Systems and methods for treating constipation

Abstract

A system and method for an irrigation device for treating fecal impaction in a patient is contemplated. The irrigation device may include a distal portion comprising a fecal impaction removal fluid inlet and a waste vacuum outlet. The fecal impaction removal fluid outlet is operable to release a substantially annular jet of fluid into the patient's anus to remove impacted feces associated with the anus. The irrigation device may further include a waste vacuum inlet configured to receive and remove the removed feces. When the distal portion is positioned and aligned with the patient's anus, the feces can be removed by the released fecal impaction removal fluid so that the removed feces are safely received by the waste vacuum inlet so as to be safely isolated from the surrounding environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for treating feces in patients. More specifically, the present application relates to a handheld device for treating feces by a method of removing feces with intense fluid.

Background Art

[0002] In the human digestive system, food usually passes through the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine in this order and is then digested by the gastrointestinal tract. Throughout the gastrointestinal tract, some types of substances, such as nutrients and water, are absorbed from the food and distributed to various cells throughout the body. Not all types of substances carried by the food are digested, and the remaining substances, which can be referred to as fecal matter, feces, or stool, will move through the colon to the rectum and can be stored in the rectum before being excreted through the anus.

[0003] The gastrointestinal system may suffer from various conditions leading to fecal incontinence or feces, and one of the most common conditions is constipation. When feces move through the colon, water is absorbed from the feces, converting the feces from a liquid state to a soft and smooth solid that is easy to excrete through the anus. When excessive water is absorbed from the feces, constipation occurs, hardening and clogging the feces, causing it to lose water, and making it extremely difficult to excrete through the anus. Constipation may be caused by several factors, and the most common case occurs when the colon absorbs excessive water from the feces due to the feces staying in the colon for a long time. This is due to the lack of a control mechanism to stop the water absorption function when the feces are staying in the colon.

[0004] Constipation may progress to medical diagnoses such as irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) and chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC). In particular, the treatment of these conditions tends to have a high treatment failure rate, and it may cost thousands of dollars for patients and hospitals to treat them appropriately.

[0005] People who regularly suffer from constipation or other forms of impacted stool are generally advised to change their lifestyle to prevent the condition, such as increasing exercise and fiber intake. On the other hand, more severe cases of chronic constipation may require more direct treatment. There are several types of medications that treat bowel movements, commonly called laxatives. These include fiber supplements, lubricants, and stimulants. In addition, there are more potent medications that may be prescribed to treat chronic constipation, such as lubiprostone (Amitiza®), linaclotide (Linzess®), and precanatide (Trulance®). The cost of using these medications can increase significantly over time for consumers with chronic constipation problems.

[0006] In addition to these treatments, there are devices that may be used to provide methods for treating constipation. Many of these devices apply pressure in some way to stimulate bowel movements or, in other ways, mechanically remove impacted stool. For example, some devices aim to relax specific muscles of the colon and rectum by mimicking massage techniques used by therapists. Others achieve a similar effect by applying kneading motions to the abdomen. These types of devices may have drawbacks, being complex and difficult to understand for the operator and / or inconvenient for the user setting them up. Furthermore, these devices may cause other forms of discomfort by applying pressure to the anus or rectum and damaging them, potentially causing undue harm to the patient or user.

[0007] Other devices attempt to solve the above problems by applying or injecting water around or inside the anus, commonly known as irrigation, to soften hard stools inside. These may include enema devices up to modified spray bottles. However, these devices do not guarantee the provision of professional treatment and can be difficult to use by oneself, so they cannot be said to produce desirable results.

[0008] Many of these techniques and methods lack the means to address the safe collection and isolation of feces removed from the anus. In more severe cases of fecal impaction, it may be necessary to place the patient on their back for proper treatment, and in such a position, it can be difficult to prevent the removed stool from contaminating the surrounding environment.

[0009] Therefore, it is desirable to develop an improved device for constipation relief that combines irrigation techniques with manual stool removal techniques to enable ease of use and effective results. It is also desirable to develop an improved device for constipation relief that can be used at home and in hospitals without causing excessive discomfort to users suffering from stool impaction. [Overview of the project]

[0010] To solve the above and other problems, an irrigation device is conceived in which one or more outlet openings of the irrigation device may be configured to both irrigate and mechanically remove impacted stool by releasing a jet of fecal-removing fluid into the patient's anus. The removed stool may then be removed through the excrement vacuum inlet of the irrigation device, which may be fluidly connected to a vacuum source that operates to aspirate the removed stool. The irrigation device may be handheld and configured for use by the patient or user alone at home, or the irrigation device may be configured for use in a medical facility such as a hospital, and thereby may be connected to various medical devices that may be present there.

[0011] The irrigation device contemplated herein may include a main body including a fecal impaction fluid inlet and a stool vacuum outlet, and a distal portion configured for placement in and alignment with the patient's anus. The distal portion may include a fecal impaction fluid outlet and a stool vacuum inlet. The fecal impaction fluid outlet may include one or more outlet openings arranged to define an annular portion, each outlet opening configured to discharge a jet of fecal impaction fluid. The stool vacuum inlet may include one or more inlet openings located inside the annular portion defined by the fecal impaction fluid outlet, and the fecal impaction fluid inlet is configured to be fluidically connected to a fecal impaction fluid reservoir that receives a supply of fecal impaction fluid. The stool vacuum outlet may be configured to be fluidically connected to a stool vacuum reservoir that supplies a vacuum source and receives stool. If the irrigation device is fluidically connected to a fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir and also to a waste vacuum reservoir, and its distal portion is positioned and aligned with the patient's anus, the fecal impaction removal fluid outlet can operate to release a substantially annular jet of fecal impaction removal fluid into the patient's anus to remove impacted feces. A waste vacuum inlet may be configured to receive and remove the removed feces.

