Bioabsorbable staples are disclosed that have sufficient mechanical properties throughout a healing window of patient tissue.

Staple cartridges comprising absorbable staples having sufficient mechanical properties to be deployed into patient tissue, clench the patient tissue, and then dissolve within a desired time frame.

A staple cartridge comprising absorbable staples having co-operate and/or antagonistic coatings is disclosed.

A method and apparatus of adaptively controlling a surgical stapling instrument are disclose. The method includes identifying a staple cartridge type, configuring the surgical stapling instrument based on the identified staple cartridge, and adaptively controlling, by a control circuit, operation/functionality of the surgical stapling instrument based on the configuration of the surgical stapling instrument loaded with the identified staple cartridge type. The apparatus includes a control circuit including a microcontroller and a memory coupled to the microcontroller. The memory stores machine executable instructions that when executed by the microcontroller cause the microcontroller to execute the above method.

Packaging assemblies for storing and shipping surgical staple cartridges containing bio-absorbable staples.

An ultrasonic surgical blade includes a body having a proximal end, a distal end, and an outer surface. The distal end is movable relative to a longitudinal axis in accordance with ultrasonic vibrations applied to the proximal end. At least a portion of the outer surface of the body comprises a lubricious coating adhered thereto. The lubricious coating has a coefficient of friction that is less than the coefficient of friction of the outer surface of the body.

A method of making a coating solution includes the steps of polymerising an initial monomer feed comprising an N-vinyl pyrrolidone and an acrylate, preferably methacrylate, salt in water to synthesise a copolymer thereof, acidifying the resulting copolymer-water mixture to give free carboxylic acid groups along the copolymer backbone, diluting the aqueous solution down with alcohol, and adding a cross-linking agent which is capable of reacting with the carboxylic acid groups and curing the copolymer at a later stage after the coating solution has been applied to a substrate and the copolymer coated thereon. Also disclosed are a coating solution in storage, a method of coating a substrate which is on, or is part of, a medical device or other article, a substrate, article or medical device having a coating so applied, and a coated medical device packaged in a hydration solution. The aqueous-alcoholic coating solution may be stored for an extended period, suitably for at least one month and desirably for substantially longer, without deteriorating.

Provided herein are compositions comprising: (a) a polymeric catechol binder, such as: polymeric dopamine, polymeric norepinephrine, polymeric epinephrine; polymeric pyrogallol, polymeric tannic acid, polymeric hydroxyhydroquinone, polymeric catechin, polymeric epigallocatechin etc.; and (b) a hydrophilic polymer, methods for using the compositions to coat a substrate, and methods for making the compositions. In particular, the substrate may form part of an apparatus on which it would be beneficial to limit biofouling and/or protein binding.

An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a device and method for the treatment of urethral stricture. The present invention places and holds a graft at an incised urethral stricture site for 5-21 days, while the graft adherences to the incised urethral stricture site. A device of the present invention includes a delivery component, a graft carrier component, and a removal component. In some embodiments, the delivery and removal components may be combined into the same device. The delivery component, the graft carrier component, and the removal component are all configured to enter and exit the urethra without trauma. A method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes harvesting a graft, loading the graft onto the graft carrier component, introducing the delivery device into the urethra with the graft carrier component and graft loaded, and delivering of the graft to the incised urethral stricture site.

A package or container for a catheter having a catheter tube with a proximal end provided with a catheter outlet and a distal opening at a distal end thereof. A gel receptacle is provided with a cavity for holding an amount of a lubricating agent, and the catheter tube extends therethrough. The gel receptacle is configured such that as the catheter is withdrawn from a stored position therein, a leading tip of the catheter is immersed in the lubricating agent, thus automatically coating the leading tip. The gel receptacle may be held within a rigid body or may be a standalone item packaged in a sterile bag solely with the catheter. A side wall of the gel receptacle is deformable so that as the catheter is withdrawn proximally the side wall is collapsed inward to displace the lubricating agent gel and coat an exterior surface of the catheter tube.