Fistula catheter

#The present disclosure relates to a fistula catheter which is used to supply fluids such as liquid food or nutrients into a patient's alimentary canal.

#It is conventional practice to make use of a fistula catheter in order to administer enteral feeding for supplying liquid food or nutrients etc. to persons (referred to hereinafter as “patient(s)”) who have a reduced capacity to ingest food orally under their own power, due to advanced age or illness. When enteral feeding is administered, a fistula (gastric fistula) is established in the patient's abdomen region, a fistula catheter is fitted into the fistula, and liquid food etc. is supplied to the patient through the fistula catheter.

#Fistula catheters which are used for administering enteral feeding can be broadly divided into what are known as tube-type and button-type according to the shape of the body-external fixing member which is disposed on the body surface. Tube-type fistula catheters have a longer tube on the body surface side than button-type fistula catheters, and therefore it is a simple matter to connect this tube with a supply tube connected to a nutrient bag containing nutrients etc. However, the long tube of a fistula catheter remains permanently on the patient's body surface, and therefore the tube may form a bulge under clothing, which is unattractive, or the tube may obstruct operations.

#Various exemplary embodiments of the presently disclosed fistula catheter will be described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

#FIG. 1 is an oblique view of the fistula catheter according to Mode of Embodiment 1;

#FIG. 2 is an oblique view seen from another direction of the fistula catheter according to Mode of Embodiment 1;

#Mode of Embodiment 1

#FIG. 1 is an oblique view of a fistula catheter 10 according to Mode of Embodiment 1; FIG. 2 is an oblique view seen from another direction of the same fistula catheter 10; and FIG. 3 is a schematic view in cross section of the main parts of the same fistula catheter 10. FIG. 4 is a general view showing fluid being supplied to a patient using the fistula catheter 10 according to Mode of Embodiment 1. In the following description, for the sake of convenience, the upper side of the drawing in FIG. 3 will be described as the upper side of the fistula catheter 10 and the lower side of the drawing in FIG. 3 will be described as the lower side of the fistula catheter 10. It should be noted that in the figures, the size relationships among the members may differ from the actual size relationships.

#As shown in FIG. 4, the fistula catheter 10 is fitted in a fistula 63 which is formed in the abdominal wall 61 and the wall of the alimentary canal (the stomach wall 62 or the intestinal wall etc.), and it is used to supply a fluid such as liquid food or nutrients contained in a nutrient bag 40 to the stomach or intestines of a patient through a supply tube 50. The fistula catheter 10 and the supply tube 50 are connected to each other by linking a connector member 3 provided on the fistula catheter 10 with a connector member 51 provided on the supply tube 50.