Nutritional formulas comprising long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are provided, along with methods and devices for preparing and/or administering nutritional formulas. In some embodiments, a percentage of the LC-PUFAs in the nutritional formula are in the form of monogiycerides and/or free fatty acids. In some embodiments, the nutritional formulas do not comprise added lipase. Also provided are methods for providing nutrition to a subject, methods for improving fat absorption, methods for improving cognitive ability, methods for preventing chronic lung disease, and methods for reducing the length of time a patient requires total parenteral nutrition.

A nasogastric tube securement system. The system can include a base layer and a coupling layer. The base layer can be configured to be adhered to a nose, having a first major surface comprisng a skin-contact adhesive and a second major surface opposite the first major surface. The coupling layer can include a first end comprising coupling means configured to be repositionably coupled to the second major surface of the base layer, a second end configured to secure a nasogastric tube, and a middle section connecting the first end and the second end. The middle section can be elongated along a longitudinal direction, and the second end can include at least two legs extending downwardly from the first end, each leg separated from an adjacent leg by an acute angle.

A nasogastric tube securement system. The system can include a base layer and a coupling layer. The base layer configured to be adhered to a nose, having a first major surface comprising a skin-contact adhesive and a second major surface opposite the first major surface. The coupling layer can include a first end comprising coupling means configured to be repositionably coupled to the second major surface of the base layer, and a second end configured to secure a nasogastric tube. The coupling layer can further include a cutaway region extending from a periphery of the coupling layer adjacent the second end into a central portion of the coupling layer, such that the second end comprises legs that are separated by the cutaway region, and such that the first end is free of the cutaway region.

Systems and devices for providing readily accessible and unassisted oral hydration to a patient or other individual. A hydration system of the present disclosure may include a container for holding a quantity of liquid, a hydration tube extending from the container, and a hydration control valve through which a user may access the liquid by pushing or pressing on a lever. The hydration control valve may be, or be similar to, a pinch valve or bite valve arranged across a tube, such that by opening the valve, water may be permitted to flow through the tube. The valve may be arranged within a valve casing having a hydration tube coupling portion and a mouthpiece.

The use of a device to measure patient sensory response through the application of an incrementally increased electrical current to the oropharynx.

A device and method for verifying the proper position of catheters in the body by means of acoustic reflectometry, the device including a sound source, one or more sound receivers, a tube with compliant walls and open distal end to be introduced through an entrance to a body cavity, the sound source and receiver(s) coupled to the proximal end of the tube, a processor for causing the sound source to generate an acoustic excitation signal, the processor processing the acoustic signals sensed by the sound receiver(s) and generating an approximation of the acoustic impulse response of the tube, and the processor analyzing the acoustic impulse response to determine the position of the tube in the body cavity.

A medical device position guidance system includes a plurality of noninvasive external detector devices communicable with an invasive medical device. A magnetic field is used to gather information about the anatomical size and shape of a subject, such as a human. The medical device position guidance system further uses the magnetic field to obtain information about the positioning of the invasive medical device relative to the subject's anatomy. A method of using the medical device position guidance system is also provided.

A tubing assembly including a signal generating apparatus for a catheter placement system is provided. The tubing assembly includes a catheter and a signal generating apparatus. The catheter includes an elongate shaft having a wall surrounding a lumen. The signal generating apparatus includes at least one electromagnetic coil and at least one electrically conductive polymer that is configured to electrically connect the at least one electromagnetic coil to a monitor unit.

A tubing assembly for use in conjunction with electronic catheter guidance systems is provided and includes a catheter and a sensor. The catheter extends in a longitudinal direction and has a proximal end and a distal end that define a lumen therebetween. Further, the catheter is configured for placement within a digestive tract of a patient. The sensor includes a temperature sensor, relative humidity sensor, or both, and can be located within the lumen of the catheter or in an air sampling chamber connected to the catheter. The sensor can communicate with a processor to deliver temperature and/or relative humidity readings to a display device. A constant temperature or relative humidity profile, or both after a pre-determined amount of time can indicate placement of the catheter in the digestive tract. A catheter guidance system and a method for accurately placing a catheter in the digestive tract are also provided.

A nasogastic device and method is provided, including a first flexible tube having a distal end configured to be threaded through the nose of a patient, down the esophagus and into the stomach for enteral feeding, a second flexible tube disposed adjacent to the first tube having a distal end proximate to the distal end of the first flexible tube, the distal end of the second tube configured to terminate inside the esophagus for delivery of liquids to the esophagus or for sampling of the local environment, an inflatable balloon configured around the first and second flexible tubes, the inflatable balloon disposed proximal to the distal end of the first and second flexible tubes, a third flexible tube in fluid communication with the balloon configured to inflate the inflatable balloon; and a fourth flexible tube having a distal end portion communicating with an exterior portion of the inflatable balloon, the fourth tube configured to transport suspensions or solutions of materials, such as therapeutic molecules into a space exterior to the inflatable balloon; and an elastomeric sleeve surround the inflatable balloon and around the fourth flexible tube which is used to control delivery of therapeutic suspensions of solutions of materials to the exterior of the device to the adjacent esophagheal tissue.