Ostomy Wafer Adhesive Segmentation for Skin Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ostomy appliances face challenges in providing a skin-friendly adhesive that minimizes skin stripping while ensuring secure attachment and leak-proof performance, especially when exposed to moisture, as hydrocolloid adhesives tend to swell and lose cohesion, leading to detachment and discomfort.
Innovation Solution
The ostomy appliance features a combination of a protective adhesive at the border and a soft, non-absorbent adhesive in the central area, which reduces skin stripping and maintains effective attachment, with the soft adhesive being resistant to moisture and erosion, allowing for easy and painless removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydrocolloid adhesives are used to provide secure attachment and moisture absorption, then the adhesive can transmit moisture when saturated and provide strong attachment, but the retention of moisture causes swelling, loss of cohesion and disintegration
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive wafer is divided into multiple zones with different adhesive properties: a first adhesive layer for secure attachment, a second adhesive layer for gentle removal, and an intermediate area with different characteristics. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function without compromising the others, resolving the contradiction between secure attachment and maintaining composition stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different areas of the adhesive wafer are assigned different local qualities: the first adhesive provides strong cohesion for secure attachment, while the second adhesive provides low cohesion for gentle removal. The intermediate area has transitional properties. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing strong attachment where needed while preventing disintegration in other areas.
2Reliability
If pressure sensitive adhesives that flow into the skin are used to provide strong attachment, then the adhesive can avoid leakage and unintended detachment, but the adhesive causes skin stripping upon removal
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive wafer is segmented into a first adhesive layer that provides strong attachment and leak-proof performance, and a second adhesive layer that provides gentle, skin-friendly removal. This segmentation allows the device to achieve both reliable attachment and minimal skin damage upon removal.
Solution Approach 2:
Different local qualities are assigned to different areas: the first adhesive has high adhesion strength for secure attachment, while the second adhesive has low adhesion strength for gentle removal. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between leak-proof performance and skin-friendly removal.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single adhesive layer is used to simplify the device structure, then the manufacturing process is simpler and cost is reduced, but the device cannot simultaneously provide strong attachment and gentle removal
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive wafer is divided into multiple adhesive layers with different properties, which increases manufacturing complexity but enables the device to provide both strong attachment and gentle removal capabilities. The segmented structure allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive wafer uses a composite structure with different adhesive materials in different layers. The first adhesive and second adhesive have different compositions and properties, creating a composite material system that provides both secure attachment and gentle removal, overcoming the limitations of a single adhesive material.
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 provides a comfortable, secure, and leak-resistant ostomy appliance that minimizes skin trauma and maintains adhesive integrity even when exposed to moisture, reducing the risk of leakage and skin stripping, while being easy to remove without causing pain or damage.
Implementation Method 1
The absorbent layer is sandwiched between the first adhesive and the second adhesive
Implementation Method 2
Pressure sensitive adhesives have for a long time been used for attaching medical devices, such as ostomy appliances
Implementation Method 3
The hydrocolloid adhesives contain hydrophilic particles or absorbents, which absorb moisture into the adhesive bulk and transmit moisture when conditions are saturated
Data Source
AI summary
An ostomy appliance wafer is provided with a stoma-receiving hole formed through the wafer. The wafer includes a backing layer, and an absorbent layer located between a first adhesive and a second adhesive. The first adhesive is disposed over the backing layer to define a peripheral edge area, a central area surrounding the hole, and an intermediate area of the wafer that is located between the peripheral edge area and the central area. The absorbent layer is disposed on the first adhesive either in A) the central area of the wafer, B) the intermediate area of the wafer, or C) the central area and the intermediate area of the wafer. The second adhesive is disposed over both a portion of an outer edge area of the absorbent layer and a portion of the first adhesive peripheral to the outer edge area of the absorbent layer.