tube made captive to but longitudinally slidable relative to an end of one of the clamping members, the arrangement being such that the two end clamping members can be hinged to positions where they are substantially parallel to the intermediate clamping member and are secured in those positions in such a way as to be capable of gripping a plastics bag mouth by the catch member.

Advantageously, the two end clamping members are each approximately half the length of the clamping member between them.

Preferably, the cross-sections of the end clamping members are similar and are of reduced width compared to that of the intermediate member.

The clip may be made wholly from polyethylene or other suitable plastics material and the hinge may be the known type of plastics integral hinge.

The invention will be better understood from the following non-limiting description of an example thereof given with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a clip according to an example of the invention, in position to close a mouth of a colostomy bag; Figure 2 is a top plan view of the clip shown in Figure b Figure 3 is a side elevation of the clip shown in Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified clip constructed and operating in the same manner as the clip - 3 48288 shown in Figures 1-3, also seen in-position to close the mouth of an ostomy bag.

The clip illustrated in Figures 1-3 consists of two parts, namely a strip 50 of plastics material and a tube or sleeve 52 slidable thereon. The strip 50 includes two hinges 54, 56 which define and connect three clamping members 58, 60 and 62. The sleeve 52 serves as a catch member and is longitudinally slidable relative to the clamping member 58. The hinges 54 and 56 are integral plastics hinges of known type, and it will be understood that a plastics material having suitable bend and fatigue characteristics would be employed, as is well known in the art of integral plastics hinges. >4-8288 The operation of the invention can be readily understood by looking at Figure 1. In Tigure 1 a colostomy bag 70 has a narrowed lower end 72 which terminates in a bottom outlet or mouth. To close the bottom outlet, the portion 72 is folded over or rolled up, encircling the intermediate clamping member 60. The other two clamping members are then bent around so that they are adjacent to and substantially parallel to the intermediate clamping member 60, clamping the bag material between on the one hand the clamping members 58 and 62 and on the other hand the intermediate clamping member 60. The sleeve 52 is then slid longitudinally outwardly relative to its clamping member 58 so that its open end passes over the end of tbe clamping member 62. In this way, springing back of the members 5θ and 62 is prevented, and the bag mouth is securely held closed.

The intermediate clamping member 60 may be provided with a self-adhesive surface by which it can be secured, usually permanently, to an appropriate portion of the bag mouth 72. Alternatively, the clip may be made integral with a colostomy bag, in which event the intermediate clamping member 60 would be welded or otherwise permanently affixed to one wall of the bag mouth 72. This construction would have some advantages in that a clip of flat and unobstrusive construction would be provided permanently on the bag, and could 4-8 38 8 not be lost.

An alternative embodiment of tbe invention is shown in Figure 4, and this is in essence similar to the construction illustrated in Figures 1-3 except that the first part is a flat plastics strip of substantially uniform cross-section, except at its hinges. Indeed, if a strip of sufficently thin section is employed, it may not be necessary to reduce the cross-section at the hinges.

The catch member or sleeve is hollow and has an internal crosssection which is substantilly the same as that of the ends of 10 the strip. In Figure 4 the bag and bag mouth are shown at 70 and as before, the strip at 80 and the catch member or sleeve at 82.

The invention also provides a colostomy, ileostomy or cecostomy bag having secured thereto a clip in accordance with the disclosure herein.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS:

1. A clip comprising at least three elongated clamping members which can embrace and grip a bag mouth therebetween in order to prevent escape of liquid therefrom, and a catch member longitudinally slidable along one of the clamping members between a release position in which two of the clamping members can be hinged apart from a third and a fastened position in which the catch member entraps one of the other clamping members to hold it in a position where it is substantially parallel to or collinear with the said one clamping member, and in conjunction with the other two clamping members the bag mouth is gripped.

2. A clip including two parts, one being a plastics strip comprising three clamping members hinged at two places and the other being a catch member formed by a hollow tube made captive to but longitudinally slidable relative to an end of one of the clamping members, the arrangement being such that the two end clamping members can be hinged to positions where they are substantially parallel to the intermediate clamping member and are secured in those positions in such a way to be capable of gripping a plastics bag mouth by the catch member,

3. A clip according to Claim 2 in which the two end clamping members are each approximately half the length of the clamping member between them.

4. A clip according to Claims 2 or 3 in which the cross-sections of the end clamping members are similar and are of reduced width compared to that of the intermediate member.

5. A clip according to Claim 2 in which the first part is a plain 4-8 28 8 strip of substantially uniform cross-sectioji and the other part is a slppvp uhich is a snug sliding fit on one of the end clamping members .

6. A clip substantially as herein described with reference to, 5 and as illustrated in, Figures 1-3 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A clip substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A colostomy or like bag which has secured thereto a clip according to any one of the preceding claims.