Abstract:
The present invention relates to a disposable fecal retaining device which has a substantially rectangular pad having an exterior moisture impermeable layer juxtaposed to an absorbing layer. The device is configured to provide a pouch with the absorbing layer on the inside of the pouch. The device has an entry port substantially surrounded by tape for adhesion of the device about the anal opening of a wearer to hold the device in place.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     Not Applicable  
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
       [0002]     Not Applicable  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     When a person is disabled, whether it be permanently or temporarily, and cannot use a toilet or a bed pan, conventional disposable incontinent products may be used by the person. The disposable products are usually the standard adult diaper which consists of a liquid impermeable exterior, such as a film, an absorbent layer and a liquid permeable facing material. Liquid permeates the facing and hopefully is trapped by the absorbent layer. Although these disposable products generally hold discharges of urine, they are not satisfactory as designed for holding fecal matter.  
         [0004]     Attempts have been made to provide disposable products which can be used for incontinence and also claim to hold fecal matter. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,423,884 B1 to Heidi Ann Ochmen. This patent provides an absorbent article including an outer cover and a bodyside liner. The article has one or more defined apertures sized to retain exudates from a typical bowel movement in an attempt to displace such exudates from the skin of the wearer. The structure has a surface layer on the outer surface and a bodyside liner which contacts the body of the user. The bodyside liner has a slick surface to assist in moving fecal material into the defined apertures. However, while moving the fecal material into the defined apertures, the fecal material is in contact with the skin of the wearer. Even though the article also contains an absorbent core, mounted particularly in the front portion of the article, the fecal material is not quickly contained so as not to irritate the skin of the wearer.  
         [0005]     Many disabled persons sleep on their stomachs or their sides so an article such as that just described, does not keep the fecal matter away from the skin of the wearer.  
         [0006]     The disposable fecal containment device of the present invention overcomes these problems by the deposition of the fecal matter away from the skin of the wearer immediately as exudation of the fecal matter takes place.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention provides a disposable fecal matter retaining device which has a substantially rectangular shaped pad with an exterior liquid impermeable layer juxtaposed to an absorbing layer. The pad is configured to provide a pouch with the absorbing layer on the inside of the pouch. The pad has an entry port (aperture) substantially surrounded by adhesive tape placed on the liquid impermeable side of the pad to allow for adhesion of the device to the area surrounding the anal opening of the wearer to hold the device in place. As the fecal matter exudates through the anal opening, it is quickly received and retained by the pouch, hence the fecal matter is not in contact with the skin of the wearer.  
         [0008]     The absorbent pad generally is comprised of three juxtaposed layers.  
         [0009]     The exterior layer is a liquid or moisture impermeable film. Juxtaposed adjacent to the film is an absorbent layer such as that found in disposable adult and baby diapers. This absorbent layer frequently is made from wood pulp fibers air laid on a flat surface. The absorbent layer may or may not have super absorbent material incorporated therein. The absorbent layer is of smaller dimensions than the liquid impermeable layer so that a border of the liquid impermeable layer surrounds the absorbent layer.  
         [0010]     Juxtaposed to the absorbent layer on the side opposite the liquid impermeable layer is a liquid permeable facing layer which most generally is a nonwoven fabric or the like. The facing layer extends beyond the dimensions of the absorbent layer and has substantially the same dimensions as those of the liquid impermeable layer and is adhered to the liquid impermeable layer about the perimeter of the absorbent pad. The absorbent layer may be adhered to the liquid impermeable layer if so desired.  
         [0011]     The absorbent pad is configured to provide a pouch having the facing layer and/or the absorbent layer on the interior of the pouch. The entry port is of sufficient size to accommodate the fecal material as it exudes from the rectum and enters the pouch. The entry port (aperture) may be oval, rectangular, circular, V-shaped or any satisfactory shape.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     In the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a rear elevational view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  when worn by a person lying down;  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a front elevational view of the embodiment of  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a rear elevational view of the embodiment of  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view along lines  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 ; and  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 6  when worn by a person lying down. 
     
    
       [0023]     Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]     The following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. The description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the invention, describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives, and uses of the invention, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the invention.  
         [0025]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the absorbent pad device  10  of the present invention.  FIGS. 2-4  provide different views of the pad  10 . An absorbent pad  10 , as described above, has adhesive tape  12  around an aperture  16 . The adhesive tape  12  is covered with a removable plastic strip (not shown) so as to expose the adhesive when applying the aperture  12  of the pad  10  to the skin of the wearer about the anal opening. The aperture  12  may be V-shaped or U-shaped or any other convenient configuration.  
         [0026]     A similar tape  14  is applied to the upper corners of the pad  10  for fastening the corners of the pad  10  to the person&#39;s torso in order to maintain the pad  10  in the proper position when worn.  
         [0027]     The pad  10  has an exterior  20  which is liquid impermeable and preferably is a film type material. The interior  18  of the pad  10  is a liquid permeable material, e.g., a non-woven material, which is soft and pleasing to the skin of the wearer. Between the exterior  20  of the pad  10  and the interior facing  18  is an absorbent substance (not shown) such as an absorbent batt of wood pulp fibers, or superabsorbent, or a mixture thereof, or the like.  
