EXTERNALLY REINFORCED PERCUTANEOUS GASTROSTOMY TUBE WITH CUSTOMIZABLE SMOOTH TUBE LENGTH

• US 20110082442A1
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aspire Bariatrics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Aspire Bariatrics, LLC
• Inventors: Klein, Samuel, Solovay, Kenneth S., Solomon, Stephen B., Shike, Moshe
• Application Number:
  US12/876,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20110082442A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/524
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/003 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0036 Intragastrical devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0015 Gastrostomy feeding-tubes insertion tools or methods A61B17/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0233 specifically adapted for attaching to a body wall by means which are on both sides of the wall, e.g. for attaching to an abdominal wall
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0068 Static characteristics of the catheter tip, e.g. shape, atraumatic tip, curved tip or tip structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/007 Side holes, e.g. their profiles or arrangements; Provisions to keep side holes unblocked
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0082 Catheter tip comprising a tool
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/02 Holding devices, e.g. on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/04 in the body, e.g. expansible A61M25/10, A61M16/0488 take precedence

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.

Claims

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.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric material comprises silicone.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid-tight tube is made of ePTFE.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the helical support structure is made of PTFE.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric material is between 0.01 and 1 mm thick at the groove.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance between the inner surface of the helical support structure and the outer surface of the helical support structure is between ¼

and 1 mm.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a strip of the elastomeric material bounded by the groove has been peeled away from the tube.

8. An apparatus comprising:

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.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the distal segment has a sidewall with a plurality of holes located therein, and the distal segment is adapted to be disposed in an upper digestive system of a patient.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the helical support is disposed on the proximal segment.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the proximal segment inner diameter measures from about 5 mm to about 10 mm.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the diameter of the helical support ranges from about ¼

mm to about 1 mm.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the elastomeric material is between 0.01 and 1 mm thick at the groove.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the tube comprises ePTFE.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the elastomeric material comprises silicone.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a strip of the elastomeric material bounded by the groove has been peeled away from the tube.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a bumper disposed between the distal segment and the proximal segment.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a first retention member attached to the tube to prevent dislodgement of the tube.

19. An apparatus comprising:

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.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the distal segment has a sidewall with a plurality of holes located therein, and the distal segment is adapted to be disposed in an upper digestive system of a patient.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the helical support is disposed on the proximal segment.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the proximal segment inner diameter measures from about 5 mm to about 10 mm.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the diameter of the helical support ranges from about ¼

mm to about 1 mm.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein at least a portion of the tube comprises ePTFE.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the elastomeric material comprises silicone.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein a strip of the elastomeric material bounded by the sidewalls has been peeled away from the tube.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a bumper disposed between the distal segment and the proximal segment.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a first retention member attached to the tube to prevent dislodgement of the tube.

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:

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.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of cutting away an end portion of the reinforced tube.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the elastomeric material that is disposed in the trough has a height that is substantially the same as the sidewalls, so that the elastomeric material and the helical support structure, taken together, form an outer surface of the apparatus that is substantially smooth.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the elastomeric material is also disposed on top of the sidewalls.