Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Ethicon, Gmbh

Cilag International Gmbh

Ehticon Endo-surgery, LLC

Cordis Corporation

Christopher W Widenhouse

Frederick E Shelton, IV

William Bruce Weisenburgh, Ii

James Walden Voegele

Christopher J Hess

Michael S Cropper

Charles J Scheib

Michael A Murray

Chester O Baxter, Iii

Lauren S Weaner

Robert Perrin Gill

Taylor W Aronhalt

Gary W Knight

Stephanie A Mutchler

Mark S Ortiz

David Keith Norvell

John L Stammen

Jeffrey S Swayze

Sean P Conlon

Mark H Ransick

Jason L Harris

Michael J Vendely

Mark S Zeiner

Rao S Bezwada

John V Hunt

Katherine J Schmid

Jeffrey P Wiley

Jeffrey L Aldridge

Emily A Schellin

Trevor J Barton

Ronald John Kolata

Daniel F Dlugos, Jr

Michael J Miller

Patrick J Swindon

David C Yates

Michael J Stokes

Mark D Overmyer

Foster B Stulen

Daniel W Price

Richard William Timm

Anil K Nalagatla

Shailendra Kumar Parihar

Gregory W Johnson

Daniel J Mumaw

Galen C Robertson

Prasanna Malaviya

Wells D Haberstich

Kevin Ross Doll

Tamara S Widenhouse

Andrew M Zwolinski

Randal T Byrum

James A Woodard, Jr

Thomas Edward Albrecht

Thomas E Adams

Mark Tsonton

Prudence A Turner

Mark D Timmer

Alessandro Pastorelli

Kristin L Jambor

Tamara S Vetro Widenhouse

Dustin R Jensen

Timothy S Bedard

Denzel Z Herrera-Davis

Jerome R Morgan

Jeffrey David Messerly

Thomas W Huitema

Bret William Smith

Craig N Faller

Kyle P Moore

Robert L Koch, Jr

David T Martin

Geoffrey C Hueil

Jonathan A Coe

Donna L Korvick

Bennie Thompson

Alec Ginggen

William Jason White

Scott A Woodruff

Chris W Cicenas

Rocco Crivelli

Amy L Marcotte

Agnieszka Seyda

Chunlin Yang

Michael D Cronin

Eric W Thompson

Douglas J Turner

Pallassana V Narayanan

Daniel H Duke

David T Krumanaker

Dean L Garner

Timothy P Lessek

Donald L Reynolds, Ii

Matthew M Lang

J Charles Hueil

Shelby L Cook Kornbluth

Janna M Burrell

Juan S Ezolino

John Wesley Sheets, Jr

Samuel P Tidwell

Glenda C Marsh

A tissue thickness compensator may generally comprise a first layer comprising a first biocompatible material sealingly enclosed in a water impermeable material and a second layer comprising a second biocompatible material comprising at least one encapsulation, wherein the first biocompatible material expands when contacted with a fluid. The tissue thickness compensator may comprise a haemostatic agent, an anti-inflammatory agent, an antibiotic agent, anti-microbial agent, an anti-adhesion agent, an anti-coagulant agent, a medicament, and/or pharmaceutically active agent. The encapsulation may comprise a biodegradable material to degrade in vivo and/or in situ. The tissue thickness compensator may comprise a hydrogel. The reaction product may comprise a fluid-swellable composition. Articles of manufacture comprising the tissue thickness compensator and methods of making and using the tissue thickness compensator are also described.

Tissue thickness compensator comprising laterally offset layers

Tissue thickness compensator comprising controlled release and expansion

A staple cartridge assembly comprising a tissue thickness compensator is disclosed. The tissue thickness compensator comprises a first fibrous, woven material and a second fibrous, woven material. The first fibrous, woven material comprises a density which is different than the density of the second fibrous, woven material. The tissue thickness compensator is configured to expand upon contact with a fluid in order to apply a compressive force to tissue captured within staples.

Layer of material for a surgical end effector

Various devices are provided for allowing multiple surgical instruments to be inserted through a single surgical access device at variable angles of insertion, allowing for ease of manipulation within a patient's body while maintaining insufflation. Safety shields and release mechanisms are also provided for use with various surgical access devices.

