Apparatus for supplying surgical staple line reinforcement

1. An apparatus for supplying surgical reinforcement material to a surgical stapler, said apparatus comprising:

a card having a first portion, a second portion and a pivot; said first portion being pivotable with respect to said second portion about said pivot; and

a surgical buttress material disposed over said first portion and secured to said second portion,

wherein the buttress material is adapted to release from said second portion, upon pivoting of said first portion relative to said second portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a touch-up pad attached to said second portion of said card.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a securement for temporarily fixing a surgical buttress material to said second portion of said card.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an adhesive disposed over said surgical buttress material.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 further comprising a release liner disposed over said adhesive.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the adhesive is preapplied in an essentially uniform layer over the surgical buttress material.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the buttress material is a synthetic buttress material.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the synthetic buttress material is bioabsorbable.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the buttress material is less than 0.5 millimeter thick.

11. An apparatus for supplying surgical reinforcement material to a surgical stapler, said apparatus comprising:

a card having a first portion, a second portion and a pivot; said first portion being pivotable with respect to said second portion about said pivot; and

a surgical buttress material disposed over said first portion and secured to said second portion;

wherein said card has a first side and a second side that are reversible such that said apparatus may be fed to a stapler irrespective of which side is in contact with a stapler anvil and which side is in contact with a stapler cartridge, and

wherein the buttress material is adapted to release from said second portion upon pivoting of said first portion relative to said second portion.

12. An apparatus for supplying surgical reinforcement material to a surgical stapler, said apparatus comprising a card having a synthetic buttress material attached to a portion of said card, a pressure sensitive adhesive uniformly distributed over the surgical buttress material with respect to said card, a release liner disposed over said pressure sensitive adhesive, the portion of said card having the buttress material thereon being pivotable with respect to the remainder of said card about a pivot, wherein the pressure sensitive adhesive is of a form suitable for use upon removal of said release liner and wherein the buttress material is adapted to be released from the portion of said card upon pivoting the portion of said card relative to the remainder of said card about said pivot.

13. A kit comprising:

a) an apparatus for supplying surgical reinforcement material to a surgical stapler; said apparatus comprising a card having a first portion, a second portion and a pivot; said first portion being pivotable with respect to said second portion about said pivot;

b) a surgical buttress material disposed over said first portion and secured to said second portion of said apparatus wherein the buttress material is adapted to be released from said first portion upon pivoting said first portion relative to said second portion:

c) a surgical stapler; and

d) instructions for releasably affixing said buttress material on said surgical stapler.

14. The kit of claim 13 further comprising a touch-up pad.

15. A method for releasably affixing surgical buttress material to a surgical stapler comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining an apparatus for supplying surgical reinforcement material to a surgical stapler; said apparatus comprising a card having a first portion, a second portion and a pivot; said first portion being pivotable with respect to said second portion about said pivot; and wherein said first portion has a buttress material that is adapted to be released from said first portion upon pivoting said first portion relative to said second portion about said pivot;

b) inserting the apparatus between open stapler arms;

c) orienting the stapler arms so that the buttress material is in position to be applied to the arms of the stapler upon contact there between;

d) closing stapler arms upon the buttress material;

e) moving the pivotable region of the card away from the plane of the remainder of the card;

f) opening the stapler arms; and

g) removing the card from contact with the stapler arms.

16. A method for releasably affixing surgical buttress material to a surgical stapler comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining an apparatus for supplying surgical reinforcement material to a surgical stapler, said apparatus comprising a card having a first portion, a second portion and a pivot; said first portion being pivotable with respect to said second portion about said pivot; and wherein said first portion has a buttress material thereon that is adapted to be released from said first portion upon pivoting said first portion relative to said second portion;

b) inserting the apparatus between open stapler arms;

c) orienting the stapler arms so that the buttress material is in position to be applied to the arms of the stapler upon contact there between;

d) removing a release liner from the apparatus to expose a ready to use pressure sensitive adhesive on the outermost surface of the buttress material;

e) closing the stapler arms upon the buttress material;

f) moving the pivotable region of the body away from the plane of the remainder of the card;

g) opening the stapler arms; and

h) removing the card from contact with the stapler arms so that the buttress material is adhered onto the stapler arms.

17. An apparatus for supplying surgical reinforcement material to a surgical stapler, said apparatus comprising:

a card having a first portion, a second portion and a pivot; said first portion being pivotable with respect to said second portion about said pivot;

a touch up pad; and

a surgical buttress material disposed over said first portion and secured to said second portion,

wherein the buttress material is adapted to be released from said first portion upon pivoting said first portion relative to said second portion.