A bedpan

Abstract

A bedpan 200 comprises a base 4 and a sidewall 3 to define a cavity (A, Fig.4) with an open top; wherein at least part of the sidewall 3 is undulating and resiliently deformable. The sidewall changes

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bedpan, in particular, a flexible bedpan for providing enhanced comfort for a user. Background In many societies there is an increasing number of people who are confined to their bed, either as a result of age, infirmity, or injuries such as spinal injury. This can be problematic, particularly in relation to evacuation, namely urination and / or defecation. Some users may be unable to use a hard and uncomfortable bedpan with a fractured spine or fragile skin for example. In such circumstances some locations just use sheets which can be very unpleasant. Additionally, many persons who are bed-ridden may lack exercise possibilities, and this in turn may lead to issues with obesity. As a result, use of a bed pan may be uncomfortable or difficult for a user or carer. The present invention overcomes these problems. Prior Art CN 214 965 010 (YANG et al) discloses a folding bedpan which comprises a concave cavity and a cavity side wall, the cavity side wall comprises a supporting cavity and a plurality of supporting plates, the cavity wall of the supporting cavity is of a corrugated structure, the bedpan directly dissolved in water to be washed away after being used; when the bedpan is not used, the supporting cavity is folded along the corrugations. CN 214 965 009 (WU et al) discloses a fan rib type folding bedpan which comprises a bedpan top plate and a containing bedpan made of flexible materials, a plurality of folding supporting rods installed along the bedpan wall, the two ends of the folding supporting rods are hinged to the middle of the containing basin in the length direction, to be folded along with the folding supporting rods, the folding plates in the basin top plates folded towards the containing basin. CN 213 911 046 (ZHANG) discloses a foldable bedpan which comprises a rubber inflatable cushion, a connecting ring installed on the outer wall of the top of the rubber inflatable cushion, a fixing block with a rectangular groove communicated with the rubber waterproof cushion and a lithium battery on the inner wall of one side of the rectangular groove, the bedpan supported by an air extracting pump so defecation of is facilitated. Summary of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided a bedpan comprising: a base and a sidewall to define a cavity with an open top; wherein at least part of the sidewall is undulating and resiliently deformable so as to allow the sidewall to deform from a first configuration to a second configuration under the weight of a user and to return to the first configuration when a user’s weight is removed. In this way the bedpan deforms under the weight of a user as they are positioned on the bedpan, whilst retaining part of the cavity for collecting waste. The bedpan returns to the original shape when a user is removed from the bedpan so that the bedpan can be easily carried and so that the bedpan securely retains the contents. When the bedpan deforms this may include compression of the bedpan and / or flexing or bulging of the sidewall so that bedpan deforms under the user to provide enhanced comfort. The use of a flexible bedpan is particularly advantageous for elderly people or people with spinal injuries who may be bedridden for periods of time and will benefit from a bedpan that does not have hard edges and prevents pressure sores and scratches In preferred embodiments the bedpan is elongate with a substantially oval shaped cavity so that the bedpan provides a seat region similar to a toilet seat that provides a collection area for urine or defecation. The undulations of the sidewall provide strength and allow the wall to partially deform in a substantially uniform manner so that a cavity for collecting waste remains. The sidewalls are formed so that they deform (compressed and / or flex) but do not fully collapse. In this way a cavity for storage of waste is always retained. In a preferred embodiment the sidewall comprises a plurality of upwardly extending (substantially vertical) ribs extending between the open top face and the base. The ribs provide structural strength to the sidewalls to prevent complete collapse of the walls under the weight of a user. The ribs also contribute to the formation of the undulating wall. In a preferred embodiment the undulating sidewall comprises upwardly extending arranged ribs arranged between arcuate regions to provide a substantially wave shaped wall around a perimeter of the base. The wave shaped undulations are smooth without sharp comers so that the bedpan is easily cleaned and does not have sharp corners in which waste may gather and be difficult to remove. It is appreciated that due to the resiliently deformable nature of the sidewalls that the sidewalls may compress or bulge inwards or outwards under load and then return to their original configuration once the load (weight of the user) is removed. Compress down Advantageously, in some preferred embodiments the formation of the sidewalls is intended to encourage the side walls to bulge outwards creating a wider circumference closer to the base, rather than to bulge inwards and create a smaller circumference that would force collected waste closer to the user. In a preferred