Flushable Body Waste Collection Pouches, Pouch-in Pouch Appliances Using the Same, and Methods Pertaining Thereto

• US 20080294129A1
• Filed: 11/21/2006
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hollister Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hollister Incorporated
• Inventors: Pedersen, Ole, Giori, Claudio, Udayakumar, Bettakeri S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,118,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/332
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/445 Colostomy, ileostomy or urethrostomy devices A61F5/441, A61F5/442, A61F5/443 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2400/10 Materials for lubricating medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 28/0034 Use of materials characterised by their function or physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 28/0057 Materials resorbable by the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 28/0069 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/00 Joining or sealing of preformed parts , e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor general aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts B29C66/00; using porous material formed by internal pressure generated therein for joining preformed parts B29C44/1228, B29C44/326
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/76 Making non-permanent or releasable joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/24 said joint lines being closed or non-straight
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/30326 in the form of porosity
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/43 Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles B29C66/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/472 said single elements being substantially flat
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72343 for liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/727 being porous, e.g. foam
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73115 Melting point
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73116 of different melting point, i.e. the melting point of one of the parts to be joined being different from the melting point of the other part
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73791 biodegradable
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2001/00 Use of cellulose, modified cellulose or cellulose derivatives, e.g. viscose, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 : Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 : Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/04 : cellular or porous
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0062 : water-soluble
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1334 : Nonself-supporting tubular film or bag [e.g., pouch, envelope, packet, etc.]

Abstract

A flushable biodegradable pouch having water-dispersible fibers along at least a portion of the outer surface of the pouch'"'"'s cover layer provided with a water-soluble hydrophilic coating. The pouch'"'"'s cover layer is water-disintegratable, and the water-soluble hydrophilic coating is a lubricating agent capable of becoming slippery when exposed to water and, upon subsequent drying, again becoming water-soluble upon re-exposure to water. As such, the hydrophilic coating serves as a rewettable, redesolving lubricating agent.

Claims

1. A biodegradable body waste collection pouch particularly suitable for flush toilet disposability;

said pouch having a pair of walls secured together along their peripheral edges to define a waste-receiving chamber therebetween;

one of said side walls having a waste-receiving opening therethrough communicating with said chamber; and

external attachment means provided about said opening for attachment of said pouch to a wearer;

said walls of said pouch being cut from a laminate comprising (a) a layer of thin heat-sealable film impermeable to liquid and solid body wastes and of a composition comprising a biodegradable aliphatic polyester, or a biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic copolyester, or blends thereof, plasticized by one or more biodegradable plasticizers and (b) a water-disintegratable biodegradable cover layer of water-dispersible fibers having one of its surfaces uninterruptedly bonded thereto;

said fibers along at least a portion of the outer surface of said pouch being coated with a water-soluble hydrophilic lubricating agent capable of becoming slippery when exposed to water and, upon subsequent drying, again becoming water-soluble upon re-exposure to water.

2. The collection pouch of claim 1 in which said hydrophilic lubricating agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose and their salts, polyethylene glycol, gums, gelatin, pectin, polyethyleneoxide, polyacrylamides, acrylic acid copolymers and their salts, and water-soluble silicone lubricating agents.

3. The collection pouch of claim 1 in which said hydrophilic lubricating agent is dry but, when said pouch is immersed in water in a flush toilet for a period less than 60 seconds becomes hydrated and slippery, so as to promote flushability of the pouch and facilitate its passage through a sanitary sewer system.

4. The collection pouch of claim 1 in which the thickness of said film is no greater than about 40 microns.

5. The collection pouch of claim 1 in which said layers of said laminate are weakly bonded together and may be separated from each other with each layer remaining intact by the application of 180-degree peeling forces in the range of about 2 to 10 g/in.

6. The collection pouch of claim 1 in which said composition comprises a blend of about 70% to 95% by weight of said biodegradable aliphatic polyester or aliphatic-aromatic copolyester, and about 5% to 30% by weight of one or more of said biodegradable plasticizer or plasticizers.

7. The collection pouch of claim 1 in which said aliphatic polyester or the aliphatic component of said copolyester comprises a polymer formed by ring-opening polymerization of a lactone.

