Flushable body waste collection pouch, pouch-in-pouch appliance using the same, and method relating thereto

• US 7,179,245 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hollister Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hollister Incorporated
• Inventors: Giori, Claudio
• Primary Examiner(s): Zalukaeva; Tatyana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Craig; Paula L.
• Application Number:
  US10/969,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20050084634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 604/327, 604/332, 604/333, 604/335, 604/334, 604/336, 604/337, 604/338, 604/339, 604/340, 604/341, 604/342, 604343-345, 428/35.2
• US Class Current: 604/332
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2005/4402 disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/448 Means for attaching bag to seal ring
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 1/00 Layered products having a non-planar shape
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/31 Heat sealable
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7163 Biodegradable
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/7265 Non-permeable
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2439/00 Containers; Receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/22 using plasticisers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/02 characterised by features of form at particular places, e.g. in edge regions non-uniform thickness B32B3/263
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/06 permitting easy separation
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/04 comprising such particular substance as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a glass layer B32B17/06; layered products with at least two ceramic layers composed mainly of ceramic B32B18/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1153 Temperature change for delamination [e.g., heating during delaminating, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1334 Nonself-supporting tubular film or bag [e.g., pouch, envelope, packet, etc.]

Abstract

A biodegradable and toilet-flushable body waste collection pouch, and an appliance in which such pouch constitutes the inner pouch of a peelably separable pouch-in- pouch system, are disclosed. The walls of the inner pouch are composed of an ultra-thin, heat-sealable film impermeable to body wastes comprising a plasticized biodegradable polyester or copolyester externally covered by a soft, porous, water-disintegratable cover layer of biodegradable and water-dispersible fibers.

Claims

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

said pouch having a pair of side 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 composed of (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 film having a thickness no greater than about 40 microns;

said layers of said laminate being weakly bonded together and separable 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.

2. The pouch of claim 1 in which said layers are separable from each other by the application of 180-degree peeling forces in the range of about 3 to 6 g/in.

3. The pouch of claims 1 or 2 in which said plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of triethylcitrate, vegetable oil, and starch, and combinations thereof.

4. The pouch of claims 1 or 2 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 said biodegradable plasticizer or plasticizers.

5. The pouch of claim 4 in which said composition comprises a blend of about 75% to 93% by weight of said biodegradable aliphatic polyester or aliphatic-aromatic copolyester and about 7% to 25% by weight of one or more of said biodegradable plasticizer or plasticizers.

6. The pouch of claim 5 in which said composition comprises a blend of about 90% by weight of said biodegradable aliphatic polyester or aliphatic-aromatic copolyester and about 10% by weight of said biodegradable plasticizer or plasticizers.

7. The pouch of claims 1 or 2 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 pouch of claims 1 or 2 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 pouch of claims 1 or 2 in which said film has a thickness within the range of about 10 to 35 microns.

10. The pouch of claim 9 in which said film has a thickness within the range of about 15 to 30 microns.

11. The pouch of claim 9 in which said film has a sound level no greater than about 51 dB in the 8 kHz octave band when said film is formed into a cylinder and mounted on a test fixture wherein one end is held fixed and the other end is rotated about the cylinder axis at 70 cycles/min and at 15°

angles.

12. The pouch of claim 9 in which said film has a secant modulus of less than about 45000 psi at 2% elongation when tested in accordance with ASTM D882-02.

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

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

15. The pouch of claim 14 in which said cover layer comprises tissue paper formed of 100% cellulosic fibers.

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

17. 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 composed of (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.

18. The body waste collection appliance of claim 17 in which said film of said outer pouch has a melting temperature at least 10 degrees C. higher than the melting temperature of said heat-sealable inner pouch film.

19. The body waste collection appliance of claims 17 or 18 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 said biodegradable plasticizer.

20. The body waste collection appliance of claim 19 in which said composition comprises a blend of about 75% to 93% by weight of said biodegradable aliphatic polyester or aliphatic-aromatic copolyester and about 7% to 25% by weight of said biodegradable plasticizer.

21. The body waste collection appliance of claim 20 in which said composition comprises a blend of about 90% by weight of said biodegradable aliphatic polyester or aliphatic-aromatic copolyester and about 10% by weight of said biodegradable plasticizer.

22. The body waste collection appliance of claims 17 or 18 in which said aliphatic polyester or the aliphatic component of said copolyester comprises a polymer formed by ring-opening polymerization of a lactone.

23. The body waste collection appliance of claims 17 or 18 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.

24. The body waste collection appliance of claims 17 or 18 in which said film of said inner pouch has a thickness no greater than about 40 microns.

25. The body waste collection appliance of claim 24 in which said film has a thickness within the range of about 10 to 35 microns.

26. The body waste collection appliance of claim 25 in which said film has a thickness within the range of about 15 to 30 microns.

27. The body waste collection appliance of claims 17 or 18 in which said fibers of said water disintegratable cover layer are cellulosic.

28. The body waste collection appliance of claim 27 in which said cellulosic fiber cover layer comprises tissue paper.

29. The body waste collection appliance of claim 28 in which said tissue paper is 100% cellulosic fibers.

30. 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 wearer about a body waste discharge orifice;

said disposable inner pouch having walls formed of (a) a layer of a heat-sealable film impermeable to body wastes having a thickness no greater than about 40 microns 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, porous, biodegradable cover layer of water-dispersible fibers having substantially an entire surface of said cover layer, except for its peripheral edges, weakly bonded to said inner pouch film;

said weak bond permitting separation of said surface of said cover layer from said inner pouch film, with both remaining substantially intact, by the application of 180 degree peeling forces in the range of about 2 to 10 g/in.

31. The appliance of claim 30 in which said weak bond permits separation of said surface of said cover layer from said inner pouch film, with both remaining substantially intact, by the application of 180 degree peeling forces in the range of about 3 to 6 g/in.

32. The appliance of claims 30 or 31 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 said biodegradable plasticizer.

33. The appliance of claim 32 in which said composition comprises a blend of about 75% to 93% by weight of said biodegradable aliphatic polyester or aliphatic-aromatic copolyester and about 7% to 25% by weight of said biodegradable plasticizer.

34. The appliance of claim 32 in which said composition comprises a blend of about 90% by weight of said biodegradable aliphatic polyester or aliphatic-aromatic copolyester and about 10% by weight of said biodegradable plasticizer.

35. The appliance of claims 30 or 31 in which said aliphatic polyester or the aliphatic component of said copolyester comprises a polymer formed by ring-opening polymerization of a lactone.

36. The appliance of claims 30 or 31 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.

37. The appliance of claims 30 or 31 in which said film of said inner pouch has a thickness within the range of about 10 to 35 microns.

38. The appliance of claim 37 in which said film of said inner pouch has a thickness within the range of about 15 to 30 microns.

39. The appliance of claims 30 or 31 in which said fibers of said cover layer are cellulosic.

40. The appliance of claim 39 in which said cellulosic fiber cover layer comprises tissue paper.