An enteral
catheter provides access to both the
stomach and the deep
jejunum for feeding, aspiration and decompression. The
catheter includes a triple lumen 16Fr tube that joins to a triple lumen “Y” connector at the proximal end of the tube. The connector serves the three lumens as a source for venting air, for
fluid aspiration and for
fluid infusion. The
catheter includes a
gastro / jejunal bolus which provides a large effective recessed port size opening varying from 172 degrees around the circumference of the bolus to a maximum recess circumference of 350 degrees. The gastric aspiration lumen, the jejunal feeding lumen, and the air vent lumen, all connect to the
gastro / jejunal or midport connector bolus in the
stomach at the distal end of the three lumen tube. The
gastric lumen and the air vent lumen both open into the
stomach through a common gastric port by the midport bolus. The jejunal lumen in the 16Fr tube communicates with jejunal lumen in the jejunal tube. The midport bolus provides for the attachment of a smaller, round single lumen 8Fr lumen tube that extends into the
jejunum and terminates at its distal end with a tip bolus. Both the
gastric lumen and the air vent line terminate at the same point side by side into the common gastric port in the midport bolus. The gastric port is recessed to the level of its full internal lumen in the midport bolus, thereby providing a recess for maximum protection against
occlusion and maximum area for outflow and inflow. The midport bolus and the jejunal port in the tip bolus include a structural arch protruding radially outwardly therefrom. The arch is effective to prevent the
body segment of the bolus from bending and restricting the ports. At the distal end of the jejunal tube, the tip bolus contains an improved port that is recessed to just below the internal
radius of the tube lumen to provide maximum protection against
occlusion and maximum area for outflow.