Disposable Plastic, Elimination-trapping Bag For Incontinent Patients

Abstract

A disposable plastic elimination-trapping bag for incontinent patients or the like, including a sack having an open-top portion, and a thin resilient annular oval-shaped flange secured to the sack around the open-top portion to extend outwardly therefrom with the sack extending downwardly from the flange. The flange and the sack are sized to be attached to and positioned below the patient in the vicinity of the anus or in the vicinity of the anus extending to the vicinity of the urinary duct. The flange is shaped to conform to the contour of the patient. The sack may include a forward and a rearward edge one of which extends below the flange a greater distance than the other. The sack may be attached to the flange at acute angles to the axes of the flange.

Description

This invention relates to elimination-trapping bags and more particularly to a disposable plastic bag for incontinent patients or the like. Although principally intended for such use, many related uses can be found for the bag and are intended to be within the scope of the invention.

Patients or persons who are ill and are bedridden or are incontinent require some means or device to aid in the elimination processes. Devices of this nature have taken various forms and generally may be categorized as devices which receive naturally the eliminated substance, such as a bed pan, or those which are inserted within the elimination tract to divert the elimination material into a tube connected to a container in a somewhat unnatural fashion, such as a catheter or any ileostomy appliance. Obviously, for the patient, the former of the two methods is preferred.

Many problems have developed with the receptacles presently employed in the so-called natural form of elimination-trapping device. For example, the patient has had to assume an uncomfortable position in order to render the device operative. Oftentimes the device provides no seal around the elimination tract duct and the receptacle, creating problems with soiling bedding and adjacent clothing. Additionally, such receptacles have proved to quite expensive to manufacture and difficult to construct. Further, the common-type receptacle may be used only for trapping the feces or the urine but not both in any one position of attachment to the patient.

In view of the foregoing, I have invented a novel form of elimination-trapping bag utilized in connection with the natural type of elimination process which substantially alleviates the aforementioned problems. My bag is easily and inexpensively manufactured and assembled and is made from a disposable plastic material and may be easily and quickly attached to and disattached from the patient. Also, with my elimination-trapping bag a seal is formed at the area of contact between the bag and the patient, thereby eliminating problems of soiling of bedding and clothing during or after use.

More particularly, my bag includes a flexible container member or sack having an open-top portion, and a thin resilient annular oval-shaped flange secured to the sack around the open-top portion to extend outwardly therefrom with the sack extending downwardly from the flange. The bag is sized to be attached to and positioned below the patient in the vicinity of the anus or in the vicinity of the anus extending to the vicinity of the urinary duct. The flange is shaped to conform to its proper and preferred position adjacent the patient and the sack is shaped to provide the optimum type of elimination-trapping device. Additionally, the container member is attached to the flange member at acute angles to the axes of the flange member to permit optimum positioning of the receptacle with respect to the patient and to alleviate uncomfortable adjustment of the patient. It is an object of my invention, therefore, to provide a disposable elimination-trapping bag for incontinent patients or the like which is easily and inexpensively manufactured and assembled and which is easily and quickly attached to and detached from the patient.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a bag which functions to receive the eliminated material during the natural elimination process of the patient.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a bag which is shaped for most effective attachment to the patient both to receive the eliminated material and to prevent uncomfortable positioning of the patient. Another object of my invention is to provide a bag which provides a fluidtight seal between the bag and the patient.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a bag which permits the trapping of both feces and urine without repositioning of the bag adjacent the patient.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partly elevational, partly sectional view of one embodiment of my bag attached to a patient;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged isometric view of the bag in FIG. 1 unattached to the patient;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is another isometric view of the bag in FIG. 1 with the flange member sealed;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the bag in FIG. 1 shown in a folded position for storage;

FIG. 6 is a top view of my bag taken along the line 6-6 in FIG. 5 with the outline of the patient superimposed in phantom lines;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of another embodiment of my elimination-trapping bag shown as attached to a patient outlined in phantom lines;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, elevational view of the bag in FIG. 7 prior to attachment to the patient;

FIG. 9 is a top, fragmentary, elevational view of the bag in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 10-10 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line 11-11 in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 12-12 in FIG. 9.

