The feeding tube no one can see
The Alsteni System™ anchors inside the mouth using orthodontic-grade components and retracts completely between uses. No tube on the face. No surgical opening. A fundamentally new approach to enteral feeding.
Patients who depend on enteral nutrition skip family gatherings, avoid photographs, and eat alone — not because the devices fail medically, but because the experience is intolerable. The visibility and discomfort of traditional tubes lead many to withdraw from daily life, and some to refuse treatment altogether. Today's options force an impossible choice: a nasogastric tube taped across the face, or a gastrostomy tube — a surgical opening in the abdomen. In more than four decades, no fundamentally new approach has reached patients.
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Taped across the face — visible to everyone
A prospective study found 53% of NG tube patients reported significant body image disturbance, with many describing feelings of shame, embarrassment, and social withdrawal directly linked to the tube's facial visibility.
Ojo et al., Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 2019
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Dislodges regularly, requiring reinsertion
NG tube displacement rates range from 21–58% across published studies. Each reinsertion carries risk of misplacement into the lungs, with reported rates of pulmonary insertion between 1.3–2.4% — a potentially fatal complication.
Sparks et al., Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 2011; Metheny et al., American Journal of Critical Care, 2019
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Patients report avoiding social situations and public spaces
Qualitative research shows tube-fed patients consistently describe social isolation as a primary burden — avoiding restaurants, declining invitations, and eating in private. Visibility is cited as the leading reason patients decline NG tubes.
Brotherton et al., Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 2006; ASPEN Clinical Guidelines, 2024
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Requires a surgical opening in the abdomen
PEG placement carries a procedure-related mortality rate of 0.5–2% and a 30-day mortality as high as 24% in certain elderly populations. Despite being intended as "temporary," many patients retain PEG tubes for years due to the invasiveness of removal.
Defined for removal: Rahnemai-Azar et al., International Journal of General Medicine, 2014; Janes et al., BMJ, 2005
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Daily wound care and ongoing infection risk at the stoma site
Peristomal wound infections occur in 4–30% of PEG patients, making it the most common complication. Other risks include buried bumper syndrome (0.3–2.4%), peritonitis, and tube migration — each requiring additional clinical intervention.
Blumenstein et al., World Journal of Gastroenterology, 2014; Hucl & Spicak, Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology, 2016
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Permanent scarring, even after removal
After PEG removal, persistent gastrocutaneous fistula occurs in up to 44% of patients, often requiring surgical closure. All patients are left with a visible scar. For patients whose underlying condition resolves, the physical reminder of the tube remains indefinitely.
Löser et al., Endoscopy, 2005 (ESPEN Guideline); Gordon & Lovat, Frontline Gastroenterology, 2019
Three steps. Then it disappears.
A routine dental visit. A bedside placement. Then nothing visible — anywhere. The Alsteni System is designed so that between uses, there is no indication a patient is tube-fed.
Grounded in published, peer-reviewed research.
The Alsteni System builds on a foundation of IRB-approved clinical research published in peer-reviewed journals. Our work is transparent, our data is public, and our next study is in development.
Beale et al., 2020 — Nutrition & Diabetes
Journal: Nutrition & Diabetes (Nature Portfolio) · PMID: 32555148
Design: IRB-approved feasibility study evaluating an intraorally-anchored feeding tube in adults.
Key finding: The study completed 334 tube-days with zero serious adverse events, establishing an initial safety signal for the intraoral anchoring approach.
One platform. Designed to grow.
The Alsteni System is a modular enteral feeding platform. The same anchor, tube, and adapter architecture is designed to support multiple clinical applications — beginning with enteral nutrition.
For patients who depend on tube feeding
The initial application of the Alsteni System: delivering enteral nutrition through an intraorally-anchored tube that is invisible between uses. Currently pursuing FDA 510(k) clearance.
A platform built for expansion
The modular architecture of the Alsteni System is designed to support future clinical applications beyond enteral nutrition. Additional indications would require separate regulatory submissions and clinical evidence. Our focus today is on clearing the foundational platform.
Built by operators. Guided by experts.
42 issued patents. $1B+ in commercialized medical device revenue. Published researchers. Former FDA reviewers. A team built to take this from prototype to patients.
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