Enteral feeding adapter

Abstract

We generally describe an enteral feeding adapter comprising: a tube section; a crimping fixation unit arranged on said tube section at a first section of said enteral feeding adapter for releasably connecting said enteral feeding adapter with a gastrostomy tube connector; and a screw cap freely rotatably arranged around said tube section at a second section of said enteral feeding adapter for connecting said enteral feeding adapter with a screw connector.

Claims

1. An enteral feeding adapter comprising: a tube section; a crimping fixation unit arranged on said tube section at a first section of said enteral feeding adapter for releasably connecting said enteral feeding adapter with a gastrostomy tube connector, wherein said crimping fixation unit comprises a volume which tapers in a direction along which said gastrostomy tube connector is to be inserted into said volume, wherein said volume surrounds an external surface of said tube section, wherein said tube section and said crimping fixation unit are integral to a single unit; and a screw cap freely rotatably arranged around said tube section at a second section of said enteral feeding adapter for connecting said enteral feeding adapter with a screw connector.

2. An enteral feeding adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said crimping fixation unit comprises a crimp ring.

3. An enteral feeding adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said crimping fixation unit comprises a clamp structure for gripping a first end portion of said gastrostomy tube connector, wherein said first end portion has a larger diameter than a second portion of said gastrostomy tube connector adjacent said first end portion.

4. An enteral feeding adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said crimping fixation unit comprises one or more protrusions on an inner surface of said crimping fixation unit, wherein said one or more protrusions are configured to increase a friction coefficient between an outer wall of said gastrostomy tube connector and said inner wall of said crimping fixation unit when said gastrostomy tube connector is inserted into said crimping fixation unit.

5. An enteral feeding adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said screw cap being freely rotatably arranged around said tube section comprises a torque needed to rotate said screw cap around said tube section, in an engaged state between said screw cap and said tube section, being no larger than a predetermined torque which is only large enough to overcome a friction between a screw cap surface and a tube section surface by which surfaces said screw cap and said tube section contact each other.

6. An enteral feeding adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said crimping fixation unit and/or said tube section comprises copolyester.

7. An enteral feeding adapter as claimed in claim 6, wherein said copolyester comprises a polymer of dimethyl terephthalate, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, and 2,2,4,4-tetramethylcyclobutane-1,3-diol (TMCD), and an additive.

8. An enteral feeding adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said screw cap comprises polypropylene.

9. An enteral feeding adapter as claimed in claim 8, wherein said polypropylene comprises a homopolymer for injection moulding with nucleation and antistatic additivation.

10. A gastrostomy tube connector assembly comprising: the enteral feeding adapter of claim 1; and a gastrostomy tube Y-connector connected to said enteral feeding adapter via said crimping fixation unit.

11. A gastrostomy tube connector assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein a first end portion of said gastrostomy tube Y-connector at which said gastrostomy tube Y-connector is connected to said crimping fixation unit has a larger diameter than a second portion of said gastrostomy tube Y-connector adjacent said first end portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) These and other aspects of the invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of a male small-bore connector of the prior art;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of an enteral feeding adapter according to embodiments of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a crimping fixation unit according to embodiments of the present invention; and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of an enteral feeding adapter according to embodiments of the present invention;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic side view of a gastrostomy tube connector assembly according to embodiments of the present invention;

(7) FIGS. 6a-c show side views of a gastrostomy tube connector assembly according to embodiments of the present invention; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of an enteral feeding adapter according to embodiments of the present invention in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(9) FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of an example of an enteral feeding adapter 200 as described herein.

(10) The tube section 202 of the enteral feeding adapter 200 tapers from one side to the other side according to the standardization requirements. In this example, the diameter of the inner wall of the tube section 202 tapers from 4 mm to 2.9 mm. The total length of the tube section 202 is, in this example, 28.3 mm.

(11) The enteral feeding adapter 200 has, in this example, a crimp ring 204 with an inner diameter which tapers towards the center of the enteral feeding adapter 200 in order to increase a friction coefficient between the crimp ring 204 and, for example, a gastrostomy tube Y-connector which may be inserted into the volume 210. The width of the crimp ring 204 along the longitudinal direction of the enteral feeding adapter 200 is approximately 6.5 mm.

(12) The enteral feeding adapter 200 further comprises a screw cap 206 having a screw thread 207 via which a further screw connector, for example a female screw connector, may be connected to the enteral feeding adapter 200.

(13) The crimp ring 204 comprises, in this example, six protrusions 208 with a length along a direction parallel to the tube section 202 of approximately 5.2 mm. As outlined above, these protrusions 208 may then increase the above-stated friction coefficient even further as the protrusions 208 may cut into the material of the gastrostomy tube Y-connector when the Y-connector is inserted into the volume 210 of the crimp ring 204.

(14) The enteral feeding adapter 200 further comprises, in this example, protrusions 212a and 212b. Protrusion 212a (which is, in this example, a ring protrusion provided around the entire circumference of the enteral feeding adapter 200, but may also comprise one or more individual protrusions) is used in this example as a stopper preventing the screw cap 206 from sliding too far towards the side of the enteral feeding adapter 200 at which the crimp ring 204 is arranged. Protrusion 212b (which is, in this example, a ring protrusion provided around the entire circumference of the enteral feeding adapter 200, but may also comprise one or more individual protrusions) is used in this example in order to prevent the screw cap 206 from falling off the tube section 202 once the screw cap 206 is snap-fit onto the tube section 202. The screw cap 206 is hereby provided with a clamp structure 214 (which is in this example a circular part of the screw cap 206 having a smaller diameter than a neighboring section of the screw cap 206) which allows the screw cap 206 to be snap-fit onto the tube section 202.

(15) FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an example of a crimping fixation unit 300 as described herein. In this example, the crimping fixation unit comprises a crimp ring 204 and protrusions 208 mounted on the inner wall of the crimp ring 204.

(16) In this example, six protrusions 208 are mounted on the inner wall of the crimp ring 204, each protrusion 208 having a width of 0.59 mm in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the tube section 202. The diameter of the crimp ring 204 is in this example 15.7 mm.

(17) FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of an example of an enteral feeding adapter 400 as described herein.

(18) The enteral feeding adapter 400 comprises a screw plug 404 connected to the enteral feeding adapter 400 via a strap 402. The screw plug 404 may be inserted into the screw cap 206 when the enteral feeding adapter 400 is not connected to a (e.g. female) screw connector. The strap 402 allows preventing the screw plug 404 from being lost when the screw plug 404 is not inserted into the screw cap 206.

(19) FIG. 5 shows a schematic side view of an example of a gastrostomy tube connector assembly 500 as described herein. In this example, the enteral feeding adapter 200 is connected to a gastrostomy tube Y-connector 502.

(20) In this example, the length of the gastrostomy tube Y-connector 502 is approximately 47 mm and the length of the entire gastrostomy tube connector assembly 500 is approximately 75 mm.

(21) As can be seen from FIG. 5, the diameter of the gastrostomy tube Y-connector 502 at the end at which it is connected to the enteral feeding adapter 200 is larger compared to other sections of the gastrostomy tube Y-connector 502, thereby allowing a snap-fit of the enteral feeding adapter 200 onto the gastrostomy tube Y-connector 502 via their mating features. A particularly strong connection between the enteral feeding adapter 200 and the gastrostomy tube Y-connector 502 is thereby established.

(22) FIGS. 6a-c show side views of the gastrostomy tube connector assembly of FIG. 5 in use. As shown in FIG. 6a, the screw plug is removed from the screw cap. Due to the strap, the screw plug may not need to be stowed elsewhere while not being used. A screw connector is then inserted into the screw cap of the enteral feeding adapter. The screw connector is hereby connected and secured to the enteral feeding adapter by rotating the screw cap around the tube section of the enteral feeding adapter while the screw connector is pushed into the screw cap.

(23) FIG. 7 shows a schematic side view of an example of a gastrostomy tube connector assembly 700 as described herein.

(24) In this schematic representation, a screw connector 702 is inserted into the screw cap of the enteral feeding adapter 200. Furthermore, the enteral feeding adapter 200 is connected to a gastrostomy tube connector 502 via the crimp ring.

(25) In this example, the crimp ring comprises a clamp structure 704 which allows for a snap-fit of the gastrostomy tube connector 502 into the crimp ring. It is to be noted that parts of the clamp structure 704 are omitted in FIG. 7 merely to improve visualization of the gastrostomy tube connector assembly.

(26) No doubt many other effective alternatives will occur to the skilled person. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the described embodiments and encompasses modifications apparent to those skilled in the art and lying within the spirit and scope of the claims appended hereto.