Referring now to the drawings, an elimination-trapping bag 10 (FIGS. 1 through 6) includes a flange 12 and a flexible container member or sack 14 attached thereto. The bag 10 is specifically designed for attachment to a patient 16 in the vicinity of the anus 18 as indicated in FIG. 1. In another embodiment of my invention (FIGS. 7 through 12) an elimination-trapping bag 20 includes a uniquely designed flange 22 with a flexible container member or sack 24 connected thereto and is adapted to be attached to a patient 26 in the vicinity of both the anus 28 and the urinary duct 30. In the embodiments 10 and 20, the bags are disposable and the flexible container members 14 and 24 preferably are constructed of a light thin plastic material while the flanges 12 and 22 preferably are constructed of a resilient plastic material having sufficient rigidity to hold its shape yet sufficiently resilient to conform easily to a patient's body contour. The bags 10 and 20 are disposable rather than reusable.

More particularly, and in the illustrated form of my invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 6, a bag 10 is designed for attachment in the vicinity of and around the anus 18 of a patient 16. The container member 14 includes two opposed side members 32 and 34, preferably substantially identical and of a generally rectangular configuration, joined together along common edges 36, 38, and 40 (FIG. 2) to form a substantially enclosed sack member having an opening or open-top portion 42 along the remaining common but unjoined edges.

The flange 12 may include top and bottom opposed, substantially flat layers 44 and 46, respectively, having aligned openings 48 and 50 therein. The aligned openings 48 and 50 are preferably of an oval configuration as indicated and are relatively but not exactly centrally located in the layers 44 and 46. The flange 12 preferably is of a generally elliptical or oval-shape having an elongated rearward portion 54 with outer edges converging toward a rear end 55 of the flange, a relatively short forward end portion 52, and opposed side portions 53. As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 6, the flange 12 is designed to overlie and be tightly sealed against the curved body portions of the patient 16 around the anus 18, the forward end portion 52 being adapted to overlie and attach to the body portion just forward of the anus, the side portions being adapted to overlie and attach to the body portions between the anus, upper legs and cheeks of the buttocks 56 and the elongated rearward portion 54 being adapted to overlie and attach to the body portion rearward of the anus and between the cheeks of the buttocks. In this manner, the bag 10 may be positioned adjacent and attached to the patient in the vicinity of and in fluidtight sealing engagement with the body around the anus 18. Such attachment is accomplished without any discomfort to the patient, and without unnecessary adjustment of the patient, since the flange 12 is primarily shaped and sized and is resilient enough to conform to the contour of the body of the patient 16 about the ares of the anus.

The sack 14 is suitably connected to the flange 12 to receive the eliminated material from the patient 16. The sack 14 is gathered around its open-top portion 42 so that portions of the sack 14 around the open-top portion 42 are received and captured by the flange 12 between the layers 44 and 46 as shown in FIG. 3. These portions of the sack 14 may be glued, sewed, stapled or otherwise suitably attached to the flange 12. In this manner, the open-top portion 42 is positioned adjacent the openings 48 and 50 in the layers 44 and 46 of the flange 12.

The sack 14 is attached at an acute angle to the plane of the flange 12 so that side portion 32 will extend at an acute angle to the flange 12 while the opposed side portion 34 extends at an obtuse angle thereto. Additionally, the sack 14 may extend rearwardly at an acute angle to the flange 12. Such an attachment permits the sack 14 to extend below one cheek of the buttocks 56 and a portion of a leg 58 of the patient 16, and will not then extend directly into the bed (not shown). Such a construction also permits the least amount of interference between the sack 14 and the patient 16 or the bed. Additionally, the sack 14 may be connected to the flange 12 at an acute angle to a vertical plane including the major axis of the flange 12 extending through the forward and rearward portions 52 and 54, respectively, as indicated by the reference line 60 in FIG. 2. By so positioning the sack 14 with respect to the flange 12, the sack extends slightly rearward relative to the flange and is at its optimum position with respect to the anus 18 of the patient to receive the eliminated material when the bag 10 is attached to the patient 16. This additional acute-angle attachment of the sack 14 to the flange member 12 also aids in positioning the sack 14 with respect to the buttocks of the patient 16 to permit free deployment of the sack 14 away from the patient 16.

