Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Ethicon, Gmbh

Cilag International Gmbh

Katherine J Schmid

Frederick E Shelton, IV

Taylor W Aronhalt

Chester O Baxter, Iii

Jeffrey S Swayze

Jerome R Morgan

Charles J Scheib

Cortney E Henderson

Bret William Smith

Michael S Cropper

Steven G Hall

Frederick E Shelton

Richard William Timm

Gary W Knight

Donna L Korvick

Chunlin Yang

Jeffrey L Aldridge

Joseph E Young

Joseph Henry Contiliano

Gregory W Johnson

Tamara S Widenhouse

Stephanie A Mutchler

Matthew M Lang

William Bruce Weisenburgh, Ii

Jeffrey David Messerly

Daniel J Mumaw

Christopher W Widenhouse

John L Stammen

David C Yates

Rebecca J Gettinger

Harry Randolph Adams

Michael J Vendely

Chad Paul Boudreaux

Christopher J Hess

Cory G Kimball

Brett E Swensgard

Richard F Schwemberger

Eugene L Timperman

David T Martin

Jacob Spencer Gee

Christopher C Miller

John P Measamer

Jason R Lesko

Dean B Bruewer

Aron O Zingman

James A Woodard, Jr

Mark D Timmer

Eric W Thompson

Johnny H Alexander, Iii

Kreena Rajeev Modi

Venkataramanan Mandakolathur Vasudevan

Daniel H Duke

Timothy S Bedard

Cara Shapiro

Atul M Godbole

Joseph Thomas Mozloom, Jr

Michael V Sherrill

William A Daunch

Chester O Baxter

Kevin L Houser

Mark S Ortiz

Barry C Worrell

Andrew T Beckman

Matthew C Miller

Kyle P Moore

Mark H Ransick

Christopher J Schall

Michael D Cronin

Jeffery Kirk

Edward G Chekan

Andrew C Yoo

Denzel Z Herrera-Davis

James Janszen

Emily A Heeb

Joe Mozloom

Jason K Rupert

Karen N Hagerty

Andrew Yoo

William B Weisenburgh

Kreena R Modi

James R Janszen

Iv Shelton

An implantable layer for use with a surgical stapler is disclosed. The implantable layer includes a first layer including a first side, wherein the first side includes an opening. The implantable layer further includes a second layer including a second side, wherein the second side extends at least partially through the opening to hold the second layer relative to the first layer, and wherein a pocket is defined between the first layer and the second layer. The implantable layer further includes a bioabsorbable material in the pocket.

Implantable layer comprising a plurality of layers

A staple cartridge assembly comprising a staple cartridge and a compensator is disclosed. The staple cartridge comprises a cartridge deck, a retention rail defining an aperture, a staple cavity defined in the cartridge deck, and a staple removably positioned in the staple cavity. The aperture receives a portion of the compensator to detachable secure the compensator to the cartridge deck.

Staple cartridge assembly comprising a compensator

An end effector for use with a surgical instrument includes a lower jaw, an anvil, and a resilient member. The anvil is pivotable relative to the lower jaw between a fully opened position and a fully closed position. The resilient member is configured to bias the anvil to remain in the fully opened position when the anvil is in the fully opened position. The end effector may include a closure ring coupled with the anvil that is translatable relative to the lower jaw and configured to engage the anvil at an interface as the closure ring translates proximally relative to the lower jaw to thereby pivot the anvil relative to the lower jaw toward the fully opened position. In various embodiments, the resilient member may comprise elastomeric material positioned between the closure ring and the anvil or a pair of springs or resilient arms that engage the anvil.

Jaw opening feature for surgical stapler

A piece of buttress material and an end-effector of a surgical instrument including features which can aid a surgeon in properly and quickly attaching the piece of buttress material to the end-effector. In various embodiments, a piece of buttress material can include retention features which can be engaged with portions of an end-effector to releasably retain the piece of buttress material to at least a portion of the end-effector. Similarly, an end-effector can include features configured to engage portions of a piece of buttress material to releasably retain the piece of buttress material to the end-effector. In at least one embodiment, more than one piece of buttress material can be releasably retained to an end-effector.

Surgical stapling assembly comprising an adjunct applicator

A trocar assembly that includes a trocar and a seal cartridge configured to be releasably coupled to the trocar. The seal cartridge includes a top cap that includes a main body and a latch ring. The latch ring is grounded to the main body at a first angular position and has a latch located at a second angular position angularly offset from the first angular position. Applying a radial load on the latch causes the latch ring to flex in torsion at an intermediate portion that angularly interposes the first and second angular positions.

