Adhesive-containing wound closure device and method

1. A tissue bonding system for closing a wound having wound surfaces, comprising:

(a) a polymerizable adhesive composition; and

(b) a flexible and porous material separate from said polymerizable adhesive composition, wherein at least a portion of said flexible and porous material is permeable throughout to said adhesive composition; said flexible and porous material having an adhesive substance applied over at least a portion of a bottom side thereof, and wherein a polymerization initiator or rate modifier for said polymerizable adhesive composition is applied to said flexible and porous material prior to combination with said polymerizable adhesive composition and wherein said flexible and porous material approximates or apposes the wound surfaces.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said flexible and porous material is a mesh.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein said flexible and porous material is elastic.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said flexible and porous material comprises perforations or tear lines.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said flexible and porous material is substantially free of elastin.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said adhesive substance is applied over a first and a second portion of said flexible and porous material.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said first and second portions are located substantially at opposite ends of said flexible and porous material.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein said first and second portions do not cover an entire surface area of said flexible and porous material.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein said flexible and porous material comprises perforations or tear lines proximate to said first and second portions.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein said adhesive substance is a pressure sensitive adhesive.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein said pressure sensitive adhesive has a weaker bonding strength than said polymerizable adhesive composition.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein said pressure sensitive adhesive is acrylic based.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein said pressure sensitive adhesive is rubber based.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein said pressure sensitive adhesive is a silicone pressure sensitive adhesive.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein said adhesive substance does not interact with said polymerizable adhesive composition.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein said polymerizable adhesive composition is a monomeric composition.

17. The system of any one of claims 1 to 15 , wherein said polymerizable adhesive composition comprises a 1,1-disubstituted monomer.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein said polymerizable adhesive composition comprises a cyanoacrylate monomer.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein said polymerization initiator or rate modifier is immobilized on said flexible and porous material.

20. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a bioactive material disposed in or on said flexible and porous material.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein said bioactive material is not immobilized on said flexible and porous material, but is soluble or dispersible in said polymerizable adhesive composition.

22. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible and porous material is biodegradable.

23. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible and porous material is not biodegradable.

24. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible and porous material and the polymerizable adhesive composition are together biodegradable.

25. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible and porous material and the polymerizable adhesive composition are together not biodegradable.

26. The system of claim 1 , wherein said flexible and porous material does not include features for penetrating an underlying substrate during use.

27. The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more adhesive strips attached to the flexible and porous material, wherein the adhesive substance is provided on the one or more adhesive strips.

28. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible and porous material is sterilized.

29. The system of claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable adhesive composition is sterilized.

30. The system of claim 1 , wherein the polymerization initiator or rate modifier is benzalkonium chloride.

31. The system of claim 1 , wherein the polymerization initiator or rate modifier is benzethonium chloride.

32. The system of claim 1 , wherein said flexible and porous material has a thickness of about 0.1 mil to about 50 mils.

33. The system of claim 32 , wherein the flexible and porous material has a thickness of about 0.5 ml to about 20 mils.

34. The system of claim 32 , wherein the flexible and porous material has a thickness of about 0.7 ml to about 10 mils.

35. The system of claim 32 , wherein the flexible and porous material has a thickness of about 1 ml to about 5 mils.