As shown in FIG. 3, the flange 12 may include a layer of adhesive material 62 coincident with and on top of the top layer 44 as a means of attaching the bag 10 to the patient 16. The adhesive layer 62 adheres to the patient 16 and serves to attach and to seal the bag 10 to the patient in a fluidtight manner.

Prior to use of the bag 10, a thin layer of plastic or other suitable material 66 may be placed on the adhesive layer 62 of the flange 12 as a protection for the adhesive layer. The protective layer 66 is removed when the bag 10 is to be attached to the patient 16. After use, the bag 10 is easily removed from the patient 16 and the flange 12 is folded upwardly (FIG. 4) to join respective portions of the adhesive layer 62 to seal the bag 10 for disposal.

Referring now to the embodiment 20 of my invention as shown in FIGS. 7 through 12, the bag 20 is adapted to trap both feces and urine from an incontinent patient and to this end is designed for attachment to the patient 26 below both the anus 28 and the urinary duct 30. As before, the container member 24 includes opposed side members 72 and 74, preferably substantially identical and formed of a suitable flexible plastic material. The opposed side members 72 and 74 are joined along common edges 76, 78, and 80 (FIG. 7) to form an enclosed sack member having an opening or open end portion 82 along the remaining common but unjoined edges. One of the joined edges 76, preferably the forward edge, extends below the flange 22 a greater distance than the opposite joined edge 80, as indicated in FIG. 7, to provide a pocket in one corner or apex of the sack for a more efficient and advantageous form of container for the bag.

The flange 22 includes top and bottom opposed layers 84 and 86, respectively, which preferably have an elongated generally elliptical or oval shape. Elongated openings 88 and 90 are provided in the layers 84 and 86, respectively, and the openings are relatively centrally located and aligned to provide an opening 92 in the flange 22. The sack 24 is suitably attached to the flange 22, for example, by securing portions of the sack 24 about its open end portion 82 within or between the top and bottom layers 84 and 86 about their respective openings 88 and 90 as indicated in FIG. 11. The captured portions of the sack 24 are suitably secured to the flange 22 by adhesive, staples, stitching, or any other such method. As with the construction of the embodiment 10, the sack 24 of the bag 20 may be attached to the flange 22 at an acute angle to the plane of the flange 22 to permit the sack 24 to extend outwardly from the patient 26 when the bag is attached to the patient without interfering with the bed (not shown) or the patient.

The flange 22 includes an outer layer of a soft pliable material 94, such as mohair, coincident with and overlying the top layer 84. At the rear end 100 of the flange 22 a layer of adhesive material 96 is provided to assist in the attachment and fluidtight sealing of the bag 20 to the patient 26. Before the bag 20 is used, a cover layer of plastic or other suitable material 98 is provided above the adhesive layer 96 to protect the adhesive layer.

The flange 22 of the bag 20 is specially designed and shaped for comfortable attachment to a patient and to provide a fluidtight seal between the patient and the bag 20. In this regard, the flange 22 is critically dimensioned and is generally convex at its curved rearward end 100 while being generally concave at its forward end 102. In particular, with a female patient, the convex portion of the flange 22 is adapted to closely follow the curved body contour and to fit snugly between the cheeks of the buttocks and below and around the anus of the patient while the concave forward end portion of the flange 22 is designed to closely follow the curved contour of the body of the patient above the vulva. Between the end portions 100 and 102 of the flange 22 are elongated side portions 104 dimensioned to closely follow the curved body contour between the anus, cheeks, and upper legs of the patient. These elongated side portions 104 are of tapered cross section (FIG. 11), being relatively thick adjacent the edges of the elongated opening 92 and tapering to a reduced thickness adjacent the outer edges of the flange 22. Additionally, the inner edges of the elongated side portions 104 along the elongated opening 92 are longer than the outer edges of the elongated side portions 104 opposite thereto for a purpose to be more fully discussed hereafter.

