GB2148120A - Ostomy bag coupling - Google Patents

Abstract

A two-part coupling for joining an ostomy bag to a pad or face plate is characterised in that the two cooperating coupling parts are held together in a detachable manner by an arrangement of suction cups 34. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ostomy bag coupling This invention relates to an ostomy bag coupling.

It has become the currently preferred practice for ostomy bags to be detachably secured to a pad or dressing which contacts the skin of the wearer.

Often, such a pad or dressing is attached to the wearer by a medical grade adhesive, so dispensing with the inconvenient and uncomfortable belts or harnesses. One successful method of securing an ostomy bag to a pad is described and claimed in British Patent number 1571657. The reader is also referred to British Patents 1583027, 1586823, 1586824,1568860,1579875,1596047,1595906, 2031282, and British application number 2115288A.

Interengaging plastics coupling rings have proved very successful, but one of their disadvantages is that when engaged the resulting coupling has a stiffness which may sometimes lead to discomfort for the wearer.

According to the present invention, there is provided a two part coupling for joining an ostomy bag to a pad or face plate characterised in that the two co-operating coupling parts are held together in a detachable manner by an arrangement of suction cups, on one part co-operating with one or more confronting surfaces on the other part.

One coupling part may have a substantially flat annular surface and the other coupling part may carry a plurality of suction cups. Alternatively there may be one or more suction cups on one coupling part and one or more on the other coupling part. For example, suction cups may be equally spaced around the central axis of one part of the ostomy bag coupling, there being also flat surfaces for cooperation with the cups likewise spaced around the central axis of the other part of the coupling.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the body side coupling part is formed by a thin flexible radially extending flange and a tubular portion which extends away from the body of the wearer, these may be integral or may be secured together in any convenient way. The whole part may be moulded from plastics material. The flange carries on its side further from the body of the wearer a series of suction cups. The bag side coupling part for co-operation with the part described may then consist of a tubular portion which fits over the tubular portion of the body side coupling part, optionally with a flexible sealing skirt extending inwardly towards the body side coupling part, and also having a radially extending flexible annular flange to which an ostomy bag is secured in any conventional way.This flange facing towards the body of the wearer has a flat annular surface for co operation with the suction cups.

An important advantage of using suction cups to secure the two coupling parts together is that the holding force is fully adequate for the purpose and yet the two coupling parts can easily be pulled apart by the application of a relatively small force in the region of each suction cup in turn, utilizing a "peeling" action. Moreover, the arrangement is a relatively simple, reliable, and inexpensive one.

One non-limiting example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is an axial crosssection through one example of coupling according to the invention, shown with the coupling parts in engagement with each other.

The illustrated coupling includes a body-side coupling part 10 and a bag-side coupling part 12.

The body-side coupling part 10 includes a radially extending flexible flange 14 and a central tubular portion 16. These may be moulded integrally from synthetics plastics material or may be secured together in any convenient manner. The annular flange 14 has a flat surface 18 facing towards the body of the wearer, upon which can be placed a medical grade adhesive so that the body-side coupling part is secured to the skin of the wearer in the peristomal region. The tubular portion 16 has a part of thicker wall thickness 16a and a part of thinner wall thickness 16b. At the outer end, that is to say the end further from the wearer, there may be an upstanding rib or peripheral series of pips 20.

The purpose of these will be later described.

The bag-side coupling element 12 has a radially extending annular flange 26 and a tubular portion 28. The tubular portion 28 is attached to or integral with a tapering flexible deflectable sealing skirt 30 whose tip 32, when the two coupling parts are assembled together, is in contact with the outer cylindrical surface 1 6c of the tubular portion 16. The diameter of the hole defined by the tip 32 is slightly less than the outside diameter of the cylindrical portion 16c. A series of suction cups 34 are attached to or form part of the body-side coupling element 10, and a confronting annular sheet 36 is attached to or forms part of the bag-side coupling part 12.

Alternatively the sheet 36 can be omitted and the suction cups make contact with a surface 26b of the flange 26. The suction cups are preferably made of rubber or an equivalent soft plastics material.

The body-side coupling part has an outer substantially cylindrical surface 16d and the bagside coupling part 12 has an inner substantially cylindrical surface 28a. The internal diameter of the surface 28a is chosen to be slightly greater than the outside diameter of the surface 16d. The cooperation of these two substantially cylindrical surfaces ensures that the suction cups 34 and their confronting surface or surfaces meet in a face to face manner as the coupling parts 10 and 12 are assembled together. The flexible sealing skirt stretches slightly to pass over the rib 20 as this assembly is carried out, and then reverts to its normal unstretched condition whereat the tip 32 is in contact with the substantially cylindrical surface 16c. This arrangement provides a good liquid seal as well as mechanical security against inadvertent disassembly of the two coupling parts.

A conventional ostomy bag is attached to the bagside coupling 12, for example by a plastics welding operation whereby one of the walls of the bag, having a stomal orifice, is welded or otherwise attached to the surface 26a of the flange 26.

An advantage of the construction illustrated is that the tubular portion 16 acts as a guidance chute and presents a smooth surface to any discharged waste matter, conducting it to the interior of the bag.

There are no crevices or cracks or gaps which may become clogged with waste material and thus present a difficult and unpleasant cleaning problem.

It will be appreciated that modifications can be made without departing from the invention. For example some suction cups could be on part 10 and some on the part 12, or all the cups could be on the part 12.

As an advantageous feature of the invention, the flange 26 and/or the coupling part 10 could have a radially projecting tab so that the wearer can readily grip these tabs to start the peeling action when it is desired to separate the bag-side coupling part together with the bag from the body-side coupling part, for example when it is desired to change the bag.

Reference has been made in this specification to the use of suction cups; the conventional idiomatic meaning is to be given of these words. It will be appreciated that there is no externally applied suction and in fact using such cups the holding force arises from atmospheric pressure.

Claims (8)

1. A two part coupling for joining an ostomy bag to a pad or face plate characterised in that the two co-operating coupling parts are held together in a detachable manner by an arrangement of suction cups on one part, co-operating with one or more confronting surfaces on the other part.

2. A coupling according to claim 1 in which one coupling part has a substantially f!at annular surface and the other coupling part carries a plurality of suction cups.

3. A coupling according to claim 1 in which there are one or more suction cups on one coupling part and one or more on the other coupling part.

4. A coupling according to claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the suction cups are equally spaced around the central axis of one part of the ostomy bag coupling and in which there are flat surfaces for co-operation with the cups likewise spaced around the central axis of the other part of the coupling.

5. A body side coupling part for an ostomy appliance and which is formed by a thin flexible radially extending flange and a tubular portion which extends away from the body of the wearer, these being integral or being secured together in any convenient way, the flange carrying on its side further from the body of the wearer a series of suction cups.

6. A bag side coupling part for co-operation with the part claimed in claim 5 and which consists of a tubular portion which fits over the tubular portion of the body side coupling part, a flexible sealing skirt mounted on the tubular portion and extending inwardly towards the body side coupling part, the coupling part having a radially extending flexible annular flange to which an ostomy bag can be secured in any conventional way, and the latter having a flat annular surface for co-operation with the suction cups and which faces towards the wearer.

7. A two part ostomy coupling substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

8. Any novel combination or sub-combination disclosed and/or illustrated herein.