GB2301777A

GB2301777A - W.C. disposable pouch

Info

Publication number: GB2301777A
Application number: GB9613360A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Emery Steer
Original assignee: Bristol Myers Squibb Co
Current assignee: Bristol Myers Squibb Co
Priority date: 1996-06-26
Filing date: 1996-06-26
Publication date: 1996-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 2016-06-26
Also published as: ES2371650T3; GB9613360D0; GB2301777B

Abstract

The pouch, preferably an ostomy pouch, comprises a pair of walls 10,12 of plastic material welded around the periphery (14). A pull away tear strip 20, preferably a polyester filament, is located on the inside of the wall. The pouch conventionally has a filter 24 and a hole 26 for evacuating flatus gas therethrough and a stomal orifice 16 surrounded by an adhesive wafer. The tab 22 is pulled resulting in a tear along the wall 10. In alternative embodiments the tear strip may be embedded in, or located on the exterior aspect, of the wall. In a further embodiment the pouch may have a heat affected zone (HAZ) (54) in one of the walls. A filament (56) is attached parallel to HAZ and may be pulled by a tab to tear a hole in the pouch wall.

Description

DISPOSABLE POUCH This invention relates to a WC-disposable pouch.

As is well known, there have been continuing efforts to design a satisfactory WC-disposable pouch. Such pouches are worn by those who have suffered a surgical diversion operation such as a colostomy. One example of such a pouch is shown in European Patent Application No. 10171B (H. Kiefer) and others in GB 2 083 762B, GB 2 227 668 and GB 2 227 937. Despite a variety of approaches, no known pouch design has consistently met the requirements of easy manipulation and consistent WC-flushability. One intractable problem is that air trapped in the pouch causes it to fail to pass around the U-bend of a conventional water-closet.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a WCdisposable pouch comprising a pair of walls of plastics material welded together around their periphery, characterised in that one of the walls has a pull-away tear strip extending in a substantially straight line from one pouch edge to an opposite pouch edge, whereby the pouch can be torn open.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of disposing of a pouch for containing body wastes down a WC, one wall of the pouch having embedded therein a pull-away tear strip extending from one pouch edge to the other, in which the pouch is disposed of by pulling an end of the tear strip to effect a tear, then placing the pouch in the WC, and flushing the WC.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in such a pouch, one of these walls is a linearly-oriented plastics material.

Alternatively, both of the pouch walls may be made of a linearly-oriented plastics material. The direction of orientation is preferably substantially vertical, assuming the pouch is in a normal, as worn, upright position.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, one of the pouch walls is heat-treated along a predetermined line along the pouch wall. -The effect of this is to produce a thin, elongated heat-affected zone (herein called HAZ). Over this zone the thickness of the pouch wall is reduced (e.g. by 10 to 30%) and its tear resistance is reduced. When the tear filament (as mentioned, a polyester filament is preferred) is embedded in a pouch wall having a HAZ and one end of the filament is securely attached to a tab, or to a filter disc which also serves as a tab, pulling on the tab results in the filament being stripped out of the pouch wall resulting in a through tear occurring.

In use, once the pouch has been filled or part-filled, and the wearer wishes to dispose of it, he or she holds it over the WC and pulls a tab connected to the tear strip, thus slitting the wall of the pouch from one edge to the other.

The pouch is then simply dropped into the WC. In effect, the pouch is "unzipped" by pulling the tear strip. Preferably the pouch is approximately rectangular or pear-shaped and its said one wall may but need not be linearly oriented in a vertical direction when the pouch is in its usual position when worn.

The tear strip also preferably extends vertically, but may extend in any desired direction.

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 like parts are denoted by like numerals and in which: Figure 1 is a front view of one example of pouch according to the invention; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic cross-section through an upper part of the pouch shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross section similar to Figure 2 but showing a second embodiment of the invention; and Figure 4 is a cross section similar to Figure 2 but showing a third embodiment of the invention.

The pouch 8 shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a front wall 10 and a rear wall 12 joined by a peripheral plastics weld 14. The rear wall has a stomal orifice 16 therein and an adhesive wafer 18 surrounds this orifice. -The wafer 18 enables the pouch to be releasably attached in known manner to the peristomal skin surface of the wearer. Such wafers are known and need not be further described; the reader is referred to GB 1 044 828, GB 1 088 992 and GB 1 571 657.

