Adjunct materials and methods of using same in surgical methods for tissue sealing
AssigneeCilag GmbH International
InventorsFrederick E. Shelton, IV, Jason L. Harris, Bret W. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Surgical methods involving cutting and sealing tissue include affixing a first adjunct material to tissue at a treatment site, such as by stapling the adjunct to tissue. A second adjunct material is applied to at least a portion of the first adjunct material such that the second adjunct material interacts with the first adjunct material to form a seal in an area of the tissue covered by at least one of the first and the second adjunct material. The resulting tissue sealing structure, which includes a combination of the two adjuncts, is believed to be superior to the sealing properties of either adjunct alone.
Claims19
A staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapler, comprising:
- a cartridge body having a plurality of staples disposed therein, the plurality of staples being configured to be deployed into tissue;
- and
- an adjunct configured to be releasably retained on the cartridge body, wherein the staples are deployable through the adjunct into tissue captured against the adjunct, and wherein the adjunct comprises:
- first and second support layers each having first fibers made of a first bioabsorbable polymer, wherein
- the second support layer is configured to releasably retain the adjunct on the cartridge body, and
- a core layer formed of second fibers made of a second bioabsorbable polymer, the second fibers being non-bonded and slidably interconnected to the first fibers of the first and second support layers such that the second fibers are substantially vertically oriented within the core layer;
- wherein each first fiber has a fiber diameter that is less than a fiber diameter of each second fiber, and wherein the core layer has a weave density that is less than a weave density of at least one of the first and second support layer.
A staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapler, comprising:
- a cartridge body having a plurality of staples disposed therein, the plurality of staples being configured to be deployed into tissue;
- and
- an adjunct configured to be releasably retained on the cartridge body, wherein the staples are deployable through the adjunct into tissue captured against the adjunct, and wherein the adjunct comprises:
- a first outer layer that includes first fibers made of a first bioabsorbable polymer, and
- an inner layer formed of second fibers made of a second bioabsorbable polymer, the second fibers being non-bonded and slidably interconnected to the first fibers, wherein each second fiber has a fiber diameter that is greater than a fiber diameter of each first fiber;
- wherein the first outer layer has a first weave density and the inner layer has a second weave density that is less than the first weave density.
An adjunct for use with a staple cartridge, comprising:
- first and second support layers each having first fibers made of a first bioabsorbable polymer, wherein
- the second support layer is configured to releasably retain the adjunct on a cartridge body;
- and
- a core layer formed of second fibers made of a second bioabsorbable polymer, the second fibers being non-bonded and slidably interconnected to the first fibers of the first and second support layers such that the second fibers are substantially vertically oriented within the core layer;
- wherein each first fiber has a fiber diameter that is less than a fiber diameter of each second fiber, and wherein the core layer has a weave density that is less than a weave density of at least one of the first and second support layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.