Patent ID: 7722583

Claim:
A bowel management system comprising: a rectally inserted catheter having a first catheter section having a patient proximal opening that, when in position for normal use, is in a patient's rectum to receive bowel waste, and a second catheter section located distal to the first section that, when in position for normal use, can be collapsed by a patient's anal sphincter muscles; the first catheter section being sufficiently pliable to permit folding for insertion into a patient's rectum but following insertion permits flow of bowel waste through the patient proximal opening; the second catheter section permitting passage of bowel waste from the patient and being sufficiently soft to permit retention within a patient's anal canal for extended periods of time; and a balloon coaxial with, and extending radially outward relative to, the patient proximal opening of the first catheter section for retaining the patient proximal opening in a position for normal use where it opens into the rectum of the patient, and the balloon having a proximal-most end coincident to a proximal-most first end of the first catheter section, the balloon having an inflated size sufficiently large so as to prevent migration of the first catheter section out of the patient's rectum through the patient's anal canal without being so large as to trigger a defecatory response in the patient.