VORRICHTUNG ZUR VERÄNDERUNG DER ZUSAMMENSETZUNG EINES ERNÄHRUNGSPRODUKTES

An apparatus is disclosed for modifying a liquid enteral nutritional product during delivery thereof from a supply thereof, such as a hangable container, to a feeding tube delivering the liquid enteral nutritional product to the gastrointestinal tract of a patient. The apparatus has at least one formulation chamber, such as a drip chamber, with at least one controlled release dosage form unit in the form of a coated tablet, osmotically driven device, coated capsule, microencapsulated microspheres, agglomerated molecular sieving type material, or a quantity of fine hollow permeable fibers located therein. The controlled release dosage form unit or units contain at least one beneficial agent selected from nutrients, medicaments, probiotics, or diagnostic agents or mixtures thereof, to any of which a physiologically acceptable marker dye in controlled release dosage form and/or the same or different beneficial agent not in controlled release dosage form may be added. A liquid nutritional product flows through the formulation chamber during enteral tube feeding of a patient.