Method of fusing biomaterials with radiofrequency energy

A method of fusing biomaterial and tissue using radiofrequency energy, comprising the steps of:

• providing a circular stapling instrument having a stapler support member which supports an array of staples and an opposing anvil, the support member being movable relative to the anvil to compress tissue therebetween, each of the stapler support member and the anvil having electrically conductive sealing surfaces;
• providing a biomaterial by extracting collagen from the biomaterial and confirming the absence of collagen from the biomaterial;
• everting an end of a segment of biomaterial;
• positioning the everted end of the biomaterial in abutting relation to an everted tissue end such that the respective intimae of the everted biomaterial and the tissue oppose one another;
• compressing the biomaterial and tissue between the stapler support member and the anvil under a working pressure within the range of about 3 kg/cm2 to about 16 kg/cm2;
• energizing the support member and the anvil with radiofrequency energy to effectively fuse the biomaterial and the tissue such that the tissue and the biomaterial reform into a single, fused mass;
• and
• actuating the circular stapling instrument to fire the staples through the biomaterial and tissue and against the anvil.

A method of fusing biomaterial and tissue using radiofrequency energy, comprising the steps of:

• providing a circular stapling instrument having a stapler support member which supports an array of staples and an opposing anvil, the support member being movable relative to the anvil to compress tissue therebetween, each of the stapler support member and the anvil having electrically conductive sealing surfaces;
• providing a biomaterial by extracting collagen from the biomaterial and confirming the absence of collagen from the biomaterial;
• everting the ends of two tissue segments to expose tissue intimae;
• positioning at least one segment of biomaterial between the everted ends of the two tissue segments;
• compressing the two tissue segments and the biomaterial between the stapler support member and the anvil under a working pressure;
• energizing the support member and the anvil with radiofrequency energy to effectively fuse the biomaterial and the two tissue segments such that the two tissue segments and the biomaterial reform into a single, fused mass;
• and
• actuating the circular stapling instrument to deform the staple through the biomaterial and tissue and against the anvil.