Ostomy Appliance External Filter for Gas Venting Without Blockage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ostomy appliances often fail to prevent bodily waste from contacting the filter, leading to filter blockage and appliance inflation due to waste gases, causing discomfort and embarrassment.
Innovation Solution
A multi-layered filter is positioned externally on the ostomy appliance, comprising a hydrophobic, de-odorizing, and gas/liquid impermeable layers, with the hydrophobic layer directly covering the aperture to prevent liquid waste contact and the de-odorizing layer to reduce odor, while the impermeable layer protects against moisture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If a filter is positioned inside the exterior wall of the ostomy appliance, then waste gases can be de-odorised before exiting, but bodily waste may come into contact with the filter causing blockage
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is repositioned from an internal location (inside the exterior wall) to an external location (outside the appliance body). This spatial relocation in another dimension allows the filter to remain exposed to waste gases for de-odorisation while being physically separated from bodily waste, preventing blockage.
Solution Approach 2:
The aperture in the exterior wall serves as an intermediary element between the waste collecting chamber and the filter. Waste gases must pass through this aperture to reach the filter, while the aperture's positioning and design prevent direct contact between bodily waste and the filter, allowing gas passage while blocking liquid/solid waste.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If intermediate walls are provided to create a tortuous path for waste gas, then it may be difficult for bodily waste to reach the filter, but the filter can still become blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is extracted from the complex internal structure with intermediate walls and repositioned to an external location on the appliance. This eliminates the need for complex tortuous path designs while maintaining the function of preventing waste contact, simplifying the overall device structure.
3Reliability
If the aperture is positioned above the stoma receiving opening, then waste collected in the chamber is less likely to reach the aperture, but waste gases still need to escape
Solution Approach 1:
The filter acts as an intermediary element that allows waste gases to pass through for de-odorisation while preventing bodily waste from reaching the aperture. This mediator function resolves the contradiction by enabling gas escape while maintaining aperture cleanliness and preventing blockage.
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 external multi-layered filter effectively prevents blockage and maintains appliance integrity by keeping waste away from the filter, reducing the risk of inflation and enhancing user comfort and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
a hydrophobic layer (21) connected directly to the second wall (12)
Implementation Method 2
a de-odorising layer (22) positioned directly adjacent the hydrophobic layer (21)
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
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; a multi-layer filter positioned adjacent and covering the aperture on an exterior surface of the respective first and/or second wall, wherein a layer of the filter is hydrophobic and wherein said hydrophobic layer is positioned directly adjacent the respective first and/or second wall, wherein the hydrophobic layer has a first side and a second side and wherein the first side is connected directly to the respective first and/or second wall, said connection holding the multi-layer filter relative to the wall.