Seal cartridge latch design for trocar assemblies

A tissue thickness compensator may generally comprise a compressible core comprising a plurality of movable particles, and a wrap surrounding the compressible core. The plurality of movable particles may comprise at least one medicament. A tissue thickness compensator may generally comprise a compressible core comprising a plurality of crushable particles, and a wrap surrounding the compressible core. The plurality of crushable particles may comprise at least one medicament. The compressible core may comprise a material selected from a group consisting of a biocompatible material. The wrap may comprise a material selected from a group consisting of a biocompatible material. Articles of manufacture comprising the tissue thickness compensator and methods of making and using the tissue thickness compensator are also described.

Tissue thickness compensator configured to redistribute compressive forces

An anvil-attachable layer for use with a surgical stapler, or fastening instrument, wherein a proximal end portion of the layer is attached to a staple cartridge assembly, for example. The layer may be attached to the staple cartridge assembly by an adhesive, weld, or a staple-cartridge-based clamp, wherein the attachment is weak enough to allow the layer to pull away from the staple cartridge assembly with stapled tissue. Alternatively, the layer can include two or more lateral slits that define a connector region that can be cut by a knife of a surgical stapler to release the layer.

Anvil layer attached to a proximal end of an end effector

Methods and devices are provided for supporting an elongate shaft on a surgical tool during robotic surgery. For example, a tool holder is provided with an elongate carrier arm configured to couple to a distal end of a surgical robotic arm. The tool holder has a housing that is removably mounted on the carrier arm and that is configured to be positioned adjacent to a tissue surface without extending into tissue. The tool holder thus simulates a trocar. The housing has an opening formed therethrough for receiving an elongate shaft of a surgical tool, and the opening has an inner diameter that is configured to dynamically adjust in size to adapt to and resist movement of elongate shafts of varying diameters inserted therethrough.

Trocar simulation

A tissue thickness compensator can comprise a compensator body and at least one vessel contained in the compensator body. The vessel can define an inner cavity which can comprise an inner atmosphere having a pressure which is lower than the atmospheric pressure of the atmosphere surrounding the tissue thickness compensator. In at least one embodiment, the vessel and the compensator body can be maintained in a collapsed state until staples are fired through the vessel. At such point, the vessel can re-expand and apply a biasing force to tissue captured within the staples.

Staple cartridge including an implantable layer

A surgical stapler, or fastening instrument, may generally comprise a layer, such as a tissue thickness compensator, for example, releasably attached to a fastener cartridge and/or anvil by a flowable attachment portion. The flowable attachment portion may be indefinitely flowable. The flowable attachment portion may be flowable from the time that layer is installed to the fastener cartridge to the time in which the layer is implanted to patient tissue. The flowable attachment portion may comprise a pressure sensitive adhesive. The flowable attachment portion may comprise an adhesive laminate comprising a base layer comprising the tissue thickness compensator and an adhesive layer on at least a portion of a surface of the base layer comprising the pressure sensitive adhesive. Articles of manufacture comprising flowable attachment portion and methods of making and using the flowable attachment portion are also described.

Adhesive film laminate

In various embodiments, a tissue thickness compensator can comprise one or more capsules and/or pockets comprising at least one medicament therein. In at least one embodiment, staples can be fired through the tissue thickness compensator to rupture the capsules. In certain embodiments, a firing member, or knife, can be advanced through the tissue thickness compensator to rupture the capsules.

Tissue thickness compensator

In various embodiments, a layer of material can comprise a body, a proximal end portion, and a distal end portion. The proximal end portion can be releasably secured to a staple cartridge of a surgical end effector, and the distal end portion can be releasably secured to an anvil of the surgical end effector. The layer of material can comprise a tissue thickness compensator.

Layer of material for a surgical end effector

A staple cartridge comprising a cartridge body, staples, and a compensator is disclosed. The cartridge body comprises staple cavities. The staples are removably positioned within the staple cavities. The staples are ejectable from the staple cavities. The compensator comprises an implantable body, a shell contained within the implantable body, and a plurality of resilient members positioned within the shell. The shell defines an inner space. At least a portion of a resilient member of the plurality of resilient members is connected to the shell. The inner space is compressible. The inner space has an unruptured volume when the shell is in an unruptured state. The staples are configured to rupture the shell when the staples are ejected from the staple cavities.

Staple cartridge comprising a compressible tissue thickness compensator

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Katherine J Schmid