Design and Evaluation of a Sealing Valve Mechanism for Stoma Patients

Abstract

Bowel cancer and other bowel conditions are becoming increasingly dominant in the UK across all age groups. Every year, around 21,000 patients undergo stoma formation surgery, leading to either a temporary or permanent stoma being fitted [1]. Stoma management presents many complications that lead to extensive physical and psychological burdens, including aesthetics, leakage, production of unpleasant odour, skin blistering and infection, all contributing towards a more complex social life [2][3]. The current state-of-the-art technology failed to produce a solution that overcomes the aforementioned complications and research in the field is only addressing some complications without providing a solution to address them all. In this study, we have designed and manufactured a proof-of-concept prototype of a controllable valve, aiming to overcome the physical and psychological burden by eliminating the use of an actual stoma bag and allowing the patient to have full control over the stool release. With the sealable valve, stoma patients would be able to improve their quality of life. The proof-of-concept valve is then evaluated through two different experiments for validating the leakage-free mechanism, one through a static experiment and the second through a dynamic motion experiment.