Referring now to Figure 2, a tear strip or filament 20, which may for example be a filament of polyester, is attached to the inner surface of the wall 10 and passes between the walls 10 and 12 where they are joined at the top of the pouch. The filament 20 has one end attached to a tab 22. It is arranged parallel to the direction of orientation of the plastics material forming the wall 10. A patch filter 24, e.g. of polyurethane foam or particularly charcoal cloth, or other non-woven filter substrate, and having activated carbon particles dispersed therein, is attached to an upper region of the pouch. Such filters are well known to those skilled in the art; other kinds of filter may be used provided they do not inhibit tearing away of the tear strip 20. A hole 26 in the pouch wall 10 permits flatus gases to reach the filter 24.In use, the tab 22 is grasped and pulled with the pouch held over the WC. This completely unzips" the wall 10 of the pouch, that is to say, a tear is made along the length of the pouch wall.

The pouch can then can be flushed away without difficulty.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 3 has a tear strip 30, which may be a polyester filament, embedded within the material of the wall 10.

The tear strip 30 extends beyond the wall 10 and has a grip tab 32 attached at its upper end. When the tab 32 of the filament 30 is pulled (towards the left and downwardly as seen in Figure 3) the filament is stripped out of the wall 10. This weakens the wall to such an extent that a vertical tear or split in the wall 10 occurs.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 4, in which a tear strip 36 is located on the outside surface of the wall 10 and passes under the filter 24. The tear strip 36 is welded through to the area denoted 38 of the pouch, prior to attachment of the filter 10. The filter may be attached to the wall 10 with adhesive. A tab 40 enables a protruding part of the filament to be gripped by finger and thumb. As the filament is stripped away, a section of the pouch wall 10 is in effect torn in half, and the tear is propagated along the major portion of the pouch wall. The pouch may then be disposed of down a WC without difficulty.

Referring now to Figure 5, an isometric view, partly cut away, of an upper part of a WC-disposable pouch according to a further embodiment of the invention is shown. The pouch has a front wall 50 and a rear wall 52 and has a linear heat-affected zone 54 extending linearly along the length of the pouch.

Of course, while a linear HAZ is illustrated, there is no reason why a non-linear HAZ should not be employed instead. A polyester filament 56 is attached to the outer surface of the wall 50. e.g. by heat welding or adhesive, and has one end securely attached to a deodorizing filter 58. The filter 58 has a portion 58A attached to the pouch wall and a portion 58B which is free of the pouch wall.

As will be understood, the pouch wall 50 has one or more holes therein adjacent to the filter so that flatus gases can exit the pouch via the filter 58. It is preferable that the filament should run parallel to the direction of the HAZ. The filament should run along or closely adjacent to the HAZ. In use, by gripping and lifting and pulling the filter tab 58B the filament 56 may be stripped out of the wall 50 leaving a substantial tear therein. Once torn in this way, the pouch may be disposed of down a WC without difficulty.

In Figures 6 and 7 further detail is given of one preferred arrangement whose basic features are similar to Figure 5. Figure 6 shows the front view of an upper portion of a pouch 60 to which is attached a "figure of 8" shaped filter 62. The pouch has walls 60A, 60B. Figure 7 is a cross section on the plane VII-VII of Figure 6 showing the filter portion 62A and the tab portion 62B of the filter 62, which preferably is die cut from carbon cloth type filter media. A hole 65 in the pouch wall 60A permits flatus gases to reach the filter 62. A tear filament 64 (preferably a polyester filament) is joined e.g. by an annular ring weld 66 to the filter portion 62A. An annular intermittent ring weld 68 is located roughly concentric with, and to surround, the weld 66. At 69, there is seen a unitary joint at which an end of the filament is attached, e.g. by welding to the filter portion 62A.

In use, the user holds the upper portion of the pouch 60 with one hand, and grips the tab 62B with finger and thumb of the other hand. The tab 62B is pulled downwardly firmly, which destroys the annular ring weld where it is attached to the pouch wall and also breaks the intermittent weld 68; however the join of the filter part 62A to the filament 64 is made sufficiently strong that this connection is not broken. Continued downward pulling tears the pouch wall 60A. The pouch can then be readily disposed of down a WC. The filament 64 may be attached to an external surface of the pouch wall 60A or may be embedded in said wall.

