Buttress and surgical stapling apparatus

1. A surgical stapling apparatus comprising:

a staple cartridge containing at least one staple;

an anvil having a staple forming surface; and

a buttress positioned adjacent the anvil or the cartridge, the buttress comprising a non-porous layer, a porous layer, a first reinforcement member encapsulated within the non-porous layer and a second reinforcement layer associated with the porous layer, wherein the first reinforcement member comprises a plurality of reinforcement members oriented in a first direction and the second reinforcement layer comprises a plurality of reinforcement members oriented in a second direction that is different from the first direction.

2. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the non-porous layer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of collagen, gelatin, fibrin, fibrinogen, elastin, keratin, albumin, hydroxyethyl cellulose, cellulose, oxidized cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, chitan, chitosan, alginate, poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), poly(hydroxybutyrate), poly (phosphazine), polyesters, polyethylene glycols, polyalkyleneoxides, polyacrylamides, polyhydroxyethylmethylacrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohols, poly(caprolactone), poly(dioxanone), polyacrylic acid, polyacetate, polycaprolactone, polypropylene, aliphatic polyesters, glycerols, poly(amino acids), copoly(ether-esters), polyalkylene oxalates, polyamides, poly(iminocarbonates), polyalkylene oxalates, polyoxaesters, polyorthoesters, polyphosphazenes and combinations thereof.

3. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the porous layer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), poly(hydroxybutyrate), poly(caprolactone), poly(dioxanone), polyalkyleneoxides, copoly(ether-esters), collagen, gelatin, thrombin, fibrin, fibrinogen, fibronectin, elastin, albumin, hemoglobin, ovalbumin, polysaccharides, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, hydroxyethyl starch, hydroxyethyl cellulose, cellulose, oxidized cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, chitan, chitosan, agarose, maltose, maltodextrin, alginate, clotting factors, methacrylate, polyurethanes, cyanoacrylates, platelet agonists, vasoconstrictors, alum, calcium, RGD peptides, proteins, protamine sulfate, epsilon amino caproic acid, ferric sulfate, ferric subsulfates, ferric chloride, zinc, zinc chloride, aluminum chloride, aluminum sulfates, aluminum acetates, permanganates, tannins, bone wax, polyethylene glycols, fucans and combinations thereof.

4. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first reinforcement member, the second reinforcement layer, or both, comprise chopped fibers.

5. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first reinforcement member, the second reinforcement layer, or both, comprise sutures.

6. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second reinforcement layer is encapsulated within the porous layer.

7. A surgical stapling apparatus comprising:

a staple cartridge containing at least one staple;

an anvil having a staple forming surface; and

a buttress positioned adjacent the anvil or the cartridge, the buttress comprising a fiber-reinforced foam composite and a non-porous layer disposed within the fiber-reinforced foam composite.

8. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the non-porous layer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of collagen, gelatin, fibrin, fibrinogen, elastin, keratin, albumin, hydroxyethyl cellulose, cellulose, oxidized cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, chitan, chitosan, alginate, poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), poly(hydroxybutyrate), poly (phosphazine), polyesters, polyethylene glycols, polyalkyleneoxides, polyacrylamides, polyhydroxyethylmethylacrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohols, poly(caprolactone), poly(dioxanone), polyacrylic acid, polyacetate, polycaprolactone, polypropylene, aliphatic polyesters, glycerols, poly(amino acids), copoly(ether-esters), polyalkylene oxalates, polyamides, poly(iminocarbonates), polyalkylene oxalates, polyoxaesters, polyorthoesters, polyphosphazenes and combinations thereof.

9. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the foam of the fiber-reinforced foam comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), poly(hydroxybutyrate), poly(caprolactone), poly(dioxanone), polyalkyleneoxides, copoly(ether-esters), collagen, gelatin, thrombin, fibrin, fibrinogen, fibronectin, elastin, albumin, hemoglobin, ovalbumin, polysaccharides, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, hydroxyethyl starch, hydroxyethyl cellulose, cellulose, oxidized cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, chitan, chitosan, agarose, maltose, maltodextrin, alginate, clotting factors, methacrylate, polyurethanes, cyanoacrylates, platelet agonists, vasoconstrictors, alum, calcium, RGD peptides, proteins, protamine sulfate, epsilon amino caproic acid, ferric sulfate, ferric subsulfates, ferric chloride, zinc, zinc chloride, aluminum chloride, aluminum sulfates, aluminum acetates, permanganates, tannins, bone wax, polyethylene glycols, fucans and combinations thereof.

10. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the fibers of the fiber-reinforced foam comprise a mesh.

11. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the fibers of the fiber-reinforced foam comprise a suture.

12. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the fibers of the fiber-reinforced foam are encapsulated within the non-porous layer.

13. A method of sealing a wound comprising:

enclosing tissue between a cartridge and an anvil of a surgical stapling apparatus, one of the cartridge or anvil having a buttress positioned adjacent thereto, wherein the buttress comprises a fiber-reinforced foam composite and a non-porous layer disposed within the fiber-reinforced foam composite; and

ejecting staples from said cartridge to secure the buttress to the tissue.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the non-porous layer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of collagen, gelatin, fibrin, fibrinogen, elastin, keratin, albumin, hydroxyethyl cellulose, cellulose, oxidized cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, chitan, chitosan, alginate, poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), poly(hydroxybutyrate), poly (phosphazine), polyesters, polyethylene glycols, polyalkyleneoxides, polyacrylamides, polyhydroxyethylmethylacrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohols, poly(caprolactone), poly(dioxanone), polyacrylic acid, polyacetate, polycaprolactone, polypropylene, aliphatic polyesters, glycerols, poly(amino acids), copoly(ether-esters), polyalkylene oxalates, polyamides, poly(iminocarbonates), polyalkylene oxalates, polyoxaesters, polyorthoesters, polyphosphazenes and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the foam of the fiber-reinforced foam comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), poly(hydroxybutyrate), poly(caprolactone), poly(dioxanone), polyalkyleneoxides, copoly(ether-esters), collagen, gelatin, thrombin, fibrin, fibrinogen, fibronectin, elastin, albumin, hemoglobin, ovalbumin, polysaccharides, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, hydroxyethyl starch, hydroxyethyl cellulose, cellulose, oxidized cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, chitan, chitosan, agarose, maltose, maltodextrin, alginate, clotting factors, methacrylate, polyurethanes, cyanoacrylates, platelet agonists, vasoconstrictors, alum, calcium, RGD peptides, proteins, protamine sulfate, epsilon amino caproic acid, ferric sulfate, ferric subsulfates, ferric chloride, zinc, zinc chloride, aluminum chloride, aluminum sulfates, aluminum acetates, permanganates, tannins, bone wax, polyethylene glycols, fucans and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fibers of the fiber-reinforced foam comprise a mesh.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fibers of the fiber-reinforced foam comprise a suture.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fibers of the fiber-reinforced foam are encapsulated within the non-porous layer.