embodiment of the sidewall with ribs joined by arcuate regions the ribs are spaced around a perimeter of the base each providing a radial extension away from the cavity to encourage outward bulging. In some embodiments at least some of the ribs are reinforced to aid with substantially uniform deformation and reforming of the sidewalls over repeated use. For example, the ribs may be thicker than other regions of sidewall, or may be formed from a different material, or may include a material of a different density. In this way the ribs may deform but not collapse or crease so as to retain part of the cavity in use, but to also provide enhanced comfort by shaping to a user. The bedpan preferably includes a flat base which helps to minimise sagging of the base, particularly when filled. The flat base also acts to support the sidewall. Preferably the base limits or prevents lateral extension so that the base cannot stretch and thereby alter position / orientation of the sidewall. This may be achieved by the material which forms the base, such as silicone. In some embodiments the base may be reinforced to prevent / limit lateral extension. In a preferred embodiment the base is flat and an upper edge of the sidewall lies in a plane that is angled with respect to the flat base. In this way the bedpan can be placed on a surface and will remain stable. The angled top surface makes the bedpan easier and more comfortable to place under a user. Preferably the end of the bedpan with the higher sidewalls creates a larger region for defecated waste. An upper edge of the side walls will generally be flat and smooth to provide a comfortable edge that is exposed to a user. In some embodiments the upper edge may be anti-slip, for example being textured to help minimise slippage of a user when using the bedpan. In some embodiments of the bedpan the upper edge of the open top face has an overhanging lip that overhangs the sidewall by extending outwardly from the cavity. The enables a larger surface area to be presented to the underside of a user for enhanced comfort. In some embodiments the upper surface of the lip may be anti-slip, for example being textured to help minimise slippage of a user when using the bedpan. Having an overhanging lip may also aid with a more uniform deformation under the weight of a user as a larger surface is presented to the user so that the sidewalls are less likely to fold and instead may only flex. The lip may also act to prevent significant splay of the opening, so that a user remains separated from the waste. In some embodiments of the device the open top face has a cover to provide a closed section of the top face to help contain waste collected and prevent spillage during use and in particular, when the filled bedpan is removed for emptying. In some embodiments the cover is integrated with the bedpan. For example, the cover may extend from the overhanging lip. In another embodiment the cover is displaceable from the bedpan so a user can choose when to add or remove the cover and also so that the cover can be removed for cleaning. In some embodiments the bedpan has a lid for closing the open face of bedpan. In this way the bedpan can be closed to contain waste prior to analysis, emptying and / or cleaning. In some preferred embodiments the lid has a guide extending from a lower face of the lid that corresponds to the profile of the upper edge of the undulating sidewall. In this way the guide and sidewall engage to fix the lid to the bedpan so that the cavity containing the waste is closed. In some embodiments an upper edge of the side walls does not include undulations so as to provide a uniform profile that can receive a corresponding guide on a lid. In some embodiments the lid may be used to assist with positioning the bedpan by placing the lid on a bed and sliding the bedpan over the lid so that it glides more easily to and from the desired position by moving over the lid rather than over a bedsheet. At least a part of the sidewall of the bedpan are resiliently deformable and in some preferred embodiments the whole bedpan is resiliently deformable. This allows the bedpan, or parts of the bedpan to deform under the user for enhanced comfort. Preferably the bedpan is formed from a strong, durable, resiliently deformable (at least in part), washable material so that the bedpan can be reused and passed through a washing cycle, such as a high temperature hygienic cleaning wash. This provides environmental benefits over single use bedpans that are disposed of after use. In a preferred embodiment the bedpan is formed in silicone, as a monolithic part that may be envisaged to be injection moulded or cast. Preferably the bedpan may be formed from a material of uniform thickness. In a preferred embodiment the bedpan has a thickness of at least 2mm and no greater than 3.5mm. More preferably the bedpan has a thickness of 2.5mm to 3mm of silicone to provide sufficient rigidity and the required ability to deform. In some embodiments bedpan may have regions of different thicknesses of silicone to alter the resiIiently deformable properties of parts of the bedpan. For example, the sidewalls may have ticker regions to help maintain integrity of the sidewalls so that they flex but do not fully collapse or fold under a user. In other embodiments the bedpan may be formed from a plurality of different materials. It is appreciated that in some embodiments one or more of the materials