         [0028]     When applied to the wearer, a portion of the facing  18  comes into contact with the skin of the wearer whereas the liquid impermeable film  20  remains on the exterior of the pad  10 .  
         [0029]     The lower portion of the pad  10  forms a pouch  23  which holds the fecal excrement. The pouch  23  is sealed along sides  22  to prevent leakage.  
         [0030]     Whether the person wearing the pad  10  is lying on his/her stomach or in a left or right lateral decubitis position, the pad  10  contains the fecal matter with little or no contact with the skin. Thus, if a patient has a catheter and needs to have a bowel movement, it no longer is necessary for the patient to have to situate himself/herself on a bedpan, but instead, the pad  10  of the present invention is easily applied when the patient is lying on the stomach or in a left or right decubitis position.  
         [0031]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , there is an example of the pad  10  applied to a human torso  24 . The aperture  16  is not shown, but the tape  14  about the aperture  16  is applied around the anal opening (also not shown) between the buttocks  26 . The pouch  23  is situated away from the buttocks  26  toward the legs  28 . The liquid impermeable film covers the exterior  20  of the pad  10 . It is easier to apply the pad  10  when the person is lying on his/her stomach, however, the pad  10  may be applied when the person is in the left or right decubitis position, for example, following abdominal surgery.  
         [0032]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of another embodiment of an absorbent pad device  40  of the present invention.  FIGS. 7-9  provide different views of the pad device  40 . An absorbent pad  40  has adhesive tape  46  around an aperture  44 . The adhesive tape  46  is covered with a removable plastic strip (not shown) so as to expose the adhesive when applying the aperture  44  of the pad  40  about the anal opening of the wearer.  
         [0033]     The aperture  44  may be shaped as a square or rectangle, or an oval shape or any other convenient configuration.  
         [0034]     The pad  40  is configured from a typical disposable commercial pad having a liquid impermeable film for the exterior, an absorbent layer juxtaposed to the film and a liquid permeable facing layer juxtaposed to the absorbent layer on the side opposite the liquid impermeable film. Usually these commercial pads are rectangular in shape.  
         [0035]     An end of a rectangular shaped pad  40  is folded over the facing layer generally less than about half of the length of the pad  40 . The other end of the pad  40 , which becomes the lower portion of the pad  40 , is folded over the facing layer so as to somewhat overlap the previously folded-over portion. The overlapped portions  45  and  47  are sealed. Two parallel cuts are made at the end of the sealed portions  45  and  47 , to form a trap door  48  to allow inspection of the interior of the pouch formed below the trap door  48  when the pad  40  is fastened to the wearer.  
         [0036]     The pad  40  is sealed about the edges  42  with the liquid absorbent side facing inward and the liquid impermeable film on the exterior  50 . On one side of the exterior  50  an aperture  44  is provided with adhesive  46  surrounding the aperture  44 . The adhesive tape  46  is covered with a removable plastic strip (not shown) so as to expose the adhesive when applying the aperture  44  of the pad  40  about the anal opening of the wearer.  
         [0037]     On the side opposite the aperture  44  of the exterior  50  of the pad  40 , is a “trap door”  48  which may be opened to assist in viewing the aperture  44  as the pad  40  is being adhesively attached with the aperture  44  about the anal opening of the wearer. Furthermore, the trap door  48  may be opened for inspection of the interior of the pad  40  to see if a bowel movement has occurred.  
         [0038]     Referring to  FIG. 10 , there is an example of the pad  40  applied to a human torso  24 . The aperture  44  is not shown, but the adhesive tape  46  about the aperture  44  is applied around the anal opening (also not shown) between the buttocks  26 . The liquid impermeable film covers the exterior  50  of the pad  40 . It is easier to apply the pad  40  when the person is lying on his/her stomach, however, the pad  40  may be applied when the person is in the left or right decubitis position, for example, following abdominal surgery. The trap door  48  is depicted in an open position revealing a portion of the aperture  44 . Adhesive tabs  36  having releasable and reusable adhesive attach to landing sites  38  so as to again close the trap door  48 .  
         [0039]     The pad  40  tends to form a pouch or envelope when adhesively attached to a person about the anal opening. The added feature of a trap door  48  is optional for the pad  40 .  
         [0040]     Each of the pads  10  and  40  provide many advantages over known commercial pads. Each of the pads  10  and  40  is easily applied to a patient who is lying down on his/her stomach or in a left or right lateral decubitis position.  
         [0041]     The absorbent pad device  10  or  40  of the present invention protects the skin of the wearer because the fecal matter as it exudates from the anal opening is immediately deposited in the pouch of the device so that contact with the skin of the wearer is at a minimum. This helps to prevent diaper rash or other skin irritation.  
         [0042]     Another advantage of the present invention is that the device contains the feces in the pouch of the device so that disposal of the feces is easily accomplished. When wearing the device of the invention, accidents where the feces get into the bed clothes are almost eliminated.  
         [0043]     The absorbent portion of the device absorbs and contains any liquid emitted from the feces thereby keeping the patient dry. The ready containment and absorption by the device of the present invention provides better sanitary conditions for both the caretaker and the patient by making clean up simple and quick. Also the wearer may keep the device on for long periods of time without chafing or irritation of the skin.  
         [0044]     In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results are obtained. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.