Film for urostomy pouch baffle and pouch using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9962282-B2
Application number	US-201414337888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2014
Priority date	Jan 7, 2014
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A urostomy pouch includes a baffle member, which is formed using multilayer film sheets. The multilayer film includes an inner layer comprising polypropylene and styrenic block copolymer, and an outer layer comprising ethyl methyl acrylate copolymer (EMA). The multilayer film sheets are arranged such that the inner layers face each other and are ultrasonically sealed along their longitudinal edges to form a tubular-shaped baffle member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus comprising a pouch for collecting biological fluids, the pouch comprising:
a body side wall and a distal side wall defining a collection chamber therebetween;
an inlet opening provided in the body side wall; and
a baffle member arranged in the collection chamber, the baffle member formed from two sheets of a multilayer film, wherein the multilayer film includes an inner layer formed from a first thermoplastic composition comprising polypropylene and an outer layer formed from a second thermoplastic composition, wherein the second thermoplastic composition has a melting temperature that is at least 5° C. lower than a melting temperature of the first thermoplastic composition, wherein the two sheets are arranged such that the inner layers face each other and the outer layers face the body side wall and the distal side wall, wherein the inner layers are attached to each other and each of the outer layers is attached to the body side wall or the distal side wall;
wherein the improvement comprises the first thermoplastic composition comprising a blend of about 70 wt. % to about 99 wt. % polypropylene and about 1 wt. % to about 30 wt. % styrenic block copolymer, and the second thermoplastic composition comprising at least about 90 wt. % of a thermoplastic polymer selected from low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer (EMA), atactic polypropylene (PP), and polypropylene-polyethylene (PP-PE) copolymer, wherein the first thermoplastic composition is configured for sealing the inner layers together via a ultrasonic welding, and the second thermoplastic composition is configured for heat sealing the outer layers to the body side wall or the distal side wall.

2. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the multilayer film is a two layer film, the inner layer comprising about 85 wt. % to about 95 wt. % polypropylene and about 5 wt. % to about 15 wt. % styrene isoprene block copolymer, and the outer layer comprising about 95 wt. % to about 100 wt. % of a thermoplastic polymer selected from LDPE, LLDPE, EVA, EMA, atactic PP, and PP-PE copolymer.

3. The pouch of claim 1 wherein each of the two sheets of the multilayer film has a rectangular-like shape having similar size and dimensions, wherein the two sheets are arranged over each other such that the inner layers of the sheets face each other and outer layers face the body side wall or the distal side wall, wherein the two sheets are ultrasonically sealed to each other about their longitudinal edges to form a tubular-shaped baffle member.

4. The pouch of claim 3 , wherein each of the ultrasonically sealed edges has a seal strength of about 1.5 lb./in to about 3.5 lb./in when tested using a tensile testing machine at a constant separation rate of about 12.0±0.5 in/min.

5. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein each of the two sheets is heat sealed to the body side wall or the distal side wall via at least one attachment line.

6. The pouch of claim 5 , wherein one of the two sheets is heat sealed to the body side wall via a pair of attachment lines, which are generally linear and non-parallel with a wider distance between them at lower ends than at upper ends, wherein the attachment lines are curved smoothly proximate end portions in an obtuse angle, wherein the attachment lines are symmetrical about a longitudinal center line of the pouch.

7. The pouch of claim 5 , wherein one of the two sheets is heat sealed to the distal side wall via a single continuous attachment line including smooth radiused upper and lower portions.

8. The pouch of claim 1 , further including an anti-reflux film provided in an upper portion of the pouch between the body side wall and the distal side wall.

9. The pouch of claim 1 , further including a valve provided at an opening in a bottom end of the pouch.

10. The pouch of claim 1 , wherein the pouch is a urostomy pouch configured to collect liquid body waste.

11. In a method of making a pouch for collecting biological fluids, comprising the steps of:
forming a pouch including a body side wall, a distal side wall and a collection chamber defined therebetween;
providing an inlet opening in the body side wall; and
providing a baffle member, wherein the baffle member is formed using two sheets of a multilayer film, the multilayer film including an inner layer formed from a first thermoplastic composition comprising polypropylene and an outer layer formed from a second thermoplastic composition, wherein the second thermoplastic composition has a melting temperature that is at least 5° C. lower than a melting temperature of the first thermoplastic composition, wherein the two sheets are arranged such that the inner layers face each other and the outer layers face the body side wall and the distal side wall,
wherein the improvement comprises providing the baffle member including the inner layer formed from a blend comprising about 70 wt. % to about 99 wt. % polypropylene and about 1 wt. % to about 30 wt. % styrenic block copolymer, and the outer layer comprising at least about 90 wt. % of a thermoplastic polymer selected from low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer (EMA), atactic polypropylene (PP), and polypropylene-polyethylene (PP-PE) copolymer, wherein the first thermoplastic composition is configured for sealing the inner layers together via a ultrasonic welding, and the second thermoplastic composition is configured for heat sealing the outer layers to the body side wall or the distal side wall, wherein the step of forming the baffle member includes sealing the sheets along their longitudinal peripheral edges via ultrasonic welding to form a tubular baffle member.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sheets are ultrasonically sealed together such that each of the sealed peripheral edge has a seal strength of about 1.5 lb./in to about 3.5 lb./in when tested using a tensile machine at a constant separation rate of about 12.0±0.5 in/min.

13. The method of claim 11 , further including arranging the baffle member in the collection chamber such that the outer layer of one of the sheets is adjacent the body side wall and the outer layer of the other sheet is adjacent the distal side wall, and heat sealing one of the sheets to the body side wall, and heat sealing the other sheet to the distal side wall via at least one attachment line.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein one of the sheets is heat sealed to the body side wall via a pair of attachment lines, which are generally linear and non-parallel with a wider distance between them at lower ends than at upper ends, wherein the attachment lines are curved smoothly at respective ends at an obtuse angle, wherein the attachment lines are symmetrical about a longitudinal center line of the pouch.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein one of the sheets is heat sealed to the distal side wall via a single continuous attachment line including smooth radiused upper and lower portions.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the baffle member is formed using a two layer film, the inner layer comprising about 85 wt. % to about 95 wt. % polypropylene and about 5 wt. % to about 15 wt. % styrene isoprene block copolymer, and the outer layer comprising about 95 wt. % to about 100 wt. % of a thermoplastic polymer selected from LDPE, LLDPE, EVA, EMA, atactic PP, and PP-PE copolymer.

Assignees

• Hollister Inc

Inventors

• Chang Moh-Ching Oliver
• Ozbag Senan Z

Classifications

• B31B2160/20

  with structural provision for thickness of contents · CPC title

• B31B2170/00

  Construction of flexible containers · CPC title

• B31B2150/00

  Flexible containers made from sheets or blanks, e.g. from flattened tubes · CPC title

• A61F5/445 Primary

  Colostomy, {ileostomy or urethrostomy} devices (A61F5/441, A61F5/442, A61F5/443 take precedence) · CPC title

• B31B70/00

  Making flexible containers, e.g. envelopes or bags · CPC title