OSTOMY POUCH WITH FILTERING SYSTEM

Abstract

An ostomy appliance including an ostomy pouch with a filter and a center pleated panel to protect the filter, facilitate deodorization and deter ballooning.

Claims

1-4. (canceled)

5. An ostomy pouch, comprising: a front panel; a rear panel comprising a stomal opening for fitting around a stoma; and a center panel between the front panel and the rear panel, wherein the center panel comprises extra material deterring ballooning of the ostomy pouch.

6. The ostomy pouch of claim 5, wherein the center panel is intermittently attached to a portion of the front panel.

7. The ostomy pouch of claim 5, wherein the center panel is predeterminedly dimensioned and intermittently attached to the front panel to produce the extra material.

8. The ostomy pouch of claim 5, wherein the front panel and rear panel are at least partly sealed to each other along their peripheries

9. The ostomy pouch of claim 5, further comprising a filter assembly.

10. The ostomy pouch of claim 9, wherein the center panel is attached to the front panel and the rear panel to at least partially cover the filter assembly to protect the filter assembly from coming into contact with bodily waste from the stomal opening.

11. The ostomy pouch of claim 9, wherein the rear panel comprises an opening for permitting and facilitating passage of body waste odor deodorized by the filter assembly to the atmosphere.

12. The ostomy pouch of claim 9, further comprising an open cell foam positioned between the filter assembly and the center panel.

13. The ostomy pouch of claim 9, wherein the filter assembly comprises an axial flow filter.

14. The ostomy pouch of claim 9, wherein the filter assembly comprises a strip filter.

15. The ostomy pouch of claim 14, wherein the strip filter is wrapped with an odor barrier film around its perimeter.

16. The ostomy pouch of claim 9, wherein the front panel comprises the filter assembly.

17. An ostomy pouch comprising one or more panels, wherein at least one of the panels comprises extra material deterring ballooning of the ostomy pouch.

18. The ostomy pouch of claim 17, wherein the one or more panels comprises a first panel and a second panel; wherein the first panel comprises the extra material; and wherein the first panel is predeterminedly dimensioned and intermittently attached to the second panel to produce the extra material.

19. The ostomy pouch of claim 17, wherein the one or more panels comprises a first panel and a second panel; wherein the first panel comprises the extra material; and wherein the second panel comprises a filter assembly.

20. The ostomy pouch of claim 17, wherein the one or more panels comprises a first panel and a second panel; wherein the first panel comprises the extra material; and wherein the second panel comprises a stomal opening for fitting around a stoma.

21. The ostomy pouch of claim 17, wherein the one or more panels comprises: a front panel; a rear panel comprising a stomal opening for fitting around a stoma; and a center panel between the front panel and the rear panel.

22. The ostomy pouch of claim 18, wherein the center panel comprises the extra material.

23. An ostomy pouch comprising extra material deterring ballooning of the ostomy pouch.

24. The ostomy pouch of claim 23, wherein the ostomy pouch further comprises a plurality of panels; and wherein one of the panels comprises the extra material.

25. The ostomy pouch of claim 24, wherein the plurality of panels comprises a first panel and a second panel; and wherein the first panel is predeterminedly dimensioned and intermittently attached to the second panel to produce the extra material.

26. The ostomy pouch of claim 25, wherein the plurality of panels further comprises a third panel; wherein the first panel comprises a filter assembly; and wherein the third panel comprises a stomal opening for fitting around a stoma.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG. 1 is a graph of the life of filter defined by time to clog as tested by tilt table.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a graph of the effect of relative humidity on H.sub.2S deodorization breakthrough time in air.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of an ostomy appliance in accordance with the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of FIG. 1.

[0022] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line D-D of FIG. 1 (without the stomal flange and filter, for clarity).

[0023] FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the ostomy appliance of FIG. 1 (without the stomal flange, for clarity).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The present invention is an ostomy appliance 10 (FIGS. 3-6) having a front panel 12 and rear panel 14 that are sealed together around the peripheries of the panels to form the outer edge 16 of a closed ostomy pouch 18. The rear panel 14 includes a stomal opening 20 through which body waste is excreted when the ostomy pouch is appropriately placed on a body with the stomal opening 20 surrounding the stoma. The ostomy pouch 18 includes a filter assembly 22 attached to the front panel 12 typically by welding. The rear panel 14 includes an opening for permitting and facilitating the passage of the body waste odor deodorized by the filter assembly 22 to the atmosphere.

[0025] The ostomy pouch 18 further includes a center pleated panel 28 present between the front panel 12 and rear panel 14. This center pleated panel 28 includes an edge 30 attached to the outer edge 16 of the ostomy pouch 18. The center pleated panel has a partially free edge portion 32 that is attached intermittently 34 to the inner surface of the front panel 12. This center pleated panel 28 is predeterminedly dimensioned and attached to the front panel 12 in a manner to produce extra material in the form of folds, corrugations or pleats 36 within the pouch 18; the pleats 36 permit odorous gas to reach the filter assembly 22 for deodorization while deterring a ballooning of the pouch 18 due to captured gas within the pouch.

[0026] The pleated center panel 28 extends partially down from the top 36 of the ostomy pouch so as to at least partially and preferably totally cover and protect the filter assembly 22 from any body waste material entering the pouch 18 through the stomal opening 20. The pleats 36 are formed in part by the spot welds 38 securing the edge portion 32 to the front panel 12. The pleated center panel 28 has a bottom edge 40. The pleated center panel 28 is preferably made of the same standard ostomy pouch material used for the front panel 12 and rear panel 14.

[0027] Variations and modifications to the preferred embodiment may be made while falling within the scope of the invention, as defined by the claims.