Oral feeding tube

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of feeding tube for treatment provides a kind of per os esophageal feeding tube, per os esophageal feeding tube includes the feeding tube main part that the patient esophagus is stretched into when using, and vibration device is arranged on feeding tube main part, and vibration device works to drive feeding tube main part vibration to promote the flow of food in pipe, it is favorable to improve the smoothness of food flow, if food jamming phenomenon occurs, can be unblocked by vibration device vibration, improve food conveying efficiency, avoid the feeding tube after unblocking and be inserted into patient esophagus again, alleviate the pain of patient, improve the comfort of IOE therapy, solve the problem that the esophageal feeding tube of prior art is easily influenced feeding comfort because of the incommode of food flow.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of therapeutic feeding tubes, and more particularly to an oral esophageal feeding tube. Background Technology

[0002] Dysphagia commonly occurs in diseases such as stroke and traumatic brain injury, and also in elderly people with declining tracheal function. With an aging population, the number of patients with dysphagia requiring appropriate and safe nutritional intervention will gradually increase. Intermittent oral-esophageal feeding (IOE) is a nutritional support technique for patients with dysphagia. IOE allows for immediate removal of the tube after feeding, avoiding prolonged esophageal retention, reducing discomfort caused by prolonged intubation, and improving patient comfort.

[0003] For example, the Chinese utility model patent with authorization announcement number CN209630205U provides an IOE feeding machine, which delivers nutrition to patients with swallowing disorders by inserting an IOE feeding tube that extends from the patient's mouth to the middle of the esophagus. Nutrient solution, water, or a paste-like food made from grains, vegetables, or meat is delivered to the patient's stomach through the IOE tube to meet the patient's nutritional needs.

[0004] Regarding feeding tubes in existing IOE technologies, such as the intermittent oral feeding tube provided by Chinese utility model patent CN217886585U, its tube body has separately set fluid channels and food channels, and the tube body is also provided with scale lines to determine the length of the tube body extending into the patient's esophagus; one end of the tube body is outside the patient's body and connected to the feeding machine, which is the inlet end of the feeding tube; the other end of the feeding tube is inserted into the patient's esophagus or stomach, and a food outlet is provided near the end, which is the outlet end of the feeding tube.

[0005] However, the existing technology has a problem: because the food delivered to the patient in IOE technology is a paste-like food such as rice porridge, meat puree, and vegetable puree, the feeding tube may bend in the esophagus, especially when the patient is lying at an angle. This may cause food flow to be obstructed, and food blockage may occur in the feeding tube. If food is continued to be delivered to clear the blockage, it will cause a sudden increase in food flow, and a large amount of food may suddenly enter the patient's esophagus, reducing the patient's comfort. On the other hand, if the feeding tube is removed, cleared, and then reinserted into the patient's esophagus, the repeated insertion and removal may damage the patient's esophagus and reduce the patient's comfort. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an oral esophageal feeding tube to solve the problem that existing esophageal feeding tubes are prone to affecting feeding comfort due to poor food flow.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides an oral esophageal feeding tube, including a feeding tube body that extends into the patient's esophagus during use, and a vibration device installed on the feeding tube body. When the vibration device is working, it drives the feeding tube body to vibrate to promote the flow of food within the feeding tube body.

[0008] Furthermore, the vibration device is installed on the outer wall of the feeding tube body and is separated from the lumen of the feeding tube body.

[0009] Furthermore, the vibration device is covered by a sealing body, which is connected to the main body of the feeding tube.

[0010] Furthermore, the vibration device includes an annular vibrating plate surrounding the outer wall of the feeding tube body.

[0011] Furthermore, the feeding tube body passes through the patient's throat during use, and the vibration device is located at the position corresponding to the patient's throat during use of the feeding tube body.

[0012] Furthermore, the lead wire of the vibration device is embedded in the wall of the feeding tube body, and extends to the inlet end of the feeding tube body and protrudes from the tube wall for connecting to an external power source.

[0013] Furthermore, the feeding tube body includes a main tube section and an output tube section connected together. The inlet end of the feeding tube body is located at the end of the main tube section that is outside the patient's body during use. The vibration device is located on the main tube section. The outlet end of the feeding tube body is located on the output tube section. The output tube section has a food outlet. The hardness of the output tube section is less than that of the main tube section.

