US3058472A - Gastric tube - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 16, 1962 s. D. THORNTON, JR

GASTRIC TUBE Filed Dec. 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 30 INVENTOR.

STEPHEN 0 THOR/VTO/VJR BY 4? [777M Oct. 16, 1962 s. D. THORNTON, JR 3,058,472

GASTRIC TUBE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 9, 1958 INVEN TOR. STEPHEN D. THO/\WrO/v/ JR.

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United States Patent Ofifice 3,053,472 Patented Oct. 16, 1962 3,058,472 GASTRIC TUBE Stephen D. Thornton, In, North Hollywood, Calif., assignor to Don Baxter, Inc, Glendale, Calif., is corporation of Nevada Filed Dec. 9, 1958, Ser. No. 779,245 7 Claims. (Cl. 128348) This invention relates to a gastric tube, and particularly to a tube which is used for intermittently feeding a patient.

-In order to feed a premature infant, or a seriously ill patient, a gastric or feeding tube is usually passed through the nose and esophagus of the patient into the stomach. Since the patient must be fed several times each day, the tube is frequently left in place. When this is done, foreign material may enter the open tube, or stomach pressures may cause regurgitation through the tube.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a gastric tube having a convenient, eifective device for closing its open end.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred form of the invention, given with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the adapter 16 shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view, similar to FIGURE 3, showing a modification.

Referring now to the drawings, the gastric tube 11 has a rounded, closed distal end 12 and a proximal end 13. The tube 11 is preferably made of an extruded, thermoplastic material, such as polyvinylchloride or polyethylene. The wall of the tube has calibration marks 15 at desired positions along its length to indicate predetermined distances from the distal tip. Near the distal tip, openings 14 are provided in the wall of the tube 11.

The adapter 16 is firmly attached to the proximal end 1-3 of the tube 11. This adapter is preferably made of a A plastic similar in composition to the tube 11. The body 17 of the adapter has a passage :18 which is axially aligned with the passage 19 of the tube 11. One end of the passage 18 is adapted to receive the proximal end of the tube 11, and tapers outwardly to form a lead-in section 20. The other end of the passage 18 has a lead-in section 21 and a tapered section 22, the latter being adapted to receive a male needle adapter.

At the top, a strap or branch 23 extends outwardly from the adapter boly 17. The strap 23 is made of a flexible material, such as a plastisol or other soft, plastic material. Curved, radiused surfaces 24, 24a, and 24b are provided at the junction of the strap 23 with the body 17. At the outer end, the strap 23 widens into a pad 25. A plug 26 extends upwardly from the free end portion or pad 25 and has a rounded end 27. Preferably, the plug 26 is flexible and is about the same size as a male needle adapter so that the passage 18 will not be unduly distorted by the plug. The other end of the pad 25 serves as a plug manipulating finger piece and has a finger intercepting stop or finger grip 28 which aids in pulling the plug 26 from its position in the tapered passage section 22 of the adapter.

In the modification shown in FIGURE 4, the adapter 31 has a body 32 having a tubular passage 33. The upper part of the passage 33 has a tapered section 34 adapted to receive a standard needle adapter. The tapered section terminates at its upper end in a lead-in section 35. The lower end of the passage 33 has a tapered lead-in section 36 and an enlarged cylindrical passage 37 into which the proximal end 13 of the tube '11 is cemented. The adapter passage 33 is preferably the same size as the passage 19 of the tube 11 so that a smooth-walled junction is formed between passages 19 and 33.

The strap 37a is attached to the body 32 at a point substantially below the top of the body. The strap 37a is made of flexible material, such as a plastisol or other soft plastic material. Curved, radiused surfaces 38 and 39 are provided at the junction of the strap 37a with the body 32. At the outer end, the strap 37a widens into a pad 40. A plug 41 rises out of the pad 40. The rounded end 42 of the plug 41 has a protruding tip 4-3.

In use, the tube 11 is passed through the nose of the patient and worked down the esophagus until a calibration mark 15 indicates that the distal end 12 of the tube has reached the stomach. A syringe containing food or medicament, or the adapter of an administration set which is connected to a container of liquid nutrient, is then telescoped into the tapered passage '22. After feeding, the needle adapter is removed and the plug 26- placed tightly in the passage 22. Subsequent feedings of the patient may be accomplished by merely removing the plug 26 from the passage 22 and again connecting a source of nutrient or medicament. The smooth continuous contours of the passages '18, 19, 21, and 22 prevent the accumulation of food particles or droplets. if the gastric tube is to be used only once, the plug 26 may be removed by cutting or tearing the soft, flexible strap 23. In normal use however, the radiused surfaces 24, 24a and 24b will prevent the strap 23 from bing torn off of the body 17 In the modification of FIGURE 4, a smooth uniform passage is provided through the connector 31. The strap 37a is also connected to the body 32 at a point substantially below the top so that a lock-type syringe can be at tached to the adapter 31 with strap 37a serving as a stop for the syringe. 'I he strap 37a is provided with radiused surfaces 38 and 39 so that it will not be torn off of the body 32 in normal use. The rounded end 42 of the plug 41 has a protruding tip or gate mark 43. By gating the mold at this point, the surfaces of the plug 41 which contact the tapered bore section 34 are kept smooth and free of gatemarks and parting lines.

The gastric tube of this invention may also be used for draining or aspirating the stomach or upper intestines of a patient for either therapeutic or diagnostic purposes.