[0012] The irrigation device may have a main body that is sized and configured to be held in the operator's hand during operation. The fluid used for removing impacted stool may be selected from the group consisting of water, intravenous fluids, crystalloid solutions, colloidal solutions, buffers, gases, or combinations thereof.

[0013] The stool removal fluid outlet of the irrigation device may include a plurality of individual outlet openings arranged in an annular configuration, the plurality of individual outlet openings configured to collectively discharge a substantially annular jet of stool removal fluid. In another embodiment, the stool removal fluid outlet of the irrigation device may include a single annular outlet opening configured to discharge a substantially annular jet of stool removal fluid.

[0014] In some embodiments, the constipation fluid outlet may be configured to discharge heated constipation fluid via a body further comprising a heating element for heating the constipation fluid supplied by the constipation fluid reservoir. In alternative embodiments, the constipation fluid outlet may be configured to discharge heated constipation fluid via a body configured to receive constipation fluid that has been heated before it is received at the constipation fluid inlet.

[0015] The main body of the irrigation device may further include one or more pumps that pump a fluid for removing impacted feces through one or more conduits within the main body. The irrigation device may be configured to allow the fecal impaction removal fluid outlet to discharge a substantially annular jet of fecal impaction removal fluid according to one or more predetermined jet configurations. These one or more predetermined jet configurations may include the selection of a value for at least one adjustable parameter, the at least one adjustable parameter being selected from the fecal impaction removal fluid velocity, fecal impaction removal fluid flow rate, fecal impaction removal fluid temperature, fecal impaction removal fluid jet cone angle, or a combination thereof.

[0016] A method for treating fecal impaction in a patient is also contemplated. The method is to provide an irrigation device including a main body, wherein the main body includes a fluid inlet for fecal impaction removal and a vacuum outlet for excrement, the distal portion is configured for placement and alignment with the patient's anus, and includes one or more outlet openings positioned such that the fluid inlet for fecal impaction removal defines an annular portion, each outlet opening configured to release a jet of fluid for fecal impaction removal, and the vacuum outlet for excrement includes one or more inlet openings located inside the annular portion defined by the fluid inlet for fecal impaction removal. The procedure may include: fluidly connecting the mouth to a fluid reservoir for removing fecal impaction that receives a supply of fluid for removing fecal impaction; fluidly connecting the excrement vacuum outlet to an excrement vacuum reservoir that supplies a vacuum source and receives excrement; and operating the irrigation device to position its distal portion at and aligned with the patient's anus, and to release a substantially annular jet of fluid for removing fecal impaction from the fluid outlet into the patient's anus so as to remove the impacted fecal impaction in such a way that the removed fecal impaction is received by the excrement vacuum inlet and removed from the patient through the excrement vacuum inlet.

[0017] The main body of the irrigation device provided may be sized and configured to be held in the operator's hand while in operation. The fluid used for removing impacted stool may be selected from the group consisting of water, intravenous fluids, crystalloid solutions, colloidal solutions, buffers, gases, or combinations thereof.

[0018] The fecal impaction removal fluid outlet may include a plurality of individual outlet openings arranged in an annular configuration, the plurality of individual outlet openings configured to collectively discharge a substantially annular jet of fecal impaction removal fluid. Alternatively, the fecal impaction removal fluid outlet may include a single annular outlet opening configured to discharge a substantially annular jet of fecal impaction removal fluid.

[0019] The constipation removal fluid outlet may be configured to discharge heated constipation removal fluid via a main body further comprising a heating element that heats the constipation removal fluid supplied by the constipation removal fluid reservoir. Alternatively, the constipation removal fluid outlet may be configured to discharge heated constipation removal fluid via a main body configured to receive constipation removal fluid that has been heated before receiving constipation removal fluid at the constipation removal fluid inlet.

[0020] The main body of the irrigation apparatus of these methods may further include one or more pumps that pump a fluid for removing impacted feces through one or more conduits within the main body. The irrigation devices of these methods may be configured to discharge a substantially annular jet of the fecal impaction removal fluid from the fecal impaction removal fluid outlet according to one or more predetermined jet configurations. These one or more predetermined jet configurations may include the selection of a value for at least one adjustable parameter, the at least one adjustable parameter being selected from the fecal impaction removal fluid velocity, fecal impaction removal fluid flow rate, fecal impaction removal fluid temperature, fecal impaction removal fluid jet cone angle, or a combination thereof.

[0021] Each of the embodiments disclosed herein is considered to fall within the scope of the present invention as disclosed herein. These embodiments and other embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the specific preferred embodiments disclosed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0022] These features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein, as well as other features and advantages, will be better understood with reference to the following description and drawings. In the following drawings, similar numbers refer to the same components throughout the drawings. [Figure 1] This is a front view of the first embodiment of the irrigation device. [Figure 2]An enlarged view of a portion of the distal part of a perfusion device operating in an alternative jet configuration, showing a first embodiment. [Figure 3] A plan view of a first embodiment of the perfusion device. [Figure 4] A plan view of a second embodiment of the perfusion device. [Figure 5] A plan view of a third embodiment of the perfusion device. [Figure 6] A front cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the perfusion device. [Figure 7] A front view of a cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the perfusion device attached to a modular unit. [Figure 8A] A conical attachment attached to a first embodiment of the perfusion device. [Figure 8B] A view of a first embodiment of the perfusion device operating with a conical attachment attached to the same perfusion device. [Figure 9] An enlarged cross-sectional view of an angled attachment attached to a first embodiment of the perfusion device.

[0023] Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, common reference numbers are used to indicate the same elements.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] According to various aspects of the present disclosure, there is contemplated an irrigation and manual fecal incontinence removal device for treating fecal impaction in a patient. The device can include a body portion that itself includes a fecal incontinence removal fluid inlet and an excrement vacuum outlet. Once the distal portion of the perfusion device is positioned at the patient's anus and aligned therewith, fecal incontinence removal fluid can be discharged from the fecal incontinence removal fluid outlet of the perfusion device to remove impacted feces. The removed feces can be received through the excrement vacuum inlet and safely removed and isolated. This perfusion device enables effective removal of feces that can be recovered while minimizing contamination of the surrounding environment.

[0025] The irrigation device may be configured for use at the user's home or in a medical facility such as a hospital. For example, when used at home, the main body of the irrigation device may be sized and configured to be held in the user's hand.

[0026] The inlet for the fecal impaction removal fluid of the irrigation device may be fluidically connected to a fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir capable of receiving a supply of fecal impaction removal fluid. Thus, the irrigation device may be completely separate from the fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir. Alternatively, the fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir may be incorporated into the irrigation device and therefore a structural component of the irrigation device. When the fecal impaction removal fluid inlet and the fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir are fluidically connected, the fecal impaction removal fluid outlet, having one or more outlet openings at the distal end of the device, may be configured to discharge a jet of fecal impaction removal fluid through each of the one or more outlet openings. This may allow a substantially annular jet of fecal impaction removal fluid to be discharged from the fecal impaction removal fluid outlet. This substantially annular jet of fecal impaction removal fluid may target feces associated with the anus of the user or patient under which the irrigation device is operating. This targeting may operate to remove impacted feces, to irrigate the feces and / or anus, to soften the feces, to neutralize the feces, to pulverize the feces, or a combination thereof. The feces may be removed or otherwise treated via a substantially annular jet of a fecal impaction-removing fluid released directly into the area of ​​the anus associated with the feces or impacted feces to be removed.

[0027] The substantially annular jet of the fecal impaction removal fluid may follow one or more predetermined jet configurations, which include the selection of at least one adjustable parameter, including the fecal impaction removal fluid velocity, fecal impaction removal fluid flow rate, fecal impaction removal fluid temperature, fecal impaction removal fluid jet cone angle, or a combination thereof. The user / patient / operator utilizing the irrigation device can adjust these parameters and / or directly change the predetermined jet configuration of the device. This may be done via the device's mechanism (e.g., turning a part of the device, pressing a button on the device) or via communication with the device's control unit, which can change the parameters and / or configuration (e.g., the user sets the parameters / configuration using an application on their telephone, and the device adjusts in response to this information). A particular selection of parameters / configurations can be better adapted to a particular patient / user on whom the device can be operated, and thus the irrigation device may be able to remove feces or treat them in a different way far more effectively than other conventional methods by implementing a treatment method individually tailored to a particular patient / user.

[0028] Therefore, it can be seen that the roughly annular jet of the discharged fecal impaction removal fluid may have various fluid properties that can help remove impacted feces. For example, a strong, turbulent flow of the fecal impaction removal fluid may be more effective in breaking up and pulverizing the feces. The outlet opening may be sized and configured to have a Venturi effect, which may make the fecal impaction removal fluid more effective in targeting specific areas of the anus.

[0029] The irrigation device may include a controller that operates to change or modify adjustable parameters over a period of time as desired by the user / patient / operator. For example, the rate and / or flow rate of the fecal impaction removal fluid may be gradually increased until the anal sphincter pressure is overcome.

[0030] The vacuum outlet of the irrigation device can be supplied with a vacuum source and can be fluidly connected to a waste vacuum reservoir for receiving waste. Thus, it can be seen that the waste vacuum reservoir can be completely separate from the waste vacuum reservoir. Alternatively, the waste vacuum reservoir may be incorporated into the irrigation device, further making the waste vacuum reservoir a structural component of the irrigation device. When the waste vacuum outlet and the waste vacuum reservoir are fluidly connected, the waste vacuum reservoir can be made capable of receiving the removed feces and supplying a vacuum source. A waste vacuum inlet in the distal part of the device, which may include one or more inlet openings, can receive the feces that have just been removed. The vacuum source can then direct the feces to the waste vacuum reservoir so that it is aspirated, falls, or otherwise received through one or more inlet openings, in which case the feces can be safely isolated from the user, patient, and / or operator and the surrounding environment. The removed feces can then be properly disposed of or treated from the excrement vacuum reservoir.

[0031] The apparatus may incorporate one or more grinders that operate to soften or otherwise grind the removed feces. The removed feces may be ground by the grinders immediately after being received through one or more inlet openings. The removed feces may also be ground by the grinders when they reach a volume threshold or mass threshold, which is within the excrement vacuum reservoir. The grinders may be positioned at any location along the path through which the removed feces travel, or at any location where the removed feces may accumulate. The grinders may operate to activate when the apparatus is operated, or they may simply be turned on and off when the user / patient / operator activates a switch specific to the grinder or some device that communicates with a control unit that controls the operation of the grinders. It can be seen that the grinders may be similar in form and operation to grinder units incorporated into many conventional excrement disposal systems. Larger pieces of removed feces may occupy a larger volume in the excrement vacuum reservoir, while leaving a lot of wasted space in the reservoir that is not occupied by any of the received removed feces, making storage in the excrement vacuum reservoir more difficult. Therefore, a grinder can help to finely chop and break down the removed feces, thereby allowing more volume in the excrement vacuum reservoir to be used for receiving the removed feces.

