Enteral Feeding Assembly
An enteral feeding system for use with a syringe or extension tubing, such as an enteral feeding syringe or tubing, is provided. The system has features to balance the pressure within the tubing.
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This application is a non-provisional of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/367,228 filed Jul. 23, 2010, entitled “Enteral Feeding Connector and Assembly”, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to tubing connectors and tubing, and more particularly in one aspect to an enteral feeding assembly including an improved tubing designed to deal with undesired vacuum as well as overpressure issues.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONFluid delivery systems, such as feeding tubes, are used to deliver nutrients and medicine to patients. The state of being fed by a feeding tube is known in the art as enteral feeding or tube feeding.
As an example, in a neo-natal unit, infants are often fed enterally. A tube is inserted in is the mouth or nasal opening of the infant and down through the esophagus for delivery of the fluid to the stomach or intestinal region of the body. In this example, breast milk or formula are delivered by syringe into an enteral delivery system, such as an enteral tube, for delivery into the infant's stomach. However, enteral feeding systems can also be for pediatric or adult use. Sometimes a peristaltic pump is used to deliver fluids from a feeding bag.
In the course of using the feeding tube, it is possible that an overpressure can develop in the tube and/or the infant's stomach. Alternatively, an excessive vacuum state can exist during aspiration, where the tubing is generating an undesired suction force at the openings in its distal tip.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn improved enteral feeding system is provided. The system comprises a tube having a first end, a second end, an exterior sidewall, a conduit within said tube between said first end and a location near said second end, a first orifice, and a second orifice. The second orifice is located downstream of the first orifice, extending from a point below an end of the conduit to a point along the length of the conduit. This helps to alleviate certain undesired suction issues, as well as inhibit bacterial collection and growth. To prevent excessive negative pressure within the tubing, as at an orifice, the tubing may comprise a collapsible feature formed therein. The collapsible feature may comprise a thinned region that collapses when excessive negative pressure is applied, effectively cutting off further negative pressure from being exerted and giving the clinician an indication that an excessive vacuum is being applied.
A supporting structure may additionally be present on the tubing, in the form of a cage is structure. The tubing may comprise a thinned region in the area surrounded by the cage structure that balloons out if excessive pressure is applied within the tubing.
A one-way valve may be removably attachable to a tube section, either at an end of the tube section, or along the length of the tube section. Where the one-way valve is attached to the end of the tube section, either a cap or a syringe may be pushed into the valve to send air to a channel within the valve, which then flows through the tubing. In some embodiments, one-way valves may be placed along the length of the tube section to release pressure from within a conduit in the tubing.
In another embodiment, an enteral feeding system is provided that comprises a first tube section comprising a first end, a second end, an exterior sidewall, and a conduit within the first tube section that extends from the first end to the second end. The first tube section is removably attachable to a tubing.
These and other aspects, objects, and accomplishments of the present invention will be further understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of certain embodiments, taken in conjunction with the below drawings depicting various embodiments, in which:
Various exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to the following drawings, wherein like numerals denote like parts.
The connector and assembly of the present invention will be described herein for use with an enteral feeding tube, but it is contemplated that the connector assembly of the present invention can be used in any device that may benefit from this type of assembly.
In certain instances, it may be desirable to apply a suction force to the tube 800. In order to alleviate the possibility that soft tissue might be unintentionally pulled upon and thereby traumatized by an excessive negative pressure, as at orifice 804, tube 800 has a collapsible feature formed therein at 812. In this embodiment, collapsible feature 812 has a thinned region 814 formed in the tubing sidewall. Thinned region 814 is designed to collapse the interior of the tubing in this area, such that thinned sidewall 814′ will substantially come together along the axis of the tubing, serving to cut off further application of vacuum (negative pressure) at tube end 802.
A supporting structure is provided around thinned region 814 to otherwise maintain the tubing open in normal use, except in the circumstance when an undesirable vacuum is generated. Here, this supporting structure takes the form of a surrounding blister, formed surrounding the tubing sidewall. Of course, the supporting structure could be struts, webbing, or the like which serves to maintain the parts of the tubing upstream and downstream of the thinned region 814 apart, and tubing channel 808 open in normal use.