8. The collection pouch of any of claim 1 in which said aliphatic-aromatic copolymer comprises a condensation product of a glycol with a combination of an aliphatic diacid and an aromatic diacid, wherein the aromatic diacid is less than 20% by mole.

9. The collection pouch of any of claim 1 in which said film of a biodegradable aliphatic polyester or copolyester is a monolayer.

10. The collection pouch of claim 1 in which said fibers of said water-disintegratable cover layer are cellulosic.

11. The collection pouch of claim 10 in which said cover layer comprises tissue paper formed of 100% cellulosic fibers.

12. The collection pouch of claim 1 in which said cover layer is heat-bonded to said film.

47. The collection pouch of claim 2, in combination with one or more thickeners, preservatives odor neutralizers/deodorants, and solublization enhancers.

13. A method of promoting the flushability of a waste collection pouch in a flush toilet, comprising the steps of providing a pouch with a pair of walls secured together along their peripheral edges to define a waste-receiving chamber therebetween;

one of said walls having a waste-receiving opening therethrough communicating with said chamber;

said walls being formed from a laminate comprising (a) a layer of thin beat-sealable film impermeable to liquid and solid body wastes and of a composition comprising a biodegradable aliphatic polyester, or a biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic copolyester, or blends thereof, plasticized by one or more biodegradable plasticizers, and (b) a water-disintegratable biodegradable cover layer of water-dispersible fibers having one of its surfaces uninterruptedly bonded thereto, comprising the step of coating said fibers along at least a portion of the outer surface of said laminate, either before or after assembly of said pouch, with a water-soluble hydrophilic lubricating agent capable of becoming slippery when the outer surfaces of said pouch are exposed to water and, upon subsequent drying, again become water-soluble upon re-exposure to water.

14. The method of claim 13 in which said hydrophilic lubricating agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose and their salts, polyethylene glycol, gums, gelatin, pectin, polyethyleneoxide, polyacrylamides, acrylic acid copolymers and their salts, and water-soluble silicone gelling agents.

16. The method of claim 13 in which said step of coating said fibers along at least a portion of said outer surface with said water-soluble hydrophilic lubricating agent occurs immediately prior to discarding said pouch and its contents into a flush toilet.

17. The method of claim 16 in which said water-soluble lubricating agent is applied to said pouch in liquid form.

48. The method of claim 14, in combination with one or more thickeners, preservatives, odor neutralizers, deodorants, and solublization enhancers.

15. The method of claims in which said hydrophilic lubricating agent is in the form of a dry coating but, when said pouch is exposed to water in a flush toilet for a period less than 60 seconds, becomes hydrated and slippery, so as to promote flushability of the pouch and facilitate its passage through a sanitary sewer system.

18. A pouch-in-pouch body waste collection appliance comprising an outer pouch formed of liquid, gas and odor impermeable heat-sealable polymeric film having proximal and distal side walls defining a chamber;

a toilet-disposable inner pouch having proximal and distal side walls and being disposed in said chamber;

said proximal walls of said inner and outer pouches having aligned body waste receiving openings therethrough; and

attachment means for attaching said proximal walls of said inner and outer pouches in areas surrounding said openings to skin surfaces of a patient about a body waste discharge orifice;

said disposable inner pouch having walls formed from sheet material comprising (a) a layer of thin heat-sealable film impermeable to body wastes of a composition comprising a biodegradable aliphatic polyester, or a biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic copolyester, or blends thereof, plasticized by one or more biodegradable plasticizers and (b) a water-disintegratable, porous, biodegradable cover layer of water-dispersible fibers bonded thereto;

said heat-sealable film of said inner pouch having a melting temperature lower than that of the heat-sealable film of said outer pouch;

said walls of said outer and inner pouches having peripheral edge portions heat-sealed together with the peripheral edge portions of said cover layer being bonded more securely to the film material of said inner pouch than to the film material of said outer pouch;

said fibers along at least a portion of the outer surface of the walls of said inner pouch being coated with a water-soluble hydrophilic lubricating agent capable of becoming slippery when exposed to water and, upon subsequent drying, again becoming water-soluble upon re-exposure to water.

19. The collection appliance of claim 18 in which said hydrophilic lubricating agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose and their salts, polyethylene glycol, gums, gelatin, pectin, polyethyleneoxide, polyacrylamides, acrylic acid copolymers and their salts, and water-soluble silicone gelling agents, optionally in combination with one or more thickeners, preservatives, odor neutralizers, deodorants, and solublization enhancers.

