Ostomy appliance having a free-hanging filter construction

Abstract

An ostomy appliance includes a pouch and a filter construction. The pouch is adapted to collect body waste and has a vent opening provided to allow gas to exit the pouch. The filter construction has a first foil layer secured to a second foil layer to form an enclosure, with a pre-filter inside of the enclosure. The first foil layer and the second foil layer are both liquid and gas impermeable. Multiple gas-inlet holes are formed through one or both of the first foil layer and the second foil layer. A gas-outlet is formed through the second foil layer in communication with the vent opening of the pouch. The filter construction is attached to the pouch only in an area immediately surrounding the vent opening such that a majority of the filter construction is substantially free-hanging relative to the pouch.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ostomy appliance comprising:
 a pouch adapted to collect body waste and comprising a vent opening provided to allow gas to exit the pouch;   a filter construction comprising a first foil layer secured to a second foil layer to form an enclosure, where the first foil layer and the second foil layer are both liquid and gas impermeable;   a pre-filter inside of the enclosure;   multiple gas-inlet holes formed through at least one of the first foil layer and the second foil layer;   a gas-outlet formed through the second foil layer in communication with the vent opening of the pouch;   wherein the filter construction is attached to the pouch only in an area immediately surrounding the vent opening such that a majority of the filter construction is substantially free-hanging relative to the pouch.   
     
     
         2 . The ostomy appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a deodorising filter inside of the enclosure. 
     
     
         3 . The ostomy appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a deodorising filter secured to an outside surface of the pouch in communication with the vent opening. 
     
     
         4 . The ostomy appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a deodorising filter located inside the pouch communicating with the vent opening and located outside the enclosure of the filter construction and communicating with the gas-outlet. 
     
     
         5 . The ostomy appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the filter construction is attached inside the pouch only in an area immediately surrounding the vent opening such that a majority of the filter construction is substantially free-hanging inside of the pouch 
     
     
         6 . The ostomy appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the multiple gas-inlet holes are formed through both the first foil layer and the second foil layer. 
     
     
         7 . The ostomy appliance of  claim 1 , wherein a number of the multiple gas-inlet holes is 2. 
     
     
         8 . The ostomy appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a drainage opening formed in the enclosure. 
     
     
         9 . The ostomy appliance of  claim 8 , wherein the drainage opening comprises a one-way valve. 
     
     
         10 . The ostomy appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a deodorising filter, wherein at least one of the first foil layer and the second foil layer is a three-layer foil structure laminated to the deodorizing filter. 
     
     
         11 . The ostomy appliance of  claim 1 , further comprising a membrane positioned at the gas outlet. 
     
     
         12 . The ostomy appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the filter construction includes an inspection window configured to allow a user visual access to a stoma of the user. 
     
     
         13 . The ostomy appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the filter construction has a width in a transverse direction in a range of 60% to 100% of a width of the pouch in a transverse direction.