Ostomy Pouch Drainage Device with Extendible Shaft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for draining ostomy pouches into receptacles, such as toilets, are often cumbersome, unsanitary, and prone to soiling and contamination due to the physical gap between the pouch and the waterline, requiring patients to assume awkward positions that can be painful and difficult, especially for mobile or elderly patients.
Innovation Solution
A portable, reusable drainage device with an extendible shaft and pivoting mechanism that allows the ostomy pouch to be emptied into a receptacle from a standing position, featuring a chute with a fixed angle to minimize splash-back and a body that conforms to the patient's abdomen, enabling easy and hygienic disposal of ostomy pouch contents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a patient empties the ostomy pouch directly into a toilet from a standing or sitting position, then the drainage process is simple and quick, but excessive soiling and splashing occurs due to the physical gap between the pouch and the receiving toilet waterline
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary drainage device consisting of a receptacle, extendible shaft, and chute that mediates between the ostomy pouch and the toilet. The shaft extends downward to bridge the gap, and the chute directs waste into the toilet bowl, eliminating direct contact between the pouch and toilet while preventing soiling and splashing during the drainage process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a vertical dimension to the drainage process by extending the shaft downward from the receptacle to reach the toilet waterline. This vertical extension creates a new spatial pathway that eliminates the harmful gap between the pouch and receiving fixture, allowing drainage without soiling or splashing
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a patient uses a waste-collection container to empty the pouch, then soiling and splashing are reduced, but the device requires attachment to the toilet rim and adds complexity to the drainage process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the attachment requirement from the drainage system by making the entire device portable and self-supporting. The base with extendible shaft can be positioned independently on the floor without needing to attach to the toilet rim, simplifying the overall procedure while maintaining protection against soiling and splashing
3Ease of operation
If a patient assumes awkward positions to drain the pouch into a toilet, then direct drainage is possible, but physical discomfort and pain occur especially for mobile or elderly patients
Solution Approach 1:
The portable drainage device acts as an intermediary that eliminates the need for patients to assume awkward positions. The extendible shaft and chute system allows the patient to maintain a natural standing or sitting posture while the device handles the positioning and direction of waste flow into the toilet
4Ease of operation
If an accessory device is used to facilitate emptying the pouch while standing or sitting, then patient comfort is improved, but the device complexity and assembly requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the drainage device into modular components: a base, an extendible shaft with telescoping sections, a receptacle, and a chute. These segments can be easily assembled and disassembled, providing patient comfort through adjustable positioning while keeping the overall device complexity manageable through simple modular construction
5Device complexity
If the shaft length is fixed, then the device structure is simple, but the device cannot adapt to different patient heights and positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic shaft structure with telescoping sections that can extend and retract to different lengths. This dynamic capability allows the device to adapt to various patient heights and positions while maintaining reasonable structural complexity through the use of standard telescoping mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
A device for the sanitary drainage of the contents of an ostomy pouch into a waste receptacle (e.g., toilet) is provided. The device includes a base; an extendible shaft coupled to the base; a body that receives the ostomy pouch while it is attached to a patient and directs the contents of the pouch into a chute; a pivoting mechanism that couples the body to the shaft to adjust the angle there between; and a chute coupled to the body that directs the contents of the ostomy pouch into the waste receptacle. The device and the adjustability that it provides offers patients, particularly mobile patients, the ability to sanitarily and ergonomically empty their ostomy pouches into a waste receptacle, such as a toilet, while in a standing position.