FEEDING DEVICE AND BOLSTER APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME

• US 20070255209A1
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: C.R. Bard, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Gerondale, Jay, Crooms, Dannette
• Granted Patent: US 8,551,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/104
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0015 Gastrostomy feeding-tubes insertion tools or methods A61B17/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0042 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1065 having a balloon which is inversely attached to the shaft at the distal or proximal end
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/1093 having particular tip characteristics

Abstract

A medical device that can be used as a feeding tube to provide nutrition or medication to a patient comprises a catheter, a stiffening tip, and an internal bolster.

Claims

1. An internal bolster assembly for attachment to a catheter including a bolster control lumen and an enteral lumen, the internal bolster comprising:

a stiffening tip including a passage formed therein, the stiffening tip being configured to attach to a distal end portion of the catheter so that the passage is at least partially aligned with the enteral lumen; and

an elongate body including

a first end portion extending through a portion of the passage such that a first end of the elongate body is interposed between the distal end portion of the catheter and the stiffening tip when the stiffening tip is attached to the catheter,

a second end portion for attachment to a bonding site, the bonding site being located between a distal end of the stiffening tip and a proximal end of the catheter, and

an inflatable portion configured to extend between the distal end of the stiffening tip and the bonding site to define an inflation chamber, the inflation chamber being configured to be in fluid communication with the bolster control lumen of the catheter so that the inflatable portion distends in response to an inflation pressure delivered by the bolster control lumen.

2. The internal bolster assembly of claim 1 wherein the first end portion of the elongate body overlays the distal end portion of the catheter and is attached thereto.

3. The internal bolster assembly of claim 1 wherein an aperture is formed in the stiffening tip and the distal end portion of the catheter to provide the fluid communication between the inflation chamber and the bolster control lumen.

4. The internal bolster assembly of claim 1 wherein the first end portion is folded upon itself to define an overfolded end portion and the stiffening tip is interposed between the overlapping portions of the overfolded end portion.

5. The internal bolster assembly of claim 1 wherein the inflatable portion distends beyond the distal end of the stiffening tip upon inflation.

6. The internal bolster assembly of claim 1 wherein the stiffening tip is configured such that an internal diameter of the passage and an internal diameter of the enteral lumen remain constant upon inflation.

7. The internal bolster of assembly claim 1 wherein the stiffening tip is more rigid than the catheter.

8. The internal bolster of assembly claim 1 wherein the stiffening tip includes a radiopaque material.

9. A medical device, comprising:

a catheter including a bolster control lumen, an enteral lumen, and a bonding site located between a distal end of the catheter and a proximal end of the catheter;

a stiffening tip attached to a distal end portion of the catheter, the stiffening tip including a passage formed therein such that the passage is aligned with the enteral lumen; and

an elongate internal bolster including

a first end interposed between the distal end portion of the catheter and the stiffening tip, and

a second end portion folded back over the stiffening tip and attached to the bonding site to define an inflation chamber in at least partial fluid communication with the bolster control lumen such that the internal bolster distends upon inflation.

10. The medical device of claim 9 further comprising:

a coupling attached to the proximal end of the catheter and in fluid communication with the bolster control lumen and the enteral lumen.

11. The medical device of claim 9 wherein the first end of the internal bolster overlays the distal end portion of the catheter and is attached thereto.

12. The medical device of claim 9 wherein the distal end portion of the catheter includes a tapered tip and the first end of the internal bolster overlays the tapered tip.

13. The medical device of claim 9 wherein an aperture is formed in the stiffening tip and the distal end portion of the catheter to provide the fluid communication between the inflation chamber and the bolster control lumen.

14. The medical device of claim 9 wherein the stiffening tip is configured such that an internal diameter of the passage and an internal diameter of the enteral lumen remain constant upon inflation.

15. The medical device of claim 9 wherein the stiffening tip is more rigid than the catheter.

16. A method of constructing an internal bolster for attachment to a distal end portion of a catheter including a bolster control lumen and an enteral lumen, the method comprising:

placing a first end portion of the internal bolster over the distal end portion of the catheter;

bonding the internal bolster to the distal end portion of the catheter;

placing a stiffening tip over the internal bolster and the distal end portion of the catheter such that a portion of the internal bolster extends distally beyond the stiffening tip;

bonding the stiffening tip to the distal end portion of the catheter;

folding a second end portion of the internal bolster back over the stiffening tip and the distal end portion of the catheter to a bonding site between the distal end portion of the catheter and a proximal end of the catheter so as to form an inflation chamber in fluid communication with the bolster control lumen; and

bonding the second end portion of the internal bolster to the bonding site.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising forming a tapered tip on the distal end portion of the catheter.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising forming an aperture in the stiffening tip and the distal end portion of the catheter to provide fluid communication between the inflation chamber and the bolster control lumen.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising aligning a first aperture formed in the stiffening tip with a second aperture formed in the distal end portion of the catheter such that the inflation chamber is in fluid communication with the bolster control lumen.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein,

bonding the internal bolster to the distal end portion of the catheter comprises bonding with adhesive,

bonding the stiffening tip to the distal end portion of the catheter comprises bonding with adhesive, and

bonding the second end portion of the internal bolster to the bonding site comprises bonding with adhesive.