Patent ID: 7695459

Claim:
A nasogastric tube insertion system for inserting a nasogastric tube in a human patient comprising: a guide element for insertion into the patient's stomach with a swallowable weight affixed to an end of a thin elongate element; a nasogastric tube comprising a retaining structure adapted to slidably move along said thin elongate element of the guide element; and an inserter element adapted to engage the end of said guide element to enable insertion of said guide element through a patient's nasal passages and into the patient's oropharynx; wherein the inserter element comprises a curved insertion section which is configured to follow a curved insertion path through the nasal passages of the patient, wherein the curved insertion section is constructed with a curve that generally conforms to the anatomy of the patient's nasal passages and the curved insertion path; wherein the curved insertion section is adapted to be inserted, with the guide element, along the curved insertion path, through the patient's nasal passages, and to the patient's oropharynx to position the swallowable weight of the guide element in the patient's oropharynx; wherein the guide element is separately insertable into the patient's stomach prior to the nasogastric tube.