Iclaim:

1. A medical tube for the intermittent administration of fluids comprising: an elongated, flexible, transparent, tubular body having a proximal end and a distal end; a cylindrical bore through said body; at least one opening near the distal end of the body communicating with the bore; a one-piece, plastic connector attached to the proximal end of the body and extending axially therefrom, said connector including a generally cylindrical body, a flexible strap and a plug; an axial bore through said connector body, said bore being coaxial with the bore of the elongated, tubular body and extending axially therefrom; a portion of the connector bore having outwardly tapering walls and terminating in a mouth located at the end of the connector body opposite the tubular body; a flexible strap integrally formed with the connector body, extend ing outwardly therefrom and terminating in a pad of increased width spaced from the connector body; a plug integrally formed with said pad and projecting therefrom in a direction opposite the tubular body member, said plug having an enlarged base adjacent the pad, a small tip distal from said pad and a generally conical outer surface between said tip and base, said plug having a diameter greater than the thickness of the adapter wall and being stiff and less flexible than the adapter wall, said plug tip having a diameter smaller than the mouth of the connector body and said base having a diameter greater than said mouth, whereby telescoping of the plug into the adapter bore deforms a portion of the adapter adjacent the mouth radially outwardly; and a portion of the pad extending beyond the plug to provide a means for inserting the plug in and for removing the plug from the adapter bore without touching said plug.

2. in an elongated, flexible, fluid feeding, single passage-providing, annular walled tube for introduction by way of the nose into the stomach of a premature infant or sick person for the periodical feeding thereof, 'said tube having an axially open, proximal end and a fluid, outlet-providing distal end; the combination of means for facilitating the discharge of fluid into the axially open, proximal, tube passage end from the discharge fitting of a syringe or other supply source, and for preventing the entry of foreign matter into said proximal tube end when the tube is not in use; said means comprising a molded flexible body-providing adapter of substantially greater cross-section than said tube and having an axial passage extending therethrough, said passage providing inlet and outlet ends, the proximal end of said tube secured in the outlet-providing end portion of said adapter passage so that the tube passage constitutes a continuation of the adapter passage, said adapter passage being enlarged from a point adjacent the proximal tube end to its inlet end to embrace a fluid supply fitting, a flexible branch extending laterally from said adapter body adjacent the inlet end of the latter, an upstanding plug of greater cross-section than the enlarged portion of said adapter passage and functionally integral with said branch, said plug being spaced from the adapter a distance greater than the length of said plug, and said branch being readily bendable upon itself to invert said plug and admit of insertion of the latter into the entry end of said adapter passage to seal the latter against the entry of foreign matter when the tube, although remaining applied to the user, is not in use for feeding purposes.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2, and said adapter branch providing a free end portion of increased cross-section and substantially reduced flexibility, said plug rising from the adapter-adjacent part of said free end por-' tion, and the outer part of said free end portion which is spaced from said plug constituting a plug-manipulating finger piece whereby the operators hand need never contact the plug or the adapter passage entry to contaminate the same.

4. The combination set forth in claim 2, and said adapter branch providing a free end portion of increased cross-section and substantially reduced flexibility, said plug rising from the adapter-adjacent. part of said free end portion, the outer part of said free end portion which is spaced from said plug constituting a plug-manipulating finger piece whereby the operators hand need never contact the plug or the adapter passage entry to contaminate the same, and a finger intercepting stop extending from the top surface of said finger piece-providing portion of said branch and spaced from the free end of the latter and from said plug.

5. The combination set forth in claim 2, and the proximal tube end-receiving portion of the adapter passage being enlarged by approximately tube wall thickness whereby to provide an internal, annular, tube stop shoulder and to provide communicating tube and adapter passage portions of approximately the same diameter so that the proximal tube end does not constitute a fluid intercepting shoulder when the tube is in use.

6. The combination set forth in claim 2, wherein the passage inlet-providing end of the adapter body extends beyond said branch to provide an area for the attachment of a lock type fluid-supplying syringe, said branch constituting a limiting stop for that type or syringe.

7. In an elongated, flexible, fluid feeding, single passageproviding, annular walled tube for introduction by Way of the nose into the stomach of a premature infant or sick person for the periodical feeding thereof, said tube having an axially open proximal end and a fluid outlet-providing distal end; the combination of means for facilitating the discharge of fluid into the axially open, proximal, tube passage end from the discharge fitting of a syringe or other supply source, and for preventing the entry of foreign mat ter into said proximal tube end when the tube is not in use; said means comprising a unitary, one-piece connector attached to the proximal end of the tube, said connector including a tubular body, a flexible strap and a plug, said body having a flexible wall thicker and stiffer than the tube wall, and an axial bore defined by the connector body wall; a section of the connector body having a cylindrical bore telescoped over a portion of the tube and attached thereto; a second section of the connector body having an outwardly tapering bore terminating in an open mouth of enlarged diameter; a flexible strap attached to the outer surface of the connector body, extending outwardly therefrom, and terminating in a finger piece providing a pad portion of increased width and thickness; a plug projecting from the portion of said pad which is nearest said connector body and having an enlarged base adjacent the pad, said pad constituting a plug-manipulating finger piece providing an area removed from said plug so that the latter will not be contaminated by contact with the operators fingers; a plug tip of lesser diameter than the base distal from said pad and a generally conical, outer plug surface between said base and tip, said outer plug surface being adapted to fit within the outwardly tapering connector bore section and said plug base having a diameter greater than the mouth of the adapter bore, whereby telescoping of the plug into the connector bore deforms a section of the adapter Walls radially outward.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,800 Gale Oct. 16, 1844 2,200,395 Lobl May 14, 1940 2,687,731 Iarussi Aug. 31, 1954 2,763,266 Evans Sept. 18, 1956 2,777,490 Munk Jan. 15, 1957 2,801,771 Sethne et al. Aug. 6, 1957 2,874,882 Sethne et al. Feb. 24, 1959 2,991,913 Goth July 11, 1961

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