GB1568860A - Coupling for an ostomy bag - Google Patents

Description

(54) A COUPLING FOR AN OSTOMY BAG (71) We, KINGSDOWN MEDICAL CONSULTANTS LIMITED, a British company, of Blackfriars House, 19 New Bridge Street, London, EC4V 6BY, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates generally to ostomy bags. In this Specification, the words "ostomy bag" are intended to include removable coa- tainers which receive materials from within tbe human body expelled through an orifice formed by surgery, for example as a result of, for example colostomy and ileostomy.

Such bags are usually although not inevitably made from a pair of sheet of plastics film welded together around their periphery. In one of the sheets, there is provided an aperture.

Ostomy bags are usually secured to a pad or surgical dressing which contacts the user's skin and surrounds the stoma. There is a need for a coupang between pad and bag which allows the bag to be readily removed when necessary; and replaced by a clean, empty bag. It is also desirable that the coupling should be a secure one, and prevent leakage particularly of liquids and gases.

Aocording to the invention, there is provided a coupling for connecting an ostomy bag and a surgical dressing pad including a first and a second coupling member, each of dosed loop form to surround an aperture which in use can receive the stoma of the user, the two members being of complementary shape so that one fits within the other, one of the members being generally cylindrical and having a delectable resilient seal strip which extends peripherally completely round the coupling at an oblique angle to the axis of the cylindrical curved surface, is deformed upon interengagement of the members and tends to spring back to firmly engage a con fronting cylindrical wall of the other member to provide a gas-and fluid-tight seal therebetween.

The arrangements described above may be combined with advantage to provide a readilymanufactured coupling between pad and bag which in use allows the bag to be changed quickly, without difficulty, even for old and infirm persons.

The first coupling member may be on the bag and the second coupling member, on the pad, may fit substantially within it. This arrangement may be reversed. Either the first or the second coupling may have the deflectible, resilient seal strip secured thereto or integral therewith.

The members may be moulded from a synthetic plastics material, for example, low density polyethylene.

The invention will be better understood from the following non-limiting description of an example thereof given with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification in which: Figure 1 is an elevation view of a bag, pad and coupling assembly seen from the user side and looking away from the user; and Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line II--III of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a bag 10, and a pad 12.

The pad is preferably formed by a surgical dressing as disclosed and maimed in British Patent No. 1,088,992. The bag may be made of two sheets of plastics material welded together around their periphery by a heatwelded seam 14. One of the sheets is seen at 16 in Figure 2. It has a hole in it to register with a central hole 18 in the pad 12. A first coupling member 20 is secured (e.g. by heat welding) to the bag 10 and is formed by a generally circular ring having a first flange 22 by which it is secured to the bag 10, a cylindrical portion 24, and a second flange 26 which may be any suitable shape e.g.

square or rectangular. The flange 26 carries strips 28 and 30 of a fastener, each such strip having projecting hook-like interengageable elements, indicated diagrammatically at 32. A suitable material is that known by the Registered Trade Mark "VELCRO". Other suitable materials may be employed, for example a material marketed by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company and having moulded synthetic plastics headed projections which engage with like projections extending generally perpendicularly from a sheet of like material.

The second coupling member 34 is formed in two parts, namely a flange 36 which may serve as the surgical dressing pad and a cylindrical wall 38. In practice, the member 34 may be moulded integrally from synthetic plastics material. As shown, the wall 38 has on its radially outer surface a detlectable resilient seal strip 40. This extends back towards the flange 36 at an acute angle to the wall 38. In use it engages the internal cylindrical surface of the portion 24 of the first coupling member, and its resilience tends to urge it tightly towards the portion 24, thereby providing a good seal.

In an alternative version of the invention, the seal strip 40 may be on the cylindrical portion 24 and may engage the inner surafce of the wall 38.

The second coupling member has been described as including a flange 36. However this is not an essential feature of the invention.

A ring such as the ring 38 can be moulded or cast in as part of the pad 12, projecting out of one side of it in the same way as the flange 36. One element of the "VELCRO" or similar material may be placed directly on the surface of the pad 12 facing away from the user's body.

The interengageable "VELCRO" elements or a material having similar elements may be placed over all the confronting surfaces of the pad 12 (or the flange 36) and the flange 26, but for most applications it will be satisfactory if merely a pair of strips above and below the hole 18 are provided. One possible location is indicated at 44 and 46 on Fig. 1.