used may be inelastic, but at least the material of the walls must contain elastomeric material to be resiliently deformable. In some embodiments rigid and flexible parts may be combined, for example a rigid lid, a rigid top face, and a flexible sidewall. In some embodiments the base may be rigid to prevent downward sagging when the bedpan is full and being transported. In some embodiments the bedpan for example the sidewall may comprise a flexible zone and an inflexible zone. In this way it may be envisaged that the bedpan may always maintain a space for contents that is protected from deformation. This may be particularly beneficial for heavier patients. In some embodiments the bedpan has at least one handle to assist with positioning the bedpan and for hygienic carrying when the bedpan is filled. In a preferred embodiment the bedpan has two handles, preferably one at each end (front and back). Preferably the handles extend from the upper edge (rim) of the side walls, so that a person assisting the user can easily handle the bedpan, and so that an assistants hands are furthest placed from the waste when the cavity is filled. This may include having a handle provided through the overhanging lip in some embodiments. Ideally the handles do not project far from the rim / lip. This helps reduce the overall upper profile size of the bedpan and may assist in carrying a filled bedpan as there is minimal flexion at the handle because it is close to the rim and thereby the sidewall. In some embodiments of the bedpan may include a disposable liner, which may be used to prevent damage to the device and / or allow quicker reusability. Preferably the disposable liner is formed from a biodegradable material. The liner is typically inserted into the cavity, folded over an upper edge of the sidewalls or overhanging lip if present and / or pushed under any covered section of the top face to better hold it in place. A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the Figures in which: Brief Description of Figures Figure 1A shows a perspective view of a first embodiment; Figure 1B shows a perspective view of a second embodiment; Figure 2A shows a top view of a first embodiment; Figure 2B shows a top view of a second embodiment; Figure 3 shows side views of the first and second embodiments, the second larger embodiment in front of the smaller first embodiment; Figure 4 shows an exploded isometric view of a third embodiment of a bedpan and a lid; Figure 5 shows an isometric view of the third embodiment with the lid fitted to the bedpan; Figure 6 shows a reverse isometric exploded view of the third embodiment; Figure 7 shows a reverse isometric view of the bedpan with the lid fitted; Figure 8 shows a top isometric view the third embodiment with no lid when the sidewall is shown under deformation; and Figure 9 shows a reverse isometric view of the third embodiment when the sidewall is shown under deformation. Detailed Description of Figures With reference to the figures there is shown first, second and third embodiments 100, 200, 300 of the bedpan. Like parts have like references. Figures 1A, 2A and part of Figure 3 show a first embodiment 100 and Figures 1B, 2B and part of Figure 3 show a second embodiment 200. The first and second embodiments 100, 200 differ only by the width dimensions of the cavity A. The first embodiment 100 is narrower than the second embodiment 200. Figures 4 to 9 show a third embodiment of the bedpan 300 that has the open top partially covered. All the pictured embodiments have a base 4, an undulating sidewall 3 that defines an open top cavity A. At least part of the sidewall 3 is resiliently deformable so as to allow the bedpan to deform from a configuration (as shown in Figures 1 to 7) to a second configuration and example of which is shown in Figures 8 and 9 wherein at least part of the top face is in closer proximity to the base 4 as the sidewalls 3 have flexed (bulged). In particular reference to the pictured embodiments 100, 200, 300 these are formed from silicone as a single piece. Preferably the silicone has a Shore A hardness of 50 + / -5. Preferably the silicone is a medical grade or biocompatible silicone. In the first 100 and second 200 embodiments the cavity A is fully open and none of the open top is covered unless a lid 50 is added. In the third embodiment 300 the top face is partially open so that part of the cavity A is closed by a cover 5. The closed region created by the partial cover 5 is at a front (urinating region) of the bedpan. The cover 5 helps to prevent splashing during urinating. The cover 5 extends longitudinally substantially one third of the longitudinal axis so that substantially two thirds remains covered. It is appreciated that other proportions may be provided. The covered section 5 further provides a structural rigidity to the embodiment, serving additionally or alternatively to provide, support and controlled deformation. In all pictured embodiments the upper edge of the side walls has an overhanging lip 1. The overhanging lip 1 is arranged to overhang the resiliently deformable sidewall 3, so that the lip extends outward from the cavity A. The upper face of the overhanging lip 1 is flat and smooth to prevent a comfortable surface that is presented to the underside of a user (not shown). The bedpans 100, 200, 300 have a flat base 4 and the lip 1 overhanging the sidewall 3 allows for displaceable liners (not shown) to be folded around