Tissue thickness compensator comprising capsules defining a low pressure environment
AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
InventorsChester O. Baxter, III, Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Jeffrey S. Swayze, Taylor W. Aronhalt, Katherine J. Schmid
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Abstract
A tissue thickness compensator can comprise a compensator body and at least one vessel contained in the compensator body. The vessel can define an inner cavity which can comprise an inner atmosphere having a pressure which is lower than the atmospheric pressure of the atmosphere surrounding the tissue thickness compensator. In at least one embodiment, the vessel and the compensator body can be maintained in a collapsed state until staples are fired through the vessel. At such point, the vessel can re-expand and apply a biasing force to tissue captured within the staples.
Claims33
A staple cartridge, comprising:
- a cartridge body comprising staple cavities;
- staples removably positioned with said staple cavities, wherein said staples are ejectable from said staple cavities;
- and
- a compensator comprising a vessel, wherein said vessel defines a sealed inner cavity, wherein said sealed inner cavity contains an inner atmosphere, wherein said inner atmosphere has a pressure less than atmospheric pressure when said vessel is in an unruptured state, and wherein said staples are configured to rupture said vessel when said staples are ejected from said staple cavities.
A staple cartridge, comprising:
- a cartridge body comprising staple cavities;
- staples removably positioned with said staple cavities, wherein said staples are ejectable from said staple cavities;
- and
- a compensator comprising a vessel, wherein said vessel defines a sealed inner cavity, wherein said sealed inner cavity contains an inner atmosphere, wherein said inner atmosphere has a pressure less than atmospheric pressure when said vessel is in an unruptured state.
A staple cartridge, comprising:
- a cartridge body comprising staple cavities;
- staples removably positioned with said staple cavities, wherein said staples are ejectable from said staple cavities;
- and
- a compensator comprising a plurality of vessels, wherein each said vessel defines a sealed inner cavity, wherein each said sealed inner cavity contains an inner atmosphere, and wherein each said inner atmosphere has a pressure less than atmospheric pressure when said vessels are in an unruptured state.
A staple cartridge, comprising:
- a cartridge body comprising a plurality of staple cavities;
- a plurality of staples removably positioned within said staple cavities;
- and
- a layer comprising an enclosed void, wherein said enclosed void comprises an inner atmosphere, wherein said inner atmosphere comprises a pressure less than atmospheric pressure when said enclosed void is in an unruptured state.
A staple cartridge, comprising:
- a cartridge body comprising a plurality of staple cavities;
- a plurality of staples removably positioned within said staple cavities;
- and
- a layer comprising an enclosed void, wherein said enclosed void defines a sealed inner cavity, wherein said sealed inner cavity comprises an inner atmosphere, wherein said inner atmosphere comprises one of a pressure less than atmospheric pressure and a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure when said enclosed void is in an uncompressed, unruptured state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.