Drainage pouch

Abstract

A drainage pouch for bedridden ureterostomy or ileal bladder patients which comprises a bag having a top opening adapted to receive and surround the stoma of the patient. The other end of the bag has a narrowed neck portion which is provided with an opening at its distal end. That opening is adapted to be connected to a drainage conduit, and that conduit is in turn connected to a drainage reservoir. A stiffly flexible tube projects from the neck opening into the bag so that the narrowed neck portion will not be blocked if the patient should inadvertently roll over onto the neck portion to collapse or fold the neck portion.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to medical appliances, and more particularly to ureterostomy appliances which are adapted to collect drainage from a bedridden patient. Such appliances generally comprise a pouch or bag having an opening adjacent the top of the bag and a drain outlet formed by a narrowed neck portion at the lower end of the bag. The top opening is sealed around the patient's stoma and the bag is attached to the patient's body by a suitable supporting device. A flexible conduit or tube communicates with the narrowed neck portion to conduct drainage fluid from the bag to a container which normally rests on the floor next to the bed or to a colllection bag attached to the side of the bed. Such drainage arrangements eliminate the need for the patient to get up during the night to empty his drainage pouch when drainage is excessive, and enable the patient to get a full night's, uninterrupted sleep. However, patients frequently roll during their sleep and often onto the flexible narrowed neck portion of the bag, to thereby close that portion, or they may roll in such a manner as to cause the narrowed neck portion to be folded and thereby closed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention overcomes these problems by providing a drainage pouch which is constructed so that the narrowed neck portion of the pouch may not be collapsed or folded by body pressure. This objective is accomplished by connecting a relatively rigid tube to the outlet opening at the end of and within the narrowed neck portion of the pouch so that the tube extends through the passageway formed by the narrowed neck opening and into the relatively large main body portion of the pouch. Thus, the tube will resist any tendency of the neck portion to be folded upon itself and will conduct fluid from the main body portion of the pouch to the outlet. Since the tube acts as a standpipe within the narrowed neck portion of the bag, and since fluids may tend to collect and stagnate in the narrowed neck portion, the tube may be perforated to eliminate such stagnation. Of course, stagnation may also be avoided by sealing the entire neck portion to the cylindrical outer surface of the tube.

In its broadest sense, therefore, this invention provides a neck-stiffening member within the narrowed neck portion of a drainage pouch which will conduct fluid from the main body portion of the pouch to a drain outlet opening and will resist any tendency of the narrowed neck portion to be collapsed or folded by body pressure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a drainage assembly according to this invention in use on a patient.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a drainage pouch according to this invention.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of the lower end of a drainage pouch and its connection to a flexible drainage conduit illustrating the principal features of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawing, a flat drainage bag or pouch 10 employing the principles of the present invention is illustrated. The pouch 10 may be made of a suitable elastomeric material, such as transparent or opaque vinyl plastic. The bag 10 has a front section 11 and a back section 14. The marginal edges of the wall sections 11 and 14 are sealed at 17 from the point 17a to the point 17b, including both lengthwise marginal edges. appreciated should be appreicated that other bag or pouch constructions may be satisfactory. For example, the bag may be constructed in accordance with the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,298.

The bag is secured to the patient by means of a supporting device (not shown but similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,818,069), which includes a body-engaging plate having a stoma receiving opening formed therein. The supporting device is secured within an inlet opening 18 (FIG. 2) formed through the front and a conventional belt 19 is secured to the supporting device by end loops (not shown).

The lower end of the bag forms a hollow, narrowed neck portion 20 which extends generally between an imaginary line L and the points 17a and 17b. The line L divides the bag into a main reservoir and the narrowed neck portion 20.

An outlet valve 21 is sealed to the outlet end of the neck portion at 22, and includes a stem portion 23 and a seat portion 24. The valve 21 is a conventional push-to-close, pull-to-open type valve, and therefore the portions 23 and 24 are relatively movable so that as the seat portion is moved toward the stem portion, the valve is closed.

