Abstract: A reinforcing incision drape for tissue, such as fragile tissue, includes an absorbable surgical mesh having top and bottom major surfaces. The absorbable surgical mesh has a stitching zone and first and second reinforcing zones that bound opposite sides of the stitching zone. The stitching zone is less porous and the first and second reinforcing zones are more porous than the stitching zone. A releasable liner covers the top major surface of the absorbable surgical mesh within the stitching zone of the absorbable surgical mesh. A weaker adhesive, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive, covers the bottom major surface of the surgical mesh within the centrally located stitching zone of the absorbable surgical mesh, and a stronger adhesive, such as cyanoacrylite, covers the first and second reinforcing zones of the absorbable surgical mesh.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a hemostatic semi-solid paste material comprising a bioabsorbable carrier hemostatic material; and a supplemental hemostatic agent; wherein the paste material has an elongated form extending along a lengthwise axis with an aspect ratio of at least 3; wherein the paste is self-supporting and syringe extrudable; and wherein the supplemental hemostatic agent has a non-homogenous distribution profile across a cross-section taken across the lengthwise axis. In another aspect, the present invention relates to devices for forming and expressing the hemostatic material.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device for delivering a sealant to a tissue, comprising a sealant compartment, a cooling gas compartment, and a heater, all disposed inside a unified housing; with heater configured for rendering the sealant liquid or semi-liquid or molten and flowable; with sealant compartment configured for expressing the sealant in a flowable form from device via an exit nozzle; with gas compartment configured for expressing a cooling gas via a gas expression port; with exit nozzle and gas expression port co-directed into the same direction.

Abstract: The present invention relates to surgical instruments and methods for enhancing properties of tissue repaired or joined by surgical staples and, more particularly to surgical instruments and methods designed to enhance the properties of repaired or adjoined tissue at a target surgical site, especially when sealing an anastomosis between adjacent intestinal sections so as to improve tissue viability, prevent tissue infection, and to prevent leakage. The present invention further relates to an expandable compression device for application to anastomotically joined tubular tissues, comprising: an upper ring-shaped or disk-shaped flange at a distal end of said device connected to a lower ring-shaped inflatable flange at a proximal end of said device via a hollow cylindrical tubular body, with an opening forming an axial passage through said upper flange, lower flange, and tubular body.

Abstract: The present invention relates to surgical instruments and methods for enhancing properties of tissue repaired or joined by surgical staples and, more particularly to surgical instruments and methods designed to enhance the properties of repaired or adjoined tissue at a target surgical site. The present invention further relates to hypothermic linear stapling instruments configured to pre-cool the tissues being joined by staples.

Abstract: A device for application onto incisions or wounds with a liquid rapidly polymerizable adhesive for forming skin closure systems, having a flat porous mesh elongated along a longitudinal axis and having an upper side and an opposing lower or wound facing side and a central portion in immediate vicinity of the axis; further having a plurality of pores and windows in said mesh, said windows substantially larger than said pores and arranged along said longitudinal axis in said central portion; a crosslinking or polymerization accelerator or initiator disposed in or on the mesh; and a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on at least a portion of the lower surface of the mesh.

Abstract: A device for application onto wounds with a liquid rapidly polymerizable adhesive for forming skin closure systems, comprising a thin flexible flat porous tape, preferably a mesh, elongated along a longitudinal axis and having a lower side or wound-facing side and an opposing upper side, a periphery, and central portion in immediate vicinity of the axis; said tape coated or impregnated with an initiator or accelerator of polymerization; said tape having a plurality of elongated traces of soluble pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) disposed on the wound-facing side; said traces covering from about 3% to about 50% of area of said tape and extending from the periphery to the central portion of said tape.

Abstract: The present is directed to systems for ex vivo testing performance of a hemostatic or sealing product attached to an animal organ and fully covering a cored channel in said organ, comprising: a pressure sensor positioned proximate to said hemostatic or sealing product in said cored channel; a monitoring or recording device configured to receive pressure readings from said pressure sensor; and a pressurized fluid source connected to said cored channel and configured to supply said pressurized fluid into said cored channel under constant or variable pressure. The present invention is also directed to methods of use for such systems.

Abstract: A method of reinforcing subcutaneous fragile tissue includes obtaining an absorbable surgical mesh having top and bottom major surfaces, the absorbable surgical mesh including a stitching zone and first and second reinforcing zones that bound opposite sides of the stitching zone. The method includes making an incision in a patient's skin for exposing subcutaneous fragile tissue, using one or more absorbable adhesives for adhering the bottom major surface of the absorbable surgical mesh to the subcutaneous fragile tissue, creating an incision through the stitching zone of the absorbable surgical mesh and into the subcutaneous fragile tissue, performing a surgical procedure through the incision, and passing an absorbable suture through the stitching zone of the absorbable surgical mesh and the fragile tissue for closing the incision.