As mentioned, it is preferred to manufacture the pouch filter as a "figure of 8", but only weld one of the two circular parts to the pouch film with the remaining half of the '8' forming the basis of the tab, i.e. half of the filter material is effectively redundant from the filtering point of view but creates the tab to enable tear initiation. The filament is securely bonded to the filter area and will tear away with the filter once this process has been initiated.

In the above description, reference has been made to embedding the filament within one of the pouch walls. One convenient way to achieve this is to place the filament between two thin films which are then laminated together so that the major length of the filament is fixedly maintained between them.

To the best of Applicants' present knowledge and belief, in the welding of the polyester filament to the pouch film, the heat will create a line of orientation in the proximity of the filament and with ultimate tear initiation, a tear will run down this line proximal to the filament. it is well known in the welding of metals that fracture nearly always takes place next to the actual weld and rarely within the weld material itself. A combination of polymer thinning and molecular orientation next to the filament is considered sufficient to allow rupture of the pouch film as required. Polymer thinning as well as or instead of molecular orientation next to the heat welded zone can be employed to ensure that a thinner area will tear first.

Claims

1. A WC-disposable pouch comprises a pair of walls of plastics material welded together around their periphery, characterised in that there is embedded within or secured to one of the walls a pull-away tear strip.

2. A pouch according to claim 1, in which the tear strip is a filament of polyester.

3. A pouch according to claim 1 or 2 in which the strip extends in a substantially straight line from one pouch edge to the other.

4. A pouch according to claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the tear strip extends in a substantially straight line from one pouch edge to the other.

5. A pouch according to claim 4 in which said one wall is of a linearlyoriented plastics material and the tear strip extends in a substantially straight line parallel to the direciton of linear orientation.

6. A pouch according to claim 1 in which one of the pouch walls has an elongate heat-affected zone (HAS) and the tear strip is located along or closely adjacent to the HAZ.

7. A pouch according to claim 6 in which the HAZ is linear and extends from pouch edge to pouch edge.

8. A method of disposing of a pouch substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, or Figures 1 and 3, or Figures 1 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A method of disposing of a pouch for containing body wastes down a WC, one wall of the pouch having embedded therein a pull-away tear strip extending from one pouch edge to the other, in which th pouch is disposed of by pulling an end of the tear strip to effect a tear, then placing the pouch in the WC, and flushing the WC.

9. A method according to claim 8, in which the filament of polyester is pulled so that it is stripped out of the pouch wall, to effect the tear.

10. A method according to claim 8 or 9 in which the tear is effected in a substantially straight line from one edge of the pouch to the other.

11. A method according to any one of claims 8-10 in which said pouch wall is of linearly-oriented plastics, and the tear strip is arranged and pulled substantially parallel to the direction of linear orientation.

12. A pouch substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, or Figures 1 and 3, or Figures 1 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A method of disposing of a pouch substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, or Figures 1 and 3, or Figures 1 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A WC-disposable pouch comprising a pair of walls of plastics material welded together around their periphery, characterised in that one of the walls is made of a linearly-oriented plastics material and has a pull-away tear strip extending in a substantially straight line from one pouch edge to an opposite pouch edge and parallel to the direction of orientation of the plastics material of the wall, whereby the pouch can be torn open.

3. A pouch according to claim 1 in which one of the pouch walls has an elongate heat-affected zone (HAZ), said zone having a thickness reduced relative to an unaffected part of the pouch wall, and the tear strip is located along or closely adjacent to the HAZ.

4. A pouch according to claim 3 in which the HAZ is linear and extends from pouch edge to pouch edge.

5. A method of disposing of a pouch for containing body wastes down a WC, at least one wall of the pouch being made of a linearly-oriented plastics material and having embedded therein a pull-away tear strip extending substantially parallel to the direction of linear orientation of the plastics material of the wall from one pouch edge to the other, in which the pouch is disposed of by pulling an end of the tear strip to effect a tear, then placing the pouch in the WC, and flushing the WC.

6. A method according to claim 5, in which the filament of polyester is pulled so that it is stripped out of the pouch wall, to effect the tear.

7. A pouch substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, or Figures 1 and 3, or Figures 1 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.