Granted Patent B2

US 12,364,479 · App. 17/555,683 · Granted Jul 22, 2025

Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV (Hillsboro, OH); Rao S. Bezwada (Whitehouse Station, NJ); Jason L Harris (Lebanon, OH); Prudence A. Turner (Warsaw, IN); Mark S. Zeiner (Mason, OH); Charles J. Scheib (Loveland, OH)

Assignee: Cilag GmbH International

A61B17/105A61B17/068A61B17/07207A61B17/07292A61B2017/00004A61B2017/00951

Abstract

Claims (41)

1. An apparatus comprising:

(a) a surgical stapling assembly sized and shaped to be supported by a surgical stapler end effector, wherein the surgical stapling assembly comprises:

(i) a deck,

(ii) a plurality of staple pockets formed in the deck, wherein each staple pocket houses a respective staple, and

(iii) a plurality of raised protrusions extending upwardly from the deck, wherein each raised protrusion at least partially surrounds a respective staple pocket, wherein the raised protrusions cooperate to define a recessed deck region of the deck, wherein the recessed deck region includes one or more troughs;

(b) a bioabsorbable adhesive disposed at select locations within the one or more troughs, wherein the raised protrusions are configured to inhibit the bioabsorbable adhesive from entering or overlying the staple pockets, wherein the bioabsorbable adhesive is viscous yet flowable at room temperature; and

(c) a buttress body releasably attached to the deck by the bioabsorbable adhesive.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each raised protrusion is configured to contact and thereby guide a staple leg of a respective staple as the staple is ejected outwardly from the respective staple opening.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bioabsorbable adhesive comprises a polymer.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the adhesive comprises at least one of polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polyglycolide (PGA).

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the buttress body is compressible.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the buttress body comprises at least one of a fibrous pad, a foam, or a mesh.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surgical stapling assembly comprises a surgical staple cartridge having a cartridge body that defines the deck, wherein the surgical staple cartridge is insertable into a jaw of a surgical stapler end effector.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a film configured to retain the bioabsorbable adhesive during transportation and storage, wherein the film is configured to be peeled away from the deck to expose the bioabsorbable adhesive before the surgical stapling assembly is installed in a surgical stapler end effector.

9. A surgical stapler end effector comprising:

(a) a first jaw that includes the apparatus of claim 1 ; and

(b) a second jaw that includes an anvil having a plurality of staple forming pockets configured to form staples, wherein the first and second jaws are configured to cooperate to clamp, staple, and cut tissue.

10. An apparatus comprising:

(a) a surgical staple cartridge sized and shaped to be inserted into a jaw of a surgical stapler end effector, wherein the surgical staple cartridge comprises:

(i) a cartridge body defining a deck,

(ii) a plurality of staple pockets formed in the deck, wherein each staple pocket houses a respective staple, and

(iii) a plurality of raised protrusions extending upwardly from the deck, wherein each of at least some of the raised protrusions at least partially surrounds a respective staple pocket, wherein the raised protrusions cooperate to define a trough of the deck; and

(b) a buttress assembly, wherein the buttress assembly comprises:

(i) a buttress body, and

(ii) a bioabsorbable adhesive configured to releasably attach the buttress body to the deck of the surgical staple cartridge, wherein the bioabsorbable adhesive is flowable at room temperature and patterned and arranged in a plurality of discrete portions positioned discontinuously upon the buttress body such that the bioabsorbable adhesive is configured to reside within the trough without entering or overlying the staple pockets.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein each raised protrusion is configured to contact and thereby guide a staple leg of a respective staple as the staple is ejected outwardly from the respective staple opening.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the bioabsorbable adhesive is disposed at select locations within the trough.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the bioabsorbable adhesive comprises a polymer.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the adhesive comprises at least one of polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polyglycolide (PGA).

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the buttress body is compressible.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the buttress body comprises at least one of a fibrous pad, a foam, or a mesh.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein each of the discrete portions is separate and spaced apart from the remaining discrete portions.

18. A method comprising:

(a) providing a surgical staple cartridge that includes:

(i) a deck having a plurality of staple pockets that house a plurality of staples, and

(ii) a plurality of raised protrusions that extend upwardly from the deck and define a recessed deck region of the deck;

(b) applying a bioabsorbable adhesive to the deck in discrete locations such that the bioabsorbable adhesive resides within the recessed deck region without entering or overlying the staple pockets;

(c) applying a film to the deck so the film contains the bioabsorbable adhesive within the recessed deck region;

(d) removing the film from the deck to expose the bioabsorbable adhesive; and

(e) after removing the film from the deck, releasably securing a buttress body to the deck via the bioabsorbable adhesive.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising inserting the surgical staple cartridge into a jaw of a surgical stapler.

Continuity (3)

References Cited (133)