MXPA01006848A - Container for the collection of bodily waste with an unfolding means - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a human waste management device, such as urine management devices and faecal management devices, these devices comprising a bag for storage of human waste and being suitable for babies, children or adults. The invention resides principally in providing such devices with a means to unfold the bag (11). One preferred means is a string attached to the bag (11).

Description

CONTAINER FOR THE COLLECTION OF BODY WASTE, WITH A MEANS OF DEPLOYMENT FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to devices for the handling of urine and devices for handling fecal matter and comprise all storage means, such as a bag, and are suitable for babies, children or adults . These devices are provided with a means for deploying the bag, which is normally supplied in a folded configuration, before use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The devices for handling human waste are articles of known manufacture that are designed to be used mainly by people suffering from incontinence and, in particular, by bedridden patients. These devices for handling human waste are attached to the perianal or urogenital region of the user and are intended to catch and immediately contain fecal matter, urine or other bodily excretions. These devices, since they are currently the best known, are constituted by a bag, at an end of which the opening is placed and the device attached, which is usually adhesive. For example, devices for the handling of fecal matter are disclosed, for example, in the following documents: US 3,577,989, which details a disposable plastic bag for people suffering from incontinence. US 4,784,656 discloses a receptacle for collecting fecal matter. The receptacle is formed of two sheets of thermoplastic film which are heat sealed along their lateral edges. GB 2 152 387, which shows a fecal material collector for incontinent persons, comprises a collection bag consisting of a pair of panels of thermoplastic canvas material joined at their margins. EP 245 064 discloses bags consisting practically of a front wall and a rear wall, which are made of a synthetic plastic material, such as PVC. GB 2 215 605 discloses an ostomy bag comprising panels of synthetic plastic material, the wall of the back bag comprising a stitched film. Devices for handling urine are disclosed, for example, in the following documents: GB 1,092,274 discloses a pediatric urine collector for female use comprising a plastic opening collection bag. The base of the opening is provided with a projection similar to a wedge, adapted to be coupled to the lower perianal area of the infant. The collector is secured to the user's body by adhesive material. GB 2,268,882 discloses a bag or urostomy bag made of plastic material and provided with a circular mouth hole which is surrounded by a first coupling member, by means of which the bag can be fixed to a coupling counterpart, which can be adhered to a user. US 4,804,377 discloses a collector of urine samples for children. The collector comprises a rectangular flange for adhesive bonding, comprising a round, slightly oval opening. EP 140 478 discloses a disposable diaper having a waterproof barrier, preferably of polypropylene or polyethylene formed as a flattened bag having a single opening. US 1,092,274 and US 3,292,626 disclose a urine collector for female infants. The Chinese patent application CN 1079381 discloses urine bags for infants with circular and elliptical openings. All the devices for the handling of human waste exposed in the documents, referred to above, are typically used for patients P13.20 bedridden, regardless of whether they adhere to the urogenital area or the natural anus or an artificial anus. Therefore, they are normally stored in a hospital and placed by a trained person, for example by a nurse. Nevertheless, in a recent patent application (application EPO 97110603.4, "Shaped faecal management device") and in the co-pending applications, faecal management devices are exposed which have also been optimized with respect to their use by babies. This use implies that the device for handling human waste is stored, transported and carried in many forms, for example, a mother may wish to carry one or more devices in her handbag. Therefore it is desirable to provide the device for handling human waste in a small and manageable format. This is normally achieved by folding the bag (11). For placement of a baby, ideally the mother has one hand available for the baby, for example to hold the legs, and the other hand to place the device. Moreover, the placement must be quick and convenient, since it takes place in a variety of circumstances. It is also desirable that the placement of the device is self-explanatory and is carried out intuitively by a person who is not trained. Therefore, there is a need for devices for handling human waste that can be placed and handled easily and quickly, preferably using only one hand. It has now been discovered that all the problems outlined above can be solved by providing a device for handling human waste with a deployment means, such as a rope.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to devices for the management of human waste, suitable for babies, children or adults. The invention resides primarily in providing these devices with a deployment means, such as a rope.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is believed that the invention will be better understood from the foregoing description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device (10) for the management of preferred fecal matter, in accordance with the present invention. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device (10) for the handling of preferred stool, shown in Figure 1.

Pl320 Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of another device (10) for handling fecal material, in accordance with the present invention, comprising an applicator (40).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to devices for the management of human waste. This device for the management of human waste can be a device (10) for the management of fecal matter that is designed to adhere to the anal area and to be used mainly for the collection of feces, or it can be a device for the management of the urine, which adheres to the urinary tract and is used mainly to collect urine. A device for the management of human waste can also be a device for collecting both urine and feces and, therefore, can adhere to the two areas mentioned above. All the devices for the handling of human waste mentioned in the foregoing are designed, preferably, for a single use and for their later disposal. In Figure 1 a device (10) for the handling of fecal material is shown.