Returning to
In this same regard, the embodiment of
This cap 828 has a “no-touch” feature in the form of a plug 829 formed thereon, which will fit in and close interior conduit 216, with the cap closing aperture 215. A user handling the cap 828 thus need not contact the plug 829, reducing the risk of contaminating the conduit 216. Other no-touch features may be present on various connectors that may be used with the feeding system, such as those described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/367,228, which is herein incorporated by reference.
Various exemplary embodiments and methods have been described above. Those skilled in the art will understand, however, that changes and modifications may be made to those examples without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Additional and/or different features may be present in some embodiments of the present invention.
Claims
1. An enteral feeding system comprising:
- a tube having a first end, a second end, an exterior sidewall, a conduit within said tube between said first end and a location near said second end;
- a first orifice; and
- a second orifice located downstream of said first orifice, wherein said second orifice extends from a point below an end of said conduit to a point along the length of said conduit.
2. The enteral feeding system of claim 1, said tube further comprising a collapsible feature formed on said tube, said collapsible feature collapsing at least a portion of said conduit within said tube when a vacuum is applied.
3. The enteral feeding system of claim 2, said collapsible feature comprising a thinned region formed in said tube exterior sidewall.
4. The enteral feeding system of claim 3, said collapsible feature further comprising a is supporting structure that extends around said thinned region.
5. The enteral feeding system of claim 4, wherein said supporting structure further comprises a plurality of arms extending from said exterior sidewall of said tubing, wherein said arms span at least the length of said thinned region.
6. The enteral feeding system of claim 4, wherein said supporting structure further comprises a plurality of webs extending from said exterior sidewall of said tubing, wherein said webs spans at least the length of said thinned region.
7. The enteral feeding system of claim 4, wherein said supporting structure further comprises a cage structure extending from said exterior sidewall of said tubing, wherein said cage spans at least the length of said thinned region.
8. The enteral feeding system of claim 5, wherein when a vacuum pressure applied within said conduit is larger than a pre-designated vacuum pressure, said thinned region expands outward toward said plurality of arms.
9. The enteral feeding system of claim 1, said tube further comprising a cap attached to said tube at said first end with a tether.
10. The enteral feeding system of claim 9, wherein said cap comprises a plug within the interior surface of said cap, said plug being sized and shaped to fit within and close said conduit.
11. An enteral feeding system comprising:
- a first tube section comprising a first end, a second end, an exterior sidewall, and a conduit within said first tube section and extending from said first end to said second end, said conduit designed to collapse upon itself and close said conduit under vacuum within said tube which exceeds a designated threshold; wherein said first tube section is removably attachable to a tubing.
12. The enteral feeding system of claim 11, wherein when said first tube section is attached to said tubing, said first tube section conduit is in fluid communication with a conduit within said tubing.
13. The enteral feeding system of claim 11, said tube further comprising a collapsible feature formed on said tube, said collapsible feature collapsing at least a portion of said conduit within said tube when a vacuum is applied.
14. The enteral feeding system of claim 13, said collapsible feature further comprising a thinned region formed in an exterior sidewall of said tube.
15. A enteral feeding system of claim 14, said collapsible feature further comprising a supporting structure that extends around said thinned region.
16. The enteral feeding system of claim 15, wherein said supporting structure further comprises a plurality of arms extending from said exterior sidewall of said tubing, wherein said plurality of arms spans at least the length of said thinned region.
17. The enteral feeding system of claim 15, wherein said supporting structure further comprises a plurality of webs extending from the exterior sidewall of said tubing, wherein said webs spans at least the length of said thinned region.
18. The enteral feeding system of claim 15, wherein said supporting structure further comprises a cage structure extending from said exterior sidewall of said tubing, wherein said cage spans at least the length of said thinned region.
19. The enteral feeding system of claim 11, said tubing further comprising a one-way is valve.
20. The enteral feeding system of claim 19, said tube further comprising a cap attached to said tube at said first end with a tether.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 22, 2011
Publication Date: Jan 26, 2012
Applicant: MEDELA HOLDING AG (Baar)
Inventor: Brian H. Silver (Cary, IL)
Application Number: 13/189,023
International Classification: A61M 39/20 (20060101); A61M 39/22 (20060101); A61M 39/08 (20060101);