Non-occluding high flow enteral feeding tube

• US 4,594,074 A
• Filed: 05/06/1985
• Issued: 06/10/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Viridian, Inc. (Nutrien Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Viridian, Inc. (Nutrien Ltd.)
• Inventors: Quinn, David G., Andersen, Erik, Edwards, Robert B. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, C. Fred
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lester, Michelle
• Application Number:
  US06/731,443
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 604/93, 604/164, 604/266-268, 604/280-281, 604/283
• US Class Current: 604/270
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/00 Feeding-tubes for therapeutic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0026 Parts, details or accessories for feeding-tubes external tubes from medical containers to a connector outside of the body A61M39/08

Abstract

An improved, non-occluding high fluid flow enteral feeding tube including a non-collapsible bolus carried on a distal end of the tube. The bolus having at least one opening defining a tube outlet. The one opening being defined by generally vertical bolus side walls having a selected transverse sectional height ranging from a height equal to at least one-half the inner diameter of the tube to no more than a height equal to the sum of the tube inner diameter and the thickness of the tube wall. The bolus further including an upwardly inclining internal bolus floor to gradually direct fluid from the tube, through the bolus and out of the opening minimizing disturbance of fluid flow rate.

Claims

1. An enteral feeding tube for adminstration and aspiration of fluids within the gastrointestinal tract, the tube having a wall of selected thickness, a proximal end of the tube for joining to a fluid nutrient source, a distal end of the tube comprising:

a non-collapsible bolus, a proximal end of the bolus in fluid communication with the tube, a terminal end of the bolus being sealed, the bolus containing at least one opening defining a tube outlet, the bolus having an outer diameter generally at least as large as the outer diameter of the tube, the bolus further including;

(a) side walls, a portion of the side walls being lowered and upwardly facing to define the opening, the lowered side wall portions having a transverse sectional height equal to at least the inner diameter of the tube; and

,

(b) an upwardly curving inner bolus floor, the floor gradually channeling the fluid to the opening, the curvature of the floor being defined by an arc circumscribed from a, radius having a length equal to at least five times the inner diameter of the tube,

whereby the recessed side walls and upwardly curving floor of the bolus prevent occlusion of the tube outlet and permit a fluid flow through the tube outlet substantially approximating fluid flow through an open-ended tube.

2. The enteral feeding tube of claim 1 wherein the transverse sectional height of the bolus side walls is equal to no more than the sum of the inner diameter of the tube and the thickness of tube wall.

3. The enteral feeding tube of claim 1 wherein the curvature of the floor is defined by an arc circumscribed from a radius having a length equal to no more than ten times the inner diameter of the tube.

4. The enteral feeding tube of claim 1 wherein the terminal end of the bolus has a generally spherically shaped tip.

5. The enteral feeding tube of claim 1 wherein the terminal end of the bolus carries an elongated weighted quide tip.

6. An enteral feeding tube for administration and aspiration of fluids within the gastrointestinal tract, the tube having a wall of selected thickness, a proximal end of the tube for joining to a fluid nutrient source, a distal end comprising:

a non-collapsible bolus, one end of the bolus being in fluid communication with the tube, the bolus having at least one opening defining a tube outlet, the bolus having a longitudinal passage placing the tube in fluid communication with the tube outlet, the bolus further including;

(a) side walls, a portion of the side walls being recessed and generally upwardly facing to define the opening, the recessed side wall portions having a transverse sectional height equal to at least one half the inner diameter of the tube; and

,

(b) the longitudinal passage having an upwardly inclining floor, the floor narrowing the longitudinal passage toward the opening, the floor inclining upwardly from a proximal end of the passage and continuing until terminating proximate to a distal end of the passage,

whereby the recessed side walls and the upwardly inclining floor prevent occlusion of the tube outlet and permit fluid flow through the tube outlet substantially approximating an open-ended tube.

7. The enteral feeding tube of claim 6 wherein the incline of the floor includes an upwardly curving floor.

8. The enteral feeding tube of claim 7 wherein the the curvature of the floor is defined by an arc circumscribed from a radius having a length equal to at least five times the inner diameter of the tube.

9. The enteral feeding tube of claim 6 wherein the bolus is generally tubular.

10. The enteral feeding tube of claim 6 wherein the inner diameter of the longitudinal passage is generally equal to the inner diameter of the tube.

11. The enteral feeding tube of claim 6 wherein the length of the opening is at least one-half the length of the bolus.

12. The enteral feeding tube of claim 6 wherein the transverse sectional height of the side walls is between one-half the inner diameter of the tube and the sum of the inner diameter of the tube and thickness of the tube wall.