Pl320 Description of the device for the management of human waste, in its entirety Typically, devices for the management of human waste comprises a bag (11) having an opening (21) and a flap (12) that surrounds the opening for the union , preferably, adhesive, to the perianal area of a user as can be seen in Figure 2. Any device for handling human waste known in the art can be provided in accordance with the present invention. The bag (11), as used herein, is a flexible receptacle for containing excreted urine or fecal matter. The bag (11) is designed to securely contain any trapped material, it will normally be impermeable to the liquid and may also be breathable. The bag (11) is designed with sufficient force to resist rupture when in use, also when the pressure on the bag (11) is exerted under typical conditions of use, such as when sitting. A variety of shapes of the bag is within the scope of the present invention. In particular, the preferred forms are flat circular-type bags, cone-shaped bags, truncated-cone-shaped bags and truncated pyramidal or pyramid shaped bags and T-shaped flat bags.

Pl320 The portion (17) oriented towards the garment is the portion of the bag (11) that is generally oriented away from the wearer, when the device (10) for the handling of human waste is being used, and towards a garment , if this garment is being used. The portion (17) facing the garment does not include the opening (21). The size and shape of the portion (17) facing the clothing, in particular its length and width, are defined by the ring (18) peripheral to the bag, if present. The sections of material comprised by the hoop (18) or by the seal are not part of the portion (17) facing the clothing. In accordance with the present invention, the material for the bag may comprise one or more layers, preferably two or three layers. The layer inside the bag (11), which will normally be in contact, at least partially, with fecal matter or urine, is known as the inner layer. The outermost layer of the bag that will normally be, at least partially, in contact with the user's skin and clothing is called the outer layer. The layers of the bag material may preferably comprise any material so that the bag is impermeable to the liquid. The layers may comprise, in particular, any material such as Pl320 non-woven materials or films. In a preferred embodiment of the present ntion, a sheet may be formed by a non-woven layer and a film. The sheet may be formed by means known to those skilled in the art. Any nonwoven layer may comprise: felt fabrics, spun mesh fabrics, fabrics entangled by fluid jet, air-laid fabrics, wet-laid fabrics, dry-laid fabrics, blow-melt fabrics, carded fabrics of cut fiber, spunbond fabrics, spunbond fabrics, perforated fabrics, combinations of the above or the like. Suitable film materials for each of the layers preferably comprise a thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic material can be selected from among all types of hot melt adhesives, polyolefins, especially polyethylene, polypropylene, amorphous polyolefins and the like; material containing fusible components, comprising polymeric fibers or binders, including natural fibers such as, for example: cellulose wood pulp, cotton, jute, hemp; synthetic fibers such as fiberglass, rayon, polyester, polyolefin, acrylic, polyamide, aramid, metallic polytetrafluoroethylene, polyimide; binders like the polymer P1320 low melting / high melting bicomponent, copolymer polyester, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl chloride / acetate copolymer, copolymer polyamide, materials comprising blends where some of the constituent materials are non-fusible; air and vapor permeable materials, including microporous films such as those supplied by EXXON Chemical Co., 111., USA under the designation EXXAIRE or as supplied by Mitsui Toatsu Co., Japan, under the designation ESPOIR NO; and breathable monolithic materials such as the Hytrel ™ available from DuPont, and Pebax ™ available from ELF Atochem, France. In a preferred embodiment, a film that is comprised in any layer is preferably permeable to gases such as air and steam, for example water vapor, in order to avoid the problem of entrapment or condensation of moisture vapor. detached by the user's body and, therefore, heat, cold humidity and uncomfortable conditions after a short period of use. The outer layer of the bag material may comprise a non-woven layer. These layers of material present an uneven surface for the user's skin and thus significantly reduce the problem of occlusion and greatly improve the well-being of the skin.

