Medical apparatus and method for feeding and aspirating

Claim 2

In an apparatus for feeding a solution to a patient''s stomach, said apparatus including tube means having tube opening means for positioning within a patient''s stomach and feed means connected to said tube means for feeding a solution through said tube and tube opening means, the improvement comprising; pressure sensing means for sensing pressure within the patient''s stomach to signal an overpressure condition to stop said feed means, means for automatically stopping said feed means in response to said pressure sensing means sensing such overpressure condition, and means for delaying stoppage of said feed means until said pressure sensing means senses such overpressure condition for a predetermined period of time.

Claim 3

The improvement of claim 1 wherein said means for delaying stoppage of said feed means comprises delay means for delaying signalling of an overpressure condition until said pressure sensing means senses such overpressure condition for a predetermined period of time.

Claim 4

In an apparatus for feeding a solution to a patient''s stomach, said apparatus including tube means having tube opening means for positioning within a patient''s stomach and feed means connected to said tube means for feeding a solution through said tube and tube opening means, the improvement comprising; pressure sensing means for sensing pressure within the patient''s stomach to signal an overpressure condition to stop said feed means, and aspirating means connected to said tube means for applying suction to aspirate patient''s stomach in response to said pressure sensing means sensing such overpressure condition.

Claim 5

In an apparatus for feeding a solution to a patient''s stomach, said apparatus including tube means having tube opening means for positioning within a patient''s stomach and feed means connected to said tube means for feeding a solution through said tube and tube opening means, the improvement comprising; pressure sensing means for sensing pressure within the patient''s stomach to signal an overpressure condition to stop said feed means, and aspirating means connected to said tube means for applying suction to aspirate patient''s stomach in response to said pressure sensing means sensing such overpressure condition.

Claim 6

The improvemeNt of claim 3 further including delay means for delaying signalling of such overpressure condition until said pressure sensing means senses such overpressure condition for a predetermined period of time.

Claim 7

The improvement of claim 3 wherein said pressure sensing means is connected for automatically stopping said feed means when such overpressure condition is sensed.

Claim 8

The improvement of claim 5 further including delay means for delaying stoppage of said feed means until said pressure sensing means senses such overpressure condition for a predetermined period of time.

Claim 9

The improvement of claim 5 further comprising means for automatically starting said aspirating means in response to said pressure sensing means sensing such overpressure condition as aforesaid.

Claim 10

The improvement of claim 7 further including delay means for delaying stoppage of said feed means and starting of said aspirating means until said pressure sensing means senses such overpressure condition for a predetermined period of time.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 3 further including aspirating timing means for stopping operation of said aspirating means after a predetermined period of time, and irrigating feed means for feeding irrigating fluid through said tube and tube opening means to clear said tube and tube opening means of any foreign material upon stoppage of said aspirating means.

Claim 12

The improvement of claim 9 wherein said irrigating feed means pulses a small supply of irrigating fluid for a short period of time, and pressure checking means is provided for checking pressure within a patient''s stomach after operation of said irrigating feed means.

Claim 13

The improvement of claim 10 wherein said pressure checking means is connected automatically starting said feed means when such overpressure condition is not present.

Claim 14

The improvement of claim 10 wherein said pressure checking means is connected for automatically starting said aspirating means when such overpressure condition is present.

Claim 15

Apparatus for feeding or aspirating relative to a patient''s stomach comprising; tube means having tube opening means for positioning in a patient''s stomach, feed means connected to said tube means for feeding a feeding solution through said tube and tube opening means, aspirating means connected to said tube means for applying suction to said tube means to aspirate a patient''s stomach through said tube means, and pressure sensing means for sensing pressure within a patient''s stomach to signal an overpressure condition to stop said feed means, and selective control means for selectively connecting either said feed means or said aspirating means for operation.

Claim 16

Apparatus for feeding or aspirating relative to a patient''s stomach comprising; tube means having tube opening means for positioning in a patient''s stomach, feed means connected to said tube means for feeding a feeding solution through said tube and tube opening means, aspirating means connected to said tube means for applying suction to said tube means to aspirate a patient''s stomach through said tube means, and pressure sensing means for sensing pressure within a patient''s stomach to signal an overpressure condition to stop said feed means, and selective control means for selectively connecting either said feed means or said aspirating means for operation.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 13 further including means for automatically stopping said feed means when such overpressure condition is sensed and said selective control means is connected with said feed means, and means for automatically starting said aspirating means when such overpressure condition is sensed.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 13 further including timing means for timing operation of said aspirating means, and irrigating means for pulsing a supply of irrigating fluid through said tube and tube opening means to clear said tube and tube opening means of any foreign material upon stoppage of said aspirating means.

Claim 19

Apparatus for aspirating and irrigating a patient''s stomach comprising; tube means having tube opening means for positioning within a patient''s stomach, aspirating means connected to said tube means for aspirating a patient''s stomach through said tube and tube opening means, and pressure sensing means for sensing pressure within a patient''s stomach to signal an overpressure condition to stop said feed means, and timing means connected to said aspirating means for timing operation of said aspirating means to stop operation of said aspirating means after a predetermined period of time, and irrigating means connected to said tube means for pulsing a supply of irrigating fluid through said tuBe and tube opening means to clear said tube and tube opening means of any foreign material upon stoppage of said aspirating means.

Claim 20

Apparatus for aspirating and irrigating a patient''s stomach comprising; tube means having tube opening means for positioning within a patient''s stomach, aspirating means connected to said tube means for aspirating a patient''s stomach through said tube and tube opening means, and pressure sensing means for sensing pressure within a patient''s stomach to signal an overpressure condition to stop said feed means, and timing means connected to said aspirating means for timing operation of said aspirating means to stop operation of said aspirating means after a predetermined period of time, and irrigating means connected to said tube means for pulsing a supply of irrigating fluid through said tuBe and tube opening means to clear said tube and tube opening means of any foreign material upon stoppage of said aspirating means.

Claim 25

The method of claim 18 wherein the step of aspirating is carried out for a predetermined time, and is followed by the step of pulsing a small supply of irrigating fluid to the patient''s stomach.

Claim 26

The method of claim 18 further including the step of checking pressure within the patient''s stomach after aspirating, and subsequently either feeding a solution or aspirating depending upon whether the sensed pressure is a normal pressure condition or an overpressure condition.