[0032] A fecal impaction removal fluid can be any fluid that acts to remove or otherwise treat impacted stool associated with the anus of a patient or user. Examples include water, crystalloid solutions, colloidal solutions, buffers, gases, or combinations thereof. The operator using the irrigation device may understand which type of fluid is more suitable for treating a particular type of fecal impaction or constipation, and therefore the selection of a fecal impaction removal fluid may be chosen to achieve the best results for a particular application.

[0033] The irrigation device may be further configured to undergo a cleaning procedure for cleaning the device. When the removed feces are received through the excrement vacuum inlet, the feces may contaminate parts of the irrigation device, and / or fecal residue may accumulate on parts of the irrigation device. To ensure that the device can be reused without any health risks that may be associated with its reuse, a cleaning procedure may be activated in which the fecal removal fluid is discharged onto parts of the device, including, but not limited to, areas within and around the excrement vacuum inlet and the fecal removal fluid outlet. As with the adjustment parameters and switching between predetermined configurations described above, this cleaning procedure may be activated via the device's mechanism or external communication with the irrigation device.

[0034] Referring here to Figure 1, a front view of a first exemplary embodiment of the irrigation device is shown. The irrigation device 100 can be sized to fit the user's hand 102. This small, easily graspable shape factor allows the irrigation device 100 to be easily positioned and directed by the user for home use. A jet of fecal impaction fluid 104 is discharged from the distal portion 108 toward the patient / user's anus through an outlet opening 118. The jet configuration may be configured such that one or more jets of fecal impaction fluid 104 disperse when discharged, as shown in this figure. Thus, the fecal impaction fluid 104 in the configuration shown in this embodiment can target, for example, multiple separate impacted stools, a single impacted stool, or an area of ​​the anus where impacted stool may be attached. The removed stool 106 can be received through the inlet opening 118 by the excrement vacuum inlet.

[0035] The distal portion 108 of the device may include a soft material, a built-in lubricant, and / or a pressure sensor. The soft material may be a rubberized or woven material that will not cause an adverse reaction when placed against the patient / user's anus. A built-in lubricant would provide a similar result. The advantage of the disclosed irrigation device over prior art methods is that these devices do not need to be forcefully pushed up against or otherwise pushed into the patient / user's anus in order to operate effectively in removing and clearing feces.

[0036] In preferred embodiments and methods, the device 100 can be aligned and positioned relative to the anus without applying excessive force. When a specific pressure reading is reached in any of the multiple pressure sensors, the user may be notified by an LED light 110 labeled "In Position," which may illuminate when that condition is reached. The irrigation device 100 may also have an audio notification, or be notified by an external device communicating with the irrigation device 100, to inform the user / patient / operator that the device 100 is properly positioned and aligned with the patient's anus.

[0037] The user can modify the adjustable parameters of the fecal impaction removal fluid 104 discharged from the outlet opening 118 by operating knobs that may be provided on the irrigation device 100. A temperature knob 112 can control the operation of a heating element 120, which operates to heat the fluid 104 to the temperature set by the knob. Similarly, a pressure knob 114 can control the operation of one or more pumps 128 so that the fecal impaction removal fluid 104 is discharged at a fecal impaction removal fluid velocity or flow rate set by the knob.

[0038] The first embodiment of the irrigation device 100 can be understood to be easily used by the user in the personal comfort of their home. The device 100 can be simply turned on or off and used quickly with little preparation required by the user, and the device 100 is small and easy to grasp, allowing for minimal difficulty for the user when directing and positioning the device.

[0039] Referring here to Figure 2, a magnified view of a portion of the distal part of a first exemplary embodiment of the irrigation device operating with an alternative jet configuration is shown. In this figure, the stool removal fluid 104 is set to an alternative jet configuration such that the discharged stool removal fluid 104 converges to a single point. In this configuration, the stool removal fluid 104 can be targeted, for example, to a specific blockage of feces or a specific area of ​​the anus or a specific area within the anus. This modification of the jet configuration can be carried out in several different ways, including, but not limited to, those disclosed herein. The irrigation device 100 may also be set to automatically switch between different jet configurations while the device is operating. One example of this may be a cycle between the configurations shown in Figures 1 and 2 every 30 seconds. The operator operating the irrigation device 100 on a patient may also manually switch between different jet configurations to target a specific area of ​​feces or anus while the operation is in progress. This adjustable and adaptable treatment method allows for efficient and effective removal of impacted stool, tailored to individuals with different degrees or types of constipation.

