Abstract: A staple line buttress material having an adhesive surface, packaged and provided in sterile, ready-to-use form. The material can be used to retrofit surgical staplers to provide an improved staple line, and with improved ease of use.

Abstract: A staple line buttress material having an adhesive surface, packaged and provided in sterile, ready-to-use form. The material can be used to retrofit surgical staplers to provide an improved staple line, and with improved ease of use.

Abstract: A combination medical device comprising a circular stapler instrument (4) and one or more portions of preformed buttress material (16) adapted to be stably positioned upon the staple cartridge (12) and/or anvil (14) components of the stapler (4) prior or at the time of use. Positioned buttress material(s) (16) are delivered to a tissue site where the circular stapler (4) is actuated to connect previously severed tissue portions. An embodiment of the invention allows tissue portions to be joined without the use of sutures. The buttress material (16) is made up of two regions, one of which serves primarily to secure the buttress material (16) to the stapler (4) prior to actuation, and one of which serves primarily to form the improved seal. The former region is severed and discarded upon activation of the circular stapler (4) to form anastomoses, while the remaining material secures and seals the newly connected tissue. Methods of use and preparation of the buttress material (16) are also described.

Abstract: A vascular coupler adapted to be fixed into position upon a blood vessel and there retain and position a matable sensing device. In a preferred embodiment, the vascular coupler is an anastomotic coupler and the sensing device comprises an ultrasonic Doppler probe.

Abstract: A combination medical device comprising a circular stapler instrument and one or more portions of preformed buttress material adapted to be stably positioned upon the staple cartridge and/or anvil components of the stapler prior or at the time of use. Positioned buttress material(s) are delivered to a tissue site where the circular stapler is actuated to connect previously severed tissue portions. The buttress material is retained and provides an improved seal between the joined tissue sections. The buttress material is made up of two regions, one of which serves primarily to secure the buttress material to the stapler prior to actuation, and one of which serves primarily to form the improved seal. The former region is severed and discarded upon activation of the circular stapler to form an anastomoses. Methods of use and preparation of the buttress material are also described.

Abstract: A vascular coupler adapted to be fixed into position upon a blood vessel and there retain and position a matable sensing device. In a preferred embodiment, the vascular coupler is an anastomotic coupler and the sensing device comprises an ultrasonic Doppler probe.

Abstract: A combination medical device comprising a circular stapler instrument and one or more portions of preformed buttress material adapted to be stably positioned upon the staple cartridge and/or anvil components of the stapler prior or at the time of use. Positioned buttress material(s) are delivered to a tissue site where the circular stapler is actuated to connect previously severed tissue portions. The buttress material is retained and provides an improved seal between the joined tissue sections. The buttress material is made up of two regions, one of which serves primarily to secure the buttress material to the stapler prior to actuation, and one of which serves primarily to form the improved seal. The former region is severed and discarded upon activation of the circular stapler to form an anastomoses. Methods of use and preparation of the buttress material are also described.

Abstract: Tissue-equivalent and biopolymer tubes include fibrils which are oriented by a magnetic field. These oriented fibrils provide enhanced mechanical properties to the tissue-equivalent and biopolymer tubes. One such tissue-equivalent tube includes a body of collagen with mammalian tissue cells interspersed therein. The collagen fibrils are circumferentially oriented within the tubular body by a magnetic field, thereby inducing circumferential orientation of the cells. Methods of making magnetically oriented tissue-equivalent tubes and biopolymer tubes are also disclosed.

Abstract: Tissue-equivalent and biopolymer tubes and rods include fibrils which are oriented (aligned) by a magnetic field. These oriented fibrils provide enhanced mechanical and cell guidance properties to the tissue-equivalent and biopolymer tubes. One such tissue-equivalent tube includes a body of collagen gel with mammalian tissue cells interspersed therein. The collagen fibrils are circumferentially oriented within the tubular body by a magnetic field, thereby inducing circumferential orientation of the cells. One such biopolymer rod includes collagen fibrils longitudinally oriented along the rod axis by a magnetic field that guides invasion of cells. Methods of making magnetically oriented tissue-equivalent and biopolymer tubes and rods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for making a medical device having a biomolecule immobilized on a substrate surface is provided. The method includes: providing an immobilized biomolecule comprising a biomolecule covalently attached to a support material; attaching a photoreactive crosslinking agent to the immobilized biomolecule to form a photoreactive analog of the biomolecule; and removing the photoreactive analog of the biomolecule from the support material. The photoreactive analog of the biomolecule can then be attached to a substrate surface, such as a biomaterial that forms part of a medical device. The immobilized biomolecule may contain a peptide having an N.sup..alpha. -terminus. The photoreactive crosslinking agent is attached to the peptide at the N.sup..alpha. -terminus to form the photoreactive analog of the biomolecule. The peptide can be an adhesion peptide containing the sequence Trp-Gln-Pro-Pro-Arg-Ala-Arg-Ile. Attachment of the peptide to a substrate surface promotes cell adhesion to the surface.

Abstract: A biocompatible material comprising a substrate and a phospholipid moiety covalently attached thereto in an amount and orientation effective to provide an improved nonthrombogenic surface relative to the substrate without the phospholipid moiety covalently attached thereto is provided. In particularly preferred embodiments, the biocompatible material has the following structure: ##STR1## wherein: R.sup.1 is a (C.sub.1 -C.sub.30)alkyl group; R.sup.2 is a (C.sub.1 -C.sub.30)alkylene group; m is 1-4; n is 1-4; and L is a divalent linking group covalently bonded to the substrate and to the phospholipid moiety.

Abstract: A biocompatible material comprising a substrate and a phospholipid moiety covalently attached thereto in an amount and orientation effective to provide an improved nonthrombogenic surface relative to the substrate without the phospholipid moiety covalently attached thereto is provided. In particularly preferred embodiments, the biocompatible material has the following structure: ##STR1## wherein: R.sup.1 is a (C.sub.1 -C.sub.30)alkyl group; R.sup.2 is a (C.sub.1 -C.sub.30)alkylene group; m is 1-4; n is 1-4; and L is a divalent linking group covalently bonded to the substrate and to the phospholipid moiety.