Gastrostomy tube extension device

• US 8,147,454 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kpr U.S., LLC (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Abe, Kazuhiro, Nagata, Katsuki, Watanabe, Motonori
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Jenna
• Application Number:
  US11/631,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20070287962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,531 Days
• Field of Search: 604/164.01, 604/164.04, 604/910, 604/164.03, 604/174, 604/175, 604104-109, 60416501-16503, 604177-178
• US Class Current: 604/164.04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3415 for introducing tubes or catheters, e.g. gastrostomy tubes, drain catheters A61B17/3417 takes precedence; body piercing catheter guide needles A61M25/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0015 Gastrostomy feeding-tubes insertion tools or methods A61B17/34
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0038 expandable, e.g. umbrella type
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 15/0057 fixing a tube end, i.e. tube not protruding the fixing means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/04 in the body, e.g. expansible A61M25/10, A61M16/0488 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0662 Guide tubes

Abstract

A gastrostomy tube extension device used for inserting or taking out the gastrostomy tube into/from the hole on the patient includes a rod, a fixing member, and an engaging member. The rod is formed of a rod-shaped member, and may be formed with engaging stepped portions on the proximal portion thereof. The fixing member is adapted to be capable of moving along the longitudinal direction of the rod, and an engaging projection which can be fixed to the tube member is formed on the peripheral surface of the fixing member. The engaging member includes a lower engaging portion engageable with the engaging projection and an upper engaging portion which is engageable with the engaging stepped portion. This assembly allows the extension to be locked, allowing the operator to manipulate the device with a single hand.

Claims

1. A gastrostomy tube extension device used for inserting or taking out a gastrostomy tube into/from a hole in a patient, the gastrostomy tube comprising a stomach interior fixing member to be installed inside the stomach wall at a hole formed between the outer surface of a patient'"'"'s skin and the inner surface of the stomach wall, and a tube member connected to the stomach interior fixing member and extended through the hole to the outside of the patient'"'"'s body, the gastrostomy tube extension device comprising:

an extender comprising a rod-shaped member which can be inserted into the tube member and can elongate and narrow the stomach interior fixing member by directly pushing the distal end of the stomach interior fixing member toward the distal side of the device with the distal end of rod-shaped member;

a fixing member which is capable of moving along the longitudinal direction of the extender while being fixed to the outside end of the tube member and being inside the tube member, where the outside end of the tube member is the end located out of the body;

an engaging portion which is engageable with the fixing member;

an engaging member having the engaging portion that is engageable with the fixing member and a holding portion for holding by hand for operation and elongating the stomach interior fixing member when the holding portion is pulled in the direction of the outside end of the tube member while the extender is inserted in the tube member and the engaging portion is engaged with the fixing member fixed to the outside end of the tube member; and

wherein the fixing member is hollow cylindrical, surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the extender and capable of moving along the longitudinal direction of the extender, and a cylindrical member is formed with a fixed portion to be fixed at the end of the tube member which is located out of the body and an engaged portion to be engaged with the engaging portion of the engaging member.

2. The gastrostomy tube extension device according to claim 1, wherein the fixed portion is formed of a projection which is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member so as to be capable of being press-fitted into the tube member.

3. The gastrostomy tube extension device according to claim 2, wherein the projection which constitutes the fixed portion is formed of a projection formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member along the circumference thereof having a tapered portion the diameter of which is smaller at the distal end when press-fitted into the tube member and gradually increases toward the proximal end.

4. The gastrostomy tube extension device according to claim 3, wherein the engaged portion is formed of the projection which constitutes the fixed portion, and the engaging portion of the engaging member is adapted to engage the outer peripheral surface of the tube member through which the cylindrical member is press-fitted so as to fix the fixed portion at a portion corresponding to the engaged portion.

5. The gastrostomy tube extension device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the positioning portions are formed along the axial direction of the extender.

6. A gastrostomy tube extension device used for inserting or taking out a gastrostomy tube into/from a hole on a patient, the gastrostomy tube comprising a stomach interior fixing member to be installed inside of a stomach wall at a hole formed between the outer surface of the patient'"'"'s skin and the inner surface of the stomach wall, and a tube member connected to the stomach interior fixing member and extending through the hole to the outside of the patient'"'"'s body, the gastrostomy tube extension device including;

an extender formed of a rod-shaped member which can be inserted into the tube member and can elongate and narrow the stomach interior fixing member by directly pushing the distal end of the stomach interior fixing member toward the distal side of the device by the distal portion of the rod-shaped member;

a movable fixing member which directly contacts a fixing portion which is capable of being fixed to the outside end of the tube member and a holding portion to be held by hand for operation of the device, wherein the movable fixing member is movable along the longitudinal direction of the extender when inside the tube member, and where the outside end of the tube member is the end located out of the body; and

wherein the fixing portion of the movable fixing member is hollow cylindrical and movable along the longitudinal direction of the extender when surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the extender, and on a cylindrical member is formed a fixed portion to be fixed on the end of the tube member which is located out of the body.

7. The gastrostomy tube extension device according to claim 6, wherein the fixed portion may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member and formed by projections which can be press-fitted into the tube member.

8. The gastrostomy tube extension device according to claim 7, wherein the projection comprising the fixed portion may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member along the circumference thereof, and may comprise a tapered portion the diameter of which is smaller toward the distal end when press-fitted into the tube member and gradually increases toward the proximal end.

9. The gastrostomy tube extension device according to claim 8, wherein a tightening member is provided for constricting the outer peripheral surface of the tube member through which the cylindrical member is press-fitted, and where the fixed portion is fixed, in order to strengthen the fixation of the fixed portion to the tube member.

10. A gastrostomy tube extension device used for inserting or taking out a gastrostomy tube into/from a hole on a patient, the gastrostomy tube comprising a stomach interior fixing member to be installed inside of a stomach wall at a hole formed between the outer surface of the patient'"'"'s skin and the inner surface of the stomach wall, and a tube member connected to the stomach interior fixing member and extending through the hole to the outside of the patient'"'"'s body, the gastrostomy tube extension device including;

an extender formed of a rod-shaped member which can be inserted into the tube member and can elongate and narrow the stomach interior fixing member by directly pushing the distal end of the stomach interior fixing member toward the distal side of the device by the distal portion of the rod-shaped member; and

a movable fixing member which directly contacts a fixing portion which is capable of being fixed to the outside end of the tube member and a holding portion to be held by hand for operation of the device, wherein the movable fixing member is movable along the longitudinal direction of the extender when inside the tube member, and where the outside end of the tube member is the end located out of the body;

wherein a positioning portion is formed on the peripheral surface of the proximal portion of the extender, and the movable fixing member is provided with a positioned portion which can engage the positioning portion, so that with the extender inserted into the tube member, the stomach interior fixing member is elongated and narrowed when the tube member is engaged with the fixing portion and the positioning portion is engaged with the positioned portion respectively with the extender inserted into the tube member; and

wherein the positioning portion is formed with a plurality of projections formed along the axial direction of the extender and the positioned portion is constituted of a cylindrical member formed of elastic material, and the positioned portion can be engaged with the predetermined portion of the positioning portion.