EXTERNALLY REINFORCED PERCUTANEOUS GASTROSTOMY TUBE WITH CUSTOMIZABLE SMOOTH TUBE LENGTH
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus comprisinga fluid-tight tube with a substantially round cross section;
- a helical support structure disposed outside the tube, the helical support structure having (a) an inner surface that is bonded to the tube and (b) an outer surface; and
an elastomeric material disposed on the tube and on the outer surface of the helical support structure, the elastomeric material having an outer surface with a substantially round cross section, so that portions of the elastomeric material disposed on the helical support structure are thinner than portions of the elastomeric material disposed directly on the tube, resulting in a groove in the elastomeric material that facilitates preferential tearing of the elastomeric material at the groove.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The length of a reinforced tube that is made of a fluid-tight tube with an external helical support structure and an elastomeric material disposed at least in the trough between successive turns of the helical support can be adjusted by peeling a strip of the elastomeric material away from the trough. This renders a portion of the helical support structure usable as an external thread, after which an internally threaded structure can be screwed down onto the helical support structure.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising
a fluid-tight tube with a substantially round cross section; -
a helical support structure disposed outside the tube, the helical support structure having (a) an inner surface that is bonded to the tube and (b) an outer surface; and an elastomeric material disposed on the tube and on the outer surface of the helical support structure, the elastomeric material having an outer surface with a substantially round cross section, so that portions of the elastomeric material disposed on the helical support structure are thinner than portions of the elastomeric material disposed directly on the tube, resulting in a groove in the elastomeric material that facilitates preferential tearing of the elastomeric material at the groove. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus comprising:
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a tube comprising (a) a distal segment adapted to be disposed in a body of a patient and (b) a proximal segment that is configured to pass through the patient'"'"'s skin when the distal segment is disposed in the body of the patient; a helical support disposed on an outside surface of at least a portion of the tube; and an elastomeric material disposed on an outside surface of at least a portion of the tube and on an outside surface of at least a portion of the helical support, wherein portions of the elastomeric material disposed on the helical support structure are thinner than portions of the elastomeric material disposed directly on the tube, resulting in a groove in the elastomeric material that facilitates preferential tearing of the elastomeric material at the groove. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus comprising:
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a tube comprising (a) a distal segment adapted to be disposed in a body of a patient and (b) a proximal segment that is configured to pass through the patient'"'"'s skin when the distal segment is disposed in the body of the patient; a helical support disposed on and bonded to an outside surface of at least a portion of the tube so that a helical trough is formed between successive turns of the helical support, with the helical support serving as the sidewalls of the trough; and an elastomeric material disposed in the trough on an outside surface of at least a portion of the tube with a height that is substantially the same as the sidewalls, so that the elastomeric material and the helical support, taken together, form an outer surface of the apparatus that is substantially smooth. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of adjusting a length of a reinforced tube that is made of (a) a fluid-tight tube with a substantially round cross section, (b) a helical support structure disposed outside the tube, the helical support structure having an inner surface that is bonded to the tube so that a helical trough is formed between successive turns of the helical support structure, with the helical support structure serving as the sidewalls of the trough, and (c) an elastomeric material that is disposed at least in the trough, the method comprising the steps of:
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peeling a strip of the elastomeric material away from the trough so as to render a portion of the helical support structure usable as an external thread that is configured to mate with an internally threaded structure; and screwing the internally threaded structure down onto the helical support structure after the peeling step has been performed. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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Specification