[0040] Now, looking at Figure 3, a schematic top view of a first exemplary embodiment of the irrigation device is shown. Here, the fecal removal fluid outlet includes a plurality of individual outlet openings 116, which may be configured to collectively discharge a substantially annular jet of fecal removal fluid. A waste vacuum inlet can receive and remove the removed feces 106. The removed feces can pass through one of the inlet openings 118. According to one particular embodiment of the irrigation device contemplated herein, these outlet openings 116 are arranged to define an annular portion, and one or more inlet openings 118 are positioned inside this annular portion. The jet configuration and adjustable parameters may be set so that the fecal removal fluid 104 can guide the removed feces 106 toward one or more inlet openings 118, and a vacuum source can suction the removed feces into the waste vacuum reservoir, safely away from the user / patient / operator and the surrounding environment. The spacing, size, and number of the outlet openings 116 and inlet openings 118 may be configured in several different ways, and examples of such configurations are shown in further drawings. Specifically, Figure 3 shows 16 outlet openings 116 and one inlet opening 118, but other embodiments may have more or fewer outlet openings 116 and additional inlet openings 118.

[0041] Now, looking at Figure 4, a schematic top view of a second embodiment of the irrigation device is shown. In this embodiment, it can be seen that the fluid outlet for removing fecal impaction includes a single annular outlet opening 120. This configuration can be seen as having several separate outlet openings 116 compared to the earlier embodiment shown in Figure 3. Thus, it can be seen that the single annular outlet opening 120 can discharge a substantially continuous jet of the fluid for removing fecal impaction 104 in a substantially annular jet configuration.

[0042] Referring now to Figure 5, a schematic top view of a third embodiment of the irrigation device is shown. This particular embodiment is substantially similar to the earlier embodiment in Figure 4, except that the outlet opening 122 is not continuous along its annular configuration. Thus, the outlet opening 122 still defines an annular portion in which one or more inlet openings 118 are located, even if the outlet opening 122 itself does not extend completely in a continuous and uninterrupted manner around the entire annular region. The remaining portion of the annular portion of the partial outlet opening may simply be a smooth surface, which may include the aforementioned soft material, an internal lubricant, and / or a pressure sensor. In particular, this particular embodiment may be beneficial when a particular user / patient has constipation / fecal impaction associated with a particular area or range, and this embodiment may be suitable for direct treatment.

[0043] The irrigation device 100 may also be configured such that the fluid outlet for removing impacted stool of a particular irrigation device can be changed from one embodiment to another. Such a reconfiguration may be as simple as the user / patient / operator twisting off or otherwise removing a part of the irrigation device 100 and installing a new part in its place. Thus, a single irrigation device 100 may be able to switch between having multiple outlet openings 116, a single outlet opening 120, or a partial outlet opening 122, or other configurations of outlets and inlet openings, depending on the specific needs of the patient.

[0044] Referring here to Figure 6, a front cross-sectional view of a first exemplary embodiment of the irrigation device is shown. Here, it can be seen that a fecal impaction fluid reservoir 124, which has a supply of fecal impaction fluid 104, is fluidically connectable to the fecal impaction fluid inlet and fecal impaction fluid outlet of the device 100 via a fluid conduit 126. The main body of the irrigation device 100 may include one or more pumps 128 that can pump the fecal impaction fluid through the fluid conduit 126. The device 100 here shows a single fluid conduit 126, which then branches into two fluid conduits 126, but in other embodiments, the fluid conduit 126 may branch, or there may be multiple fluid conduits 126 that converge or branch, or there may be only a single fluid conduit 126 that neither branches nor converges. It can be seen that the pump 128 may function to pump the fecal impaction removal fluid and transport the fluid from the fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir 124, then to the fecal impaction removal fluid inlet, and then to the fecal impaction removal fluid outlet, where the outlet opening 116 can discharge the fecal impaction removal fluid 104 toward the patient / user's anus. The operation of the pump 128 may also adapt in response to changes in the aforementioned adjustable parameters, thereby allowing the pump 128 to change, for example, the fecal impaction removal fluid rate and / or fecal impaction removal fluid flow rate. The fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir 124 may operate to accept a supply of fecal impaction removal fluid 104, for example, through a port of the device 100 that can allow the user / patient / operator to fill or empty the fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir 124 with a supply of fecal impaction removal fluid 104. The device 100 and the fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir 124 may also be configured such that the device 100 and the fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir 124 can be detached from each other and then reattached to each other as desired.

[0045] The main body of the irrigation device 100 may also include a heating element 130. This heating element 130 can heat the fecal impaction fluid 104 supplied by the fecal impaction fluid reservoir 124. The operation of the heating element 130 and the temperature at which the heating element 130 heats the fecal impaction fluid 104 can change, for example, in response to someone changing the temperature knob 112 to a specific temperature reading. The temperature of the fecal impaction fluid 104 can change how effectively the fecal impaction fluid 104 can remove or otherwise treat the patient / user's impacted stool and / or the patient / user's response to the fluid (for example, using warm fecal impaction fluid 104 discharged towards the anus rather than extremely hot or cold fecal impaction fluid 104 may be less irritating to the user / patient).

[0046] The irrigation device may also have a waste vacuum outlet that is fluidly connected to a waste vacuum reservoir 132. The waste vacuum reservoir 132 may have a vacuum source 134 that can help guide the removed feces 106 into the waste vacuum reservoir 132 through one or more inlet openings 118 of the waste vacuum inlet. The vacuum source 134 may be turned on or off by the user / patient / operator using the device 100, and the vacuum source may be set to operate when the fecal removal fluid 104 is being discharged from one or more outlet openings 120. When the device 100 is in use and the waste vacuum reservoir 132 is receiving the removed feces 106, the user / patient / operator may be notified if the waste vacuum reservoir 132 is approaching full capacity as a sufficient amount of removed feces 106 has accumulated in the waste vacuum reservoir. This is communicated, for example, via an LED light or voice notification device similar to the "In Position" LED light 110. Although the aforementioned pulverizers capable of pulverizing the removed feces 106 are not shown in this figure, if one or more pulverizers exist, they may be located within the excrement vacuum reservoir 132 at any point along the path taken by the removed feces 106, or at the bottom of the excrement vacuum reservoir where the removed feces accumulate. Similar to the fecal impaction fluid reservoir 124, the excrement vacuum reservoir 132 and the irrigation device 100 may be configured such that the excrement vacuum reservoir 132 and the device 100 can be detached from each other and then reattached to each other as needed. This may allow the excrement vacuum reservoir 132 to be detached from the irrigation device 100 when the excrement vacuum reservoir 132 begins to fill with removed feces 106. The removed feces 106 collected in the excrement vacuum reservoir 132 can then be emptied or otherwise disposed of appropriately. The excrement vacuum reservoir 132 can then be washed before being reattached to the irrigation device 100 for reuse.

