Surgical stapler buttress assembly with humidity tolerant adhesive

A method of applying a buttress assembly to a wet surgical stapler end effector, wherein the end effector comprises an anvil and staple cartridge, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) positioning the buttress assembly between the anvil and the staple cartridge, wherein the buttress assembly comprises a buttress body and a humidity tolerant adhesive material, wherein the humidity tolerant adhesive material comprises a bioabsorbable polymer having a block configuration selected from the group of:
• (i) A-B-A, and
• (ii) A-B-C,
• wherein the A block is a bioabsorbable homopolymer characterized by a glass transition temperature of at least about 0° C., and a crystallinity as measured by X-ray diffraction of at least about 30%,
• wherein the B block is a bioabsorbable homopolymer or co-polymer that is characterized by a glass transition temperature of at least about −40° C., a crystallinity as measured by X-ray diffraction of at most about 25%, and a molecular weight of from about 20 to about 80 kDa,
• wherein the C block is a bioabsorbable hydrophilic homopolymer or co-polymer that is miscible with water at 37° C.,
• wherein the humidity tolerant adhesive material faces either an underside of the anvil or a deck of the staple cartridge, wherein the anvil is in an open position relative to the staple cartridge during the act of positioning the buttress assembly between the anvil and the staple cartridge;
• (b) moving the anvil toward the staple cartridge to press the humidity tolerant adhesive material against the anvil or the staple cartridge;
• and
• (c) moving the anvil back to the open position, wherein the buttress assembly is adhered to the anvil or the deck of the staple cartridge via the humidity tolerant adhesive material with the anvil moved back to the open position.

A buttress assembly that is configured to temporarily adhere to a wet surgical stapler end effector, the buttress assembly comprising:

• (a) a buttress body;
• and
• (b) a humidity tolerant adhesive applied to at least one side of the buttress body, the humidity tolerant adhesive comprising a bioabsorbable polymer having a block configuration selected from the group of:
• (i) A-B-A, and
• (iii) A-B-C,
• wherein the A block is bioabsorbable homopolymer selected from the group consisting of:
• poly(L-lactide) (PLLA);
• poly(caprolactone) (PCL);
• polyglycolide (PGA);
• poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PH3B);
• poly(3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHV);
• and poly(p-dioxanone) (PPDO),
• wherein the B block is a homopolymer or co-polymer comprising monomer(s) selected from the group consisting of:
• caprolactone (CL), L-Lactide (LLA), D,L-Lactide ((D,L)LA), Glycolide (GA), Polydioxanone (PDO), sebacic acid (SA), 1,6-bis(carboxyphenoxy)hexane (CPH), and combinations thereof, and
• wherein the C block is a hydrophilic homopolymer or co-polymer selected from the group consisting of:
• polyethylene oxide (PEO);
• polyethylene oxide-co-polypropylene oxide (PEO-co-PPO);
• polyethylene oxide-co-polysulfone (PEO-co-PSO);
• polyvinylpyrrolidine (PVP);
• polyacrylic acid (PAA);
• polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH).