FR2465657A1 - Dry foodstuff contg. plastics bag - provided for tubes for introducing water and discharging soln. or dispersion of contents - Google Patents

Abstract

A bag contg. a dry foodstuff in a form which is easily soluble or dispersible in water is made of a water-compermeable material and is provided with means for adding water to the foodstuff and means for extracting a soln. or suspension of the foodstuff from the bag. The bag is pref. made of a transparent thermoplastic material e.g. PVC, polyethylene or polypropylene. Means for adding water pref. comprises a tube which can be cut and provided with a cork and means for removing the soln. or suspension pref. comprise a drop counter. Used for feeding sick people via a tube connected to the bag and passing through the patient's mouth or nose to the stomach. Contamination is prevented.

Description

 The present invention relates to a new formulation and presentation of food products.

The feeding of patients who are, for one reason or another (for example because they are unconscious), unable or refusing to feed themselves, has long been a considerable problem. This problem has, in part, been resolved by the use of intravenous dropper, and also by the administration of a solution or suspension of a suitable food product directly to the stomach (or to parts downstream of the route tube) The tube can be passed through the mouth of the patient or preferably through the nose of the patient. Conventionally, such solutions or suspensions have been made, and then, cultured after storage, transferred to a plastic bag and from there, by means of a tube, administered to the patient. However, this procedure involves a considerable risk of contamination. of food product by bacteria or other harmful substances, associated with the containers used to prepare the solution or suspension. It has now been found that this problem can be solved by means of a bag containing the dry food product.

According to the present invention, a bag is made of waterproof material and containing a dry food nodlit in a form easily soluble or dispersible in water, the bag being equipped with members for adding water to the food noduct. and gold ganes to extract a solution or suspension of the food product from the bag.

 The bag is preferably made of a plastic material, for example a flexible plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene or polypropylene. The material is also preferably easily sterilizable and conveniently is transparent to allow easy verification of the amount of liquid in the bag.

The organs for adding water to the bag can be a short tube. It is preferable that the tube is an airtight tube to prevent the escape of unwanted material during transport or storage. It is also preferable that the heral tube can be easily cut, for example using a knife or a pair of scissors, and is fitted with a plug which can be used to seal the cut tube.

 The organs for extracting the solution or overvoltage from the bag are preferably conventional organs for the extraction of solutions or suspensions from similar bags, for example a dropper.

 The organs for extracting the solution or suspension from the bag are arranged to be connected to a tube going to the stomach of the patient.

 The bag has other equity of organs allowing it to be suspended, such as a hook or an eyelet. The bag can also be provided with graduations indicating the volume of liquid it contains.

 The food product inside the bag cannot be a simple food, for example a sugar, but is preferably a balanced mixture of foods.

Thus, the food product preferably comprises a mixture of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. These new constituents can be supplied tar all a variety of ingredients, some of which contain two or more constituents. Thus, suitable ingredients include sugars, such as sucrose and dextrose; skim milk; casein; liver ; vegetable fats; yeast; rice flour; carrots ; malt; soy flour; wheat flour; eggs ; wheat germ; of honey ; carob flour; are my edibles and suspending agents, for example gum arabic, guar gum, sodium algingate, sodium carrageenate and soy lecithin; and acceptable essences, for example almond essence. The ingredients of the food product can contain in themselves all of the desired trace elements (for example sodium, potassium, chlorine, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and iron) and all the desired vitamins (for example vitamins B1, B2 , B6, PP, B12, K3, A, panthotenic acid and carotene) or additional sources of these elements and new vitamins to be incorporated into the food. It is credible that the food product contains about 15 to 25% , preferably 20t, by weight of protein; from 8 to 14 ?, preferably about 11C 'by weight of fat; and from 55 to 75C, preferably 63 - by weight of carbohydrate. The food product is preferably in finely divided or granular form so that it can be easily dissolved or dispersed in water.

 It is preferable that each bag contains about 200 to 00, conveniently 250 to 500 calories of food product. By using one or more bags, the patient can receive the appropriate food.

 The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which identical reference numbers designate identical elements in the different views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a closed bag.

 Frying 2 represents a side elevation of an open bag into which water is poured.

FIG. 3 represents the closed bag which is kneaded to obtain a suspension of the content.

 In the figures, the bag 1 of transparent plastic material containing a re-represented renon dry food product) is provided with a closed water introduction tube 2 The tube 2 is cut to allow water 3 to be poured (optionally via a sterile funnel 4) into the bag 1. The bag 1 is also provided with a stopper 5 which is intended to be introduced into the cut introduction tube 6.

The bag 1 is also provided with graduations 7 (which indicate the volume of liquid in the bag) and with a dropper 8 intended to be connected to the tube (not shown) leading to the stomach of the patient.

 In use, the tube 2 is cut, hot water free of bacteria (at about 60 ° C.) is poured through the sterilized funnel 4 and the cut tube 5 into the bag. The plug 5 is introduced into the tube and the bag 1 is kneaded to obtain a suspension of the food product. Water is further added to obtain the desired volume and, after recapping, the bag is again kneaded. 0. some drops of liquid are then allowed to escape from the dropper 8, which is then connected to the tube leading to the stomach of the patient.

Claims (9)

RR.VEtTDICATIONS  1 - Bag, characterized in that it is made of waterproof material and containing a dry food product in a form easily soluble or dispersible in water, the bag being equipped for adding water the food product and organs for extracting a solution or suspension of the food product from the bag, 2 - Bag according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made of transparent plastic. 3 - Bag according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the members for adding to the bag comprise a tube which can be cut, equipped with a plug.  4 - Bag according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the members for removing the solution or suspension from the bag comprise a dropper.  5 - Bag according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the food product is a Lan3e of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. 6 - Bag according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the food product comprises trace elements and vitamins.  7 - Bag according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the food product contains from 15 to 25 'by weight of protein, from 8 to 14 ;; by weight of fat and 55 to 751 'of carbohydrates.  8 - Bag according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the food product is in finely divided or granular form,  9 - Bag according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it contains from 200 to 600 calories of food product.