WO2017222762A1

WO2017222762A1 - Fastening arrangement for drainable ostomy pouch closure

Info

Publication number: WO2017222762A1
Application number: PCT/US2017/035186
Authority: WO
Inventors: George J. CISKO Jr.
Original assignee: Hollister Incorporated
Priority date: 2016-06-20
Filing date: 2017-05-31
Publication date: 2017-12-28

Abstract

An ostomy pouch includes a collection pouch having a first side wall and a second side wall connected to one another along a periphery, the collection pouch having a collection cavity defined between the first and second side walls, and a drainage tail connected to and extending from the collection pouch, the drainage tail defining an internal passageway connected to the collection cavity. The drainage tail is movable between an open condition and a closed condition. The ostomy pouch further includes a first fastener configured to hold the drainage tail in the closed condition and a second fastener configured to hold the drainage tail in the closed condition and provide an audible or tactile confirmation upon fastening.

Description

TITLE

FASTENING ARRANGEMENT FOR DRAIN ABLE OSTOMY POUCH CLOSURE

BACKGROUND

[0001] The following description generally relates to ostomy appliances, and in particular, an ostomy pouch having a drainage tail with first and second fasteners for holding the tail in a closed condition.

[0002] Ostomy pouches for collecting bodily waste are used by persons who have had surgery such as a colostomy, ileostomy, or urostomy. Ostomy pouches typically include flat, opposing side walls defining an internal collection cavity. One of the side walls is provided with an opening to receive a stoma, and means to secure the pouch to the user, such as an adhesive barrier, so that bodily waste discharged through the stoma is received within the cavity without leakage from the stoma arrier/pouch environment.

[0003] The ostomy pouch may be a drainable pouch having a discharge opening at a lower end. The discharge opening may be closed during collection of body waste material, but may be opened to drain the waste material from the pouch. Such drainable ostomy pouches are disclosed, for example, in Nolan, U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,534, and Jensen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,659, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0004] The discharge opening of drainable ostomy pouches may be defined at the end of a narrowed neck or tail portion, which is provided with closure means for maintaining the discharge opening in a sealed condition until waste material is to be drained from the pouch. In a known system, the tail portion may be folded or rolled upwardly to close the ostomy pouch. The tail portion may be held in a closed condition with a hook-and-loop fastener, such as VELCRO ®. The hook-and-loop fastener may be released to unroll or unfold the tail portion to drain the ostomy pouch.

[0005] However, in the systems described above, the hook-and-loop fastener lacks an audible or tactile confirmation to confirm securing engagement of the fastener to hold the tail in a closed condition. Thus, in some instances, a tail portion may appear to be in the closed condition, but may not be sufficiently secured against opening. As such, inadvertent opening and draining of the ostomy pouch may occur. [0006] Another known system, such as that disclosed in Fenton, U.S. Pat. No.

3,825,005, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, uses interlocking ribs and channels to seal an ostomy bag, and includes a secondary sealing device affected by folding a bottom of the ostomy bag and interlocking another set of ribs and channels. However, this system requires a user to actively perform a first closing and sealing step to interlock the first ribs and channels, and after folding, a second step to interlock the secondary ribs and channels. In addition, the rib and channel interlocks of this system require the ostomy bag to be formed having a suitable level of stiffness to support the interlock and the seal the bag. A lack of flexibility in the bag may be uncomfortable to the wearer.

[0007] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a drainable ostomy pouch having a fastening arrangement for providing an audible and/or tactile confirmation indicating that a tail portion has been secured in a closed condition.

SUMMARY

[0008] According to one embodiment, there is provided an ostomy pouch including a collection pouch having a first side wall and a second side wall connected to one another along a periphery, the collection pouch having a collection cavity defined between the first and second side walls, and a drainage tail connected to and extending from the collection pouch, the drainage tail defining an internal passageway connected to the collection cavity. The drainage tail is movable between an open condition and a closed condition. The ostomy pouch further includes a first fastener configured to hold the drainage tail in the closed condition and a second fastener configured to hold the drainage tail in the closed condition and provide an audible or tactile confirmation upon fastening.

[0009] Other objects, features, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps, and processes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an ostomy pouch in an open condition according to an embodiment described herein; [0011] FIG. 2 is a plan view of an ostomy pouch in a closed condition according to an embodiment described herein;

[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an ostomy pouch in the closed condition according to an embodiment described herein; and

[0013] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an ostomy pouch in the open condition showing portions of first and second fasteners according to another embodiment described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] While the present disclosure is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described one or more

embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered illustrative only and is not intended to limit the disclosure to any specific embodiment described or illustrated.