[0047] Referring now to Figure 7, a front cross-sectional view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of an irrigation device mounted on a modular unit is shown. This embodiment of the illustrated irrigation device 200 may include several features similar to the aforementioned exemplary embodiment of the irrigation device 100, for example, a fluid conduit 126, a single inlet opening 118, an outlet opening 116, and a collection of removed feces 106. It can be seen further that in this particular embodiment, the irrigation device 200 has a fecal impaction fluid reservoir 224 fluidly connected to the fecal impaction fluid inlet of the device 200 and a fecal vacuum reservoir 232 fluidly connected to the fecal vacuum outlet of the device 200, except that both reservoirs 224 and 232 are located outside the main body of the device 200.

[0048] Compared to the previous device 100, the fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir 224 in this embodiment can hold a larger amount of fecal impaction removal fluid 104. The fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir 224 may include a heating element 230 that can heat the fecal impaction removal fluid 104 to a desired temperature. Thus, the main body of the device 200 may be operated to receive this fecal impaction removal fluid 104, which is heated before being received at the fecal impaction removal fluid inlet of the device 200. The irrigation device 200 may further have a pump 228 that can pump the fecal impaction removal fluid 104 from the fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir 224 through an external fluid conduit 236 and through a fluid conduit 126, thereby allowing the fecal impaction removal fluid 104 to move through the fecal impaction removal fluid inlet and fecal impaction removal fluid outlet and then be discharged toward the anus.

[0049] The excrement vacuum reservoir 232 may also have a larger volume so as to be able to hold more removed feces 106 that can be received by the excrement vacuum inlet. Thus, the removed feces can move through the excrement conduit 238 inside the main body of the device 200 and through the external excrement conduit 240, thereby allowing the removed feces 106 to be received by the excrement vacuum reservoir 232. The excrement vacuum reservoir 232 is connected to a vacuum source 234, which is found to operate to suck the removed feces 106 and guide it to the excrement vacuum reservoir 232. The excrement vacuum reservoir 232 has a filter 242 to prevent the removed feces 106 from being sucked into the vacuum source 234.

[0050] The external fluid conduit 236 and the external waste conduit 240 may be fluidly connected to the fecal impaction removal fluid inlet of the device 200 via the fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir 224, or to the waste vacuum reservoir 232 via the waste vacuum outlet of the device 200, and may be made of a flexible material. The main body of the irrigation device 200 may also be made small and handheld, and since the reservoirs 224 and 232 are outside the main body of the device, it can be seen that the device 200 can be made even smaller than the aforementioned device 100. Accordingly, the external fluid conduit 236 and the external waste conduit 240 may be made flexible, bendable, expandable, and / or compressible so that the irrigation device can be moved and directed as desired without interrupting the fluid connection. External conduits 236, 240 can be removed from and reattached to the device 200 and reservoirs 224, 232 as desired, allowing the removed feces 106 in the excrement vacuum reservoir 232 to be properly disposed of, the fecal impaction removal fluid 104 in the fluid reservoir 224 to be refilled, and the fluid conduit 126 and excrement conduit 238 of the irrigation device 200 to be cleaned. The aforementioned pulverizer, which can pulverize the removed feces 106, is not present in this embodiment, but may be located at any position along the path through which the removed feces travel. Thus, the pulverizer can be positioned at any position within the excrement conduit 238, the external excrement conduit 240, and the excrement vacuum reservoir 232, and at any position along them, so that the pulverizer can pulverize the removed feces 106 that may be present inside and / or moving inside it.

[0051] The irrigation device 200 may be suitable for use in treatment facilities such as hospitals. In this case, the vacuum source 234 may be a wall-mounted suction vacuum unit located in the patient's room. After setting up the irrigation device 200, a physician, nurse, or operator of the device 200 may hold the device 200 for a patient who can lie on a treatment room bed positioned to allow the operator to direct the irrigation device 200 towards the patient to properly remove and treat the patient's impacted stool. This embodiment of the irrigation device 200 does not need to be limited to hospital use, and therefore, the irrigation device 200 may also be configured for use as a home treatment device.

