Patent ID: 9585813
Date: 2017-03-07
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61J

Claim:
1. A feeding tube system comprising: a feeding tube assembly including: a feeding tube having opposite first and second ends and a feeding passage fluidly connecting the first and second ends; an inlet adaptor adjacent the second end of the tube in fluid communication with the feeding passage, the inlet adaptor configured for fluid connection to a source of enteral feeding liquid to fluidly connect the source of enteral feeding liquid to the feeding passage; an imaging assembly including an imaging device, the imaging assembly configured for generating and transmitting imaging signals indicative of images of the alimentary canal of a subject, wherein the imaging assembly is secured to the tube adjacent the first end of the tube and is sealed from the feeding passage to inhibit enteral feeding liquid in the feeding passage from entering the imaging assembly; a feeding outlet intermediate the inlet adaptor and the imaging assembly and in fluid communication with the feeding passage for delivering enteral feeding liquid to the subject; and a console including a display, the console being constructed to be operatively coupled to the feeding tube assembly and configured for receiving imaging signals transmitted by the imaging assembly and displaying images generated from the imaging signals on the display, wherein the console is configured to recognize an approver class of users, and when a user is recognized as being an approver the console authorizes the user to approve placement of the feeding tube by viewing video data or imaging data that is received from the imaging assembly and annotating approval data onto the video data or imaging data received from the imaging assembly, the console being configured to provide a signal that allows operation of a feeding pump upon approval of placement by a recognized approver.