The Gabriel Feeding Tube

The Gabriel® Feeding Tube with Balloon is an innovative system that facilitates enteral feeding access. Once the feeding tube is inside the patient's stomach, the Gabriel Feeding Tube with Balloon uses the body's natural mechanics of peristalsis to advance the tube to the optimal location for safe enteral feeding. 

 Enteral feeding tubes historically have been associated with rare but serious complications.  Feeding tube misplacement in the lung, although rare (2%), is associated with high mortality rate (50%).  An ideal feeding tube should minimize tracheal misplacement and allow early gastric feeding with high potential for post-pyloric migration.     The Gabriel Feeding Tube with Balloon (GFTB) was developed by Dr. Sabry Gabriel with support from the United States Department of Defense to accomplish these goals.  

The GFTB has a balloon at its distal end.  It is inserted through the patient’s topically anesthetized nostril.  At the 30 cm depth mark (mid-esophagus), the balloon is inflated (using the syringe provided).  If the patient’s pulse oximetry does not drop, esophageal placement, rather than lung or tracheal placement, is confirmed within a few seconds. The tube is then advanced to the 70 cm mark, and the stiffening stylet is pulled out gradually as you advance more of the tube to the 100 cm mark. The stylet is removed and the tube is secured at the nose. The tube’s distal end balloon is deflated after 48 hours.

The tube wall is thin and flexible, but does not occlude by kinking, as it is reinforced with a spiral wire. This feature allows for placement of ample slack of the tube in the stomach and feeding without occlusion by kinking. Tube distal migration occurs by the natural effect of peristalsis on the bolus-sized balloon. The tube is packaged with a “convenience kit” that includes a numbing gel, applicator for the numbing gel, lubricant gel, syringe, skin adhesive and securing tape to save time during bedside placement