Two-piece ostomy appliance having flushable pouch and faceplate with protective collar

A two-piece ostomy appliance comprising a faceplate component and a flushable pouch component;

• said faceplate component comprising a thin, flexible, adhesive-coated patch having a stoma-receiving opening and a relatively stiff but flexible attachment ring of water-insoluble material secured to said patch about said opening;
• said attachment ring having a thin outer flange portion and an inner annular collar portion extending axially away from both said flange portion and said patch and having an opening concentric with said stoma-receiving opening of said patch;
• said pouch component having a pair of side walls joined together along their outer margins and each comprising a primary layer of strong but water-soluble material capable of quickly dissolving in the water of a toiletbowl in which the pouch is discardable and a protective inner layer of relatively weak but water-insoluble material incapable of maintaining the structural integrity of said pouch component when said primary layer is dissolved;
• one of aid walls having a side opening therethrough along which edges of said primary and protective layers of said one wall are exposed;
• said collar portion having an outer surface with an axial length greater tan the thickness of said one wall and with a diameter the same or slightly less than that of said side opening, whereby, said collar portion shields said exposed edges of said layers about said side opening of said pouch component from contact with fluids passing therethrough;
• and means for releasably securing said pouch component to said attachment ring.