Ostomy Appliance External Filtration with Hydrophobic Blockage Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ostomy appliances often fail to prevent bodily waste from contacting the filter, leading to blockage and inflation due to the inefficient positioning and design of intermediate walls, which results in discomfort and embarrassment for the user.
Innovation Solution
A multi-layer filter is positioned externally on the ostomy appliance, with a hydrophobic layer directly adjacent the wall to prevent liquid contact, and a de-odorizing and gas-impermeable layer to maintain filter effectiveness, ensuring waste gases pass through a tortuous path without contacting collected waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If intermediate walls are provided in between the exterior walls to create a tortuous path for waste gas, then waste gas can be directed to the filter, but bodily waste can still contact the filter causing blockage
Solution Approach 1:
A hydrophobic layer is introduced as an intermediary between the waste collecting chamber and the filter. This layer allows waste gases to pass through while blocking liquid waste, preventing direct contact between bodily waste and the filter media. The hydrophobic layer acts as a selective barrier that mediates the interaction between waste and filter, maintaining filter effectiveness while preventing blockage.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter is designed with spatially varying properties: the hydrophobic layer is positioned at the interface with the waste collecting chamber to repel liquids, while the filter media is positioned on the exterior surface to capture odors. This local differentiation of functional properties ensures that each region of the filter performs its specific function optimally - the hydrophobic layer prevents liquid contact while the filter media de-odorizes gases.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the aperture is covered by a filter to de-odorise waste gases, then odor control is improved, but the filter becomes blocked by bodily waste
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrophobic layer serves as a protective intermediary between the waste collecting chamber and the filter media. It allows waste gases containing odors to pass through to the filter for de-odorization, while simultaneously blocking liquid waste from reaching and blocking the filter. This intermediary layer preserves aperture functionality by preventing clog The filter is positioned on the exterior surface of the appliance wall, with the hydrophobic layer facing the waste collecting chamber and the filter media facing outward. This positioning ensures that odorous gases can be effectively captured and de-odorized while the filter remains protected from liquid waste contact.
3Reliability
If the filter is positioned inside the exterior wall, then waste gas must pass through the filter, but intermediate walls fail to keep bodily waste away from the filter
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is extracted from the interior of the appliance wall and repositioned on the exterior surface. This extraction eliminates the need for complex intermediate wall structures to protect the filter from bodily waste, as the hydrophobic layer provides sufficient protection. The filter is positioned where it can still intercept waste gases exiting through the aperture, but is no longer vulnerable to direct contact with liquid waste in the waste collecting chamber.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrophobic layer is implemented as a thin film that lines the interface between the waste collecting chamber and the filter. This thin film provides effective protection against liquid waste while maintaining flexibility and allowing waste gases to pass through. The use of this thin hydrophobic barrier simplifies the overall structure compared to rigid intermediate walls, while still achieving the goal of keeping bodily waste away from the filter media.
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 solution effectively prevents filter blockage and inflation, maintaining appliance functionality and user comfort by reducing the risk of dampness and clogging, thus extending the appliance's lifespan and reducing replacement frequency.
Implementation Method 1
a layer of the filter is hydrophobic and wherein said hydrophobic layer is positioned directly adjacent the respective first and/or second wall
Data Source
AI summary
An ostomy appliance comprising: first and second walls connected to each other at or near their peripheries, the first wall having a stoma-receiving opening; a connection member connected to the first wall for attaching the appliance to a user; an aperture located in either of the first and/or second walls for permitting waste gases to exit the appliance; and a multi-layer filter positioned adjacent and covering the aperture on an exterior surface of the respective first and/or second wall. A layer of the filter is hydrophobic and the hydrophobic layer is positioned directly adjacent the respective first and/or second wall. The hydrophobic layer has a first side and a second side where the first side is connected directly to the respective first and/or second wall, where the connection holds the multi-layer filter relative to the wall.