A flexible drainage conduit or tube 25 tightly embraces the valve seat portion 24 and leads to a drainage reservoir or container 26. When the container 26 is to be emptied, the valve 21 is closed.

To prevent the neck portion from being inadvertently closed or folded by the patient, a standpipe arrangement is provided. The standpipe arrangement includes a relatively stiff tube 27 having one end 28 fitted into and in fluid communication with the valve 21. The tube 27 projects upwardly through the hollow neck portion and past the line L so that it terminates in the main body portion of the bag. To prevent stagnation of fluid in the annular chamber defined by the tube and the neck portion, a plurality of apertures 29 are formed in the sidewall of the tube. Of course, it should be appreciated that stagnation may also be eliminated by sealing the neck portion to the cylindrical sidewall of the tube 27 to eliminate the annular chamber.

Thus, it may be seen that the tube 27 will prevent inadvertent collapse or folding of the neck portion. Although areas of the main body portion of the bag may be folded or collapsed, it is highly unlikely that those areas will completely block flow between the inlet and outlet openings of the bag.

The scope of the invention is not limited to the slavish imitation of all of the structural and operative details mentioned above. These have been given merely by way of an example of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A drainage pouch comprising a bag having relatively flat sidewalls, a first opening in one of said sidewalls adjacent one end adapted to be applied to and surround the stoma of a bedridden patient, the other end of said bag having a narrowed, hollow neck portion which defines a second opening at its distal end, and tube means projecting from said second opening within and through said neck portion and terminating beyond said neck portion in a main chamber defined by said bag, said tube having at least one aperture in communication with the main chamber for freely passing drainage from said main chamber through said tube means, said tube means being relatively rigid compared to said bag.

2. A drainage pouch according to claim 1, wherein a valve is provided at said second opening.

3. A drainage pouch according to claim 1, wherein the sidewall of said tube means is provided with at least one aperture.

4. A drainage pouch comprising a bag having relatively flat sidewalls, a first opening in one of said sidewalls adjacent one end adapted to be applied to end surround the stoma of a bedridden patient, said sidewalls being joined together at their edges to define a relatively large main chamber and a relatively narrow communicating neck portion chamber, said neck portion chamber defining a second opening at its distal end adapted to be connected to a drainage conduit, and stiffly flexible tube means projecting from said second opening within and through said neck portion and terminating in said main chamber, said tube means having at least one aperture for freely passing drainage from said main chamber through said tube means, said tube means being relatively rigid in comparison to said bag.

5. A drainage pouch according to claim 4, wherein a valve is provided at said second opening.

6. A drainage pouch according to claim 4, wherein the sidewall of said tube means is provided with at least one aperture.

7. A drainage assembly for a ureterostomy or ileal bladder patient, comprising a bag having relatively flat sidewalls defining a main chamber, a first opening adjacent one end in one of said sidewalls adapted to be applied to and surround the stoma of the patient, the other end of said bag having a narrowed, hollow neck portion which defines a second opening at its distal end, a drainage conduit connected at one end to said second opening and connected at its other end to a drainage reservoir, and tube means projecting from said second opening within and through said neck portion and terminating beyond said neck portion in said main chamber, said tube means including at least one aperture for freely passing drainage from said main chamber through said tube means into said drainage conduit, said tube means being relatively rigid compared to said bag.

8. A drainage assembly for ureterostomy or ileal bladder patients, comprising a bag having relatively flat sidewalls, a first opening adjacent one end in one of said sidewalls adapted to be applied to and surround the stoma of the patient, said bag comprising side faces joined togther at their edges to define a relatively large main chamber and a relatively narrow communicating neck portion chamber, said neck portion chamber defining a second opening at its distal end, a drainage conduit connected at one end to said second opening connected at its other end to a drainage reservoir, and stiffly flexible tube means projecting from said second opening within and through said neck portion and terminating in said main chamber, said tube means having at least one aperture for freely passing drainage from said main chamber through said tube means into said drainage conduit, said tube means being relatively rigid in comparison to said bag.