P1320 In a preferred embodiment of the present ntion, the bag material comprises two layers. Preferably, the outer layer comprises a non-woven layer and the inner layer comprises a film. In another preferred embodiment of the present ntion, the bag material comprises three layers, preferably one film layer and two nonwoven layers. In an even more preferred embodiment, the film is interposed between the two non-woven layers. This sequence of layers results in a closed fibrous structure, which has a particularly pleasant feel on contact with the wearer's skin. In another preferred additional embodiment, the inner layer comprises a film and the other two layers are non-woven. The non-woven layer or the non-woven layers comprised by the bag material can be hydrophobic or hydrophilic. If the bag material does not comprise a film layer, preferably at least one non-woven layer is hydrophobic. As a consequence, the penetration of fluid is resisted through the portion (16) that faces the user and the portion (17) that faces the garment, of the device (10) for the handling of human waste. If the material of the bag comprises a film or a non-woven hydrophobic layer, the additional non-woven layers P1320 can be hydrophilic. Normally, the non-woven layer is treated with an active surface material, such as a fluorochemical or other hydrophobic finish, to provide the required hydrophobicity. The non-woven layer, however, can be treated in the same way with coatings of water-impermeable materials, such as hot-melt adhesives or coatings of silicone or other hydrophobic compounds such as mineral and vegetable rubbers and waxes, or can be physically treated using techniques of plasma coating or nanoparticles, for example. The nonwoven layer may also be treated with agents to improve the tactile smoothness of the portion (16) facing the wearer and the portion (17) facing the clothing. The agents include unrestricted: vegetable, animal or synthetic oils, silicone oils and the like. The presence of these agents is known to impart to the nonwoven layer, a silky or flannel-like feel, without making it oily or oily to the user's feel. Additionally, the surfactant material, which includes anionic, cationic, nonionic and amphoteric surfactants, can be added to further improve the smoothness and smooth appearance of the surface. In addition, the non-woven layer may be impregnated with a lotion to provide the desirable protective or therapeutic benefits of the coating lotion. The lotion coating on the portion (16) that faces the user and the portion (17) that faces the clothing can be transferred to the wearer's skin by normal contact and movement of the wearer and / or body heat . In general, the mineral oil in the form of a lotion is recognized as effective in imparting a protective and balsamic coating to the wearer's skin. It is also possible to impregnate the non-woven layer with a solid oil phase of the cream formulation or to incorporate in the non-woven layer an arrangement of thermal or pressure hydropulsing capsules containing, for example, baby oil. According to the present invention, depending on the shape of the bag (11) required, the bag (11) can be provided with a unitary piece of material or with a number of separate pieces of material, which can be identical or different and that are sealed in their respective peripheries. The preferred form of the bag depends in particular on the intended use of the bag, that is, whether the device is for bedridden patients or for active patients suffering from incontinence or requiring an artificial bowel, or for infants.

P1320 The pouches described herein preferably have a portion (16) facing the user and a portion (17) facing the garment, which both comprise separate pieces of material. The portion (16) facing the user and the portion (17) facing the garment are sealed at the periphery of the bag (11), thus creating a ring (18) at the periphery of the bag. The portion (16) facing the user and the portion (17) facing the garment can each comprise, independently, more than one section of material. Preferably, the clothing facing portion (17) comprises only one section of material; more preferably, also the portion (16) oriented towards the user comprises only one section of material. The portion (16) facing the user, the portion (17) facing the clothing and the pieces of the material comprised by any of these portions are secured together by means known to those skilled in the art, such as, for example, adhesive, thermoforming or pressure bonding, in order to provide the desired bag configuration. The ring (18), to which both the portion (16) facing the user and the portion (17) facing the clothing are sealed, can be provided inside the bag (11) and not outside the bag (11) being that way, of the same dimensions as the inner surface (15) of the bag (11) and not with the outer surface (30) of the bag (11). In one embodiment of the present invention, the bag (11) may contain absorbent material. The absorbent material can comprise any absorbent material that is capable of absorbing and retaining liquids. The absorbent material may comprise a wide variety of liquid absorbent materials commonly used in disposable diapers and in other absorbent articles, for example crushed pulp, which is generally referred to as air synthetic fiber. Examples of other suitable absorbent materials include accrete cellulose wadding, melt blown polymers, including coforms.; chemically stiffened, modified or crosslinked cellulosic fibers; tissue, which includes tissue laminates and tissue wraps; absorbent foams; absorbent sponges; superabsorbent polymers; absorbent gelling materials or any other known material or combination of absorbent materials. The absorbent material can be placed in the bag (11) in any suitable manner. For example, the absorbent material can be loosely arranged within the bag or can be secured to the inner surface (15) of the bag (11). Any known techniques P1320 for securing the absorbent material to the film and non-woven substrates can be used to secure the absorbent material to the inner surface (15) of the bag. The absorbent material can also be arranged to have any desired shape or configuration (eg, rectangular, oval, circular, etc.). The bag (11) is provided with an opening (21) through which fecal material or urine from the body is received, before storing it within the pocket of the bag. The opening (21) is surrounded by a fin (12) and can be provided in any shape or size, for example, in a circular, oblong, heart-shaped, and can be symmetrical or asymmetric, preferably, the opening has an oblong configuration , either in longitudinal or transverse direction or in both directions, for example, the contours of the openings are in the form of two ellipses with the respective main axes, practically perpendicular. The flap (12) is attached to the bag (11) in accordance with any means known to those skilled in the art, which can provide permanent or releasable attachment. Preferably, the flap is attached, however, to the bag by means of adhesive. Normally, the bag will be attached to the flap, towards the outer periphery of the flap so as not to cause any obstruction to the flap.