Abstract: A reconfigurable suture needle includes an elongated body having a curved proximal section and a curved distal section. A joint interconnects a distal end of the curved proximal section and a proximal end of the curved distal section. The joint enables the curved proximal section and the curved distal section to rotate relative to one another between a first configuration having a higher profile and a second configuration having a lower profile. Each of the curved proximal and distal sections of the elongated body defines about one-quarter of a circle. The elongated body has a semi-circular shape when in the first configuration and a wave shape when in the second configuration. The elongated body is rotated into the smaller profile for passing through a cannula and, after passing through the cannula, rotated back into the higher profile for use as a suturing needle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to surgical instruments and methods for enhancing properties of tissue repaired or joined by surgical staples and, more particularly to surgical instruments and methods designed to enhance the properties of repaired or adjoined tissue at a target surgical site, especially when sealing an anastomosis between adjacent intestinal sections to improve tissue viability under hypoxia conditions, prevent tissue inflammation, and to prevent leakage. The present invention further relates to hypothermic circular stapling instruments configured to pre-cool the tissues being joined by staples.

Abstract: A device for joining two layers of tissue, comprises a substantially flat and flexible scaffold having an upper surface, a lower surface and sidewalls; a plurality of first passages penetrating said scaffold from said upper surface to said lower surface; a plurality of second passages penetrating said scaffold from said upper surface to said lower surface; a substantially flat and flexible top cover releasably attached to said upper surface and covering all of said upper surface; said top cover having a plurality of top cover passages aligned with said first plurality of passages.

Abstract: A surgical incision drape, comprises a flexible substantially flat areal substrate having an upper side and an opposing tissue-facing side, having a longitudinal axis and a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on the tissue-facing side; at least one hollow microtubular compartment containing a flowable medical agent, said hollow microtubular compartment positioned to intersect the longitudinal axis and embedded into the substrate or positioned on the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates devices capable of continuous and simultaneous expression of components of a multi-part biomedical composition with variable mixing ratios. The device has at least two syringes that contain the inter-reactive components of the multi-part biomedical composition. At least the barrel of the first syringe has a first retention compartment having a cross-sectional area dimension that is larger than the cross-sectional area of a second retention compartment. The first piston has a cross-sectional dimension that matches the inside cross-sectional dimension of the small dimensioned retention compartment, while a ring-shaped gasket is located within the large dimensioned retention compartment and has an outside cross-sectional dimension that matches an interior dimension of the large dimension retention compartment.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a spray applicator for spraying a tissue treatment medicant onto a tissue that has a container containing the medicant and is positioned at a proximal end of the spray applicator; a spray tip positioned at a distal end of the spray applicator; a cannula connecting the container with the spray tip; an actuatable dispensing mechanism at a proximal end of the applicator to express the medicant from the container through the cannula and through the spray tip toward the tissue; an optional pressurized gas source discharging a gas through the cannula in the vicinity of the spray tip or inside the spray tip; and a distance indicator that provides indicia of the distance between the spray tip and the tissue but does not prevent positioning the spray tip closer to the tissue than a defined distance for the distance indicator.

Abstract: A scaffold for joining two layers of tissue, comprises a substantially flat and flexible body having a top surface, a bottom surface and sidewalls; at least one channel within the body starting at an injection port; a plurality of first passages on the top surface and a plurality of second passages on the bottom surface, said passages in fluid communication with the channel; a plurality of third passages penetrating the body from the top surface to the bottom surface, said plurality of third passages not in fluid communication with the channel.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to circular surgical staplers for anastomotic joining of tissue comprising a stapling head connected to an opposing anvil, said stapling head containing a plurality of deployable staples in concentric arrays; a plurality of resorbable medicant-releasing microneedles, the microneedles comprising elongated rods having a sharp tissue-penetrating distal end and a proximal end; with the microneedles releasably disposed on or within the stapling head or the anvil. The present invention is also directed to methods of use of such stapler devices.

Abstract: A mammary implant and method of making are provided herein. The implant includes an outer shell configured to retain fluid therein, an injection element coupled to the outer shell and adapted to receive therethrough an injection device for injecting fluid into the outer shell, and an injection marker zone made of a material having ultrasonically detectable markers incorporated therein. The markers are a plurality of microcavities that are located relative to the injection element so that, when ultrasonically detected, such detection indicates a location of the injection element.