Patent Publication Number: US-2002010444-A1

Title: Ostomy bag with integral closure

Description:
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION  
       [0001] This invention relates to an ostomy bag, in particular to an ileostomy bag having a resealable drainage aperture provided by a sealing device which is integral with the bag.  
       [0002] Ostomy bags, such as ileostomy bags, that may be worn by patients for extended periods require periodic draining. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an ostomy bag which enables the user to empty the contents of the bag easily and quickly through a suitable drainage aperture and, once the contents of the bag have been discharged, clean around the drainage aperture and re-seal the drainage aperture so that the bag may continue to be used.  
       [0003] Ostomy bags incorporating resealable drainage apertures are known in the prior art, whereby the drainage aperture is formed between the outer walls of the bag which are otherwise sealed. Typically, the outer walls of the bag are tapered thus forming an elongate portion of the bag adjacent the drainage aperture. In order to effect a temporary seal of the drainage aperture, conventional resealable ostomy bags are typically provided with a separate sealing device, usually some kind of clip or tie which clamps across the elongate bag portion. Such sealing devices rely on the user carefully to roll up the elongate portion and then secure the sealing device in place. Therefore, to empty the bag effectively, the user must completely detach the sealing device from the bag and then roll down the elongate portion.  
       [0004] The conventional separate sealing device arrangement has several inherent disadvantages. First, it is undesirable if a user must, at the same time as emptying the bag into a toilet, hold on to the separate sealing device since there is the possibility that the sealing device may be dropped, possibly into the toilet. A second disadvantage with the separate sealing device arrangement is that it can be awkward for the user to position the sealing device correctly across the rolled-up elongate portion so as to effect a reliable seal. Obviously, any egress of the bag contents through a poorly sealed drainage aperture is most undesirable. A third disadvantage, with some prior art versions of separate sealing devices, is that the separate sealing device is bulky and relatively rigid thus making it uncomfortable for the user should they put pressure on the sealing device pushing it against themselves.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative form of ostomy bag which mitigates the problems described above.  
       [0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ostomy bag having a drainage aperture and a sealing device provided for selectively sealing the drainage aperture which is integral with the ostomy bag, wherein the integral sealing device includes a first elongate element secured to an outer surface of a first outer wall of the ostomy bag adjacent the drainage aperture and a second elongate element which is operatively connected to the first elongate element, at a first end of each elongate element, by a flexible hinge member, and wherein the integral sealing device further includes a first closure member at the second end of the first elongate element, and a second closure member at the second end of the second elongate element, the first and second closure members being engageable to secure the first and second elongate elements together to seal the drainage aperture.  
       [0007] It can readily be seen how the ostomy bag of the invention overcomes the first and second of the disadvantages described above. Clearly the sealing device cannot be dropped as it is secured to the bag, but also it cannot be incorrectly aligned when being used to seal the bag.  
       [0008] Preferably first and second closure members are offset from the planes of the first and second elongate elements and provide oppositely directed slots such that they are engageable to secure the first and second elongate elements together to seal the drainage aperture.  
       [0009] The first and second closure members preferably further provide, on their faces which are in contact when they are engaged, retaining elements to retain the closure members in engagement.  
       [0010] The retaining elements are conveniently oppositely directed steps on the faces in contact, and ramp portions are provided to enable the faces to ride over each other such that the closure members can engage.  
       [0011] Preferably the sealing device further includes a formation on the second elongate member to assist in disengaging the first and second closure members when they are engaged.  
       [0012] The flexible hinge member preferably enables the second elongate member to move relative to the first elongate member with several degrees of freedom and is conveniently formed from a plastics material.  
       [0013] Preferably the ostomy bag further comprises a resilient member secured to an outer surface of a second outer wall of the ostomy bag adjacent the drainage aperture, and curved so as to tend to open the drainage aperture.  
       [0014] Conveniently the resilient member is aligned with the first elongate member, and when the sealing device is sealing the drainage aperture it is held within the sealing device and flatten such that it cannot open the drainage aperture.  
       [0015] The resilient member may be formed from plastics material. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0016] An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
     [0017]FIG. 1 is a view of the rear of an ostomy bag according to the invention when the drainage aperture is not sealed;  
     [0018]FIG. 2 is a side view of the ostomy bag of FIG. 1 also when the drainage aperture is not sealed;  
     [0019]FIG. 3 is a partial view of the front of the bag of FIGS. 1 and 2 again when the drainage aperture is not sealed;  
     [0020]FIG. 4 is a partial rear view of the bag of FIGS.  1  to  3  with the drainage aperture sealed;  
     [0021]FIG. 5 is a partial side view of the bag of FIGS.  1  to  3  again with the drainage aperture sealed;  
     [0022]FIG. 6 provides views of the sealing device of the ostomy bag, and  
     [0023]FIG. 7 provides views of the resilient member of the ostomy bag. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0024] Referring to the Figures an ostomy bag  10  has a first outer wall  11  with outer and inner surfaces  11   a  and  11   b  respectively, and a second outer wall  12  with outer and inner surfaces  12   a  and  12   b  respectively. The first and second outer walls  11 ,  12  are sealed around the majority of their outer edges to form the bag  10 , but have elongate portions  11   c  and  12   c  respectively which extend downwardly at the bottom of the bag  10  to form an elongate portion  10   c  of the bag  10 . The sides of the elongate portions  11   c  and  12   c  are sealed but the bottom edges  11   d  and  12   d  are not and thus form a drainage aperture  13 . The elongate portion  11   c  of the first outer wall  11  is longer than that of the second outer wall  12 , for reasons which will be explained below.  