[0014] Furthermore, the output pipe section is also equipped with a pipe section support structure to improve the overall bending resistance of the output pipe section.

[0015] Furthermore, the pipe section support structure is a helical spring, and the axis of the helical spring is aligned with the axis of the output pipe section.

[0016] Furthermore, a dental pad is installed on the main body of the feeding tube. The dental pad has a slot that is positioned to fit the patient's teeth and an installation hole through which the main body of the feeding tube passes. An internal support structure is embedded in the dental pad and is arranged around the installation hole to prevent the patient from biting the dental pad, which would cause the dental pad and the main body of the feeding tube to be squeezed and close the food passage inside the main body of the feeding tube.

[0017] Beneficial effects: This invention improves upon existing oral esophageal feeding tubes by adding a vibration device to the main body of the tube. When feeding the patient, the vibration promotes the flow of the paste-like food within the tube, improving the smoothness of food flow. If food blockage occurs, the vibration device can also clear the blockage, improving food delivery efficiency. This avoids the need to remove the feeding tube, clear the blockage, and then reinsert it into the patient's esophagus, reducing patient discomfort and improving the comfort of IOE therapy. It also solves the problem of existing esophageal feeding tubes easily affecting feeding comfort due to poor food flow. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the oral esophageal feeding tube provided by this utility model; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the installation structure of the vibration structure in the diagram; Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the dental pad structure.

[0019] In the diagram: 1. Main pipe section; 2. Output pipe section; 3. Vibration device; 31. Sealing body; 32. Vibrating plate; 4. Lead wire; 6. Support spring; 7. Side hole; 8. Tooth pad; 81. Slot; 82. Nipple part; 83. Outer baffle; 84. Inner baffle. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The features and performance of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments.

[0021] The principle and concept of this utility model are as follows: An improvement has been made to the existing oral esophageal feeding tube by adding a vibration device to the main body of the tube. This promotes smooth food flow and can also clear blockages caused by food blockages. This avoids the need to remove and clear the tube before reinserting it into the patient's esophagus, reducing patient discomfort and improving food delivery efficiency.

[0022] Based on the above principles, this utility model provides an oral esophageal feeding tube and its various embodiments for further explanation.

[0023] Based on the above principles, in a basic embodiment, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3In one embodiment, the present invention provides an oral esophageal feeding tube comprising a feeding tube body and a vibration device 3 disposed thereon. When feeding the patient a paste-like food such as rice porridge, vegetable puree, or meat puree, the vibration device 3 is activated to cause the feeding tube body to vibrate, which can promote the flow of the paste-like food. In another case, when food blockage occurs in the feeding tube body, the vibration device 3 can also be activated to provide a certain amplitude of vibration to unblock the blockage. This avoids the method of removing and clearing the feeding tube and then re-inserting it into the patient's esophagus in the prior art, thus solving the problem that the existing esophageal feeding tubes are prone to affecting feeding comfort due to poor food flow.

[0024] It should be noted that, since the vibration device 3 of the oral esophageal feeding tube provided by this utility model is set on the tube segment corresponding to the patient's throat, when the vibration device 3 is activated, it can also stimulate the patient's throat with vibration, helping the patient to restore swallowing function.

[0025] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, such as Figure 1-3 In the provided embodiment, the vibration device 3 is disposed on the outer wall surface of the feeding tube body and is separated from the tube cavity of the feeding tube body. The vibration device 3 is disposed in this way for easy installation. In another embodiment, the tube wall of the feeding tube body is configured as a thick-walled structure, and the vibration device can be embedded in the tube wall of the feeding tube body. The relative distance between the vibration device and the food in the tube body is shorter and the vibration effect is better.

[0026] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, such as Figure 1-3 In the provided embodiment, the vibration device 3 is further encased in a sealing body 31, which is in contact with the main body of the feeding tube to ensure a smooth surface and provide a sealed protection for the vibration device 3. In this embodiment, the sealing body is a soft rubber ring, and the soft nature of the rubber ring also improves the patient's comfort when the vibration device 3 is turned on. In another embodiment, the vibration device can also be a rubber ball structure with an embedded vibrating plate. Such a spherical vibration device helps to reduce frictional resistance to the patient's oral cavity and esophageal mucosa when inserted into the patient's esophagus.

