A feeding tube is a piece of medical equipment used to provide liquified nutrition to patients who are unable (or in rare cases unwilling) to feed themselves but can still take digestive nourishment. It can be placed temporarily or permenently. There are several different types of tube for different purposes and different insertion sites. They have a special standard measure called the "French unit" which is equal to .33 millimeters.
The most common type for short term usse is the nasogastral tube, which is inserted into the nose through the esophagus into the stomach. For longer term feeding, an incision is made in the abdomen so that the tube can be led directly to the stomach.