Surgical access device

A surgical stapler end effector comprises a staple cartridge, an anvil, and a buttress assembly. The staple cartridge comprises a plurality of staples and a deck. The staple cartridge is operable to drive the staples through the deck. The anvil is movable from an open position toward the staple cartridge to reach a closed position. The anvil includes an underside having staple forming surface configured to receive staples driven through the deck. The buttress assembly comprises a buttress body and an adhesive material. The adhesive material comprises a polymer. The polymer is bioabsorbable. The polymer has an inherent viscosity at or below 3.0 dL/g.

Low inherent viscosity bioabsorbable polymer adhesive for releasably attaching a staple buttress to a surgical stapler

Methods and devices are provided for providing surgical access into a body cavity. In one embodiment, a surgical access device is provided that includes a housing coupled to a retractor. The housing can be have one or more movable sealing ports for receiving surgical instruments. Each movable sealing port can include one or more sealing elements therein for sealing the port and/or forming a seal around a surgical instrument disposed therethrough. Each movable sealing port can be rotatable relative to the housing and each sealing element can be rotatable relative to the housing along a predetermined orbital path.

Methods and devices for providing access into a body cavity

Various devices and methods are provided with respect to inserting multiple surgical instruments through a single surgical access device. A medical device including a flexible tissue retractor a releasable insert having multiple instrument openings, and a member such as a sleeve is disclosed. The insert can be in the form of an insert assembly including multiple components. The sleeve can support the insert with respect to the retractor such that the insert and sleeve can be removed together with the retractor remaining in the incision. A method of using the insert is also described.

Access device

A staple cartridge is disclosed. The staple cartridge can include a cartridge body, a plurality of staples, and an implantable layer. The implantable layer can include a piece of lyophilized foam and a plurality of fibers at least partially embedded in the piece of lyophilized foam. The implantable layer can further include a plurality of pores defined in piece of lyophilized foam, and a plurality of pockets, wherein a pocket at least partially surrounds a fiber. A method of forming an implantable layer for use with a surgical staple is also disclosed. The method can comprise obtaining a mold comprising a cavity, placing a plurality of fibers in the cavity of the mold, dispensing a solution into the cavity around the fibers, and lyophilizing the solution in the cavity.

Implantable layers for a surgical instrument

A staple cartridge is disclosed. The staple cartridge can include a cartridge body, a plurality of staples, and an implantable layer. The implantable layer can include an inner portion, an outer portion positioned at least partially around the inner portion, and a plurality of passages formed through the outer portion toward the inner portion. The implantable layer can be porous. An implantable layer can include an outer portion including a plurality of fibers. A method of forming an implantable layer for use with a surgical stapler is also disclosed. The method can include forming at least one passage through an outer surface toward an inner portion of the implantable layer.

A method of applying a buttress to a surgical stapler end effector comprises positioning a buttress assembly between an anvil and a staple cartridge of the end effector. The buttress assembly comprises a buttress body and an adhesive material. The adhesive material faces either an underside of the anvil or a deck of the staple cartridge. The anvil is in an open position relative to the staple cartridge during the act of positioning the buttress assembly between the anvil and the staple cartridge. The method further comprises moving the anvil toward the staple cartridge then moving the anvil back to the open position. The buttress assembly is adhered to the underside of the anvil or the deck of the staple cartridge via the adhesive material with the anvil moved back to the open position. The adhesive material comprises a bioabsorbable polymer.

Method of applying a buttress to a surgical stapler

A surgical stapler end effector comprises a staple cartridge, an anvil, and a buttress assembly. The staple cartridge comprises a plurality of staples and a deck. The staple cartridge is operable to drive the staples through the deck. The anvil is movable from an open position toward the staple cartridge to reach a closed position. The anvil includes an underside having staple forming surface configured to receive staples driven through the deck. The buttress assembly comprises a buttress body and an adhesive material. The adhesive material comprises a polymer. The polymer is bioabsorbable. The polymer has glass transition temperature (Tg) at or below 0&#xb0; C.

Low glass transition temperature bioabsorbable polymer adhesive for releasably attaching a staple buttress to a surgical stapler

Growing community of inventors

Clarksville, OH, United States of America

Christopher W Widenhouse