Cutting apparatus for cutting a non-circular opening

A cutting apparatus for cutting a non-circular opening in a face plate for a non-circular stoma in which the face plate has an annular flange to support a bag of an ostomy appliance including:

• a body having a single recess in one surface thereof, said recess having a single continuous peripheral wall;
• a non-circular cutting element disposed within said recess and extending a selected distance beyond said one surface of said body;
• said non-circular cutting element being a single hollow tube;
• said recess having its bottom wall engaged by said non-circular cutting element;
• said non-circular cutting element having its outer surface spaced from the peripheral wall of said recess;
• said body having a circular periphery to center said body relative to an annular flange of a face plate in which a non-circular opening is to be cut by said non-circular cutting element;
• said recess in said body having a non-circular shape substantially the same shape as said non-circular cutting element;
• said non-circular cutting element having a selected non-circular shape in accordance with the shape of the non-circular stoma with which the face plate is to be used;
• said non-circular cutting element having its outer surface straight and its inner surface beveled at its outer end to form the cutting surface of said non-circular cutting element;
• an epoxy to permanently retain said non-circular cutting element in its desired position within said recess, said epoxy filling said recess on both sides of said non-circular cutting element;
• template means to center said non-circular cutting element relative to a face plate adhesive blank in which a non-circular opening is to be cut by said non-circular cutting element;
• said template means having an opening in its center through which said non-circular cutting element extends;
• said non-circular cutting element extending a selected distance beyond said template means at all times;
• means to releasably secure said template means to said body against said one surface to enable removal of said template means when said non-circular cutting element is to cut a non-circular opening in a face plate;
• said template means including a circular element of a transparent material having a plurality of circular lines thereon of selected diameters to center said non-circular cutting element relative to a face plate adhesive blank in which a non-circular opening is to be cut by said non-circular cutting element, each of said circular lines having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of a face plate adhesive blank in which a non-circular opening is to be cut therein by said non-circular cutting element;
• alignment means on said circular element to align said circular element with a tab on a face plate adhesive blank in which said non-circular cutting element is to cut a non-circular opening at the center thereof;
• and said alignment means includes a pair of substantially parallel lines extending from the edge of said circular element to at least the inner of said circular lines.