     [0025] The bag  10  is provided in known manner with a securing ring  14  for attaching the bag to the wearer, and an inlet aperture  15  surrounded by the securing ring  14 . The bag  10  may have additional intermediate walls, filters etc. as are known in the prior art, but as they are not relevant to the present invention will not be described here.  
     [0026] The bag  10  further includes a sealing device  16  which has a first elongate element  17  secured to the outer surface  11   a  of the first outer wall  11  adjacent the drainage aperture  13 , and substantially parallel to the bottom  11   d of the first outer wall  11 . It also has a second elongate element  18  which is operatively connected to the first elongate element  17 , at first ends of each of the elongate elements  17 ,  18 , by a flexible hinge member  19 . A first closure member  20  is provided at the second end of the first elongate element  17 , and a second closure member  21  is provided at the second end of the second elongate element  18 . The first and second closure members  20 ,  21 , are engageable to seal the drainage aperture  13  as will be described below.  
     [0027] The hinge member  19  is sufficiently flexible to permit movement of the second elongate element  18  relative to the first elongate element  17  with several degrees of freedom. That is, not only can the second elongate element  18  be brought through 180 degrees from the position shown in FIG. 1 to lie parallel to the first elongate element  17 , but it can be moved out of alignment with the first elongate element  17  to enable the first and second closure members  20 ,  21  to be engaged with each other as will now be described.  
     [0028] The first closure member  20 , as best seen in FIG. 6, is connected to the first elongate element  17  across half it&#39;s width, thus providing a slot  22 , and is offset from the plane of the first elongate element  17  by the thickness of the element  17 . Likewise, the second closure member  21  is connected to the second elongate element  18  across half it&#39;s width, thus providing a slot  23 , and is offset from the plane of the second elongate element  18  by the thickness of the element  18 . The slots  22  and  23  face in opposite directions, such that when the second elongate element  18  is brought round to lie alongside the first elongate element  17 , and moved slightly off line the slots  22  and  23  can be engaged with each other.  
     [0029] The first and second closure members  20 ,  21  further provide features to retain the sealing device in it&#39;s closed condition as will now be described. The faces of the closure members  20 ,  21  which come into contact when engaged with each other each comprise a ramp portion  20   a  and  21   a  respectively adjacent the respective slot  22 ,  23 , and a step  20   b  and  21   b  respectively. Thus when the first and second closure members  20 ,  21  are engaged the ramp portions  20   a  and  21   a  ride over each other forcing the closure members  20 ,  21  slightly apart, and then the steps  20   b  and  21   b  engage with each other to retain the sealing device  16  closed.  
     [0030] The sealing device  16  has a recess  24  on the second elongate element  18  adjacent the second closure member  21 . This is provided to assist the wearer in undoing the sealing device  16  when it is closed and they wish to empty the bag  10 . The recess  24  is located such that a light pressure on the recess  24  readily disengages the steps  20   b  and  21   b  from each other allowing the closure members  20 ,  21  to disengage and the second elongate element  18  to be moved to the position shown in FIG. 1.  
     [0031] The bag  10  further includes a resilient member  25  secured to the elongate portion  12   c  of the second outer wall  12  adjacent the drainage aperture  13 . The resilient member  25  is curved, such that it tends to pull the second elongate portion  12   c  away from the first elongate portion  11   c  at their bottom ends  11   d  and  12   d  to open the drainage aperture  13 . This does assist in emptying the bag  10  but is primarily provided to assist the wearer in cleaning around the drainage aperture  13  after the bag  10  has been emptied, but before it is resealed. The extra length of the elongate portion  11   c  of the first outer wall  11  is also provided to assist the wearer in cleaning around the drainage aperture  13 , as it is easier to separate the two ends  11   d  and  12   d  when they are not aligned with each other.  
     [0032] The resilient member  25  is in line with the sealing device  16  and is thus secured between the first and second elongate elements  17 ,  18  when the sealing device  16  is closed, thus bringing it into a flat configuration when the bag  10  is sealed.  
     [0033] The sealing device  16  is used as follows to seal the bag  10 . The elongate portion  10   c  of the bag  10  is rolled up around the first elongate element  17  until the sealing device  16  is close to the body of the bag  10 . The second elongate element  18  is then brought round into line with the first elongate element  17  and the first and second closure members engaged to close the sealing device  16 .  
     [0034] To unseal the bag  10  the above described process is reversed. The wearer puts light pressure on the recess  24  on the second elongate element  18 , disengages the closure members  20 ,  21  and moves the second elongate element  18  to the open position and unrolls the elongate portion  10   c  of the bag  10  thus opening the drainage aperture  13 .  
     [0035] The sealing device  16  may conveniently be molded from a plastics material such as polypropylene copolymer and welded to the bag  10 . However, the sealing device  16  may be formed by any other method, from any other material, and secured to the bag by any other means, as appropriate.  
     [0036] The resilient element  25  is conveniently made from a plastics material such as acetyl copolymer, and welded to the bag  10 , but may also be formed from any appropriate material and secured to the bag by any appropriate means.  
     [0037] In the present specification “comprise” means “includes or consists of” and “comprising” means “including or consisting of”.  
     [0038] The bag  10  is described as incorporating a particular method of attachment to the weaver. However, any appropriate method of attachment may be incorporated into an ostomy bag in accordance with the invention.  
     [0039] 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.