[0052] Now, looking at Figures 8A and 8B, exemplary conical attachments to an irrigation device are shown, with Figure 8A showing a conical attachment mounted on a first embodiment of the irrigation device, and Figure 8B showing a first embodiment of the irrigation device with the conical attachment mounted and in operation. The conical attachment 344 may be molded in several different configurations, but in the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the conical attachment 344, the conical attachment has a smooth conical shape. An attachment region 346 at one end of the conical attachment 344 allows the conical attachment 344 to be attached to the distal portion 108 of the irrigation device 100. The attachment region 346 may allow a user / patient / operator to attach and detach the conical attachment 344 to and from the distal portion 108 of the irrigation device 100 as desired. The conical attachment 344 may also include a conical opening defining a conical opening 348 through which the fecal removal fluid 104 may be further released before removing and / or treating the impacted feces. The conical attachment 344 may function to collect any overflow of the released fecal removal fluid 104 and / or to act as a splash guard for the fecal removal fluid 104, and to concentrate the suction of the fecal removal fluid 104 and the vacuum source 134 to a specific area of ​​impacted feces or anus. The outer surface of the conical attachment 344 may include the aforementioned soft material, lubricant, and / or a pressure sensor that operates to notify the user when the device 100 is in a predetermined position. The vacuum source 134 may operate to suction the removed feces 106 so that the removed feces 106 is received by the conical opening 348 before being received by the excrement vacuum inlet.

[0053] Referring to Figure 9, an enlarged cross-sectional view of an angle attachment mounted on a first exemplary embodiment of the irrigation device 100 is shown. The angle attachment 450 may have an angle attachment region 452 for attaching the angle attachment 450 to the distal portion 108 of the irrigation device 100, similar to the attachment region 346 of the cone attachment 344. The angle attachment region 452 may allow the user to attach and detach the angle attachment 450 to and from the distal portion 108 of the irrigation device 100 as desired. The angle attachment 450 may include an angle opening defining an angle inlet opening 454, which can receive the removed feces 106, which can then be received by the excrement vacuum inlet. The vacuum source 134 may operate to suck excrement into the excrement reservoir through the angle inlet opening 454 and through the inlet opening 118 of the excrement vacuum inlet. The angle attachment 450 may further include an angle fluid conduit 456, which is fluidly connected to an outlet opening 116 and further fluidly connected to an angle outlet opening 458. It is understood that the outlet opening 116 can discharge a fecal removal fluid 104 into the angle fluid conduit 456. The fecal removal fluid 104 can then move through the angle fluid conduit 456 so that the angle outlet opening 458 can discharge the fecal removal fluid 104 toward the user / patient's anus. The number, size, and configuration of the angle inlet opening 454, angle outlet opening 458, and angle fluid conduit 456 can be modified and changed as desired, as can the aforementioned inlet opening 118, outlet openings 116, 120, 122, and fluid conduit 126. The angle attachment 450 may also include one or more of the aforementioned crushers for breaking down the removed feces 106, although these are not shown in this figure. The removed feces 106 may be finely chopped and broken down by one or more grinders immediately after entering the angle entrance opening 454, and the broken-down removed feces are then processed The angle attachment 450 may be configurable to allow the fecal impaction removal fluid 104 to be discharged from the angle outlet opening 458 according to one or more predetermined jet configurations, the one or more predetermined jet configurations themselves including the selection of a value for at least one adjustable parameter. Thus, by mechanically interacting with and / or operating the angle attachment 450 in one or another form, the adjustable parameters such as the velocity of the fecal impaction removal fluid, the flow rate of the fecal impaction removal fluid, and the conical angle of the fecal impaction removal fluid jet can be changed. Thus, the angle attachment 450 primarily functions to redirect the flow of the fecal impaction removal fluid in a different direction and does not significantly limit the function of the irrigation device 100 compared to when the angle attachment 450 is not attached to the distal portion 108 of the device. The angle attachment 450 may be useful in that it can hold the irrigation device 100 at a sharp angle between its legs, allowing the angled attachment to create the 90-degree bend necessary to remove and / or treat impacted feces. This may be applicable when the patient / user is on a bedpan or otherwise lying supine. The angle of the angle attachment 450 shown in Figure 9 is 90 degrees, but angle attachments with angles less than or greater than 90 degrees may also be used. The angle attachment may also have multiple angles internally, or it may have a smooth curve rather than a sharp angle. The angle attachment 450 may also be configured so that the attachment area 346 of the conical attachment 344 can be attached to or detached from the angled opening of the angle attachment 450 as desired, providing similar advantages to the conical attachment 344 as described above.

[0054] The above description is given as an example, not as an limitation. In consideration of the above disclosure, those skilled in the art can devise variations that fall within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein. Furthermore, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used individually or in various combinations with respect to each other, and are not intended to be limited to any particular combination of each other, nor are they intended to be limited to any particular combination disclosed herein. Therefore, the claims should not be limited by the exemplary embodiments. Further modifications and improvements to the invention will also be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, specific combinations of parts and steps described and illustrated herein are intended to represent only specific embodiments of the invention and are not intended to serve as limitations on alternative devices and methods within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An irrigation device for treating impacted stool in patients, The main body includes a fluid inlet for removing impacted stool and a vacuum outlet for excrement, A distal portion configured for placement in and alignment with the patient's anus, the distal portion includes a fecal impaction removal fluid outlet and a stool vacuum inlet, the fecal impaction removal fluid outlet includes one or more outlet openings arranged to define an annular portion, each outlet opening configured to release a jet of fecal impaction removal fluid, and the stool vacuum inlet includes one or more inlet openings located inside the annular portion defined by the fecal impaction removal fluid outlet, and Equipped with, The inlet for the fecal impaction removal fluid is configured to be fluidly connected to the fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir, which receives the supply of the fecal impaction removal fluid. The waste vacuum outlet is configured to be fluidly connected to a waste vacuum reservoir that supplies a vacuum source and receives waste. If the irrigation device is fluidly connected to a fluid reservoir for removing impacted feces and also fluidly connected to a vacuum reservoir for excrement, and the distal portion is positioned and aligned with the patient's anus, The fecal impaction removal fluid outlet is capable of discharging a roughly annular jet of fecal impaction removal fluid into the patient's anus to remove impacted stool. An irrigation device with a waste vacuum inlet configured to receive and remove the excrement.

