Exemplary embodiments of the disclosure may be drawn to a device having an inlet and a chamber. Immobilized lipase, immobilized protease, and immobilized amylase may be contained within the chamber. The device may also include an outlet, wherein a flow path extends from the inlet, through the chamber, and to the outlet.

A conduit connector for an enteral feeding pump includes a fluid inlet portion that has an inlet axis and a fluid outlet portion that has an outlet axis that is parallel to and laterally offset from the inlet axis. The fluid inlet portion defines an elongated side slot extending parallel to the inlet axis for receiving tubing therethrough. The conduit connector further includes a bridge portion that extends between and connects the fluid inlet portion and the fluid outlet portion.

A container for feeding a patient includes a deformable receptacle having a cavity for holding a flowable food product and a rigid cover attachable to the upper end of the deformable receptacle. The rigid cover may have a male feeding tube connector that is uniquely connectable to a female feeding tube connector of a feeding tube or may have a female feeding tube connector that is uniquely connectable to a male feeding tube connector of a syringe. With the male and female feeding tube connectors connected, the deformable receptacle and the feeding tube or syringe are in fluid tight fluid communication to allow the flowable food product to be forced out of the opening of the deformable receptacle and into the feeding tube or syringe when the deformable receptacle is squeezed.

A syringe includes a barrel, a plunger, and a sealing member creating a seal between the plunger and the barrel. The barrel includes a first portion with a first inner diameter and a second portion with a second inner diameter that is larger than the first inner diameter. The sealing member engages the first portion of the barrel to give rise to a first contact pressure when the barrel is filled with product. The first contact pressure is sufficient to maintain a gas-tight seal over the expected temperature ranges −25° C. to 40° C. A first force is applied to the plunger to overcome the first contact pressure and move the plunger out of the first portion and into the second portion to dispense product. The sealing member engages the second portion of the barrel to give rise to a second contact pressure that is lower than the first contact pressure. A second force lower than the first force is sufficient to overcome the second contact pressure and move the plunger in the second portion to continue dispensing product. The syringe may include a restraining element for accommodating expansion of the product during freezing.

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to provide fluid nutrition and hydration. In one illustrative example, a feeding set for use with a peristaltic enteral feeding pump has sections of flexible tubing or conduit, a dispensing control valve that is in fluid communication with the tubing, and a retention disk. In some configurations, the feeding set has as attachment mechanism, which may be formed by one clips or hooks extending from the dispensing control valve and coupling geometry of the retention disk. By some approaches, the clips or hooks and the coupling geometry are configured to attach the feeding set with the pump, such as by attaching the feeding set to an internal panel of the feeding pump. In operation, the feeding set and pump are used to move fluid nutrition and hydration from a container or bag to the patient in a controlled manner.

A computer-implemented method of adjusting enteral feeding of a patient by an enteral feeding controller, comprising: computing an estimate of energy expenditure of the patient based on oxygen measurements and carbon dioxide measurements of the patient, computing a target composition and target feeding rate for the enteral feeding according to the computed estimate of energy expenditure, when the target composition and target feeding rate differ from a current enteral feeding composition and feeding rate by a requirement, generating instructions for adjustment, by an enteral feeding controller, of the rate of delivery of the enteral feeding according to the target composition, wherein the receiving the oxygen measurement, receiving the carbon dioxide measurement, and computing the estimate of energy expenditure are performing iteratively for every first time interval, and the generating instructions for adjustment are performed for a second time interval that is larger than the first time interval.

A medical pump, comprising: a fluid housing having a plurality of intake openings, sealed by at least one intake valve, and an outlet opening sealed by an outlet valve; a piston which is sealing the fluid housing and connected to a drive mechanism, the drive mechanism pulls the piston to draw fluid from one of the plurality of intake openings and pushes the piston to discharge the fluid into the outlet opening; and a selecting valve enclosing at least two tubes, each providing fluid to one of the plurality of intake openings, wherein the selecting valve closes one of the at least two tubes while opening another of the at least two tubes.

A waste-reducing pumping system and method for delivering a liquid to a patient according to a predetermined therapy protocol is characterized by a stored flush mode routine executable by a processor after an end-of-therapy stoppage of a pumping mechanism, whereby the pumping mechanism is operated to deliver residual liquid remaining in downstream tubing of an administration set to the patient to prevent the residual liquid from being wasted or manually administered at an unsafe rate.

A medical pump, comprising: a fluid housing having a plurality of intake openings, sealed by at least one intake valve, and an outlet opening sealed by an outlet valve; a piston which is sealing the fluid housing and connected to a drive mechanism, the drive mechanism pulls the piston to draw fluid from one of the plurality of intake openings and pushes the piston to discharge the fluid into the outlet opening; and a selecting valve enclosing at least two tubes, each providing fluid to one of the plurality of intake openings, wherein the selecting valve closes one of the at least two tubes while opening another of the at least two tubes.

A conduit connector for an enteral feeding pump includes a fluid inlet portion that has an inlet axis and a fluid outlet portion that has an outlet axis that is parallel to and laterally offset from the inlet axis. The fluid inlet portion defines an elongated side slot extending parallel to the inlet axis for receiving tubing therethrough. The conduit connector further includes a bridge portion that extends between and connects the fluid inlet portion and the fluid outlet portion.