Fecal pouch and installation

• US 5,941,860 A
• Filed: 11/03/1997
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alton D. Wheeler
• Original Assignee: Alton D. Wheeler
• Inventors: Wheeler, Alton D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEPPERS III, MILEY CRAIG
• Application Number:
  US08/963,484
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 128/283, 600/32, 600/328, 600/30, 604/327, 604/328, 604/332, 604/339, 604/341, 604/351
• US Class Current: 604/327
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/451 Genital or anal receptacles A61F5/441, A61F5/442, A61F5/443 take precedence ; other body securing means A61F5/4408; devices for taking faeces samples A61B10/0038; devices for taking urine samples A61B10/007

Abstract

A fecal collector which comprises an elongated, flaccid pouch having an entrance end; an anchor attached to the pouch entrance end to anchor the entrance end in the lower bowel, and; a positioner attached to the pouch in spaced relation to the anchor O-ring, to remain outside the lower bowel and adjacent the body, for blocking tilting of the anchor in the bowel.

Claims

1. A fecal collector comprising, in combination,

a) an elongated, flaccid pouch having an entrance end,

b) an anchor attached to the pouch entrance end for anchoring said entrance end in a lower bowel, and

c) a positioner attached to the pouch in spaced relation to the anchor, for remaining outside a lower bowel, and for blocking tilting of the anchor in a bowel,

d) and relatively movable inserter and pusher tubes respectively receiving said anchor and positioner for pushing the anchor from the insertion tube into a lower bowel and for discharge of the positioner from the pusher tube in response to retraction of both tubes relative to the anchor, the pouch received in collapsed condition in at least one of the tubes.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein at least one of the anchor and positioner is an O-ring.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein both the anchor and positioner are O-rings.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the anchor O-ring is larger than the positioner O-ring.

5. The combination of claim 3 wherein the positioner O-ring is spaced at least about one inch from the anchor O-ring.

6. The combination of claim 1 including a band connected to the pouch, in spaced relation to said positioner, for retaining the pouch to a user'"'"'s leg.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein the pouch has a closed end remote from said entrance end, and said band is connected to said pouch proximate said closed end.

8. The combination of claim 3 wherein said anchor O-ring is yieldably resiliently bendable and sized for reception in a lower bowel while in U-shaped, bent condition, and for resilient expansion into O-ring shape, annularly pushing against a bowel lining.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said positioner O-ring is resiliently bendable and is diametrically smaller than said anchor O-ring.

10. Apparatus to install a fecal collector, comprising:

a) an elongated, flaccid pouch having an entrance end,

b) an anchor attached to the pouch entrance end for anchoring said entrance end in a lower bowel, and

c) a positioner attached to the pouch in spaced relation to the anchor for remaining outside a lower bowel, and for blocking tilting of the anchor in a bowel,

d) an inserter tube having a forward portion to be endwise inserted into a lower bowel,

e) a pusher tube slidable endwise in the inserter tube,

f) said anchor received in the inserter tube to be pushed from that tube and into a bowel for installation in a lower bowel, by forward displacement of the pusher tube in the inserter tube,

g) said positioner received in the pusher tube to be pulled from that tube upon retraction of both tubes following installation of the anchor in a lower bowel, and

h) the pouch received in collapsed condition in said tubes.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein the anchor is an O-ring retained in resiliently deformed condition in the inserter tube.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein the positioner is an O-ring retained in resiliently deformed condition in the pusher tube.

13. The combination of claim 10 including a gage flange on the inserter tube to engage the body and limit insertion of the inserter tube into the lower bowel.

14. The combination of claim 10 including stop means on said tubes to limit said forward displacement of the pusher tube in the inserter tube.

15. The combination of claim 10 wherein the pouch has a closed end to be pulled away from the inserter tube by retraction of the pusher tube, to distend the pouch lengthwise.