Ostomy Wafer Petal Bridge Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ostomy appliances with adhesive wafers face challenges in securely attaching to irregular or bulgy skin surfaces, particularly around hernias, leading to leakage and detachment issues due to anatomical variations and irregular skin topography.
Innovation Solution
The ostomy wafer features a stoma receiving hole with a central band and radially extending petals, connected by bridges with a thicker adhesive layer and embossed lines that guide compression to prevent wrinkles from turning into folds, ensuring a secure and leak-proof attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional adhesive wafer is used on irregular or bulgy skin surfaces, then the wafer can be applied to the skin, but wrinkles form and turn into folds causing leakage and detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The wafer incorporates bridges with thicker adhesive layers specifically at strategic locations where wrinkles are most likely to form and cause failure. This local reinforcement of adhesive thickness provides enhanced wrinkle absorption capacity precisely where needed, rather than uniformly increasing adhesive throughout the entire wafer.
Solution Approach 2:
The embossed lines are pre-formed on the wafer surface to guide and control the formation of wrinkles during application. By providing predetermined wrinkle pathways through the embossed pattern, the design prevents random wrinkle formation that could lead to folds and leakage, thereby proactively addressing the shape irregularity problem before it causes attachment failure.
2Reliability
If the adhesive layer is made thicker to absorb wrinkles, then wrinkle absorption improves, but the wafer becomes more complex and harder to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The wafer is segmented into distinct functional zones: petals for stoma coverage, bridges for wrinkle absorption with thicker adhesive, and embossed lines for wrinkle guidance. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall manufacturability through modular design principles.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than uniformly increasing adhesive thickness across the entire wafer, the invention applies thicker adhesive layers locally only in the bridge regions where wrinkle absorption is most critical. This localized approach achieves the required wrinkle absorption capability while minimizing the increase in manufacturing complexity and material usage.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the wafer is made more flexible to conform to irregular surfaces, then adaptability improves, but adhesion strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The wafer design implements local quality by providing thicker adhesive layers specifically in the bridge regions where flexibility and surface conformity are most needed to accommodate wrinkles and irregularities. The petal regions maintain standard adhesive thickness to ensure strong adhesion to the skin and stoma, thus achieving both adaptability and strength in their respective locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The embossed lines are pre-formed to guide wrinkle formation along controlled pathways. This preliminary structural feature allows the wafer to flex and conform to irregular surfaces while maintaining predictable wrinkle patterns that do not compromise adhesive bond strength, as the wrinkles are directed along predetermined lines rather than forming randomly at weak points.
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 embossed lines pattern and thicker adhesive bridges absorb wrinkles, reducing the risk of leakage and improving adhesion by distributing compression evenly, thus enhancing the stability and effectiveness of the ostomy appliance on non-planar skin surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
embossed lines that guide compression to prevent wrinkles from turning into folds
Implementation Method 2
The embossed lines pattern and thicker adhesive bridges absorb wrinkles
Data Source
AI summary
An ostomy wafer includes a stoma receiving hole formed through an adhesive layer and a backing layer of the ostomy wafer and has a central area formed as a continuous band of material around an entire perimeter of the stoma receiving hole. An outer periphery of the wafer is formed by a plurality of petals connected to and extending away from the central area, and a plurality of bridges is provided formed between adjacent petals of the plurality of petals. A thickness of the adhesive layer measured within one of the plurality of bridges is greater than a thickness of the adhesive layer measured within one of the plurality of petals.