P1320 entry of fecal matter or urine. The flap can be provided in any size, depending on the group of users for which the device is intended. Similarly, the fin may be provided in any form and, preferably, have a synthetic shape preferably comprising a variety of lobes (14). The flap comprises a portion (22) that is oriented toward the garment and a portion (23) that faces the wearer. In a preferred embodiment, these are two large, almost flat surfaces, however, the flap (12) may also comprise projections, a forward projection (28) and / or a posterior projection (29), in the case of a device ( 10) for the management of fecal material designed to adjust to the perianal and / or coxigeal area of the user, and in the case of a device (10) for the management of urine, designed to fit the genital and / or perianal area. The flap (12) should be made of soft, flexible and malleable material to allow easy placement of the flap (12) in the perianal or urogenital area. Typical materials include nonwoven materials, fabrics, open cell thermoplastic foams, closed cell thermoplastic foams, closed cell foam composites and stretchable nonwoven materials, and P1320 movies. It has been found that a closed cell polyethylene foam is effective, but an open cell polyurethane foam is more preferably used. Preferably, these foams have a thickness within the general range of 0.1 to 5 millimeters and a density of 5. 250 g / m2, more preferably 50 g / m2 Other thermoplastic foam materials, or other suitable plastic sheet materials having the described properties of these foams (ie, softness, ability to stack, ability to stretch and contract) , they could also be used. Preferably, the material of the garment-facing portion (22) and the flap (12) can extend into the defined opening area to form a flap or spoiler of material that prevents unintentional adhesion of the fin surface edges. (12) which defines the opening (21), with each other, during use. In accordance with the present invention, the device (10) for handling human waste further comprises a means of attachment to secure the device to the user. This means includes strips and, more preferably, comprises a body-compatible, pressure sensitive adhesive (20) applied to the user-facing portion (23) of the flap (12). The adhesive (20) is preferably covered with a release means (not shown) in order to protect P1320 to the adhesive (20), for example of siliconized paper. The adhesive (20) can cover the entire portion (23) facing the user, of the flap (12), more preferably, the flap (12) has at least two to six portions without adhesive. These portions may be free of adhesive or may contain coated or inactivated adhesives. As is evident from Figure 1, the adhesive, in a preferred embodiment, is not applied to the entire portion (23) facing the user, of the flap (12), to provide lobes (14) on either side of the flap (12) which are not adhesive and which can therefore serve to facilitate the placement and removal of the device and at the same time avoid contact with the adhesive. These lobes (14) are, however, preferably covered by the release means. Prior to the application of the device (10) for handling human waste to the user's skin, the release means is removed, if present. In accordance with the present invention, any medically approved, water-resistant pressure sensitive adhesive can be used to attach the device to the perianal or urogenital area of the user, such as, for example, hydrocolloid adhesives and hydrogel adhesives. Particularly effective adhesives to provide the desired adhesive properties for securing the flap to the wearer's skin in the perianal sensitive area and which at the same time allow for relatively painless application and removal, are formed by crosslinking polymers with a plasticizer to form a three-dimensional matrix. The adhesive (20) can be applied to the user-facing portion (23) of the flap (12) by any means known in the art, such as, for example, slot coating, printing or spiral or bed application. Normally, the adhesive (20) is applied at a basis weight of between 20 g / m2 and 2500 g / m2, more preferably, between 500 g / m2 and 2000 g / m2, most preferably between 700 g / m2 and 1500 g / m2 , depending on the intended end use. For example, for devices (10) for handling human waste, which are to be used by infants, the amount of adhesive (20) may be less than for devices (10) designed for active adults suffering from incontinence. The device (10) for handling human waste, of the present invention, has been found particularly useful and beneficial when used in conjunction with a garment or with a diaper (50), preferably with a disposable diaper.

