Surgery – Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material – Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-12
2002-09-24
Lewis, Aaron J. (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Means and methods for collecting body fluids or waste material
Absorbent pad for external or internal application and...
C604S385220, C604S385240, C604S385270
Reexamination Certificate
active
06454750
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Absorbent articles such as infant diapers, training pants, adult incontinence products, and the like are well known. Such articles have achieved a wide acceptance due to their ability to receive and absorb body exudates.
This invention pertains to a personal care article for containing body exudates. This invention utilizes an aperture mounted in the gluteal fold of a user to minimize contact of fecal material with the skin of a user. The aperture transfers fecal material to an exudate containment receptacle formed by an exudate panel mounted on the substrate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In general, body exudates of urine and fecal material should be received and contained by the absorbent article. However, leakage problems are common, especially of fecal material. Furthermore, even if exudates do not leak, they can have an adverse impact on the skin of a user of an absorbent article because of contact between exudates and the buttocks and other areas of the body within the absorbent article.
Conventional absorbent articles include a bodyside liner, an absorbent core, and an outer cover, made as a laminate composite and wrapped around the body of a user as a unified structure. To the extent known, holes in the bodyside liner have not been completely satisfactory to remove fecal material. The materials of the absorbent article, in combination, act to pull the bodyside liner away from the body of the user, forming a gap between the anus of the user and the bodyside liner. This gap allows fecal material to spread both lengthwise of the absorbent article and transversely, between the bodyside liner and the body of the user. Such spreading displaces the fecal material from alignment with any such holes in the bodyside liner. Thus, even if fecal material receiving holes exist in the bodyside liner of known absorbent articles, the fecal material is not efficiently and effectively captured through such hole and removed from contact with the skin of the user. At times, this gap even allows fecal maternal to leak from the absorbent article.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,663 discloses a urinary and bowel incontinency control undergarment having an elasticized double panel pouch that is suspended from a waistband. A rear elastic seam
36
assists in drawing the inner panel
16
of the pouch between the buttocks of the wearer. However, the elasticity of such structure precludes enhanced positioning of the aperture with respect to a specific body element of the user. An aperture
30
is surrounded by elastic material. No aperture supporting structure or other aperture positioning structure extends frontwardly from the aperture. A separate urinary pad, unrelated to the pouch formed in the rear of the absorbent article, is used to store urine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,262 discloses a bellows type storage member which expands outwardly to store excretions. There is no disclosure of placing the aperture for the storage member in the gluteal fold between the buttocks of a user.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
In the present invention, a personal care article for receiving exudates isolates and minimizes contact of exudate material with the skin of the user through improved positioning of an aperture, in the bodyside liner, in the gluteal fold between the buttocks. This improved positioning prevents significant amounts of exudates from reaching or spreading on the buttocks, and from generally spreading between the bodyside liner and the skin of the user, and thus reaching other organs.
In one embodiment, the personal care article has a length and a width. The personal care article comprises a substrate, including an extensible bodyside liner, at least one aperture in the substrate positioned to receive fecal material, and aperture support structure effective to reduce extensibility of the substrate along the aperture support structure. The aperture support structure positions and seats the aperture in the gluteal fold between the buttocks of a user at or adjacent, and in alignment with, the anus, to receive fecal material.
In most embodiments, the personal care article includes an exudate panel secured to the substrate and defining an exudate containment receptacle between the exudate panel and the substrate. The exudate panel is positioned over the aperture such that the exudate containment receptacle receives exudates through the aperture. The exudate panel preferably has a second length substantially aligned with the first length of the personal care article. An indentation extends across the first length of the personal care article and inwardly toward the substrate at least about 30% of the thermoformed depth of the receptacle such that the effective second length of the exudate panel increases when the containment receptacle is bent or filled with exudates.
In some embodiments the exudate panel is secured over a second partial length of the substrate and defines an exudate containment receptacle between the exudate panel and the substrate. The aperture support structure can extend substantially the full amount of the second partial length of the substrate.
In some embodiments, undulations extend across the exudate panel such that the effective length of the exudate panel increases when the containment receptacle is bent or filled with exudates.
In another embodiment, the personal care article includes an exudate panel secured to the substrate and defining front and rear containment receptacles having depths between the exudate panel and the substrate. The exudate panel is positioned over at least one aperture such that the rear containment receptacle receives exudates through the aperture. The front and rear containment receptacles can be connected by at least one passageway to allow the transfer of exudates therebetween.
In some embodiments, the aperture support structure is extensible by about 5% from the length thereof at rest.
In most preferred embodiments, the bodyside liner comprises an elastomeric material extensible in both “x” and “y” directions. The bodyside liner has a stretch-to-stop extensibility from about 20% to about 200% of its length at rest in both directions. The bodyside liner generally is substantially impermeable to liquid.
In one embodiment, the aperture support structure comprises portions of the extensible bodyside liner treated with adhesives to thereby reduce extensibility.
In another embodiment, the aperture support structure comprises one or more separate pieces of material, the separate material being secured to the extensible bodyside liner.
In yet another embodiment, the aperture support structure comprises portions of the extensible bodyside liner treated with heat to thereby reduce extensibility.
In most preferred embodiments, the aperture support structure includes at least one support band. The support band extends between the aperture and preferably the front edge of the personal care article. The aperture support structure has a support band which positions and seats the aperture in the gluteal fold between the buttocks of a user at or adjacent, and in alignment with, the anus, to receive fecal material.
In preferred embodiments, a second support band of the aperture support structure extends between the aperture and preferably the front edge of the personal care article. The personal care article has a longitudinal axis extending between the front portion and the rear portion along the length of the personal care article. The longitudinal axis is centered across the width of the personal care article. The first and second support bands of the aperture support structure each form an angle of between about 10 degrees and about 40 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis and corresponding angles with each other.
In preferred embodiments, the first and second support bands define a space therebetween, and include a liquid transfer structure in the space between the first and second support bands. The liquid transfer structure allows body exudate liquids to pass therethrough and into a containment receptacle.
In most preferred embodiments, a third
Sauer Barbara Oakley
Serbiak Paul John
Vogt Robert Eugene
Bogart Michael
Kimberly--Clark Worldwide, Inc.
Lewis Aaron J.
Wilhelm Thomas D.
Wilhelm Law Service
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