[0027] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, such as Figure 1-3 In the provided embodiment, the vibration device 3 is disposed on the main tube section 1 of the feeding tube body. The vibration device 3 includes an annular vibration plate 32 surrounding the outer wall of the feeding tube body. A sealing body 31 covers the outer side of the vibration plate 32. The inner side of the vibration plate 32 is in contact with the outer wall surface of the main tube section 1 of the feeding tube body. The circumferentially arranged vibration device 3 can increase the contact area between the vibration device 3 and the main tube section 1, thereby improving the efficiency of vibration unblocking.

[0028] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, such as Figure 1-3 In the provided embodiment, the vibration device 3 is positioned at a location corresponding to the patient's throat when the feeding tube body is in use. Placing the vibration device 3 as close as possible to the patient's throat can better stimulate the patient's swallowing nerves and promote the recovery of swallowing function.

[0029] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, such as Figure 1-3 In the provided embodiment, the lead wire 4 of the vibration device 3 is embedded in the wall of the feeding tube body. The lead wire 4 extends to the inlet end of the feeding tube body and protrudes from the wall for connection to an external power source. By directly embedding the lead wire 4 of the vibration device 3 within the wall of the feeding tube body during manufacturing, the lead wire 4 avoids direct contact with the patient's mouth and food inside the feeding tube body, significantly improving safety. In another embodiment, the lead wire can be arranged along the outer surface of the wall of the feeding tube body. After connecting the vibration device, the lead wire is insulated with insulating sealant to ensure the safety of the oral esophageal feeding tube.

[0030] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, such as Figure 1-2 In the provided embodiment, the oral esophageal feeding tube of this utility model has a segmented structure, including a main tube segment 1 and an output tube segment 2 connected to the main tube segment 1. The output tube segment 2 has a lower hardness than the main tube segment 1 and a much shorter length than the main tube segment 1. The output tube segment 2 is connected to the main tube segment 1 and the two internal cavities form a food channel for delivering nutrient solution or pureed liquid food into the patient's esophagus. The inlet of the food channel is located at the inlet end of the main tube body, and the outlet of the food channel is located at the outlet end of the main tube body. The outlet of the food channel is the food outlet. One end of the main tube segment 1 is used to form the inlet end of the main tube body, and the other end is connected to the output tube segment. The output tube segment 2 is used to form the outlet end of the main tube body. The end of the main tube segment 1 located outside the patient's body is used as the inlet end of the feeding tube and is provided with a connector for connecting to an IOE feeding machine. The end of the output tube segment 2 that penetrates into the patient's esophagus is used as the outlet end. The outlet of the food channel is located on the output tube segment. The aforementioned vibration device 3 is located on the main tube segment 1. Output pipe section 2 can be made of soft rubber, while the main pipe section can be made of conventional plastic material, such as PVC.

[0031] When the feeding tube is inserted into the patient's esophagus, the end of the feeding tube that enters the patient's esophagus first rubs against the esophagus and has a certain dilating effect on the esophagus. The outlet end is the main friction point during tube insertion. The outlet end is formed by using a soft outlet tube section 2, which is more compatible with the patient's esophageal environment than the harder main tube section 1, thus avoiding damage to the patient's esophageal mucosa when the feeding tube is inserted into the patient's esophagus.

[0032] It should be noted that in the embodiments provided by this utility model, the output pipe segment 2 is fixedly connected to the main pipe segment 1 by adhesive bonding; in other embodiments, it can also be mechanically fixed by setting a fixing structure between the output pipe segment 2 and the main pipe segment 1.

[0033] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, such as Figure 1-2 In the provided embodiment, a support structure is also provided inside the output tube segment 2. Because the rubber output tube segment 2 is relatively soft, during the process of inserting the oral esophageal feeding tube into the patient's esophagus, the end of the output tube segment 2 may get stuck at a certain position in the patient's esophagus. If the tube is inserted further down, the output tube segment 2 will bend, causing obstruction of food flow. The bent output tube segment 2 will deepen the foreign body sensation in the patient's esophagus and aggravate the patient's pain. The support structure installed inside the output tube segment 2 strengthens the bending resistance of the output tube segment 2, ensuring that the rubber tube has a certain structural strength. The rubber tube will not bend when inserted into the patient's esophagus, achieving a state of soft outside and hard inside with a rubber tube on the outside and a support structure as a skeleton inside. This solves the bending problem of the output tube segment 2 while ensuring patient comfort.

