Self collapsing feeding tube with cleaning mechanism

Inventors: Rasa Zarnegar (New York, NY); Thomas Ciecierega (Wyckoff, NJ); Carl Crawford (New York, NY); Brendan Finnerty (New York, NY); Thomas Fahey, III (Larchmont, NY)

Assignee: Cornell University

A61J15/0038 A61J15/0026 A61M39/08 A61M2209/10

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12708591
App. No.: 16/969,757
Granted: Aug 18, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A delivery device, such as a feeding tube, may have one or more pullout resistors that can anchor the delivery device to a patient's abdomen. When implanted, the pullout resistors can lie between the small intestine and intraabdominal wall. The pullout resistors can prevent inadvertent retrograde displacement of the delivery device without obstructing the lumen of the intestine. The pullout resistors can be flexible to enable a healthcare professional to apply an external retraction force to remove the delivery device.

Claims (34)

1 . A kit comprising a feeding tube delivery device, the feeding tube delivery device comprising:

an elongated structure defining a lumen between a first opening at a first end and a second opening at a second end for delivery of a fluid to a small intestine of a subject in which the elongated structure is inserted; and

a pullout resistor configured to anchor the elongated structure at an intraperitoneal face of an abdominal wall in a deployed state, the pullout resistor having a first pullout resistor material hardness,

wherein the pullout resistor is configured to collapse or retract during implantation as the elongated structure is passed through an incision in the abdominal wall and to deploy after the pullout resistor is positioned within an intraperitoneal space between the abdominal wall and the small intestine of the subject, and

wherein the pullout resistor is configured to collapse under a predetermined amount of force during passage of the pullout resistor through the incision during removal of the elongated structure from the subject, and

wherein the predetermined amount of force is between 3 lbs and 20 lbs, and

wherein the kit further comprises a second pullout resistor having a second pullout resistor material hardness, and

wherein the first pullout resistor material hardness is different from the second pullout resistor material hardness such that the second pullout resistor is configured to collapse when a second predetermined amount of force, different from the predetermined amount of force, is applied in the direction along the longitudinal axis of the elongated structure.

2 . The kit of claim 1 , further comprising a washer configured to slide along a length of the longitudinal axis of the elongated structure to clamp the abdominal wall of the subject between the washer and the pullout resistor.

3 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the pullout resistor comprises a plurality of retaining members projecting perpendicular to an external surface of the elongated structure.

4 . The kit of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of retaining members project perpendicular to the external surface of the elongated structure in the deployed state and deflect toward the external surface of the elongated structure in the collapsed state.

5 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the pullout resistor comprises a plurality of retaining members and each of the plurality of retaining members has a thickness between 0.5 mm and 5 mm.

6 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the pullout resistor comprises a plurality of retaining members and each of the plurality of retaining members has a length between 3 mm and 15 mm.

7 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the pullout resistor has a pullout resistor material hardness configured for the predetermined amount of force being between 5 lbs and 10 lbs.

8 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the elongated structure comprises a radiopaque strip extending along at least a portion of the elongated structure, an antibiotic or antimicrobial coating, and at least one of silicone, latex, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, and polyvinyl chloride.

9 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the pullout resistor comprises a plurality of retaining members, and a thickness of the retaining members varies between an external surface of the elongated structure to an outer periphery of the pullout resistor.

10 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the pullout resistor comprises a plurality of retaining members, and the retaining members are thinner toward an outer periphery of the pullout resistor than at inward portions of the pullout resistor.

11 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the pullout resistor has a first retainer portion radially extending outwards from an external surface of the elongated structure to a second retaining portion that radially extends outwards from the first retainer portion to an outer periphery of the pullout resistor, and wherein the second retainer portion is thinner than the first retainer portion.

12 . The kit of claim 1 , wherein the pullout resistor is circular, wherein the pullout resistor has a first retainer portion radially extending outwards from an external surface of the elongated structure to a second retaining portion that radially extends outwards from the first retainer portion to an outer periphery of the pullout resistor, and wherein the first retainer portion forms an inner circle of the pullout resistor and the second retainer portion forms an outer circle of the pullout resistor.

13 . The kit of claim 1 , further comprising a sheath configured to slide over the pullout resistor to collapse the pullout resistor toward the elongated structure and thereby restrain the pullout resistor in the collapsed state during passage through the incision, wherein the sheath is configured to be removed from the pullout resistor to allow the pullout resistor to deploy within the intraperitoneal space thereby avoiding obstruction of a lumen of the small intestine.

14 . The kit of claim 13 , wherein the sheath is configured to be slid off the pullout resistor to deploy the pullout resistor.

15 . A kit comprising:

a delivery device comprising:

an elongated structure comprising a first opening at a first end of the elongated structure and a second opening at a second end of the elongated structure, the elongated structure defining a lumen between the first opening and the second opening for delivery of a fluid to a subject in which the elongated structure is inserted;

a pullout resistor configured to anchor the elongated structure with an interior portion of an abdominal wall of the subject when the pullout resistor is in a deployed state and to collapse from the deployed state to a collapsed state when a predetermined amount of force is applied in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the elongated structure, wherein the pullout resistor is configured to be inserted into a body cavity in the collapsed state and to deploy from the collapsed state to the deployed state once the delivery device is passed through an incision and the pullout resistor is positioned within the body cavity;

a washer configured to slide along a length of the elongated structure to couple the abdominal wall between the washer and the pullout resistor; and

a brush configured to slide within the lumen of the elongated structure;

wherein the pullout resistor has a first pullout resistor material hardness;

wherein the kit further comprises a second pullout resistor having a second pullout resistor material hardness; and

16 . The kit of claim 15 , wherein the brush has a length less than a length of the delivery device.

17 . The kit of claim 15 , wherein the pullout resistor comprises a plurality of retaining members projecting perpendicular to an external surface of the elongated structure.

18 . The kit of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of retaining members project perpendicular to the external surface of the elongated structure in the deployed state and deflect toward the external surface of the elongated structure in the collapsed state.

19 . The kit of claim 15 , wherein the first pullout resistor material hardness is configured such that the predetermined amount of force is at least 8 lbs, and the second pullout resistor material hardness is configured such that the second predetermined amount of force is less than the predetermined amount of force.