GASTRIC PROBE

Abstract

A gastric probe, which can be inserted through the nose of a patient, includes a hose for nasoenteral feeding of the patient and/or for discharging gastric juice. An extraction tube is secured to the hose and has, at a distal end, an extraction section which includes a plurality of openings. The extraction section, when inserted, is placed in the pharynx of the patient in order to extract saliva from the pharynx.

Claims

1. A gastric probe to be inserted through the nose of a patient, the gastric probe comprising: a feed hose for at least one of nasoenteral feeding of the patient or removal of gastric juice from the patient; and a suction hose secured to said feed hose, said suction hose having a distal end and a suction portion disposed at said distal end; said suction portion having a plurality of openings formed therein and said suction portion being placed in the pharynx of the patient in an inserted state in order to suction saliva from the pharynx.

2. The gastric probe according to claim 1, which further comprises a double-wall partial portion forming said suction hose and having an outer wall with said openings formed therein.

3. The gastric probe according to claim 1, wherein said openings are a perforation formed in said suction hose.

4. The gastric probe according to claim 1, wherein said suction hose has a length of approximately 20 to 25 cm.

5. The gastric probe according to claim 1, wherein said suction portion has a length in a range of 1 to 10 cm.

6. The gastric probe according to claim 1, wherein said suction portion has a length of approximately 2.5 cm.

7. The gastric probe according to claim 1, wherein said suction portion is configured to be cut to length.

8. The gastric probe according to claim 1, wherein said suction portion is releasable from said feed hose.

9. The gastric probe according to claim 1, wherein said suction hose has two ends and a plurality of length markings applied at one of said ends, each of said length markings indicating a respective distance from the other of said ends.

10. The gastric probe according to claim 9, wherein said length markings are applied to said suction portion, and said suction portion is configured to be cut to length at said length markings.

11. The gastric probe according to claim 1, wherein said suction hose has a proximal end, and said suction hose is free of a cuff along said suction hose and in a region of said proximal end.

12. The gastric probe according to claim 1, wherein said suction hose is configured to receive an attachment piece for attachment of a suction pump.

13. The gastric probe according to claim 1, wherein said feed hose has a proximal end, and said suction hose branches off from said feed hose at said proximal end.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0038] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, elevational view of a first variant of a gastric probe; and

[0039] FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a second variant of the gastric probe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen a first variant of a gastric probe 2 which can be inserted through the nose of a patient for nasoenteral feeding of the patient. For this purpose, the gastric probe 2 has a feed hose 4 with a distal end 6 which, in the inserted state, is positioned in the stomach or in the intestine of the patient. Furthermore, the feed hose 4 has a proximal end 8 which, in the inserted state, remains outside the patient. Food, for example, is then supplied from the proximal end 8 for artificial feeding. In the embodiment shown herein, the proximal end 8 of the hose 4 has two accesses 10a, 10b, which can be used to supply different substances. For example, one access 10a is constructed for the attachment of a syringe containing food, and the other access 10b is constructed as an irrigation channel.

[0041] In addition to the feed hose 4 for nasoenteral feeding, the gastric probe 2 has a suction hose 12 for nasopharyngeal suctioning of saliva from the pharynx of the patient. For this purpose, the suction hose 12 has a suction portion 14 at which a number of openings 16 are introduced into the suction hose 12. The suction hose 12 and the suction portion 14 are additionally secured on the feed hose 4 at a portion 18 and are thus fixed in position relative to the latter. The suction hose 12 branches away from the feed hose 4 at the proximal end 8 of the feed hose 4.

[0042] In order to position the suction portion 14 in the pharynx in the inserted state of the gastric probe 2, the suction hose 12 is much shorter than the feed hose 4, so that the suction hose 12 in the inserted state terminates much higher up than the feed hose 4. In the inserted state, the distal end 6 of the gastric probe 2 then lies in the digestive tract of the patient, while the suction portion 14 is positioned in the pharynx of the patient. The suction hose 12 then has a distal end 20, which is at a distance A from the distal end 6 of the feed hose 4.

[0043] In order to illustrate the positioning of the gastric probe 2 in the inserted state, FIG. 1 indicates the respective positions of the pharynx R, the larynx K, the esophagus S and the digestive tract V of the patient. It can be clearly seen that the feed hose 4 extends into the digestive tract V, but the suction hose 12 only reaches as far as the larynx K at most, so that the suction portion 14 is routed through the pharynx R.

[0044] This effectively prevents aspiration, i.e. entry of saliva and general liquids and/or particles into the trachea which (although not shown) begins below the larynx K. A construction is generally also conceivable in which the suction portion 14 extends slightly beyond the larynx, but in particular by not more than approximately 1 cm, in order to provide suction within the entire pharynx R.

[0045] The suction hose 12 has a length L1 of approximately 20 to 25 cm, and the suction portion 14 at the distal end 20 of the suction hose 12 has a length L2 of approximately 5 to 10 cm, in particular 8 cm. By contrast, the feed hose 4 has a length L3, which corresponds to approximately two to three times the length L1 of the suction hose 12.

[0046] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, several length markings 24 are additionally applied to the suction portion 14, for example in the form of colored markings. These markings in this case indicate the distance to a proximal end 22 of the suction hose 12. In order now to space the two distal ends 6, 20 apart from each other in an optimal manner, the suction portion 14 in this case is constructed to be able to be cut to length, specifically in particular at the length markings 24. In order to then take the particular individual anatomical circumstances of a specific patient into account, the suction hose 12 is suitably cut to length prior to the insertion of the gastric probe 2, and an optimal distance A between the two distal ends 6, 20 is set.

[0047] In particular, to make it easier to cut to length, the suction hose 12 in FIG. 1 is partially releasable from the feed hose 4, specifically along the suction portion 14. The latter can then be easily folded away from or lifted away from the feed hose 4 and then cut to length, without damaging the feed hose 4 in so doing.

[0048] The suction hose 12 moreover has an attachment piece (not shown in any detail) at its proximal end 22, to which a suction pump can be attached to permit the suctioning.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a second variant of the gastric probe 2, in which the suction hose 12 is formed by a double-walled configuration of the feed hose 4. In this double-walled configuration, the feed hose 4 has a double-walled portion 26 at which an inner wall 28 separates the feed hose 4 from the suction hose 12. An outer wall 30 of the double-walled portion 26 then forms a delimitation of the suction hose 12 from the environment. The openings 16 are then also disposed on this outer wall 30.

[0050] In the illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the proximal end 22 of the suction hose 12 is additionally provided with length markings 24 which indicate the distance of the respective length marking 24 to the distal end 20 of the suction hose 12. In this way, it is then possible, when pushing the gastric probe 2 into the patient, to read off the length markings 24 so as to determine how far the gastric probe 2 has already been advanced.

[0051] The two illustrated variants of the gastric probe 2 are each free of a cuff. The latter is not required by virtue of the special construction, firstly because the positioning of the suction portion 14 in the pharynx R already greatly reduces the danger of aspiration. Closure of the pharynx R or of the esophagus S by using a cuff does not therefore take place. However, in a non-illustrated alternative, a cuff is applied to the feed hose 4 in the region of the esophagus S.

[0052] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0053] 2 gastric probe [0054] 4 feed hose [0055] 6 distal end of the feed hose [0056] 8 proximal end of the feed hose [0057] 10a, 10b access [0058] 12 suction hose [0059] 14 suction portion [0060] 16 opening [0061] 18 portion [0062] 20 distal end of the suction hose [0063] 22 proximal end of the suction hose [0064] 24 length marking [0065] 26 double-walled portion [0066] 28 inner wall [0067] 30 outer wall [0068] A distance [0069] R pharynx [0070] K larynx [0071] S esophagus [0072] V digestive tract [0073] L1, L2, L3 length