Microvasive, Inc.

Abbott Labs.

Michael P Manzo

Arnold S Gould

Michael A Ciannella

Barry A Sacks

An enteral feeding catheter is characterized by being adapted for introduction through the mouth via a guidewire that extends from the mouth through the esophagus, stomach and abdominal puncture. The catheter has a relatively stiff leading portion of length sufficient to extend along the guidewire from the mouth through the abdominal puncture and of stiffness sufficient to permit it to be pushed along the guidewire, at least an initial length of the catheter being tapered to a narrow leading tip to enable the puncture to be dilated as its drawn therethrough. The catheter also has a relatively soft, large diameter trailing portion connected to the leading portion adapted to be drawn along said guidewire by grasping and pulling the stiff leading portion until the leading end of the soft portion extends outside the body through the widened puncture, while the trailing end remains in the stomach, whereby the relatively soft trailing portion can serve as a conduit for enteric feeding. A method of placing the device for enteral feeding is described, as is a retractable locking device of special configuration for use with the soft portion of this catheter, or others, the lock providing a relatively large, compared to the opening in an associated retainer, fixed protuberance about the catheter to prevent passage of the catheter through the opening absent application of abnormally high pulling force.

Enteral feeding device

A microbiological specimen sampling device capable of operation by one hand to both expose the sample collector and obtain contamination-free specimens consists of a catheter assembly including: an outer catheter and an inner catheter, each having distal and proximal ends, a sample collector disposed generally within the inner catheter and having operating structure for extending the sample collector beyond the distal ends of the catheters to obtain a sample, and a removable, water soluble plug engaging and sealing a portion of the outer catheter in a position between the distal ends of the outer and inner catheters. The device also includes structure for moving the outer catheter axially with respect to the inner catheter consisting of a first handle member at the proximal end of the outer catheter, and a second handle member at the proximal end of the inner catheter and located proximally of the first handle member, the handle members defining respective surfaces adapted and arranged for operating engagement by different digits of one hand of an operator to be drawn together to cause relative axial movement of the inner and outer catheters to dislodge the plug from the outer catheter by pushing-out motion of the inner catheter, and the device includes structure for operation of the sampling device by a digit of the same hand while grasping the proximal end of the catheter assembly.

Microbiological specimen sampling device

A tissue-penetrating catheter device for use within the body consists of: an outer catheter assembly including an outer catheter having distal and proximal ends, and a terminal member joined to the proximal end; an inner catheter assembly including an inner catheter extending within the outer catheter and having distal and proximal ends, and defining a conduit therethrough, a fluid connector at the proximal end for connecting the conduit to a fluid flow device, and a tissue-penetrating element, e.g., a needle, at the distal end sized to enter the distal end of the outer catheter. Also included are: structure for moving the inner catheter axially with respect to the outer catheter in a manner to move the needle axially between a protected position in which the tissue-penetrating means is disposed within the outer catheter and a projected position with the needle projecting beyond the outer catheter, exposed to enter tissue; and a pair of cooperating stop surfaces associated with respective portions of the catheter assemblies for limiting the distance of relative distal axial movement of the catheters. One of the stop surfaces is carried by a presettable, axially adjustable member capable of being selectably positioned along its catheter assembly to enable the physician to preselect the amount of projection of the needle from the outer catheter when the inner catheter assembly is moved to projected position.

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Southboro, MA, United States of America

Michael P Manzo