Patent ID: 8377020

Claim:
An apparatus for covering an ostomy bag of a patient, the ostomy bag having an ostomy-bag flange, wherein the ostomy-bag flange adheres to the patient's skin surrounding a stoma, the apparatus comprising: an ostomy-bag cover, wherein the ostomy-bag cover covers the ostomy bag and its ostomy-bag flange in order to prevent water from reaching the ostomy bag and its ostomy-bag flange, the ostomy-bag cover having: a body formed from a liquid-impermeable membrane, the body having a proximal end opening and a distal end opening; a cover-flange portion connected to the proximal end opening of the body, the cover-flange portion having a patient-skin-contact side and a distal side, wherein the patient-skin-contact side has a pressure-sensitive adhesive that releasably attaches the patient-skin-contact side of the flange to the patient's skin surrounding the ostomy-bag flange and forms a watertight seal to an area of the patient's skin that surrounds the ostomy-bag-flange; and a sealable exhaust vent, wherein the vent is operable to remove excess air within the ostomy-bag cover while the cover-flange portion is sealed to the patient's skin, wherein the vent prevents water from entering the ostomy-bag cover, in order that the ostomy-bag cover forms a watertight cover over the ostomy bag and its ostomy-bag flange, wherein the cover-flange portion includes at least a first flap extension of the cover-flange portion to cover the umbilicus of the patient.