# US 2014/0194823 A1 · Kink-Resistant Tubing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194823 A1 - Document ID: US20140194823A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/138,780 - Filed: 2013-12-23 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-23 - Assignees: Applied Medical Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Applied Medical Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Grant W. Phillips; Derek M. Williams; George J. Picha - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194823A1 ## CPC - A61J 15/0003: {Nasal or oral feeding-tubes, e.g. tube entering body through nose or mouth} - A61J 15/0015: {Gastrostomy feeding-tubes (insertion tools or methods A61B17/34)} - A61J 15/0069: {Tubes feeding directly to the intestines, e.g. to the jejunum} - A61J 15/0073: {Multi-lumen tubes} - A61M 25/0009: {Making of catheters or other medical or surgical tubes} - A61M 25/005: {with embedded materials for reinforcement, e.g. wires, coils, braids} - A61M 2025/0059: {having means for preventing the catheter, sheath or lumens from collapsing due to outer forces, e.g. compressing forces, or caused by twisting or kinking} - A61J: CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract Tubing for use in gastrointestinal applications includes a hollow tube and a spring positioned inside the tube. The spring is corrosion resistant and helps to prevent kinking of the tubing when the tubing is bent. An encapsulant may be positioned over the spring. The spring may be co-extruded with the tubing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Tubing for use in gastrointestinal applications comprising: a hollow tube; and a spring coupled to the tube; wherein the spring is corrosion resistant and helps to prevent kinking of the tubing when the tubing is bent. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The tubing of claim 1, wherein the spring is positioned against an inner diameter of the hollow tube and further comprising an encapsulant positioned over the tubing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The tubing of claim 1, wherein the spring is made of a stainless steel or a polymeric material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The tubing of claim 1, wherein the tubing is a made of a silicone material, a polyurethane material, or a polymeric material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The tubing of claim 1, wherein the tubing has a substantially round inner diameter, or the tubing does not have a substantially round interior surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The tubing of claim 1, wherein the spring is positioned in the hollow tube during a tube extrusion manufacturing process such that the spring is embedded in a wall of the tubing, or the spring is positioned in the hollow tube during a post-extrusion process. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The tubing of claim 1, wherein the hollow tube includes multiple lumens in a single tube, and the spring is associated with one or more of the lumens. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The tubing of claim 1, further comprising a G-J button coupled to the hollow tube at one end thereof. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The tubing of claim 7, wherein the multiple lumens include a first gastric lumen, a second jejunal lumen, and a third lumen. ### Claim 10 A kink-resistant tubing comprising: a tubing wall; and a spring positioned one of inside the tubing wall or adjacent an interior surface of the tubing wall, wherein the spring helps to deter the tubing from kinking when bent. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The tubing of claim 10, wherein when the spring is positioned inside the tubing wall, the spring is incorporated into the tubing wall during an extrusion manufacturing process of the tubing, or when the spring is positioned adjacent the tubing wall, the spring is added to the tubing after the extrusion process has been completed. ### Claim 12 A multi-lumen feeding tube that is coupled to a G-J button comprising: a multi-lumen tube having at least two lumens at a proximal end thereof and at least one lumen at a distal end thereof, with the lumens comprising at least a gastric lumen and a jejunal lumen; and a spring positioned along at least part of the length of the multi-lumen tube in order to provide a kink-resistant feature to the feeding tube. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The feeding tube of claim 12, wherein the gastric and jejunal lumens are about the same length and further comprising a jejunal tube inserted into the jejunal lumen, with the jejunal tube having a length that is greater than the length of the gastric and jejunal lumens and the spring being positioned along at least part of the length of the jejunal tube. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The feeding tube of claim 13, wherein the jejunal tube has a cone-shaped portion at a proximal end thereof and the cone-shaped portion is formed integrally with or in a post-processing step. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The feeding tube of claim 14, wherein the cone-shaped portion is made of a higher durometer material than the material of the tube and the tube is inserted into an opening in the G-J button into the jejunal lumen such that the cone-shaped portion seats in the G-J button to couple the jejunal tube to the jejunal lumen and G-J button. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The feeding tube of claim 12, wherein the spring is coupled to the jejunal lumen of the multi-lumen tube and the jejunal lumen has a length that is greater than the gastric lumen, with the spring extending along at least part of the length of the jejunal lumen or along substantially all of the length of the jejunal lumen. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The feeding tube of claim 16, wherein the spring is coextruded with the jejunal lumen such that the spring is embedded in the wall of the jejunal lumen. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The feeding tube of claim 12, wherein the spring is coupled to the outer wall of the multi-lumen tube such that the spring is co-extruded with the outer wall of the multi-lumen tube. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The feeding tube of claim 18, wherein the multi-lumen tube has a substantially constant outer diameter along its length, and the multi-lumen tube has at least a gastric lumen and a jejunal lumen, with the gastric lumen having a length that is less than a length of the jejunal lumen, and the spring extends along part or all of the length of the jejunal lumen.