COUPLING SYSTEM FOR OSTOMY APPLIANCES

Abstract

A coupling assembly for an ostomy appliance that has a bag side flange having a bag and an integrated element having an accordion membrane and a body side flange, the integrated element configured to be selectively coupled to the bag side flange. The integrated element is formed in a single manufacturing process.

Claims

1. A process for manufacturing a coupling assembly for an ostomy appliance, comprising: providing a mold to form an integrated element having a bridging ring section, an accordion membrane, and a body side flange; injecting a material into the mold to form the integrated element in a single injection process; and removing the integrated element from the mold wherein, the integrated element is configured so the accordion membrane is deformable to allow the body side flange to transition between a retracted position and an extended position relative to the bridging ring section.

2. The process of claim 1, comprising welding the integrated element to a bridging ring.

3. The process of claim 2, further comprising coupling an adhesive to the bridging ring, the adhesive configured to allow a user to selectively couple the bridging ring and corresponding integrated component to the user's abdomen wall.

4. The process of claim 1, further comprising forming a deflectable seal into the integrated element as part of the single injection process, wherein the deflectable seal has a base section having a first thickness and a sealing portion with a second thickness that is less than the first thickness.

5. (canceled)

6. The process of claim 4, further wherein the accordion membrane has a third thickness that is different from the first and second thickness.

7. The process of claim 1, further comprising forming a locking shelf into the integrated element during the single injection process.

8. (canceled)

9. A coupling assembly for an ostomy appliance, comprising: a bag side flange having a bag; and an integrated element having an accordion membrane and a body side flange, the integrated element configured to be selectively coupled to the bag side flange; wherein, the integrated element is formed in a single manufacturing process.

10. The coupling assembly of claim 9, wherein the integrated component is seamless between the body side flange and the accordion membrane.

11. The coupling assembly of claim 9, wherein the integrated element defines deflectable seal configured to seal the integrated element to the bag side flange when coupled to one another.

12. The coupling assembly of claim 11, wherein the deflectable seal seamlessly connects the accordion membrane to the body side flange.

13. The coupling assembly of claim 12, further wherein the deflectable seal has a first thickness at a base portion and a second thickness at a sealing portion, the second thickness being less than the first thickness.

14. The coupling assembly of claim 13, further wherein the deflectable seal transitions to the accordion membrane through the sealing portion.

15. The coupling assembly of claim 13, further wherein the accordion membrane has a third thickness, the third thickness being less than the first and second thickness.

16. The coupling assembly of claim 13, further wherein the accordion membrane has a third thickness, the third thickness being substantially the same as the second thickness.

17. The coupling assembly of claim 9, wherein the integrated element comprises a bridging ring section that is coupled to a bridging ring, the bridging ring configured to be coupled to an abdominal wall of a patient with an adhesive about a stoma.

18. The coupling assembly of claim 17, wherein the integrated element is coupled to the bridging ring via a weld and the weld between the bridging ring and the integrated element is the only weld on the integrated element.

19. A method for making a coupling assembly for an ostomy appliance, comprising: providing a bag side flange configured to be selectively coupled to a deflectable seal about a stoma; and forming an integrated element from a single material, the integrated element having a bridging ring section, an accordion membrane, a body side flange and defining the deflectable seal; wherein, the integrated element is configured to selectively couple the bag side flange to the deflectable seal of the integrated element so the accordion membrane is deformable to allow the body side flange to transition between a retracted position and an extended position relative to the bridging ring section.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising coupling the integrated element to a bridging ring configured to be selectively coupled to a user.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising coupling an adhesive to the bridging ring, the adhesive configured to allow a user to selectively couple the bridging ring and corresponding integrated component to the user's abdomen wall.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising forming a locking shelf into the integrated element during the single injection process.

23. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure and the manner of obtaining them will become more apparent and the disclosure itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of the embodiments of the disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0026] FIG. 1a is a top view of one embodiment of a coupling assembly for a two-piece ostomy appliance in a retracted position;

[0027] FIG. 1b is a cross-sectional view of the coupling assembly of FIG. 1a;

[0028] FIG. 1c is a detailed view of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1b;

[0029] FIG. 2a is a top view of the coupling assembly of FIG. 1a in an extended position;

[0030] FIG. 2b is a cross-sectional view of the coupling assembly of FIG. 2a;

[0031] FIG. 2c is a detailed view of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2b;

[0032] FIG. 3a is a top view of one embodiment of an improved coupling assembly for a two-piece ostomy appliance in a retracted position;

[0033] FIG. 3b is a cross-sectional view of the coupling assembly of FIG. 3a;

[0034] FIG. 3c is a detailed view from the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3b;

[0035] FIG. 4a is a top view of the coupling assembly of FIG. 3a in an extended position;

[0036] FIG. 4b is a cross-sectional view of the coupling assembly of FIG. 4a;

[0037] FIG. 4c is a detailed view from the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4b; and

[0038] FIG. 5 is a section view of an integrated body side flange and accordion membrane of the coupling assembly of FIGS. 3a-4c.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The embodiments of the present disclosure described below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIGS. 1a-1c illustrate a coupling assembly 100 for a two-piece ostomy appliance. The coupling assembly 100 may be selectively coupled to a patient's abdomen wall 102 via an adhesive 104 or the like. More specifically, a bridging ring 106 may be coupled to the adhesive 104 on one side and welded or otherwise coupled to an accordion membrane 108 on the other. The bridging ring 106 may be coupled to the accordion membrane 108 along a weld area 110 that couples the accordion membrane 108 to the bridging ring substantially entirely around an opening 120 that is configured to be positioned around a stoma 112. The accordion membrane 106 may be coupled to the bridging ring 106 along the weld area 110 to substantially prevent fluid from passing from the stoma 112 through the weld area 110 to a surrounding environment 114 when coupled to the abdomen wall 102.

[0041] In the embodiment of FIGS. 1a-1c and 2a-2c, a body side flange 116 may also be coupled to a portion of the accordion membrane 108. The body side flange 116 may be coupled to the accordion membrane 108 along a weld area 118 that is radially away from the weld area 110 relative to the opening 120. The weld area 118 may also extend entirely around the opening 120 to substantially prevent fluid from passing from the stoma 112 to the surrounding environment when a bag is coupled thereto.

[0042] In one aspect of this embodiment, the accordion membrane 108 has at least one fold between the bridging ring 106 and the body side flange 116 that allows the body side flange 116 to extend therefrom between the retracted position of FIGS. 1a-1c and the extended position of FIGS. 2a-2c. The retracted position of FIGS. 1a-1c may be to allow the ostomy appliance to lay as close to the abdomen wall 102 as possible during normal use. The extended position of FIGS. 2a-2c may be intended to provide a user access to the coupling assembly 100 to easily couple and uncouple the corresponding ostomy bag.

[0043] The body side flange 116 may also have a deflectable seal 122 and a locking shelf 124 defined about a circumference of the body side flange 116. The locking shelf 124 and deflectable seal 122 may correspond with a bag side flange 126 to selectively couple the bag side flange 126 to the body side flange 116. More specifically, the locking shelf 124 may be positioned along a radially outer portion of the body side flange 116 relative to the seal 122 and have an angled leading surface and a trailing locking surface. The bag side flange 126 may typically have a corresponding bag coupled around the opening 120 to substantially contain effluent from the stoma 112 when coupled to body side flange 116.

[0044] When the bag side flange 126 is being coupled to the body side flange 116, the angled leading surface is aligned with a corresponding recess in the bag side flange 126 and the flanges 116, 126 may be transitioned towards one another. As the flanges 116, 126 become aligned as illustrated in FIG. 1, the angled leading surface deflects radially inwardly until the trailing locking surface is fully positioned in the recess of the bag side flange 126. The recess of the bag side flange 126 may define a surface that corresponds with the locking shelf 124 of the body side flange 116 to substantially lock the flanges 116, 126 together once thy are positioned as illustrated in FIGS. 1a-1c and 2a-2c.

[0045] The substantially locked configuration of the flanges 116, 126 means the flanges 116, 126 are coupled to one another to substantially prevent unintentional uncoupling of the flanges 116, 126. That is to say, the flanges 116, 126 are coupled to one another to resist uncoupling under expected forces such as the user moving around when the corresponding bag has fluid therein. However, a user may be able to overcome the substantially locked configuration using typical human force to separate the flanges 116, 126 from one another to replace the corresponding bag.

