Tissue stapler having a thickness compensator incorporating an oxygen generating agent

1. A staple cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapler, wherein said staple cartridge assembly is adapted to be used with tissue having a thickness, said staple cartridge assembly comprising:

a cartridge body comprising a support portion, wherein said support portion comprises a plurality of staple cavities, and wherein each said staple cavity comprises an opening;

a plurality of staples, wherein at least a portion of each said staple is removably stored within a said staple cavity, wherein each said staple is movable between an unfired position and a fired position, and wherein each said staple is deformable between an unfired configuration and a fired configuration when each said staple is moved between a said unfired position and a said fired position; and

a compressible tissue thickness compensator configured to be captured within said staples, wherein said compressible tissue thickness compensator at least partially covers said staple cavity openings, wherein said support portion is configured to support said compressible tissue thickness compensator, and wherein said compressible tissue thickness compensator is configured to assume a different compressed height within different said staples, said compressible tissue thickness compensator comprising a lyophilized foam including an oxygen generating agent embedded therein,

wherein said compressible tissue thickness compensator comprises a dynamic oxygen generating agent density configured to adaptively respond to tissue having different thicknesses, wherein said dynamic oxygen generating agent comprises an uncompressed oxygen generating agent density when said compressible tissue thickness compensator is in an uncompressed state, wherein said dynamic oxygen generating agent comprises a first compressed oxygen generating agent density in a first said staple in response to tissue having a first thickness in said first staple, wherein said dynamic oxygen generating agent comprises a second compressed oxygen generating agent density in a said second staple in response to tissue having a second thickness in said second staple, wherein the first thickness is different than the second thickness, and wherein said first density is different than said second density.

2. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 1 , wherein said oxygen generating agent comprises at least one of: percarbonate and ascorbic acid phosphate.

3. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 1 , wherein said compressible tissue thickness compensator comprises an uncompressed thickness which is thicker than the thickness of said tissue.

4. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness, and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

5. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 1 , wherein said compressible tissue thickness compensator comprising said lyophilized foam including said oxygen generating agent embedded therein comprises a first oxygen generating agent release rate and a second oxygen generating agent release rate.

6. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 5 , wherein said first rate comprises a rapid release rate, and wherein said second release rate comprises a sustained release rate.

7. A staple cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapler, wherein said staple cartridge assembly is adapted to be used with tissue having a thickness within a range of tissue thicknesses, said staple cartridge assembly comprising:

a cartridge body comprising a support portion, wherein said support portion comprises a plurality of staple cavities, and wherein each said staple cavity comprises an opening;

a plurality of staples, wherein at least a portion of each said staple is removably stored within a said staple cavity, wherein each said staple is movable between an unfired position and a fired position, wherein each said staple is deformable between an unfired configuration and a fired configuration when each said staple is moved between a said unfired position and a said fired position, and wherein each said staple comprises:

a base; and

at least one leg extending from said base, wherein said at least one leg is deformable to capture said tissue between said at least one leg and said base when each said staple is deformed between said unfired configuration and said fired configuration; and

compressible compensation means for dynamically biasing said tissue against at least one of said leg and said base, wherein said compressible compensation means is configured to dynamically assume a different compressed height within different said staples, said compressible compensation means comprising a lyophilized foam including an oxygen generating agent embedded therein,

wherein said compressible compensation means comprises a dynamic oxygen generating agent density configured to adaptively respond to tissue having different thicknesses, wherein said dynamic oxygen generating agent density comprises an uncompressed oxygen generating agent density, wherein said dynamic oxygen generating agent density comprises a first compressed oxygen generating agent density in a first said staple in response to tissue having a first thickness in said first staple, wherein said dynamic oxygen generating agent density comprises a second compressed oxygen generating agent density in a second said staple in response to tissue having a second thickness in said second staple, wherein the first thickness is different than the second thickness, and wherein said first density is different than said second density.

8. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 7 , wherein said oxygen generating agent comprises at least one of: percarbonate and ascorbic acid phosphate.

9. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 7 , wherein said compressible compensation means removably covers said staple cavity openings.

10. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 7 , wherein said compressible compensation means comprises an uncompressed thickness which is thicker than the thickness of said tissue.

11. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness, and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

12. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 7 , wherein said compressible compensation means comprising said lyophilized foam including said oxygen generating agent embedded therein comprises a first oxygen generating agent release rate and a second oxygen generating agent release rate.

13. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 12 , wherein said first rate comprises a rapid release rate, and wherein said second release rate comprises a sustained release rate.

14. A staple cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapler, wherein said staple cartridge assembly is adapted to be used with tissue having a thickness within a range of tissue thicknesses, said staple cartridge assembly comprising:

a cartridge body comprising a support portion, wherein said support portion comprises a plurality of staple cavities, and wherein each said staple cavity comprises an opening;

a plurality of staples, wherein at least a portion of each said staple is removably stored within a said staple cavity, wherein each said staple is movable between an unfired position and a fired position, wherein each said staple is deformable between an unfired configuration and a fired configuration when each said staple is moved between a said unfired position and a said fired position, and wherein each said staple comprises:

a base; and

at least one leg extending from said base, wherein said at least one leg is deformable to capture said tissue between said at least one leg and said base when each said staple is deformed between said unfired configuration and said fired configuration, wherein each said staple defines a deformed height in said fired configuration, and wherein said deformed height of at least some of said staples is larger than said tissue thickness whereby a gap distance is defined between said tissue and a portion of each said staple; and

tissue thickness compensation means for resiliently filling each said gap distance, wherein said tissue thickness compensation means is configured to resiliently assume different compressed heights within different said staples, said tissue thickness compensation means comprising a lyophilized foam including an oxygen generating agent embedded therein,

wherein said tissue thickness compensation means comprises a dynamic oxygen generating agent density configured to adaptively respond to tissue having different thicknesses, wherein said dynamic oxygen generating agent density comprises an initial oxygen generating agent density, wherein said dynamic oxygen generating agent density comprises a first compressed oxygen generating agent density in a first said staple in response to tissue having a first thickness in said first staple, wherein said dynamic oxygen generating agent density comprises a second compressed oxygen generating agent density in a second said staple in response to tissue having a second thickness in said second staple, wherein the first thickness is different than the second thickness, and wherein said first density is different than said second density.

15. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 14 , wherein said oxygen generating agent comprises at least one of: percarbonate and ascorbic acid phosphate.

16. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 14 , wherein said tissue thickness compensation means removably covers said staple cavity openings.

17. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 14 , wherein said tissue thickness compensation means comprises an uncompressed thickness which is thicker than the thickness of said tissue.

18. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 14 , wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness, and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

19. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 14 , wherein said tissue thickness compensation means comprising said lyophilized foam including said oxygen generating agent embedded therein comprises a first oxygen generating agent release rate and a second oxygen generating agent release rate.

20. The staple cartridge assembly of claim 19 , wherein said first rate comprises a rapid release rate, and wherein said second release rate comprises a sustained release rate.