Gastro-esophageal reflux control system and pump
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling gastro-pharyngeal reflux in a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- an enteral feeding tube having a double lumen, a gastric balloon, an esophageal balloon, a sensor for monitoring gastric pressure when enteral feeding is in process, and an external pump that regulates air or fluid pressure within said esophageal balloon, wherein the sensor monitors gastric pressure based upon a signal that is averaged using a filter algorithm, the filter algorithm configured to set that sets a gradient value that is added to actual gastric pressure, thereby defining a relative level of esophageal pressure, and wherein the pressure in the esophageal balloon is regulated by the external pump to the relative level of esophageal pressure and applied to seal from gastro-pharyngeal reflux.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An enteral feeding unit or system that minimizes the occurrence of gastro-esophogeal-pharynegal reflux during feeding is described. The enteral feeding unit or device includes an automatable feeding pump with a feedback sensor for sensing a relative pressure in a patient'"'"'s stomach and esophagus, and a regulator system for controlling or monitoring feeding rate to said patient as a function of said relative gastro-esophageal pressure. The system includes a stomach probe that has a fluid-tight closure of the esophagus. The stomach probe, according to the invention, is characterized by a tampon-bladder for watertight closure of the esophagus, in which the tampon-bladder forms from flexible and/or elastic material at least a closed inner cavity for the reception of a fluid medium, through a means (11) of establishing a prescribed pressure for the medium in the tampon-bladder (16) by an inner lumen forming the actual stomach probe, from which an outer hose-like lumen (18) extending to the tampon-bladder (16) is so arranged that between the outer lumen (18) and the inner lumen (17) a channel is formed connected to the inner cavity of the tampon-bladder (16) arranged on the outer lumen (18) by a number of openings (20), whereby the inner cavity of the tampon-bladder (16) is connected via the canal formed between the inner and outer lumina (17, 18) with the means of production of pressure in the tampon-bladder, that is, with a suitably graded reservoir or equalizing vessel (11) for the liquid medium situated above the tampon-bladder and outside the patient.
77 Citations
3 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling gastro-pharyngeal reflux in a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- an enteral feeding tube having a double lumen, a gastric balloon, an esophageal balloon, a sensor for monitoring gastric pressure when enteral feeding is in process, and an external pump that regulates air or fluid pressure within said esophageal balloon, wherein the sensor monitors gastric pressure based upon a signal that is averaged using a filter algorithm, the filter algorithm configured to set that sets a gradient value that is added to actual gastric pressure, thereby defining a relative level of esophageal pressure, and wherein the pressure in the esophageal balloon is regulated by the external pump to the relative level of esophageal pressure and applied to seal from gastro-pharyngeal reflux.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
Specification