P1320 Detailed description of the deployment means In accordance with the present invention, a device for the management of human waste, for example, a device (10) for the management of fecal waste or a device for handling urine, comprising a bag (11) as a storage medium for human waste, it is provided in a configuration before use where the bag (11) is typically bent and with a means for deploying the bag (11). Within the scope of the present invention, the deployment means can be any device that can be attached to the bag (11) and that allows easy attachment by the human fingers or by attachment to an applicator (40) While the present invention comprises devices for the management of urine, as well as devices for handling fecal matter, the following description focuses on devices for handling fecal matter. However, persons skilled in the art have no difficulty in applying the present invention to a device for handling urine. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 2. In this, a device (10) for the handling of fecal matter is provided with a rope (32) as a means for deploying the bag (11). The rope (32) is attached to the portion (17) of the bag (11), which is oriented towards the clothes, in a position near the center of the portion (17) facing the clothes. When the bag (11) is provided in a folded configuration before use, the bag (11) can be deployed simply by pulling the cord (32). This deployment results in a configuration of the bag (11) that provides more comfort when used and also ensures that the bag (11) provides sufficient volume to contain human waste. To obtain the same benefit, the rope (32) may be used if the bag (11) is provided in any other configuration prior to use, which is different from the intended use configuration. The rope (32) can be provided of any material, such as natural fibers, for example of wool, or of artificial fibers or of a plastic material. The rope (32) can be attached to the bag (11) by means known to a person skilled in the art, for example by stitching, thermoforming, ultrasonic bonding, adhesive and a crochet / gauze set, such as the Velero ™. To ensure convenient packing and transport, the bag (11) is normally provided in a folded configuration before use. While any bending pattern is within the scope of the present invention, a configuration is shown in the Pl320 Figure 3. However, it should be understood that the bag (11) can also be provided with a folding pattern, when the device for handling human waste is not provided with an applicator (40). When the bag (11) is provided in a bent configuration, the deployment means should preferably be accessible without unfolding the bag (11) partially or totally. To obtain that benefit, at least a portion of the deployment means extends, preferably, beyond the contour of the bag (11) before use. If, for example, a rope (32) is used as a deployment means, the length of the rope (32) should be selected so that the portions of the rope (32) extend beyond the contour of the folded bag ( eleven) . The device (10) for the handling of fecal matter or the device for handling urine can be provided in combination with an applicator (40) as described, for example, in Figure 3 and in the patent application No. PCT / US98 / 13298. "Applicator for a faecal management device". The preferred deployment means that fall within the scope of the invention are also the means that establish a releasable link between the applicator (40) and the bag (11). For example, one of these bonds can be provided by means of attachment by releasable adhesive or by means of a set of P1320 crochet / gauze, as is the Sailboat ™. A preferred embodiment comprising this link is shown in Figure 3. In this embodiment a portion of the Velero ™ assembly (35) (eg, that comprising gauze) is attached to the portion (17) facing the clothing, the bag (11), while a corresponding portion of Velero ™ (35) (for example, that comprising crochet hooks) is attached to the applicator (40). After attachment to the user, of the device for handling human waste, the applicator (40) is normally separated from the device (10), typically by pulling it away from the user. The action of pulling it away from the user, in this mode, will automatically lead to the deployment of the bag (11) due to the link provided by the set (35) of Velero ™: When the bag (11) is fully deployed the additional pull of the applicator (40) in the direction away from the bag (11), will be hindered by the increased forces transmitted by the bag (11) now unfolded. These increased forces will lead to the separation of the Velero ™ assembly (35), these separation forces will be appropriately selected. Thus, the deployment of the bag (11) does not require any additional handling step to the application of the device by means of an applicator (40) and removal of the applicator (40).

P1320

Claims (9)

1. CLAIMS; A device for handling human waste comprising a bag (11), characterized in that the device for handling human waste comprises a means of deployment. The device for handling human waste according to claim 1, wherein the bag (11) comprises the deployment means. The device for handling human waste according to claim 2, wherein the bag (11) comprises a portion (17) oriented towards the garment and a portion (16) facing the user, and the portion (17) oriented towards the clothing comprises the means of deployment. The device for handling human waste according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the deployment means comprises a rope (32). The device for handling human waste according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the deployment means comprises a crochet / gauze assembly (35). The device for handling human waste according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bag (11) is bent before use. Pl320 7. The device for handling human waste according to claim 6, wherein the folded bag (11) defines an outer contour and, at least a portion of the deployment means extends beyond the outer contour of the bag ( 11) folded. The device for handling human waste according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the device further comprises an applicator (40). The device for handling human waste according to any of claims 5 and 8, wherein the applicator (40) comprises a portion of the means for unfolding the bag (11). P1320