US3385298A - Fecal pouch - Google Patents

Description

L. FENTON May 28, 1968 FECAL POUCH Filed OCT'. 2l, 1965 INVENTOR.

aA/Apo /rfA/ron/ United States Patent O 3,385,293 FECAL POUCH Y Leonard Fenton, Beachwood, Ohio f (5156 Richmond Road, Bedford, Ohio 44014) Filed Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 500,140 5 Claims. (Cl. 12S-283) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A fecal pouch for-med of flexible plastic material which is permeable to fecal matter. The front and back walls each include two layers of the flexible material with the inner layer dening a fecal cavity and the inner and outer This invention relates generally to medical appliances and more particularly to fecal pouches or receptacles. Such pouches are used with ileostomy and colostomy appliances and other appliances for the collection of body excretions.

In order to successfully perform the function fecal pouches must be constructed so that they cause a minimum of discomfort to the user, prevent odor and provide a sanitary receptacle.

In the past it has been customary to form such fecal pouches of flexible plastic materia-l, such as vinyl plastic. However, even though such` material is generally considered to be impervious it has been found that the pouches eventually discolor and commence to pass an odor even when they areremptied and cleaned at regular intervals. The useful life of such prior art pouches varies to a considerable degree from user to user because dif- `ferent people have different body chemistry. Also the useful life of a pouch depends on the care given it by the user. However, such prior art pouches generally have had a useful life of about two to three days, after which the pouch fai-led to satisfactorily perform its function and had to be discarded. Previous attempts to extend the useful life of such fecal pouches by increasing the thickness of the material forming the pouches have resulted in only slight improvements in the useful life and have not been satisfactory because the increased thickness of .the material causes the pouch to 'be stiffer and uncomfortable to the user.

A fecal pouch incorporating the present invention is formed with a double wal-led structure having a completely sealed air space between the inner and outer walls of the pouch. It has been found that fecal pouches incorporating the present invention formed of thin vinyl plastic material may be used without any sacrifice of user comfort and that the useful life of such pouches greatly exceeds the useful life of prior comparable pouches. Here again the useful life of a pouch incorporating the present invention varies t-o la considerable degree depending upon the care given the pouch and the body chemistry of the particular user. However, such pouches have a nor-mal use of between two and four weeks without any discoloring and without any odor.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a novel and improved fecal pouch which may be worn with comfort and used for an extended period of time without discoloration or odor.

3,385,298 Patented May 28, 1968 ICC It is another important object of this invention to provide a novel and improved fecal pouch provided with a double walled structure having a completely sealed air space between the inner and outer walls of the pouch.

It is another important object of this invention to provide a novel 4and improved fecal pouch which can be easily manufactured at a relatively low cost and which will satisfactorily function for an extended period of time.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the following description and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a 'fecal pouch embodying the present invention mounted on a conventional supporting device and belt and illustrated as it is normally disposed about the patient.

FIGURE 2 is a front View of the pouch embodying the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section through the pouch taken along 3 3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing, FIGURE .1 shows a flat fecal pouch 10 employing the principles of the present invention and made of a suitable elastomeric material. The pouch is secured to the patient by means of a supporting device 30 secured within an inlet opening 17 (FIG. 2) formed in the upper portion of the pouch and a conventional belt 35 secured to a supporting device 30 by means of end loops 36. The supporting device 30 is similar to that disclosed in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,818,069 and includes ya body engaging plate 31 having a stoma-receiving opening 32 formed therein. The lower end portion 14 of the pouch includes an outlet opening 16 ('FIG. 3) through which waste is removed. This opening 16 is closed, when in use, by folding the lower end portion 14 of the pouch back Ion itself and securing the fold by any suitable clasp 40.

The pouch is emptied by removing the clasp 40 and may be flushed clean by introducing water into the inlet opening 17. Cleaning of the pouch is facilitated by making the inner and outer surfaces and edges of the pouch as smooth as possible thus avoiding any sedimentcatching crevices.

The inner and outer walls of both the front and back double-walled sections are preferably formed of a sheetlike elastomeric material of a type which is resistant t0 attack by acids of body perspiration and of fecal matter contacting the same. In the preferred embodiment, the walls are made of a vinyl plastic with the outer walls opaque. The inner walls may be made of a transparent or opaque vinyl plastic.

The pouch 10 is formed of a front double-Walled section 11 consisting of an outer front wall 22 and an inner front wall 23, and a back double-walled section 12 consisting of an inner back wall 26 and an outer back wall 27. The marginal edge of all of the wall sections 22, 23, 26 and 27, are sealed at 13 from the point 13a to the point 13b including both lengthwise marginal edges and the end 13e adjacent to the inlet opening 17.

