Description:
Trans abdominal intragastric tube
Sanford Tech ID: 0028-01
Invention Summary
0028-01 is a variation on the percutaneous gastrostomy tube (PEG), allowing the PEG to be low profile in adults. The invention calls for a sleeve with wings to be incorporated onto the standard PEG tube. After trans abdominal placement of the tube, a locking plate is snapped together at the skin level around the tube, effectively pinching these wings and keeping the feeding tube from falling back into the stomach. This allows for the traditional 12 to 18 inches of redundant tube to be cut off at the locking plate. A cap with the standard feeding ports is then inserted, thus creating a low-profile feeding system.
Value Proposition
• Potential to reduce costs by preventing PEG tube dislodgment in bed-ridden patients
• More comfortable for ambulatory patients
• Simple to perform and falls within the normal work flow of PEG insertion
• Sleeve, locking plate and cap can be incorporated with off-the-shelf PEG tubes
Market Opportunity
Approximately 300,000 PEG tubes are placed in the U.S. annually. A low-profile PEG tube design has potential benefit for both ambulatory and non-ambulatory patients. Ambulatory patients may experience a more comfortable and lifestyle-friendly feeding system, and non-ambulatory patients may experience safety benefits with elimination of the redundant tubing. This low-profile, add-on feature for PEG feeding systems will differentiate a product that has begun to be seen as a commodity.
Intellectual Property
The PCT utility patent application has been filed.
Development Status
CAD drawings are complete. The next step is to create a prototype.