GI Nutrient Recirculation Bag for Stoma Fluid Recovery

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Patients with gastrointestinal conditions such as ileostomies, enterocutaneous fistulas, and short bowel syndrome experience significant nutrient and fluid loss, leading to dehydration, renal impairment, malnutrition, and increased healthcare costs due to the need for parenteral nutrition and stoma management.

Innovation Solution

A nutrient recycling device that collects digestive contents from a first gastrointestinal tract opening and pumps them to a second opening, using a flexible bag and pump system to recirculate the contents back into the gastrointestinal tract, increasing nutrient absorption and reducing fluid loss.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If a stoma bag is used to collect digestive contents, then fluid and nutrient loss is contained, but patients suffer from dehydration and renal injury due to bypassing the colon's resorption function

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefluid and nutrient lossVSAvoidpatient health status

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful waste contents collected in the stoma bag into a beneficial resource by pumping and recirculating them back into the distal gastrointestinal tract, allowing the colon to resorb water, electrolytes, and nutrients that would otherwise be lost, thereby preventing dehydration and renal injury

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of discarding the digestive contents in the stoma bag as waste, the system recovers valuable water, electrolytes, and nutrients by recirculating them back into the gastrointestinal tract through the distal opening, transforming waste management into a therapeutic nutrient recovery process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Reliability

If ileostomy reversal is delayed to 6-12 weeks after surgery, then surgical safety is improved by allowing healing, but patients experience prolonged nutrient loss and dehydration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurgical safetyVSAvoidnutrient and fluid loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables continuous recirculation of digestive contents back into the distal gastrointestinal tract throughout the delayed reversal period, maintaining continuous nutrient and fluid resorption by the colon, thereby eliminating the gap in protective function during the 6-12 week delayed reversal interval

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Loss of substance

If high output ileostomy medications are used to slow gut transit, then fluid loss is reduced, but patients require additional medications and have poor tolerance to oral rehydration solutions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefluid lossVSAvoidmedication management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables the gastrointestinal tract to serve itself by recirculating digestive contents back into the distal tract, allowing the colon to naturally resorb fluids and nutrients without requiring external medications to slow transit or administer oral rehydration solutions that are poorly tolerated

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The device enhances nutrient and electrolyte absorption, reduces reliance on parenteral nutrition, decreases dehydration and renal impairment, and lowers healthcare costs by improving colonic function and reducing the burden of stoma management.

Implementation Method 1

a pump located within the flexible bag or having a pump body incorporated with a wall of the flexible bag is adapted to pump the collected digestive contents to the second gastrointestinal tract opening

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPump: Pump

Data Source

PatentUS12485034B2Nutrient recycling device

Publication Date: 2025.12.02 THE INSIDES COMPANY LIMITED

AI summary

A nutrient recycling device is provided that is configured to collect digestive contents from a first opening of a gastrointestinal (GI) tract and recycle and/or return the digestive contents to a second location in a patient's gastrointestinal tract. The device and associated method may find application in patients with a number of complaints, such as short bowel syndrome and/or prior to stoma reversal surgery. The device comprises a bag adapted to receive the digestive contents from a first GI opening, and a pump incorporated with the bag adapted to pump the digestive contents to a second GI location. The pump includes an inlet in fluid communication with the interior of the bag, and an outlet connected to an outlet conduit adapted to provide a flow pathway for the digestive content to flow from the pump to second GI location.