Patent Application
20110319828
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The invention endeavors to aid in the comfort of critically ill, terminally ill and other patients that are unable to obtain nourishment via the mouth; and therefore must rely on a plastic feeding tube through their abdomen into their stomach. Since the feeding tube is permanently attached to the patient, there is no known utility to keep the tube from flopping around or becoming caught on obstacles other than to tape the loose end of the tube to the patient's skin. Regardless of the texture of the tape continued use of tape causes irritation and possible infection to the abdomen skin, which may become severe on the more elderly and especially bed-ridden patients. For younger patients that require a feeding tube for nourishment the bulge of the loose or taped down tube is distressing and embarrassing often causing emotional stress.
The object of this invention is to resolve problems associated with a loose or dangling feeding tube, which cause abdomen irritation and possible infection as well as emotional stress from the tube's unsightly bulge. The feeding tube pouch is made of soft washable cotton material and contains a re-enforced circular opening. The feeding tube is inserted in this opening. The utility is positioned next the abdomen tube insertion point and the tube fully extended. The feeding tube pouch contains two sets of tying straps to position the feeding tube pouch against the waist to the comfort of the patient. Next, the extended feeding tube is inserted or tucked in the pocket section of the feeding tube pouch and removed from sight and/or possible entanglement with obstacles. More importantly, there is no irritation to the patient's abdomen skin leading to possible infections. When the feeding tube is required for the patient's nourishment the feeding tube pouch is removed in the reverse order listed above. It is suggested that a patient would need two or more such feeding tube pouches to permit washing and cleaning to satisfy needs of proper sanitary conditions.
A drawing has been attached to this specification to visualize the feeding tube pouch.
The material used for the feeding tube pouch is a double layer of off-white lightweight cotton knit. The total length of the utility omitting the tying straps on each corner is twenty (20) inches and the width is six (6) inches. The re-enforced circular opening is center positioned nine (9) inches from the outward facing right side of the utility and eleven (11) inches from the outward facing left portion of the utility. The pocket is on the outward facing left of the pouch and extends ten (10) inches length and six (6) inches in width. The tying straps lengths are from ten (10) inches to twenty (20) inches each as required to fit the girth of the patient. Manufacture of the utility may consist of three sizes of straps, e.g. small, medium and large. The feeding tube is extended thru the orifice of the utility and the utility positioned flat against the patient's abdomen where the feeding tube has been surgery implanted. The utility is tied modestly snug to the patient's girth by the straps. The extended feeding tube is then inserted or tucked in the utility pocket on the patient's left side. With the availability of the lightweight cotton knit material the feeding tube pouch can be assembled using a standard home type sewing machine with appropriate attachments. Following a template, a person with basic sewing skills can prepare the feeding tube pouch approximately thirty (30) minutes. The design of this utility can be adapted to clothing or other such manufacturing processes with little difficulty. The production procedure is straightforward and simple. The best mode contemplated for the production of the utility would be one or more semi-skilled sewing machine operators to produce the feeding tube pouch in either a home office or small business environment.
