Nasogastric tubes

A method of shaping a nasogastric tube having a proximal end and a distal end portion comprising:

• moving an outer tube with respect to an inner element such that distal end portions of the outer tube and inner element form desired shapes corresponding to the interior anatomy of a living being independent of the actual shape of said anatomy, said outer tube being sized to be inserted in a nasal passage of the living being, said outer tube being sufficiently long to extend from the exterior of said living being through the nasal passage to a stomach of said living being, said outer tube being sufficiently flexible to adapt to the shape of passages through which it extends to said stomach, said outer tube having a distal end portion, a proximal end, and a passage extending therethrough;
• said inner element being disposed in said outer tube and extending therethrough so that the distal end portion of the inner element is at least adjacent the distal end of the outer tube during shaping, said inner element being movable with respect to the outer tube so that the outer tube and inner element interact to vary the shape of the distal end portion of the nasogastric tube as required by the interior anatomy of said living being, said distal end portion of the outer tube being curved or curvable to define a plane and the inner element being curved or curvable to define a plane.