[0015] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the embodiments described herein generally include an ostomy pouch 10 having a collection pouch 12 and a drainage tail 14. The collection pouch 12 defines an internal collection area 16. The collection pouch 12 may generally be formed by a first side wall 18 and a second side wall 20 joined to one another at a periphery, or connected integrally with one another as a single unit. The collection area 16 is defined between the first and second side walls 18, 20. The ostomy pouch 10 also includes an inlet (not shown) formed in one of the side walls 18, 20 configured to receive a stoma so that a discharge from the stoma may be received in the collection area 16. The inlet may be positioned at an upper portion of the ostomy pouch 10. The drainage tail 14 may be disposed generally at a lower end of the collection pouch 12 to allow for drainage of contents from the collection area 16.

[0016] In one embodiment, the drainage tail 14 is movable between an open condition (FIG. 1) and a closed condition (FIG. 2). In the open condition, the drainage tail 14 is unfolded or unrolled to provide a substantially unobstructed internal passageway for the contents of the collection area 16 to egress from the collection pouch 12. In one embodiment, the drainage tail 14 may be connected to night drainage system or other similar container.

[0017] In normal daily use, the drainage tail 14 is moved to the closed condition by upwardly rolling or folding the tail 14. This upward rolling or folding closes or seals the internal passageway to substantially limit or prevent egress of contents from the collection area 16 through the drainage tail 14.

[0018] In one embodiment, the drainage tail 14 may be held in the closed condition by way of a first fastener 22 and a second fastener 24. That is, the ostomy pouch 10 further includes first and second fasteners 22, 24 to substantially secure the drainage tail 14 from inadvertent movement from the closed condition to the open condition. In one embodiment, the second fastener 24 may be disposed within the field or peripheral boundary of the first fastener 22.

[0019] The first fastener 22 may be a fastener that substantially holds the drainage tail 14 against inadvertent or unintentional unfolding or unrolling. The second fastener 24 may be a fastener that also holds the drainage tail against inadvertent or unintentional unfolding or unrolling, and also provides a tactile and/or audible indication confirming that the second fastener 24 has been fastened to hold the drainage tail 14 in the closed condition.

[0020] In one embodiment, the first fastener 22 may be a hook-and-loop fastener.

The first fastener 22 may include a first section 26 and a second section 28. The first section 26 may be, for example, the hook section, and the second section 28 may be the loop section, or vice versa. In one embodiment, the first section 26 may be disposed on the drainage tail 14 and the second section 28 may be disposed on the drainage tail 14 or the collection pouch 12. The first and second sections 26, 28 may be secured to the drainage tail 14 or collection pouch 12 using known suitable techniques, such as adhesives or heat sealing. In one embodiment, the first and second sections 26, 28 may be individually and discretely secured to the ostomy pouch 10. Alternatively, the first and second sections 26, 28 may be part of a single construction that is secured to the ostomy pouch 10 using known suitable techniques described above. In another alternative configuration, the first section 26, the second section 28, or both sections may be secured to the ostomy pouch 10 as a flap movable relative to the ostomy pouch 10.

[0021] In one embodiment, the first fastener 22 extends substantially across a width of the drainage tail 14. Accordingly, by fastening the first fastener 22, such as the hook- and-loop fastener, the drainage tail 14 may be held in the closed condition by a holding or closing force applied substantially across its width.

[0022] It will be appreciated by those having skill in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the examples above. For instance, the first fastener 22 is not limited to a hook-and-loop fastener, and other suitable fasteners are envisioned. For example, the first fastener 22 may be implemented as a releasable and/or reusable adhesive, or other similar type of fastener allowing for selective securing and release of the drainage tail 14 for movement between the closed and open conditions.

[0023] In one embodiment, the second fastener 24 may be a snap or similar fastener. The second fastener 24 may include a first portion 30 and a second portion 32. In one embodiment, the first portion 30 is disposed within the first section 26 of the first fastener 22 and the second portion 32 is disposed within the second section 28 of the first fastener 22. For example, the first portion 30 may be a male portion of a snap and the second portion 32 may be a female portion of the snap, or vice versa. In one embodiment, the snap may be made from plastic or similar material, but is not limited thereto.

[0024] The first portion 30, i.e., the male or female portion of the snap, may be disposed on or within the boundaries of the first section 26, i.e., the hook section or loop section of the hook-and-loop fastener. Similarly, the second portion 32, i.e., the other of the male or female portion of the snap, may be disposed on or within the boundaries of the second section 28, i.e., the other of the hook section or loop section of the hook-and-loop fastener. In one embodiment, the first portion 30 of the second fastener 24 maybe substantially centered within the first section 26 of the first fastener 22 and the second portion 32 of the second fastener 24 may be substantially centered in the second section 28 of the first fastener 22. The second fastener 24 may be secured to the ostomy pouch 10 or within the first fastener 22, for example, by an adhesive, heat sealing, or the like.

[0025] It is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the examples above. For example, the first and/or second portions 30, 32 may be positioned at a location spaced from respective first and/or second sections 30, 32. In one embodiment, one or both of the first and second portions 30, 32 may be disposed on respective flaps connected to the ostomy pouch 10.