13. An enteral feeding tube for administration and aspiration of fluids within the gastrointestinal tract, the tube having a wall of selected thickness, a proximal end of the tube being adaptable for joining to a fluid source, a distal end of the tube comprising:

a non-collapsible bolus, one end of the bolus being joined to the tube, the bolus having side walls with at least one opening, said opening defining a tube outlet, the bolus having an internal longitudinal passage placing the tube in fluid communication with said opening, the longitudinal passage having an inner diameter equal to the inner diameter of the tube, the bolus further including;

(a) portions of the side walls being recessed and generally upright to define said opening, the recessed portions having a transverse sectional height no less than one-half the inner diameter of the passage,

(b) a floor of the passage upwardly inclining from about the one end of the bolus to a distal edge of said opening, the degree of incline of the floor being selectively proportional to the inner diameter of the longitudinal passage;

whereby the recessed portions and the upwardly inclining floor prevent occlusion of said opening during the administration and aspiration of fluid and acheives a fluid flow rate characteristics through said opening approximating an open end tube.

14. The enteral feeding tube of claim 13 wherein the transverse sectional height of the recessed portions is between one-half the inner diameter of the tube and the sum of the tube inner diameter and the thickness of the tube wall.

15. The enteral feeding tube of claim 13 wherein the upward incline of the floor includes an upwardly curving of the floor.

16. The enteral feeding tube of claim 15 wherein the upward curvature of the floor is defined by an arc circumscribed from a radius having a length of no less than five times the inner diameter of the tube.

17. The enteral feeding tube of claim 16 wherein the upward curvature of the floor is defined by an arc circumscribed from a radius having a length of no more than ten times the inner diameter of the tube.

18. The enteral feeding tube of claim 17 wherein the length of the radius of the arc defining the curvature of the floor for a 10 French tube is 5.250 times the inner diameter of the tube.

19. The enteral feeding tube of claim 17 wherein the length of the radius of the arc defining the curvature of the floor for an 8 French tube is 6.730 times the inner diameter of the tube.

20. The enteral feeding tube of claim 17 wherein the length of the radius of the arc defining the curvature of the floor for a 6 French tube is 8.890 times the inner diameter of the tube.

21. In an enteral feeding tube for administration and aspiration of fluids within the gastrointestinal tract, a proximal end of the tube being joined to a fluid nutrient source, a distal end of the tube being joined to a non-collapsible bolus, the bolus having an internal longitudinal passage in fluid communication with the tube, the bolus having side walls with at least one opening in the side walls defining a tube outlet, the improvement comprising:

(a) the length of the one opening being generally about one half the length of the bolus;

(b) the bolus side walls defining the one opening having a lowered height and being generally vertical, the side walls having a transverse sectional height of between one half the tube inner diameter and the sum of the tube inner diameter and tube wall thickness; and

,

(c) an upwardly curving bolus floor, the floor narrowing the passage to the one opening, the curvature of the floor being defined by an arc having a radius with a length between at least five times the inner diameter of the tube and ten times the inner diameter of the tube,

such that the generally vertical side walls and the upwardly curving floor of the bolus prevents occlusion of the tube outlet, the length of the one opening prevents suction into the bolus of mucousal tissue during aspiration and the flow of fluid through the tube outlet substantially approximates fluid flow through an open-ended tube.

22. The enteral feeding tube of claim 21 wherein the transverse height of the side walls is equal to the inner diameter of the tube.

23. The enteral feeding tube of claim 22 wherein the bolus includes a terminal end having a generally spherical shaped tip.

24. The enteral feeding tube of claim 22 wherein the bolus includes a terminal end carrying an elongated guide tip.

25. A catheter for irrigation and aspiration of fluids within body cavities, the catheter having a wall of selected thickness and a proximal end for joining to a fluid or suction source, a lower most distal end of the catheter comprising:

a non-collapsible bolus, a proximal end of the bolus in fluid communication with the catheter, a terminal end of the bolus being sealed, the bolus containing at least one opening defining a catheter outlet, the bolus having an outer diameter generally at least as large as the outer diameter of the catheter, the bolus further including;

(a) side walls, a portion of the side walls being lowered and upwardly facing to define the opening, the lowered side wall portions having a transverse sectional height equal to the inner diameter of the catheter; and

,

(b) an upwardly curving inner bolus floor, the floor gradually channeling the fluid to the opening, the curvature of the floor being defined by an arc circumscribed from a radius having a length equal to at least five times the inner diameter of the catheter,

whereby the recessed side walls and upwardly curving floor of the bolus prevent occlusion of the catheter outlet and permits a fluid flow through the tube outlet substantially approximating fluid flow through an open-ended tube.