20. The collection appliance of claim 18 in which said hydrophilic lubricating agent is in the form of a dry coating on fibers of said cover layer but, when said inner pouch is immersed in water in a flush toilet for a period less than 60 seconds, becomes hydrated and slippery, so as to promote flushability of said inner pouch and facilitate its passage though a sanitary sewer system.

49. The collection appliance of claim 19, in combination with one or more thickeners, preservatives, odor neutralizers, deodorants, and solublization enhancers.

21. A method of making a pouch-in-pouch body waste collection appliance having an outer pouch formed of odor-impermeable thermoplastic film with proximal and distal walls defining a chamber and a toilet-disposable inner pouch having proximal and distal walls and being disposed in said chamber;

said proximal walls of said inner and outer pouches having aligned body waste receiving openings therein;

said walls of said inner pouch being formed of a laminate comprising (a) a layer of thin heat-sealable thermoplastic film, and (b) a porous water-disintegratable cover layer of water-dispersible fibers attached to exterior surfaces of said inner pouch film, said cover layer having at least some of said fibers along the exterior surface of said inner pouch coated with a water-soluble hydrophilic lubricating agent capable of becoming slippery when exposed to water and, upon subsequent drying, again becoming water-soluble upon re-exposure to water;

wherein said method comprises the steps of selecting a material for the film of an inner pouch having a melting temperature substantially lower than that of the material of said outer pouch; and

joining together peripheral portions of said walls of said inner and outer pouches, and portions of said proximal walls of said inner and outer pouches surrounding said body waste receiving openings, by simultaneously applying pressure and heat to said portions so that said proximal and distal walls of said inner pouch are welded together and, simultaneously, said film material of said inner pouch melts and invades the pores of said fibrous cover layer to a greater extent than said film material of said outer pouch, where, upon the subsequent application of peeling forces, said walls of said outer pouch may be peeled away from said inner pouch without causing separation of said cover and film layers of said inner pouch.

22. The method of claim 21 in which said fibers along the peripheral portion of said inner pouch joined to said peripheral portion of said outer pouch are coated with said water-soluble hydrophilic lubricating agent.

23. The method of claim 21 in which said fibers along the peripheral portion of said inner pouch joined to said peripheral portion of said outer pouch are not coated by said water-soluble hydrophilic lubricating agent.

24. The method of claim 21 in which said film material of said inner pouch has a melting temperature at least 10°

C. below the melting temperature of said outer pouch film.

25. The method of claim 21 in which said fibers of said cover layer are cellulosic or other equivalent material.

26. The method of claim 25 in which said cover layer comprises tissue paper of 100% cellulosic fibers.

27. The method of claim 21 in which said cover layer and said thermoplastic film of said inner pouch, throughout the areas between said peripheral portions and said portions surrounding said openings, are weakly bonded together and may be separated from each other with each layer remaining intact by the application of 180-degree peeling forces in the range of about 2 to 10 g/in.

28. The method of claim 21 in which said film of said inner pouch has a thickness no greater than about 40 microns.

29. An ostomy appliance for receiving discharge from a human stoma and comprising

attachment means for attaching the appliance to the peristomal skin surface of a user of the appliance,

and an ostomy assembly comprising:

an inner pouch attached to said attachment means and having a first aperture for receiving the stoma of said user, said inner pouch being defined by a flexible body side or proximal inner pouch wall and a flexible distal inner pouch wall, and one or more peripherally extending inner pouch sealing seams,

an outer pouch enclosing said inner pouch, attached to said attachment means and having a second aperture for receiving said stoma and being aligned with said first aperture, said outer pouch being defined by a flexible bodyside or proximal outer pouch wall and a flexible distal outer pouch wall, and one or more peripherally extending outer pouch sealing seams,

said one or more outer pouch sealing seams being manually peelable such that the attachment forces provided by said one or more peelable outer pouch sealing seams may be manually eliminated by manually pulling said distal outer pouch wall in a direction transverse to said one or more peelable outer pouch sealing seams,

said inner pouch walls being made of a plastic film laminated to a web of a non-woven fibrous material such as paper, said web facing outwards relative to the interior of said pouch and having an externally exposed coating of a water-soluble hydrophilic lubricating agent capable of becoming slippery when exposed to water and, upon subsequent drying, again becoming water-soluble and slippery upon re-exposure to water.

