Patent ID: 8551043

Claim:
An internal bolster assembly for attachment to a catheter including a bolster control lumen and an enteral lumen, the internal bolster comprising: a stiffening tip including a passage formed therein, the stiffening tip attached to a distal end portion of the catheter so that the passage is at least partially aligned with the enteral lumen, an outer diameter of the stiffening tip matching an outer diameter of the catheter where attached; and an elongate body including: a first end portion extending through a portion of the passage such that a first end of the elongate body is interposed within the passage between the distal end portion of the catheter and the stiffening tip when the stiffening tip is attached to the catheter such that the first end of the elongate body is held in place by the distal end portion of the catheter and the stiffening tip, a second end portion for attachment to a bonding site, the bonding site being located between a distal end of the stiffening tip and a proximal end of the catheter, and an inflatable portion extending entirely from the distal end of the stiffening tip to the bonding site to define an inflation chamber, the inflation chamber being configured to be in fluid communication with the bolster control lumen of the catheter so that the inflatable portion distends in response to an inflation pressure delivered by the bolster control lumen.