A tube assembly for placement within a patient includes a tube having a lumen, a proximal end portion, and a distal end portion attached to a dissolvable tip. The dissolvable tip may have an axial passageway and at least one non-axial vent. Once the assembly is positioned within the patient, the tip is dissolved by gastrointestinal fluids thereby providing an unobstructed distal tube end for material to flow through.

A system for purging air from a feeding line is set forth. The system includes a charging device configured to selectively provide an air charge in the system. A restricting tubing can be located between the charging device and a delivery tube. The restricting tubing can be configured to tunably limit the air charge delivered from the charging device to the feeding line through the delivery tube.

A gastrostomy or nasogastric tube venting unit has a containment vessel for measuring fluids expelled with gastric gas before, during, after, or independent from feeding. The venting unit is particularly well-suited for pediatric or extremely weak patients who have difficulty producing sufficient pressure to expel gas through a fluid-filled feeding tube, including babies weighing less than 2000 grams. The venting unit includes a handle for suspending from an IV pole, a car or infant seat, stroller, a coat hook, or other support structures that might be used for travel. The containment vessel has a splash guard in the form of mesh material or screen covering or molded within the upper opening of the vessel, and can be capped temporarily for ease of transportation. The cap can be reopened when the patient is secured in a car seat or other means for travel, so that venting can resume. The splash-guard screen prevents spilling, spraying or splashing of liquids when gastric contents are explosively expelled along with gas.

A feeding tube aperture supported and aligned with a feeding tube opening in an abdominal wall of a patient, including a base having a first end surface transverse to an axis of the base and a feeding tube, a second opposed end surface, a central feeding tube passage extending between the first and second end surfaces, a plurality of vent passages around the feeding tube passage and extending between the first and second end surfaces, a hollow, cylindrical feeding tube support extension centered on and extending outwardly from the feeding tube passage to support and align the feeding tube aperture, and a plurality of spaced apart resilient spacers extending outwards from the second end surface. The plurality of spaced apart resilient spacers resiliently space the second end surface from the abdominal wall and form a plurality of air passages to allow a flow of air around the abdominal wall and the feeding tube opening.

A metered enteral feeding system for delivering fluids, the metered enteral feeding system including a vented container with contained volume for containing the fluids. The metered enteral feeding system includes a discharge port for discharging the fluid from the contained volume and at least one vent for allowing airflow into the contained volume. The metered enteral feeding system also includes a flow control valve in fluid communication with the discharge port of the vented container. The fluid control valve is adjustable to provide an increased or decreased flowrate therethrough.

In some embodiments a PEG feeding device includes a tube sized to bridge a channel between a stomach and an outer abdominal surface; an internal bolster, and an external bolster. Optionally the bolsters are connected to the tube. The internal bolster may be sized to resist movement out of the stomach through the stoma. The external bolster may be sized to resist movement into the stoma from the outer abdominal surface. The external bolster may include an underside which extends from the tube in a radial direction between the external bolster and the outer abdominal surface. The underside of the outer bolster may contact the outer abdominal surface at a distance from an external opening of the stoma. Optionally the distance between the internal bolster and the external bolster is adjustable. Optionally an angle between one or both of the bolsters and the tube is adjustable.

In some embodiments a PEG feeding device includes a tube sized to bridge a channel between a stomach and an outer abdominal surface; an internal bolster, and an external bolster. Optionally the bolsters are connected to the tube. The internal bolster may be sized to resist movement out of the stomach through the stoma. The external bolster may be sized to resist movement into the stoma from the outer abdominal surface. The external bolster may include an underside which extends from the tube in a radial direction between the external bolster and the outer abdominal surface. The underside of the outer bolster may contact the outer abdominal surface at a distance from an external opening of the stoma. Optionally the distance between the internal bolster and the external bolster is adjustable. Optionally an angle between one or both of the bolsters and the tube is adjustable.

A plunger for movably mounting within a cavity or barrel of a syringe. The plunger includes a contact face having a flange movably mounted thereto, wherein the flange is movable between an open configuration wherein an opening is formed between the flange and a portion of the plunger, the opening configured for engagement with an IV hook or other engagement member, and a closed configuration wherein the upper surfaces of the contact face and the flange are generally planar with one another.

A plunger for movably mounting within a cavity or barrel of a syringe. The plunger includes a contact face having a flange movably mounted thereto, wherein the flange is movable between an open configuration wherein an opening is formed between the flange and a portion of the plunger, the opening configured for engagement with an IV hook or other engagement member, and a closed configuration wherein the upper surfaces of the contact face and the flange are generally planar with one another.

In some embodiments a PEG feeding device includes a tube sized to bridge a channel between a stomach and an outer abdominal surface; an internal bolster, and an external bolster. Optionally the bolsters are connected to the tube. The internal bolster may be sized to resist movement out of the stomach through the stoma. The external bolster may be sized to resist movement into the stoma from the outer abdominal surface. The external bolster may include an underside which extends from the tube in a radial direction between the external bolster and the outer abdominal surface. The underside of the outer bolster may contact the outer abdominal surface at a distance from an external opening of the stoma. Optionally the distance between the internal bolster and the external bolster is adjustable. Optionally an angle between one or both of the bolsters and the tube is adjustable.