30. An ostomy appliance of claim 29 wherein at least one of said non-woven material and said plastic film is biodegradable.

31. An ostomy appliance of claim 29 wherein said inner pouch walls are impermeable to liquid and gas and permeable to odors, and said outer pouch walls are impermeable to liquid, gas and odors.

32. An ostomy appliance of claim 31 wherein said one or more outer pouch peeling seams comprises a peeling action initiation zone, where said one or more outer pouch sealing seams comprises a peak-like extent tapering in the direction opposite a predetermined peeling direction.

33. An ostomy appliance of claim 29 wherein said one or more outer pouch peeling seams comprises a peeling action ending zone, where said one or more outer pouch sealing seams comprises a peak-like extent tapering in a predetermined peeling direction.

34. An ostomy appliance according to claim 33 wherein said proximal outer pouch wall is attached to said attachment means by a heat sealed sealing seam.

35. An ostomy appliance according to claim 29 wherein said hydrophilic lubricating agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose and their salts, gums, gelatin, pectin, polyethylene glycol, polyethylene oxide, polyacrylamides, acrylic acid copolymers and their salts, and water-soluble silicone gelling agents.

36. An ostomy appliance according to claim 29 wherein said hydrophilic lubricating agent is dry but, when said inner pouch is immersed in water in a flush toilet for a period less than 60 seconds, becomes hydrated and slippery, so as to promote flushability of the inner pouch and facilitate its passage though a sanitary sewer system.

50. The ostomy appliance of claim 35, in combination with one or more thickeners, preservatives, odor neutralizer, deodorants, and solublization enhancers.

37. A pouch-in-pouch body waste collection appliance comprising an outer pouch formed of liquid, gas and odor impermeable heat-sealable polymeric film having proximal and distal side walls defining a chamber;

a toilet-disposable inner pouch having proximal and distal side walls and being disposed in said chamber;

said proximal walls of said inner and outer pouches having aligned body waste receiving openings therethrough; and

attachment means for attaching said proximal walls of said inner and outer pouches in areas surrounding said openings to skin surfaces of a patient about a body waste discharge orifice;

said disposable inner pouch having walls formed from sheet material comprising (a) a layer of thin heat-sealable polymeric film impermeable to body wastes and (b) a water-disintegratable, porous, biodegradable cover layer of water-dispersible fibers bonded thereto;

said fibers along at least outer surface portions of the walls of said inner pouch being coated with a water-soluble hydrophilic lubricating agent capable of becoming slippery when exposed to water and, upon subsequent drying, again becoming water-soluble upon re-exposure to water.

38. A method for enhancing the toilet flushability of an article comprised of a thin polymeric film covered by a water-disintegratable fibrous cover layer bonded to the outer surface thereof, comprising the step of modifying said cover layer by coating at least some of said fibers along the outer surface of said article with a hydrophilic agent that become lubricious upon hydration.

39. The method of claim 38 in which said hydrophilic agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose and their salts, polyethylene glycol, gums, gelatin, pectin, polyethyleneoxide, polyacrylamides, acrylic acid copolymers and their salts, and water-soluble silicone lubricating agents.

40. The method of claim 38 in which said polymeric film is heat-sealable and impermeable to liquid and solid body wastes.

41. The method of claim of 40 in which said film comprises a biodegradable aliphatic polyester, or a biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic co-polyester, or blends thereof, plasticized by one or more biodegradable plasticizers.

42. The method of claim 38 in which thickness of said film is no greater than about 40 microns.

43. The method of claim 38 in which said cover layer is a nonwoven material formed of water-dispersible fibers.

44. The method of claim 43 in which said fibers of said water-disintegrable cover layer are cellulosic.

45. The method of claim 44 in which said cover layer comprises tissue paper formed of 100% cellulosic fibers.

46. The method of claim 38 in which said fibers coated by said hydrophilic agent are located along the outer surface of said fibrous layer cover.

51. The method of claim 39, in combination with one or more thickeners, preservatives odor neutralizers/deodorants, and solublization enhancers.