The outlet 16 is provided by leaving the inner walls 23 and 26 unsealed `between the points 13a and 13b, as best illustrated in FIGURE 3. The outer wall 22 and the inner wall 23 of the front wall section are sealed at 13d between the points 13a and 13b. Similarly, the inner back wall 26 and the outer back wall 27 of the back wall section 12 are sealed between 13a and 13b, as illustrated at 13e, so that the inner and outer walls of both the front and back sections 11 and 12 are sealed around the opening 16.

The outer wall 22 and the inner wall 23 of the front double-walled section 11 are sealed together at 18 around the inlet opening 17. Consequently, the inner and outer walls 22 and 23 of the front double-walled section cooperate to define a completely sealed air space 21 and the inner wall 26 and outer wall 27 of the back Wall section 12 also cooperate to define a completely sealed air space 28. The two air spaces 21 and 28 cooperate to completely enclose the chamber 20 excepting at the two openings 15 and 17. Any suitable method may be utilized to form the seals between the various sheets, however, heat sealing is preferred. The seal along the marginal edge 13 from 13a around 13e to 13b is preferably formed as a single operation wherein all four wall ele-ments are pressed together and simultaneously sealed and trimmed. Similarly, the seal at 13d, 13e and 18 around the opening 17 are preferably heat sealed in a similar manner.

In fecal pouches employing the principles of the present invention, a marked improvement has been observed. For example, pouches have been formed from a sheet-like vinyl material using a wall thickness of .006 inch and .O04 inch for the inner and outer walls respectively. It has been found that such pouches have a useful life of from two to four weeks as opposed to from one to three days with the single-walled pouches heretofore generally used and that the outer wall never discolors. Thus, by employing the principles of the present invention, the useful life span of the fecal pouch has been extended by more than threefold over those heretofore available without sacriticing comfort. These advantages have been achieved with a structure which is economical to manufacture.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, it is to `be understood that various modifications and rearrangements of parts may be restored to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A exible double-walled fecal pouch comprising a flexible inner wall defining a chamber having an opening, a exible outer wall surrounding said inner wall and sealed to said inner wall around said opening, said inner and outer walls being unconnected throughout the major portion of their extent and cooperating to define a sealed free space surrounding said chamber, said inner and outer walls both being formed of material which tends to be permeated with fecal matter after a period of contact therewith and also being substantially immune to rupture and leakage in normal use, said fecal matter permeating said inner wall to a location adjacent its outer surface after a period of use, the outer surface of said inner Wall preventing free passage of fecal matter from said inner wall even when the material of said inner wall is permeated with fecal matter, said outer Wall being sufficiently impermeable to prevent substantial odor for a substantial period even when said inner wall is permeated with said fecal matter.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein a second opening is provided through said inner and outer walls, and said inner and outer walls are sealed around said second opening.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said inner and outer walls define front and back double-walled sections sealed to each other along their overlying marginal edges wherein the inner and outer walls of each of said double-walled sections define a completely sealed space therebetween.

4. A fecal pouch comprising an oblong tiat expansible receptacle defined by a pair of front and back doublewall sections sealed to each other along the overlying marginal edges thereof with an -unsealed portion left at one end defining an opening, said front and back doublewall sections defining therebetween a pouch-like chamber, each of said double-wall sections having inner and outer walls of flexible sheet-like material sealed to each other along the entire overlying marginal edges thereof completely scaling a free space therebetween, said inner and outer walls both being formed of material which tends to be permeated with fecal matter after a period of contact therewith and also being substantially immune to rupture and leakage in normal use, said front doublewalled section having an aperture therethrough in a portion thereof spaced from said outlet opening and defining an inlet opening, said fecal matter permeating said inner wall to a location adjacent the outer surface thereof after a period of use, the outer surface of said inner Wall preventing free passage of fecal matter from said inner wall even when the material of said inner wall is permeated with fecal matter, said outer wall being sufficiently impermeable to prevent substantial odor for a substantial period even when said inner wall is permeated with said fecal matter.

5. A device as defined in claim 4 wherein said inner and outer walls are formed of a vinyl material, the material of said inner wall having a thickness of about .006 inch and the material of said outer wall being opaque and having a thickness of about .004 inch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,818,069 12/1957 Fenton 128-283 3,221,742 12/1965 Orowan 12S-283 3,285,497 11/ 1966 Stillman et al 229-55 3,298,597 1/ 1967 Bellamy 128-275 3,122,297 2/ 1964 Sachs.

CHARLES F. ROSENBAUM, Primary Examiner.

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