Self-Urging Ostomy Seal with Pre-Compression for Fitting Comfort
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Solution Overview
Problem
The self-urging seal in controlled discharge ostomy appliances, while effective in maintaining dynamic seal performance, poses challenges during fitting due to its damping characteristic, which results in high initial contact pressure, potential misfitting, and increased stress on the adhesive attachment, risking discomfort and leakage.
Innovation Solution
The seal is placed in a non-deployed state prior to fitting, allowing it to deploy automatically under its own self-urging effect, reducing initial contact pressure and facilitating a better fit by avoiding high resistance during the fitting process, and incorporating a seal displacer to manipulate the seal into this state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the self-urging seal with damping characteristic is used to maintain dynamic seal performance, then the seal effectiveness is improved, but the initial contact pressure during fitting becomes excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is pre-compressed during storage in the packaging, which depletes the compressive force before fitting. This preliminary action ensures that when the appliance is applied to the stoma, the seal starts with reduced initial contact pressure, avoiding discomfort and adhesive stress while maintaining its ability to provide effective sealing through its self-urging mechanism during wear
2Reliability
If the self-urging seal with damping characteristic is used, then the dynamic seal performance is improved, but the adhesive attachment stress increases risking leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The seal undergoes pre-compression in the packaged state, which reduces the compressive force before the appliance is fitted. This preliminary depletion of compressive energy ensures that the adhesive attachment experiences lower initial stress during application, reducing the risk of adhesive failure and leakage while the seal maintains its dynamic sealing capability through the self-urging mechanism during actual use
3Adaptability or versatility
If the self-urging seal with damping characteristic is used, then the seal adaptability is improved, but the fitting comfort deteriorates due to high initial resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is pre-compressed during storage, which depletes the initial compressive force before fitting. This preliminary action reduces the resistance encountered during application, improving fitting comfort and ease of operation. The seal retains its adaptability to conform to stoma movements during wear through its self-urging mechanism, as the pre-compression only affects the initial fitting phase
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
This approach enhances comfort during fitting, achieves a better seal shape conformity to the stoma, and reduces the risk of adhesive attachment stress, ensuring effective and secure sealing without the need for external inflation sources.
Implementation Method 1
The seal comprises a fluid chamber including a fluid impermeable membrane that forms a movable wall of the fluid chamber, one or more fluid flow regulation ports communicating with the chamber; and resilient foam disposed within the fluid chamber
Implementation Method 2
The port defines a dynamic damping characteristic of adaptation of the seal, in addition to the effect of the foam
Data Source
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AI summary
A controlled discharge ostomy appliance assembly comprises (i) a stoma seal that is self-urging with a dynamic damping characteristic that resists changes of seal volume, (ii) a press-fit coupling member displaceable from an unlocked position to a locked position as part of a press-fit process, and (iii) a single-use frangible portion. The assembly further includes a protector shield removably fastened to the appliance forming a combined assembly therewith. The protector shield comprises (i) a seal displacer manipulable for displacing the stoma seal to a non-operative position ready for fitting, (ii) a substantially rigid coupling member guard portion for protecting the state of the coupling member, and (iii) a bracing portion for bracing the single-use frangible portion.