Ostomy appliance

[0001] The invention relates to an ostomy appliance for collecting human waste. It should be understood that the invention can be utilised in drainable and non-drainable ostomy appliances. The invention is applicable to both one piece and two piece ostomy appliances.

[0002] According to a first aspect of the invention, we provide an ostomy appliance having:

[0003] first and second walls connected to each other at or near their peripheries, the first wall having a stoma-receiving opening; and

[0004] a waste collecting cavity defined between the first and second walls,

[0005] wherein the second wall includes viewing portion through which the stoma-receiving opening can be viewed.

[0006] Further features of the first aspect of the invention are set out in claims 2 to 26 appended hereto.

[0018] Referring firstly to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, these show a first embodiment of an ostomy appliance in accordance with the present invention, shown generally at 10. The general construction of the ostomy appliance 10 is similar to those well known in the art and in that sense it includes first 12 and second 14 walls connected to each other at or near their peripheries, for example by heat welding or using an adhesive. The walls 12, 14 are opaque other than where indicated below. The ostomy appliance shown is a drainable appliance, meaning that its contents can be emptied through an opening 11 between the walls 12, 14.

[0019] The first wall 12 has a stoma-receiving opening 16 and is connected to a generally circular flange 18 which is manufactured from the hydrocolloid material, for adhering the appliance 10 to a user around their stoma. The first 12 and second 14 walls define a waste collecting cavity (seen more clearly in FIG. 4).

[0020] The ostomy appliance 10 in accordance with the present invention advantageously includes a viewing portion 20 in the second wall 14 thereof through which the stoma receiving opening 16, and thus the stoma, can be viewed by a user. In this embodiment the viewing portion 20 is generally circular although it should be appreciated that it could take many other forms so long as it is possible for the user to view at least a significant portion of the stoma-receiving opening 16.

[0021] In the present invention the viewing portion is a transparent portion of an upper part of the second wall 14 generally opposite the stoma receiving opening 16. In more detail, as can be seen from FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the second wall 14 includes, in an upper region thereof, an aperture 22 which defines the viewing portion 20 through which the stoma-receiving opening can be seen. The aperture 22 is closed by a transparent additional wall 24 which is connected to an exterior surface of the second wall 14 at or near its peripheries 13, by a linear connection region 25, and around the aperture 22 (e.g. further heat welds or adhesives).

[0022] As best seen in FIG. 1 the appliance 10 includes two filters 30 which permit gas to escape from the space between the walls 14, 24 to atmosphere. Each gas filter 30 is positioned on an internally facing surface of the wall 24 and is adhered thereto adjacent an aperture (e.g. a slit) 31 in the wall 24. As can be seen from FIG. 1 the appliance 10 also includes a pair of gas flow path openings 32 each of which is positioned in the upper region (i.e. that which is covered by the wall 24) of the wall 14 and serves to provide a gas flow path between the main waste collecting cavity (between walls 12, 14) and the cavity between the walls 14 and 24.

[0023] Now referring to FIGS. 5 to 8 these show a second embodiment of an ostomy appliance 10′ in accordance with the present invention. Feature similar to those in the first embodiment have been given the same reference numeral with the addition of a prime (′) symbol and this will not be described in any further detail with regard to this embodiment.

[0024] This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the arrangement and construction of the viewing portion 20′ and the gas filters 30′. Rather than the viewing portion 20′ being a circular portion, in this embodiment it is an upper portion 14′b of the second wall 14′. This D-shaped portion 14′b of the wall 14′ is transparent and thus it is possible for the user to view the stoma-receiving opening 16′. The remainder of the wall 14′ is opaque as is the entire wall 12′.

[0025] In the ostomy appliance 10′ the gas filters 30′ are provided as part of a gas filter assembly 40′ which in the present example forms an integral part of the second wall 14′. In other words the gas filter assembly 40′ is connected to and positioned in between the upper 14′b and lower 14′a portions of the second wall 14′. The gas filter assembly 40′ is therefore connected to the viewing portion 20′.

[0026] The gas filter assembly 40′ defines, in the present example, two gas filter chambers, each chamber containing one gas filter 30′. It should be appreciated, however, that fewer or more gas filter chambers could be provided and the number of gas filters within each chamber can be more than one. In the present example, as will become apparent hereinafter, the gas filter chambers are spaced from each other by a portion of wall 29′.

[0027] Turning to FIGS. 9 through 12, these show the gas filter assembly 40′ in plan view (FIG. 9) and then in its progressive stages of manufacture (FIGS. 10 through 12). As can be seen from FIG. 9 the gas assembly 40′ is a strip/sheet of material (identical or similar to the material used for the walls of the appliance 10′—it must be liquid and gas impermeable) and is generally rectangular. Each gas chamber is defined by a folded end portion 41′ of the sheet. Positioned either side of the central wall portion 29′ is a portion of the sheet onto which the folded portion 41′ is folded. This portion of the sheet includes a gas flow path 32′ which in this example is covered by a gas permeable membrane 33′. As can be seen from FIGS. 11 and 12 remote portions 41′ of the sheet are folded back towards the central wall portion 29′ where they are then adhered to the remainder of the sheet at linear connection zones 27′. As seen in FIG. 12 this provides a gas filter assembly 40′ including a pair of gas filter chambers which are spaced from each other by the wall portion 29′. This component part is then connected to the upper transparent portion 14′b of the second wall 14′ at lateral weld line 26′ and to the lower portion 14′A of the wall 14′ at the linear lateral weld line 26′. The gas filter assembly 40′ thus becomes an integral part of the second wall 14′ whilst permitting waste gases to exit from the main cavity (between the walls 12′, 14′), through the gas chambers and to atmosphere.

[0028] It will be appreciated that any of the features of the second embodiment can be incorporated into the first embodiment, and vice versa, without departing with the scope of the present invention.

[0029] When used in this specification and claims, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

[0030] The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.