[0026] The second fastener 24, upon fastening, is configured to provide an audible or tactile indication that it is in a secured, fastened condition. For example, where the second fastener 24 is a snap, upon proper fastening, an audible "snap" or "click" sound may be heard. In addition, a tactile confirmation may also be provided by the first portion 30 of the snap overcoming an initial frictional resistance to be moved into securing engagement with the second portion 32, or vice versa. Although the examples above refer to a single second fastener 24, it is envisioned that multiple second fasteners may be used.

[0027] However, the second fastener is not limited to the snap described in the example above, and other suitable fasteners are envisioned. A suitable fastener may include, for example, a clasp type fastener, a spring loaded detent or other fastener which provides an audible and/or tactile indication when it has been fastened. Other interference, friction and/or interlocking type fasteners may be suitable as well. While the snap above is described as providing both an audible and tactile confirmation of fastening engagement, it is envisioned that other fasteners providing only one of an audible or tactile confirmation may be used as well.

[0028] In the embodiments above, the ostomy pouch 10 may initially have the drainage tail 14 in the open condition, as shown in FIG. 1. In this condition, contents in the collection area 16 of the collection pouch 12 may be drained through an internal passageway in the drainage tail 14. For normal daily use, the drainage tail 14 may be folded or rolled to close the internal passageway and seal or substantially seal the ostomy pouch 10 against leakage of contents through the drainage tail 14.

[0029] The drainage tail 14 may be held in the closed condition to avoid inadvertent unfolding or unrolling by way of the first fastener 22. In one embodiment, the first fastener is a hook-and-loop fastener. The first fastener 22 may extend substantially across a width of the drainage tail 14.

[0030] The second fastener 24 may be engaged to provide additional holding force on the drainage tail 14 to hold the drainage tail 14 against inadvertent unfolding or unrolling. In addition, the second fastener 24 is configured to provide an audible or tactile confirmation that it has been engaged to hold the drainage tail 14 against inadvertent unfolding or unrolling. For example, in one embodiment, the second fastener 24 may be a snap that provide and audible "snap" or "click" sound when engaged, and also provides a tactile "snapping" feel when engaged. Accordingly, a user may sense this confirmation from the second fastener and determine that the drainage tail 14 is sufficiently held against inadvertent movement to the open condition. In addition, in the embodiments above, in the event the first fastener 22 experiences a reduced holding strength, for example, through repeated use, wear, or misalignment, the second fastener 24 may provide additional holding force to resist movement of the drainage tail 14 to the open condition. [0031] When fastening the first and second fasteners 22, 24 in the embodiments above, a user may only need to focus on fastening the second fastener 24. The first fastener 22 is configured to be passively fastened while the second fastener 24 is fastened. That is, when fastening the second fastener 24, the first fastener 22 may also be fastened without additional fastening steps to be performed by the user. For example, in one embodiment, proper positioning and application of pressure to the snap to fasten the snap may be sufficient to fasten the hook- and-loop fastener surrounding the snap. Thus, the first and second fasteners 22, 24 may be fastened in a single fastening step.

[0032] It is understood that the features described with respect to any of the embodiments above may be implemented, used together with, or replace features described in any of the other embodiments above.

[0033] All patents referred to herein, are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety, by reference, whether or not specifically indicated as such within the text of this disclosure.

[0034] In the present disclosure, the words "a" or "an" are to be taken to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to plural items shall, where appropriate, include the singular.

[0035] From the foregoing it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be effectuated without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or should be inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An ostomy pouch comprising:

a collection pouch having a first side wall and a second side wall connected to one another along a periphery, the collection pouch having a collection cavity defined between the first and second side walls;

a drainage tail connected to and extending from the collection pouch, the drainage tail defining an internal passageway connected to the collection cavity, wherein the drainage tail is movable between an open condition and a closed condition;

a first fastener configured to hold the drainage tail in the closed condition; and a second fastener configured to hold the drainage tail in the closed condition and provide an audible or tactile confirmation upon fastening.

2. The ostomy pouch of claim 1, wherein the second fastener is positioned within a peripheral boundary of the first fastener.

3. The ostomy pouch of claim 2, wherein the second fastener is centered within the peripheral boundary of the first fastener.

4. The ostomy pouch of any of claims 1-3, wherein the first fastener is a releasable fastener having a first section disposed on the drainage tail and a second section disposed on one of the drainage tail and the collection pouch.

5. The ostomy pouch of any of claims 1-4, wherein the first fastener extends substantially across a width of the drainage tail.

6. The ostomy pouch of any of claims 1-5, wherein the first fastener is a hook-and- loop fastener.

7. The ostomy pouch of any of claims 1-6, wherein the second fastener is a releasable fastener having a first portion disposed on the drainage tail and a second portion disposed on one of the drainage tail and the collection pouch.

8. The ostomy pouch of any of claims 1-7, wherein the second fastener is a snap fastener.

9. The ostomy pouch of claim 1, wherein the second fastener includes a plurality of second fasteners.