The strips serve to provide a mechanical interlock which strongly resists separation of the pad 12 and the ring 20 under applied forces that are not directed substantially axially of the hole 18. The seal strip 40, in conjunction with the confronting cylindrical wall, gives an acceptable seaL It will be appreciated that a releasable connection other than one which includes strips of material having projecting hook-like interengageable elements, may be employed to hold the pad and the bag together. For example, a plurality of press-stud fasteners could be located at intervals around the periphery of the hole. The seal strip 40 would then still effectively serve its purpose.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A coupling for connecting an ostomy bag and a surgical dressing pad including a first and a second coupling member, each of closed loop form to surround an aperture which in use can receive the stoma of the user, the two members being of complementary shape so that one fits within the other, one of the members being generally cylindrical and having a deflectible resilient seal strip which extends peripherally completely round the coupling at an oblique angle to the axis of the cylindrical curved surface, is deformed upon inter-engagement of the members and tends to spring back to firmly engage a confronting cylindrical wall of the other member to provide a gas-and fluid-tight seal therebetween.

2. A coupling according to claim 1 in which the seal strip is integral with the said one coupling member.

3. A coupling according to claim 1 or 2 in which the seal strip is on the radially outer surface of the radially inner coupling member.

4. A coupling according to claim 1 or 2 in which the seal strip is on the radially inner surface of the radially outer coupling member.

5. A coupling member in accordance with any one of claims 1-4 in combination with a pad as claimed in any of the claims of Patent No. 1,088,992.

6. A coupling according to any one of claims 1-4 in which at least one coupling member is formed of moulded low density polyethylene.

7. A coupling according to any one of claims 1-4 and 6 in which each of the members has, on a surface which faces the other member in use, a strip or sheet of material from which projects approximately perpendicularly a plurality of hook-like or headed interengageable elements.

8. A coupling including two coupling members and substantially as herein particularly described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. having moulded synthetic plastics headed projections which engage with like projections extending generally perpendicularly from a sheet of like material. The second coupling member 34 is formed in two parts, namely a flange 36 which may serve as the surgical dressing pad and a cylindrical wall 38. In practice, the member 34 may be moulded integrally from synthetic plastics material. As shown, the wall 38 has on its radially outer surface a detlectable resilient seal strip 40. This extends back towards the flange 36 at an acute angle to the wall 38. In use it engages the internal cylindrical surface of the portion 24 of the first coupling member, and its resilience tends to urge it tightly towards the portion 24, thereby providing a good seal. In an alternative version of the invention, the seal strip 40 may be on the cylindrical portion 24 and may engage the inner surafce of the wall 38. The second coupling member has been described as including a flange 36. However this is not an essential feature of the invention. A ring such as the ring 38 can be moulded or cast in as part of the pad 12, projecting out of one side of it in the same way as the flange 36. One element of the "VELCRO" or similar material may be placed directly on the surface of the pad 12 facing away from the user's body. The interengageable "VELCRO" elements or a material having similar elements may be placed over all the confronting surfaces of the pad 12 (or the flange 36) and the flange 26, but for most applications it will be satisfactory if merely a pair of strips above and below the hole 18 are provided. One possible location is indicated at 44 and 46 on Fig. 1. The strips serve to provide a mechanical interlock which strongly resists separation of the pad 12 and the ring 20 under applied forces that are not directed substantially axially of the hole 18. The seal strip 40, in conjunction with the confronting cylindrical wall, gives an acceptable seaL It will be appreciated that a releasable connection other than one which includes strips of material having projecting hook-like interengageable elements, may be employed to hold the pad and the bag together. For example, a plurality of press-stud fasteners could be located at intervals around the periphery of the hole. The seal strip 40 would then still effectively serve its purpose. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A coupling for connecting an ostomy bag and a surgical dressing pad including a first and a second coupling member, each of closed loop form to surround an aperture which in use can receive the stoma of the user, the two members being of complementary shape so that one fits within the other, one of the members being generally cylindrical and having a deflectible resilient seal strip which extends peripherally completely round the coupling at an oblique angle to the axis of the cylindrical curved surface, is deformed upon inter-engagement of the members and tends to spring back to firmly engage a confronting cylindrical wall of the other member to provide a gas-and fluid-tight seal therebetween.

2. A coupling according to claim 1 in which the seal strip is integral with the said one coupling member.

3. A coupling according to claim 1 or 2 in which the seal strip is on the radially outer surface of the radially inner coupling member.

4. A coupling according to claim 1 or 2 in which the seal strip is on the radially inner surface of the radially outer coupling member.

5. A coupling member in accordance with any one of claims 1-4 in combination with a pad as claimed in any of the claims of Patent No. 1,088,992.

6. A coupling according to any one of claims 1-4 in which at least one coupling member is formed of moulded low density polyethylene.

7. A coupling according to any one of claims 1-4 and 6 in which each of the members has, on a surface which faces the other member in use, a strip or sheet of material from which projects approximately perpendicularly a plurality of hook-like or headed interengageable elements.

8. A coupling including two coupling members and substantially as herein particularly described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification.