Wilson-cook Medical Incorporated

Mark DeLegge

Ronald D Russo

Rebecca C Gibbs

Rebecca Copenhaver

Gastrostomy ports are disclosed for reliably providing enteral feeding to a patient over long periods of time. Gastrostomy ports shown herein provide one-way valves which include a resilient valve member which is compressively fitted within a receiving cavity defined by a rigid compression collar. The valve member has a diaphragm portion defining a slit. The compression collar presses inwardly against the outer peripheral edge of the diaphragm portion to apply laterally compressive forces which bias the slit toward a normally closed position. Gastrostomy ports are further shown for accessing the interior of a body cavity or organ which are self retaining and resist inadvertent pull-out but can be atraumatically implanted and removed. The devices include a retaining element which is resiliently deformable between a normally enlarged state for retention and a collapsed state for insertion and removal through a stoma and are provided with means for controllably biasing the element toward a longitudinal axis for collapsing the element. Still additional embodiments are disclosed which provide for the direct conversion of an implanted PEG tube into a low profile feeding port, and which further provide for the direct secure connection to an enteral feeding tube adapter.

Gastrostomy feeding ports

Gastrostomy feeding ports are disclosed which remain positively sealed after repeated and extensive use. In one embodiment, a valve housing defines an inner passageway to provide fluid communication into a long term indwelling catheter and includes a rigid compression collar portion which defines a valve member receiving cavity within the inner passageway. The resilient valve member has an outer peripheral edge which generally conforms in shape to the valve member receiving cavity but is larger in dimension than the cavity when uncompressed. The resilient valve member also includes an outer wall portion which extends away from the outer peripheral edge of the diaphragm portion and which generally conforms in shape to the cavity. The resilient valve member is compressively fitted within the receiving cavity by the advancing of the outer wall portion into said cavity to thereby cause the outer peripheral edge to be compressed in dimension to fit within the cavity, with the compression collar pressing inwardly against the outer peripheral edge of the diaphragm portion to apply laterally compressive forces which bias the slit toward a normally closed position. Additional embodiments are disclosed which provide for the direct conversion of an implanted PEG tube into a low profile feeding port, and which further provide for the direct secure connection to an enteral feeding tube adapter.

Growing community of inventors

Davidson, NC, United States of America

Mark DeLegge