the lip 1 to be easily held in place. The lip 1 helps to control splaying of the open top so that a user does not sit in their own waste. All pictured embodiments have an undulating wave form sidewall 3. The sidewall 3 has ribs 3A joined by arcuate regions 3B to form a wave shaped sidewall. The ribs 3A are spaced around a perimeter of the base 4 each providing a radial extension from the cavity A. The curvature of the arcuate regions 3B is opposite to the curvature of the ribs 3A thereby creating an undulating configuration. The ribs 3A have a smaller cross section than the arcuate regions 3B and thereby act to provide greater structural integrity than the arcuate regions 3B that are shallower and wider. Due to the configuration of the sidewall 3 the sidewall is biased to splay outwards underload as it extends / projects outwards from the cavity A between the base and lip 1. This allows waste to be easily contained in the cavity A. It is possible for the sidewalls to flex / bulge inwards (as shown in the Figures), but at least part of the sidewall is expected to bulge outwards because if the sidewall only flexes inwards the waste may be forced closer to the user. The bedpans 100, 200, 300 have elongate, substantially oval shaped cavities so that a mid-section is wider than the ends (front / back when in use). The ribs 3A help permit and encourage deformation along the longitudinal axis of the bedpan. The sidewall 3 tapers towards the base 4 so that an upper region of the cavity A has a larger horizontal cross section to a lower section closer to the base 4. In the pictured embodiments both ends have shallow handles 6. The handles 6 are openings cut into the overhanging lip 1 In the third pictured embodiment 300 the bedpan includes a lid 50 for the open top face of the bedpan. The lid 50 includes two end handles 16 and is shaped to match the bedpan 300. The handles 6 are provided in the lip 1 and thereby match the top face of the bedpan 300. The lid 50 has a flat top face 12 with the handles 16 that are openings in the lip 1 which are arcuate holes spaced apart by the lip 1 which acts as a border at the ends (front and back) of the cavity A. The lid 50 has a lower face with a raised guide 15 (see Figure 6) for receipt onto and engagement with the upper edge of the sidewalls 3. The projecting guide 15 depends into the cavity A and engages by a friction fit to the side walls to hold the lid 50 in place on the bedpan 300. The upwardly extending arranged ribs 3A and adjoining arcuate regions 3B on the sidewall 3 provide a wave form perimeter around the perimeter of the base 4 so that the base 4 and sidewall 3 define a cavity A with an open top. In this way the sidewall is corrugated and the lid 50 has a corresponding corrugated (wave) guide 15 which inserts and interlocks by a friction fit with the inner surface on the upper edge of the sidewall 3 thereby locking movement in a plurality of axes to retain form of the flexible bedpan 300. In this way the bedpan 300 of the present invention may be fully closed by addition of a lid 50 to provide a secure closure of contents of the cavity and its contents. Although the first and second embodiments 100, 200 are not shown with a lid, it is appreciated that the lid 50 shown with the third embodiment 300 may be modified to fit these other embodiments. As shown in Figures 8 and 9 the sidewall of the embodiment is envisaged in use to deform (bulge) under pressure (load) of a user’s body. It may be envisaged that in this way the sidewall deforms or bulges inward (Figures 8 and 9) or outward (not shown), or that the sidewall may be compressed downward (not shown). In preferred embodiments the sidewall bulges substantially or partially in line with the radial aspect of the ribs. In the pictured embodiments this results in the radial aspect of the ribs being biased to bulge outwards away from the cavity A although inwards bulging or compression is also still possible. The sidewall 3 may also bulge forward or rearward, so as to allow for and / or provide control over the deformation, whereby the ribs prevent complete collapse and provide structural deformation loci. The bedpan in use is placed under a user lying on their side, and a carer or the user will place weight on the bedpan so as to position it below the user’s anus. Deformation of the bedpan may be envisaged to make the bedpan comfortable below the user, and additionally or alternatively may be envisaged to prevent movement of the bedpan as the bedpan flexes rather than being forced to move under a user’s weight. After use the carer or the user may seal the bedpan with the lid and dispose remotely of contents of the inner space before sterilisation and reuse. The pictured embodiment is envisaged to optionally be used with disposable content bags, which may be envisaged to be placed below the covered section and into the inner space for receipt of contents. The invention has been described by way of examples only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the scope of protection as defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A bedpan comprising: a base and a sidewall to define a cavity with an open top; wherein at least part of the sidewall is undulating and resiliently deformable so as to allow the sidewall to deform from a first configuration to a second configuration under the weight of a user and to return to the first configuration when a user’s weight is removed.