[0034] In this embodiment, the support structure inside the output pipe section 2 is a support spring 6, which is a helical spring. The axis of the support spring 6 is aligned with the axis of the output pipe section 2 to provide better centering support. Using the support spring 2 as a support structure can increase the rebound force of the output pipe section 2. When the front end of the output pipe section 2 bends, the support spring 6 drives the output pipe section 2 to rebound to its original state, ensuring the straightness of the output pipe section 2. In another embodiment, a bullet-shaped plastic frame can also be provided inside the output pipe section to ensure the straightness of the output pipe section.

[0035] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the food outlet on the output tube section 2 is a radially penetrating side hole 7. The side hole 7 is a round hole, and a cross-shaped opening membrane is provided inside the side hole 7. The cross-shaped opening membrane has four uniform fan-shaped membrane edges. When the output tube section 2 is filled with food, the membrane edges of the cross-shaped opening membrane open and deliver the food into the patient's body. Since there is a pressure difference between the output tube section 2 filled with food and the inside of the patient's esophagus, it can also be ensured that the fluid in the patient's esophagus will not flow back into the output tube section 2 during the food delivery process.

[0036] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, multiple side holes are provided, and these multiple side holes are axially staggered and distributed on the wall of the output pipe section. This allows for more even delivery of food into the patient's esophagus. Figure 1In the embodiment shown, there are three side holes 7, and the three side holes 7 are evenly opened on the wall of the output pipe section 2 at an angle of 120° along the axis of the output pipe section 2.

[0037] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, such as Figure 1-2 In the provided embodiment, a dental pad 8 is also provided on the main tube segment 1. The dental pad 8 is provided with a slot 81 corresponding to the patient's teeth. The dental pad 8 is provided with an installation hole for the main tube segment 1 to pass through. The dental pad 8 is used to position the main tube segment 1 and prevent the patient from biting off the main tube segment 1, thereby improving safety.

[0038] In this embodiment, the dental pad 8 has a nipple structure, namely the nipple part 82 of the dental pad 8, so that part of the dental pad fits with the teeth and part of it is a nipple. By setting the dental pad 8 as a nipple-like structure, it can provide patients with a certain degree of psychological comfort while ensuring that the patient cannot bite off the main tube segment 1. It also improves the appearance of the oral esophageal feeding tube and protects the patient's psychological state.

[0039] Based on the above embodiments, in one embodiment, such as Figure 1-2 In the provided embodiment, the dental pad 8 is also embedded with an internal support structure. The internal support structure has a certain rigidity. Thus, the internal support structure built into the dental pad 8 can ensure that when the patient bites down on the dental pad 8, there is just enough space for the main tube segment 1 to pass through, avoiding the interruption of the flow of nutrient solution or food in the tube due to the deformation of the main tube segment 1 caused by biting, thus ensuring the flow of food.

[0040] In one embodiment, the internal support structure is a rigid plastic ring embedded in the dental pad 8 during its molding. The rigid plastic ring surrounds and is concentric with the mounting hole in the center of the dental pad 8, preventing the patient from biting the dental pad 8 and causing the dental pad 8 and the feeding tube body to be squeezed, which would close the food passage in the feeding tube body.

[0041] The outer end of the dental pad 8 is provided with an outer edge 83 that fits the patient's lips and has an area sufficient to cover the patient's mouth. An inner edge 84 with a smaller outer diameter than the outer edge 83 is provided on the dental pad 8 at a position slightly inside the outer edge 83. The nipple part 82 is located inside the inner edge 84. A groove 81 is formed between the inner edge 84 and the outer edge 83 to fit and position with the patient's teeth. The outer edge 83 corresponds to the patient's mouth to ensure that the patient will not accidentally inhale the dental pad into the esophagus, thus improving the safety of the oral esophageal feeding tube of this utility model.

[0042] In the oral esophageal feeding tube provided by this utility model, a rope hole is provided on the outer edge 83 for threading a thin rope. The tooth pad 8 after threading the thin rope can be hung on the patient's ear, which plays a secondary positioning role to prevent the patient from accidentally inhaling the tooth pad into the esophagus, thereby improving the safety of the oral esophageal feeding tube of this utility model.

[0043] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. The patent protection scope of the present utility model shall be determined by the claims. Similarly, any equivalent structural changes made based on the description and drawings of the present utility model shall also be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

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