Feeding tubes are very commonly used in medical settings and at home, but current methods for testing these devices have flaws to be improved.
Feeding tubes are a medical device used to provide nutrition to patients who cannot receive nutrition through the mouth, are unable to swallow, or who need nutritional supplementation. Nasojejunal feeding tubes are inserted through the nostril, down the esophagus, through the stomach, through the duodenum and into the jejunum.
Feeding tubes are often needed for conditions such as neurologic disorders, neuromuscular disorders, and digestive disorders. A feeding tube needs to reach the small intestine if a patient is unable to process the nutrition in the stomach. Placement of a nasojejunal feeding tube is non-surgical, and is used for short-term placement (usually less than thirty days) in patients unable to process food in the stomach.
Some conditions that may require a feeding tube are
Neurological - Stroke, Parkinson's, cerebral palsy, ALS, MS
Neuromuscular - Muscular dystrophy, myotonic distrophy
Digestive disorders - Crohn’s disease
Others - Prematurity, mechanical ventilation, eating disorders, cancers of the head and neck