2. In the irrigation device according to claim 1, The main body of the irrigation device is sized and configured to be held in the operator's hand while in operation.

3. In the irrigation device according to claim 1, The irrigation device is configured such that the fluid for removing impacted feces is selected from the group consisting of water, intravenous fluid, crystalloid solution, colloidal solution, buffer solution, gas, or a combination thereof.

4. In the irrigation device according to claim 1, The aforementioned fluid outlet for removing impacted feces includes a plurality of individual outlet openings arranged in an annular configuration, An irrigation device in which multiple individual outlet openings are configured to collectively discharge a roughly annular jet of a fluid for removing impacted feces.

5. In the irrigation device according to claim 1, The irrigation device includes a single annular outlet opening configured to discharge a substantially annular jet of a fecal impaction removal fluid.

6. In the irrigation device according to claim 1, An irrigation device wherein the outlet for the fecal impaction removal fluid is configured to discharge the heated fecal impaction removal fluid via the main body, which further includes a heating element for heating the fecal impaction removal fluid supplied by the fecal impaction removal fluid reservoir.

7. In the irrigation device according to claim 1, An irrigation device wherein the outlet for the fecal impaction removal fluid is configured to discharge heated fecal impaction removal fluid via the main body, which is configured to receive the fecal impaction removal fluid before it is received at the fecal impaction removal fluid inlet.

8. In the irrigation device according to claim 1, The irrigation device further includes one or more pumps that pump a fluid for removing impacted feces through one or more conduits within the main body.

9. In the irrigation device according to claim 1, The irrigation device is configured to discharge a substantially annular jet of a fecal impaction removal fluid from a fecal impaction removal fluid outlet according to one or more predetermined jet configurations.

10. In the irrigation device according to claim 9, One or more predetermined jet configurations include the selection of a value for at least one adjustable parameter, An irrigation device in which at least one adjustable parameter is selected from the fluid velocity for fecal impaction removal, the fluid flow rate for fecal impaction removal, the fluid temperature for fecal impaction removal, the cone angle of the fluid jet for fecal impaction removal, or a combination thereof.

11. A method for treating a patient's impacted stool, A step of providing an irrigation device including a main body, wherein the main body includes a fluid inlet for removing impacted feces and a vacuum outlet for excrement, the distal portion is configured for placement and alignment with the patient's anus, the distal portion includes a fluid inlet for removing impacted feces and a vacuum inlet for excrement, the fluid inlet for removing impacted feces includes one or more outlet openings positioned to define an annular portion, each outlet opening is configured to release a jet of fluid for removing impacted feces, and the vacuum inlet for excrement includes one or more inlet openings located inside the annular portion defined by the fluid inlet for removing impacted feces; The steps include: fluidly connecting the aforementioned inlet for the stool removal fluid to a reservoir for the stool removal fluid that receives the supply of the stool removal fluid; The steps include: fluidly connecting the waste vacuum outlet to a waste vacuum reservoir that supplies a vacuum source and accepts waste; The distal portion is positioned in the patient's anus and aligned with the anus, and the irrigation device is operated to release a roughly annular jet of impacted stool removal fluid into the patient's anus from the impacted stool removal fluid outlet in order to remove impacted stool while receiving the removed feces through the excrement vacuum inlet and removing it from the patient, and to remove impacted feces. Methods that include...

12. In the method according to claim 11, The method wherein the main body is sized and configured to be held in the operator's hand while in operation.

13. In the method according to claim 11, The method wherein the fluid for removing impacted feces is selected from the group consisting of water, intravenous fluid, crystalloid solution, colloidal solution, buffer solution, gas, or a combination thereof.

14. In the method according to claim 11, The aforementioned fluid outlet for removing impacted feces includes a plurality of individual outlet openings arranged in an annular configuration, A method in which multiple individual outlet openings are configured to collectively discharge a substantially annular jet of a fluid for removing impacted feces.

15. In the method according to claim 11, The method comprises a single annular outlet opening configured to discharge a substantially annular jet of a fecal impaction removal fluid.

16. In the method according to claim 11, The method is configured such that the outlet for the constipation removal fluid is configured to discharge heated constipation removal fluid via the main body which further includes a heating element that heats the constipation removal fluid supplied by the constipation removal fluid reservoir.

17. In the method according to claim 11, A method wherein the constipation removal fluid outlet is configured to discharge heated constipation removal fluid via the main body which is configured to receive constipation removal fluid that has been heated before receiving constipation removal fluid at the constipation removal fluid inlet.

18. In the method according to claim 11, The method further includes one or more pumps that pump a fecal impaction removal fluid through one or more conduits within the main body.

19. In the method according to claim 11, The irrigation device is configured to discharge a substantially annular jet of a fecal impaction removal fluid from a fecal impaction removal fluid outlet according to one or more predetermined jet configurations.

20. In the method according to claim 19, One or more predetermined jet configurations include the selection of a value for at least one adjustable parameter, A method in which at least one adjustable parameter is selected from the fluid velocity for fecal impaction removal, the fluid flow rate for fecal impaction removal, the fluid temperature for fecal impaction removal, the fluid jet cone angle for fecal impaction removal, or a combination thereof.

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