Method and apparatus for assisting, checking, and confirming nasogastric and orogastric tube insertion and placement

A kit for assisting in, checking, and confirming placement of a distal portion of a lumen of a gastric tube in a stomach of a mammal, the kit comprising:

• a gastric tube comprising a lumen with an entrance, a passageway, and a distal portion;
• a long, thin, flexible medical apparatus comprising an elongate body portion of flexible material, the body portion with a proximal end and a distal end, a handle portion fixed to the proximal end of the body portion, a distal tip portion fixed to the distal end of the body portion wherein the body portion and the distal tip portion together form a long, thin, flexible structure with a length for being selectively received into the passageway of the lumen of the gastric tube, and a pH indicator sensor array retained by the long, thin, flexible structure formed by the body portion and the distal tip portion wherein the pH indicator sensor array comprises a first pH indicator sensor with a pH indicator calibrated to exhibit a verifiable response to contact with a predetermined subject fluid;
• wherein the long, thin, flexible medical apparatus is adapted for being selectively inserted into and removed from the passageway of the lumen of the gastric tube whereby an ability to insert the body portion and the distal tip portion into the passageway in the lumen of the gastric tube over the length of the long, thin, flexible structure provides a positive indication that the lumen is not blocked, obstructed, or otherwise compromised over the length of the long, thin, flexible structure and whereby, when the long, thin, flexible medical apparatus is inserted into and removed from the passageway of the lumen of the gastric tube, the verifiable response or lack of the verifiable response of the pH indicator will positively indicate whether the pH indicator sensor has made contact with the predetermined subject fluid.