Date of Award

6-9-2014

Document Type

Thesis - SCU Access Only

Publisher

Santa Clara University

First Advisor

Gerardo Noriega

Second Advisor

Shane Rogers

Third Advisor

Olakunle Ajayi

Abstract

There are several options available on the market for patients in need of a partial or complete colectomy (removal of colon and rectum), namely patients with chronic ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis. These include an ostomy bag or various continent internal ileo-anal or intestinal reservoirs. All of these can have mild to severe side effects that can hugely impact both the lifestyle and overall health of the patient. Current problems experienced by ostomy bag patients include external leakage, post-surgical hernias, and significant lifestyle changes. Continent intestinal reservoirs have similar side effects and also have a fairly high reintervention rate. These issues inspired us to seek an alternative approach to this treatment. Due to the relative efficiency demonstrated by current ostomy bag treatments, we created a similar, but internal, permanent reservoir to store fecal matter before evacuation. Our product replaces the functions of the large intestine and rectum and significantly improving the overall quality of life for these patients. The device includes three main components: a reservoir, the connection to the small intestine, and an external port. Mechanical processes associated with these components are the surgical placement, drainage, cleaning, and maintenance of the device.

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