Nasogastric feeding tubes, due to their non-invasive nature are preferred for the long and short term feeding in nursing homes and intensive care units. Occlusion of the feed tubes at unpredictable times and their subsequent removal and placement of a new tube involves considerable expense and runs the risk of trauma in the patient. It was thought that due the checking of the residuals from the stomach which is acidic, the acid pH caused caseinate to clot and buildup a biofilm on the wall. We have now identified another factor in addition to protein adsorption, that may accelerate the clogging phenomena. These are a variety of microbes that thrive on the rich nutrients and colonize the feed tube walls heavily. Some of the microbes clot the feed formula in 24-48 hrs. The phase I will examine coatings that will a) prevent or delay protein caesinate adsorption and b) prevent microbial colonization of the tube material. An invited reactor using selected clinical isolates as infecting species will be used to study the clog phenomena. We will examine the protein adhesion from the acidic feed formula on the coated and uncoated tubes.
Market Size: U.S. - $65 to 100 million. International - $40 - 65 million. Products: Small bore feeding tubes Gastrostomy feeding tubes. Selling Price: Small bore feeding tubes $13 to $18 each. Gastrostomy tubes $30 to $75 each.
