Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A system for frequency stabilization and control is provided. The circuit according to the invention consists of three major subsystems; namely, a display and control module, an integrator module, and a voltage controlled oscillator. The electronic system disclosed provides a highly flexible method of frequency stabilization and control. The system is programmable and may be used in a wide variety of applications, offering a variety of advantages over conventional systems such as PLLs.