In order to assist in attaching the bag 20 to the patient 26, pairs of elastic straps 108 and 109 are each suitably attached to the front and rear ends of the flange 22 (FIG. 12) at points equally spaced from the major axis of the flange. The straps 108 and 109 extend upwardly from the flange 22 and are adjustably connected, as by conventional snap fasteners 110, to a body-encircling belt 112. To attach and seal the bag 20 to the patient 26, the rear end of the flange 22 is introduced between the legs 27 of the patient with the adhesive covered convex end 100 of the flange 22 secured between the buttocks below and around the anus 28 of the patient. The balance of the flange 22 is then laid over the vulva of the patient 26 and the ends of the body-encircling belt 24 are secured together. As this occurs, the concave end 102 of the flange 22 is pulled tightly against the body of the patient 26 above the mons Veneris and the elongated side portions 104 of the flange 22 are stretched and pressed tightly against the body of the patient along the labia majora. Because the outer edges of the elongated side portions 104 are shorter than the edges along the opening 92 of the flange 22, the tension and pull on the flange 22 create a fluidtight seal between the outer edges of the side portions 104 and the body of the patient. The bag 20 is therefore ready to receive any discharge from the patient either of feces or urine which will flow through the elongated opening 92 in the flange 22 and into the sack 24.

Although the embodiment 20 is adapted most readily for use with a female incontinent patient, it may be used with a male patient as well and all such uses are intended to be within the scope of the invention.

The bag 20 is easily and quickly attached or detached from the patient without requiring excessive and uncomfortable movement of the patient and is positioned when attached to the patient so as not to interfere with the patient or the bed. After usage, the bag may be discarded and another one attached to the patient as required.

Although I have described in some detail the embodiments of my invention, changes, modifications, and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore intend that my invention be limited in scope only by the terms of the following claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. An elimination-trapping bag for incontinent patients, comprising:

a sack having an open-top portion;

a thin resilient annular oval-shaped flange secured to said sack around said open-top portion to extend outwardly therefrom with said sack extending downwardly from said flange said flange including an elongated top opening communicating with said open-top portion of said sack;

said flange including an elongated rearward portion with outer edges converging toward a rear end of said flange and a convex top surface for following a curved body portion of an incontinent patient immediately rearward of the anus and between the cheeks of the patient's buttocks to create a fluidtight seal therewith, a relatively short forward end portion beyond a forward end of said sack including a concave top surface for overlying and tightly following a curved body portion of said patient forward of said anus and above the mons Veneris of a female patient, and opposing side portions between said forward and rearward portions for sealing tightly against body portions of said patient between said anus and the upper legs and cheeks of the buttocks of said patient; and

means on said flange for urging said top surfaces against said body portions of said patient around said anus to create a fluidtight seal between said sack and said anus including straps connected to said forward and rearward portions of said flange on opposite sides of the major axis of said opening in said flange and a body-encircling belt connected to said straps.

2. The elimination-trapping bag of claim 1 wherein said elongated opening in said flange includes opposing edges of greater length than corresponding outer edges of said side portions of said flange.

3. The elimination-trapping bag of claim 2 wherein said opposing side portions of said flange are of a tapered cross section having a greater thickness immediately adjacent said elongated opening in said flange than at said outer edges of said flange member.

4. The elimination-trapping bag of claim 3 wherein said means on said flange for urging said top surfaces against said body portions further includes a layer of adhesive material on said top surface of said rearward portion of said flange for sealing tightly to the curved body portion of said incontinent patient immediately adjacent and around the anus of said patient.

5. The elimination-trapping bag of claim 4 wherein the top surface of said forward and opposing side portions of said flange are covered with a soft pliable material.