TODAY’S PATENT – SURGICAL BETTRESS AND SURGICAL STAPLING APPARATUS

The Surgical bettress and surgical stapling apparatus was invented by David A. DalessandroMurty N. Vyakarnam on the 14^th August, 2001, bearing patent number US6273897B1.

The present invention provides a surgical stapling apparatus and a buttress, i.e. pledget, for use in the surgical stapling apparatus, which buttress provides sealing for hemostasis and pneumostasis, and which buttress includes a continuous projection, or a plurality of projections, for cooperation with guide channels for thereby attaching the buttress to the staple cartridge or anvil in a releasable pressure fit relationship.

This invention relates to a surgical buttress that eliminates or minimizes loss or leakage of bodily fluids, including blood or air, and a surgical stapling apparatus that applies the buttress to body tissue.

The present invention provides a surgical buttress, i.e. pledget, for approximating body tissue, which buttress provides sealing for hemostasis and pneumostasis, and which buttress comprises a continuous projection, or a plurality of projections, wherein the projection(s) are of sufficient number, dimension and spatial relationship effective to provide a releasable pressure fit of the projection into means for receiving the projections located in the staple cartridge or the anvil of a surgical stapling apparatus when placed in cooperation therewith, thereby maintaining the buttress in covering relationship with the cartridge and/or anvil. The invention also provides a surgical stapling apparatus comprising the improved buttress.