Method of applying a buttress to a surgical stapler

A method of applying a buttress assembly to a surgical stapler end effector having an anvil and a staple cartridge that houses a plurality of staples, wherein the buttress assembly includes a buttress body comprising a plurality of reinforcement strands, an adhesive material disposed non-uniformly over the buttress body, and a barrier layer interposed between the buttress body and the adhesive material, wherein the barrier layer is configured to at least partially inhibit permeation of the adhesive material into the buttress body, wherein the adhesive material comprises a blend of multiple polymers, the method comprising:

• (a) positioning the buttress assembly between the anvil and the staple cartridge while the anvil is in an open position relative to staple cartridge, wherein the adhesive material faces one of an underside of the anvil or a deck of the staple cartridge;
• (b) moving the anvil toward the staple cartridge to a closed position and thereby causing the adhesive material to adhere to the one of the underside of the anvil or the deck of the staple cartridge;
• (c) moving the anvil away from the staple cartridge back to the open position while the buttress assembly remains secured to the one of the underside of the anvil or the deck of the staple cartridge via the adhesive material;
• and
• (d) driving the staples through the buttress assembly and forming the staples with the anvil such that at least some of the staples engage at least some of the reinforcement strands of the buttress body.

A method of applying a buttress assembly to a surgical stapler end effector having an anvil and a staple cartridge that houses a plurality of staples, wherein the buttress assembly includes a buttress body comprising a mesh and an adhesive material disposed non-uniformly over the buttress body, wherein the adhesive material comprises a blend of multiple polymers, the method comprising:

• (a) positioning the buttress assembly between the anvil and the staple cartridge while the anvil is in an open position relative to staple cartridge, wherein the adhesive material faces one of an underside of the anvil or a deck of the staple cartridge;
• (b) moving the anvil toward the staple cartridge to a closed position and thereby causing the adhesive material to adhere to the one of the underside of the anvil or the deck of the staple cartridge;
• (c) moving the anvil away from the staple cartridge back to the open position while the buttress assembly remains secured to the one of the underside of the anvil or the deck of the staple cartridge via the adhesive material;
• and
• (d) driving the staples through the buttress assembly and forming the staples with the anvil such that at least some of the staples engage the mesh of the buttress body.

A method of applying a buttress assembly to a surgical stapler end effector having an anvil and a staple cartridge that houses a plurality of staples, wherein the buttress assembly includes a buttress body comprising a mesh and an adhesive layer disposed over the buttress body, wherein the adhesive layer includes a plurality of discretely formed adhesive regions arranged non-uniformly over the buttress body, wherein at least some of the adhesive regions have a varying thickness, the method comprising:

• (a) positioning the buttress assembly between the anvil and the staple cartridge while the anvil is in an open position relative to staple cartridge, wherein the adhesive layer faces one of an underside of the anvil or a deck of the staple cartridge;
• (b) moving the anvil toward the staple cartridge to a closed position and thereby compressing the adhesive regions with a non-homogeneous pressure distribution and causing the adhesive regions to adhere to the one of the underside of the anvil or the deck of the staple cartridge;
• (c) moving the anvil away from the staple cartridge back to the open position while the buttress assembly remains secured to the one of the underside of the anvil or the deck of the staple cartridge via the adhesive layer;
• and
• (d) driving the staples through the buttress assembly and forming the staples with the anvil such that at least some of the staples engage the mesh of the buttress body.