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 disposed between first and second porous layers and a reinforcement member positioned within the non-porous layer,

wherein pores of the porous layers do not span across the entire thickness of the porous layers.

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 reinforcement member is a mesh.

5. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement member is a suture.

6. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of reinforcement members oriented in at least one common direction.

7. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement member is encapsulated within the non-porous layer.

8. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a first reinforcement member is encapsulated within the non-porous layer and a second reinforcement layer is encapsulated within the porous layer.

9. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first reinforcement member comprises a plurality of reinforcement members oriented in a first direction within the non-porous layer and the second reinforcement layer comprises a plurality of reinforcement members oriented in a second direction within the porous layer.

10. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pores of the porous layer are present on a central portion thereof.

11. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the buttress further comprises a bioactive agent.

12. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the bioactive agent is combined with the porous layer.

13. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the bioactive agent is combined with the non-porous layer.

14. The surgical stapling apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the bioactive agent is combined with the reinforcement member.

15. 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 disposed between first and second porous layers, and a reinforcement member positioned within the non-porous layer,

wherein the reinforcement member comprises chopped fibers and wherein pores of the porous layers do not span across the entire thickness of the porous layers.

16. 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, the buttress comprising a non-porous layer disposed between first and second porous layers having pores which do not span across the entire thickness of the porous layers, and a reinforcement member positioned within the non-porous layer; and

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