[0046] The deflectable seal 122 of the body side flange 116 may correspond with an adjacent surface in the recess of the bag side flange 126 to substantially seal the bag side flange 126 and the corresponding to the body side flange 116 positioned around the stoma 112. When the flanges 116, 126 are in the substantially locked configuration, the deflectable seal 122 is positioned against the corresponding surface of the bag side flange 126 and thereby seals the flanges 116, 126 to one another about the opening 120.

[0047] In one aspect of this disclosure, the fold of the accordion membrane 108 may extend at least partially towards the bag side flange 126 to be positioned radially inside of the bag side flange 126 when in the retracted configuration of FIG. 1. In this configuration, the fold of the accordion membrane 108 may help keep the bag side flange 126 and corresponding bag properly aligned with the opening 120 when coupled to the body side flange 116.

[0048] Referring to FIGS. 2a-2c, the body side flange 116 is illustrated extended from the bridging ring 106. In this configuration, the fold in the accordion membrane 108 is at least partially unfolded to allow the flanges 116, 126 to be at least partially spaced from the abdomen 102. In the extended position of FIGS. 2a-2c, the flanges 116, 126 may remain in the sealed configuration with the locking shelf 124 coupled in the recess of the bag side flange 126. However, the extended position of FIG. 2 may allow a user to manipulate the flanges 116, 126 with sufficient force to uncouple them from one another and separate the bag side flange 126 and corresponding bag from the body side flange 116. This allows the bag side flange 126 and bag to be replaced without requiring new adhesive 104 as discussed herein.

[0049] Referring now to FIGS. 3a-3c, 4a-4c, and 5, another embodiment of a coupling assembly 300 is illustrated. This embodiment may have substantially the same advantages, among others, as the embodiment of FIGS. 1a-1c and 2a-2c with several improvements relative thereto. More specifically, this embodiment may utilize a substantially integrated accordion membrane 302 and body side flange 304 for a single integrated element 306. The integrated element 306 may define a locking shelf 310 and a deflectable seal 312 that is configured to lock and seal the integrated element 306 to a bag side flange 314 similar to the embodiment discussed with reference to FIGS. 1a-1c and 2a-2c.

[0050] In one aspect of the coupling assembly 300, the body side flange 304 and the accordion membrane 302 of the integrated element 306 are formed from substantially the same material in a single manufacturing process. In this configuration, the weld area 118 described in FIGS. 1a-1c and 2a-2c wherein the accordion membrane 108 is coupled to the body side flange 116 is unnecessary because the body side flange 304 is formed with the accordion membrane 302. By manufacturing a single integrated element 306, the entire manufacturing step of welding the body side flange 116 to the accordion membrane 108 is eliminated. This reduces manufacturing costs and improves quality control by eliminating the complex manufacturing step required by the coupling assembly 100 of aligning the accordion membrane 108 with the body side flange 116 and welding the separate components together.

[0051] The coupling assembly 300 otherwise substantially functions the same as the coupling assembly 100. For example, the integrated component 306 may be coupled to a bridging ring 316 via a weld 318 or the like. The bridging ring 316 may be coupled to an adhesive 320 that is configured to be coupled to a patient's abdominal wall 322. Further, the accordion membrane 302 section of the integrated element 306 may allow the body side flange 304 section of the integrated element 306 to be extended relative to the bridging ring 316 from the retracted position in FIGS. 3a-3c to an extended position of FIGS. 4a-4c. Further, the locking shelf 310 and deflectable seal 312 may correspond with an annular recess of the bag side flange 314 to selectively couple and seal the bag side flange 314, and the corresponding bag, to the integrated element 316 and thereby to stoma 112 when the bridging ring 316 is coupled to the abdominal wall 322. In other words, the coupling assembly 300 may function in substantially the same way as the coupling assembly 100 while being more practical to manufacture and providing greater quality control.

[0052] Referring now to FIG. 5, an isolated section view of the integrated element 306 is illustrated. As discussed herein, the integrated element 306 may be formed of one seamless material. That is, there are no welds between the accordion membrane 302 and the body side flange 304. Rather, the accordion membrane 302 transitions from a bridging ring section 502 to the deflectable seal 312. The accordion membrane 302 may be formed of a fold of material that allows the integrated element 306 to extend from the retracted position of FIG. 5 to an extended position (as illustrated in FIGS. 4a-4c) relative to the bridging ring 316.

[0053] The deflectable seal 312 may bridge the accordion membrane 302 and the body side flange 304 to couple the sections to one another. Further, the deflectable seal 312 may have a base portion 504 and a sealing portion 506. The cross-section of the deflectable seal 312 may be tapered such that the base portion 504 has a first thickness 508 that is greater than a second thickness 510 at the sealing portion 506. In this configuration, the deflectable seal 312 may be sufficiently rigid to ensure a tight seal against the corresponding bag side flange 314 when coupled thereto and sufficiently pliable to ensure a substantially fluid-tight seal along the bag side flange 314.

[0054] The sealing portion 506 may transition directly to the accordion membrane 302 without requiring a seem. In one aspect of this disclosure, the accordion membrane 302 may have a third thickness 512 that is substantially the same as the second thickness 510. However, in other embodiments the third thickness 512 of the accordion membrane 302 may be less than the second thickness of the sealing portion 506. Further still, the third thickness 512 may be greater than the second thickness 510 in certain embodiments contemplated herein.

[0055] The base portion 504 may be positioned adjacent to, and formed of the same material, as the locking shelf 310 and remaining portions of the body side flange 304. As such, the entire integrated element 306 may be formed from a single injection molding process. That is to say, the body side flange 304 and accordion membrane 302 may be formed in the single injection-molding process rather than requiring a welding process as necessary for the coupling assembly 100.

[0056] In one aspect of this disclosure, the thicknesses 508, 510, 512 may be varied to accommodate different use characteristics. For example, the thickness 512 may be increased to make the coupling assembly 300 more rigid relative to thinner thicknesses 512. This may result in a coupling assembly 300 that resists substantial movement of the ostomy appliance during user movement or full bag conditions. Alternatively, the thickness 512 may be decreased in certain embodiments to provide a coupling assembly 300 that is easier to manipulate into the extended position relative to increased thicknesses at 512. Similarly, the thicknesses 508, 510 of the base portion 504 and sealing portion 506 of the deflectable seal 310 may be altered to affect the sealing properties and ease of coupling/uncoupling the bag side flange 314 from the body side flange 304.

[0057] Once the thicknesses 508, 510, 512 are determined, a mold may be designed to have a corresponding cavity to create the entire integrated element 306 in a single injection process. That is to say, material may be injected into the mold to form the integrated component 306 without requiring any additional welding or the like. Once the integrated component 306 is formed in the single injection process, the bridging ring section 502 may be coupled to the bridging ring 316 along the weld area 318. While a weld area 318 is discussed herein for coupling the bridging ring 316 to the bridging ring section 502 of the integrated element 306, other coupling techniques are considered herein as well. For example, an adhesive may be used rather than a welding process. The bridging ring 316 may previously or subsequently have the adhesive 320 coupled thereto. At this point, the integrated element 306 and bridging ring 316 may be coupled to a user and the body side flange 304 and corresponding bag may be selectively coupled thereto.

[0058] In one aspect of this disclosure, the material injected into the mold to form the integrated element 306 may be a low-density polyethylene. The injection molding-process of the integrated element 306 eliminates the expense and complications of producing a separate, thin-wall membrane from extruded film and then thermoforming and die cutting the film to produce an accordion-membrane component as required in the coupling assembly 100. Also eliminated are the ensuing manufacturing activities of bringing the membrane together with a separate flange and joining them together.

[0059] Using an injection-molding process to produce the flexible portion allows wide design latitude. Unlike the film extrusion process where wall thickness must be kept uniform, wall thickness can be optimized for different sizes of products and can be further optimized within a given product size. For example, thicker sectional areas can be provided where stiffness is desired and thinner ones where flexibility is needed as discussed here. The injection molding process allows for designers to create an integrated element 306 having various thicknesses 508, 510, 512, among others, that accommodate the needs of different appliances or users. As such, the present disclosure provides advantages over the prior art regarding the manufacturability of the coupling assembly that allows the integrated element 306 to accommodate the specific needs of the user while being practical to manufacture among other things.

[0060] While this disclosure has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present disclosure can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.