2. A bedpan according to claim 1 wherein the undulating sidewall includes a plurality of ribs upwardly extending between the open top face and the base.

3. A bedpan according to claim 2 wherein the undulating sidewall comprises upwardly extending arranged ribs arranged between arcuate regions to provide a wave form sidewall wall around a perimeter of the base.

4. A bedpan according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the ribs are shaped to provide radial extension of the ribs away from the cavity.

5. A bedpan according to any or claims 2 to 4 wherein at least some of the ribs are reinforced to aid with substantially uniform deformation and reforming.

6. A bedpan according to any preceding claim wherein the base is flat and an upper edge of the sidewall lies in a plane that is angled with respect to the flat base.

7. A bedpan according to any preceding claim wherein the upper edge of the sidewall has an overhanging lip.

8. A bedpan according to any preceding claim wherein at least part of the open top is closed by a cover.

9. A bedpan according to claim 8 wherein the cover is integrated with the bedpan.

10. A bedpan according to claim 8 wherein the cover is displaceable from the bedpan.

11. A bedpan device according to any preceding claim including a lid for closing the bedpan cavity.

12. A bedpan according to claim 11 wherein the lid has a guide extending from a lower face of the lid that corresponds to the profile of the upper edge of the undulating sidewall for engagement of the guide with the undulating wall through the open top face of cavity of the bedpan.

13. A bedpan according to any preceding claim formed in silicone.

14. A bedpan according to any preceding claim including at least one handle.

15. A bedpan according to claim 11 or claim 12 wherein the lid has handles that correspond to the handles on the bedpan.

16. A bedpan according to any preceding claim including a disposable liner.

Images