WO1992015266A1

WO1992015266A1 - Colostomy bags

Info

Publication number: WO1992015266A1
Application number: PCT/GB1992/000366
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martin Nelhans
Original assignee: Martin Nelhans
Priority date: 1991-03-05
Filing date: 1992-02-28
Publication date: 1992-09-17
Also published as: GB9104587D0

Abstract

A colostomy bag (1) has a mouth (3) which is fixed to a user's body, around a colostomy aperture, with an annular disc (5) having a ring of skin adhesive (6). A shaped tube (4) is provided between the disc (5) and the bag mouth (3) to provide a guide channel and to act as a spacer.

Description

COLOSTOMY BAGS

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a waste bag for colostomy use. BACKGROUND ART Colostomy bags are used to collect waste from the colon through an aperture provided surgically in the abdomen wall. The bag is held against the user's body with an open mouth of the bag fixed removably around the body aperture. Periodically the bag is removed and replaced. Fixing of the bag mouth around the body aperture may be achieved by means of an annular pad permanently secured around the bag mouth. The annular pad is held to the user's skin by means of a skin-compatible adhesive.

Alternatively, an intermediate fixing ring may be used. One side of the ring is fixed to the user's skin, around the body aperture, with skin-compatible adhesive. The other side of the ring is provided with a coupling configuration which is detachably engageable with a cooperable coupling configuration around the mouth of the bag. With this arrangement several bags can be replaced before it is necessary to break the adhesive attachment to the user's skin and replace the ring.

With both of these known arrangements, when the bag is fixed in position it tends to lie flat alongside the user's body, especially when pressed down by the weight of the user's clothes. This can give rise to problems in that waste material passing into the bag from the body aperture may become clogged in the vicinity of the bag mouth rather than falling down into the main part of the bag. It is known to adhere a bent spacer strip to the outside of the bag to hold the user's clothing away from the bag, but this is not always effective. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved means of overcoming or at least minimising the above mentioned problem.

According to the invention therefore there is provided a colostomy bag system comprising a bag having a mouth thereto, and an annular fixing device for removably adhering the bag to a person's body around a colostomy aperture, characterised in that there is also provided a spacer device to provide a shaped guide channel through said mouth into the bag.

With this arrangement it is possible to avoid or at least minimise clogging of the mouth of the bag. Waste expelled through the colostomy aperture can be effectively guided into the main part of the bag through the shaped guide channel.

The bag system may be of the kind in which the annular fixing device is integral with (so as to be replaceable with) the bag. Alternatively, the bag system may be of the kind in which the annular fixing device is detachably cooperable with (so as to be replaceable separately from) the bag. In either case the spacer device may be secured to the annular fixing device or to the bag mouth as desired.

The spacer device may be a tubular structure, or a part tubular structure. Alternatively it may comprise a framework, or a projecting rod or rods or the like arranged to define a tubular or part tubular structure with the bag material around the bag mouth. The spacer device may comprise one or more moulded plastics parts.

The spacer device is preferably interposed between the annular fixing device and the bag whereby the bag is detachably or permanently fixed to one end of the spacer device, and the annular fixing device is detachably or permanently fixed to the other end. Alternatively, the spacer device may extend within, or externally around, the mouth of the bag whereby the bag may be fixed directly, in a permanent or detachable manner, to the annular fixing device. The bag may be formed from plastics sheet material or any other suitable material .

Fixing of the attachment device to the user's skin may be achieved with a ring of skin-compatible adhesive in conventional manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of one form of a colostomy bag system according to the invention; and Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the arrangement of Fig. 1. BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, the colostomy bag system shown, comprises a generally rectangular flexible plastics bag 1 having a top end with a neck 2 terminating in an open mouth 3. The mouth 3 is fixed, e.g. by heat welding, to one end of a bent tube 4.

The other end of the tube 4 is fixed, e.g. by heat welding to the periphery of a central aperture in an annular fixing disc 5 so that the tube 4 projects from a front side of the disc 5. At the rear side of the disc 5 there is a fixing pad 6 coated with skin-compatible adhesive covered by a release paper 7.

The tube 4 is a rigid or semi-rigid moulded plastics structure which is bent in the form of an elbow or right-angle bend or similar arrangement. The tube is generally of uniform circular cross-section throughout, although if desired the tube cross-section may change progressively from the one end to the other end e.g. by tapering to reduce the cross-section slightly or by changing the cross-section from circular to slightly oval or flattened form.

With the arrangement described, in use, after removal of the release paper 7 the annular fixing disc 5 is attached to the user's skin around a colostomy aperture. The bag hangs down alongside the user's body. Due to the action of the tube 4, even though the main part of the bag is constrained to lie generally flat by the weight of the user's clothing, the mouth 3 of the bag 1 is held open by the spacing action of the rigid or semi-rigid tube 4. The tube thereby acts as a guide channel to ensure smooth flow of waste from the colostomy aperture into the bag without clogging occurring in the vicinity of the bag mouth 3.

The extent to which the tube 4 projects outwardly need not be great whereby the bag system can lie comfortably beneath the user's clothing.

When the bag is filled and requires replacement, the entire system, comprising the disc 5, the tube 4 and the bag 1, is detached from the user's body and is discarded and replaced. It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are described by way of example only. Thus, for example, if desired the system can be formed in two or more parts whereby it is not necessary to remove and replace the fixing disc 5 every time the bag is removed and replaced. Thus, for example, the bag 1 may be detachably engaged with the tube 4, or the tube 4 may be detachably engaged with the fixing disc 5.

Claims

1. A colostomy bag system comprising a bag (1) having a mouth (3) thereto, and an annular fixing device (5) for removably adhering the bag to a person's body around a colostomy aperture, characterised in that there is also provided a spacer device (4) to provide a shaped guide channel through said mouth (3) into the bag (1) .

2. A colostomy bag system according to claim 1 characterised in that the annular fixing device (5) is integral with the bag (1) .

3. A colostomy bag system according to claim 1 characterised in that the annular fixing device (5) is detachably cooperable with the bag (1) .

4. A colostomy bag system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that the spacer device (4) is secured to the annular fixing device (5) .

5. A colostomy bag system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterised in that the spacer device (4) is secured to the bag mouth (3) .

6. A colostomy bag system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterised in that the spacer device (4) comprises a tubular structure.

7. A colostomy bag system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 characterised in that the spacer device (4) comprises one or more moulded plastics parts.

8. A colostomy bag system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 characterised in that the spacer device (4) is interposed between the annular fixing device (5) and the bag (1) whereby the bag is fixed to one end of the spacer device (4) and the annular fixing device (5) is fixed to the other.

9. A colostomy bag system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 characterised in that the spacer device (4) is curved downwardly.

10. A colostomy bag system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 characterised in that the annular fixing device (5) comprises a disc and a ring of adhesive (6) is provided for fixing the disc to the user's skin.