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.

A target illuminating stapling device for safely fastening an item to a substrate includes a staple gun and a bulb. The staple gun comprises a staple driver, a handle, and a staple cartridge. The staple driver is positioned in a front portion of the staple gun. The handle is hingedly engaged to the front portion and extends over a back portion of the staple gun. The handle is operationally engaged to the staple driver. Levering of the handle actuates the staple driver to fasten a staple into a substrate. An item that is positioned between the staple and the substrate is fastened to the substrate. The staple cartridge selectively feeds the staple to the staple driver. The bulb is engaged to the staple gun proximate to the staple driver. The bulb selectively illuminates a target area of the substrate into which the staple is to be fastened.

A fastener cartridge can comprise a support portion, a tissue thickness compensator positioned relative to the support portion, and a plurality of fasteners positioned within the support portion and/or the tissue thickness compensator which can be utilized to fasten tissue. In use, the fastener cartridge can be positioned in a first jaw of a surgical fastening device, wherein a second jaw, or anvil, can be positioned opposite the first jaw. To deploy the fasteners, a staple-deploying member is advanced through the fastener cartridge to move the fasteners toward the anvil. As the fasteners are deployed, the fasteners can capture at least a portion of the tissue thickness compensator therein along with at least a portion of the tissue being fastened.

This compact binding device is such that binding operations can be carried out when the main body of the device is held. The binding device (1A) is provided with a cassette storage unit (60A) in which a cassette (8) can be detachably attached, said cassette housing an elongate tape (5) which has a piece (2) adhered thereto and is wound into a roll. The cassette housing unit (60A) is provided at the bottom of the device main body (110A), which comprises a base unit (11A) and a handle unit (12), and the cassette (8) does not protrude rearwards from the handle unit (12) and the base unit (11A).

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.

A reload assembly includes a shell housing, a knife carrier, a lockout component, and a hook component. The lockout component is supported on an inner wall of the knife carrier and has a body formed of a resilient material that defines a window. The hook component is supported on the inner housing portion of the shell housing and includes a body having a hook that is received within the window of the lockout component when the knife carrier is in its retracted position after the reload assembly has been fired to obstruct readvancement of the knife carrier.

A binding machine, includes: a staple magazine unit configured to accommodate a staple having a crown portion and a pair of leg portions; a staple driver provided at a position facing the crown portion; a clincher provided at a position facing tip ends of the leg portions and movable along an extending direction of the leg portions; and a regulating portion configured to regulate a movement amount of the clincher toward the leg portions. The clincher and the staple driver are configured to sandwich the staple therebetween with a movement of the clincher along the extending direction toward the leg portions, folding the staple.

A fastener cartridge assembly for use with a surgical end effector. The fastener cartridge assembly can comprise a cartridge body having fastener cavities, fasteners removably positioned in the fastener cavities, a layer of material releasably secured relative to the cartridge body, a connector configured to secure the layer of material to the cartridge body at a location distal to at least one fastener cavity, and an actuator. The layer of material can be a tissue thickness compensator. When actuated, the actuator can overcome the connector, and can overcome the connector prior to the removal of the fasteners from the fastener cavities. The actuator can be actuated at a location proximal to at least one fastener cavity, and can extend distally past at least one fastener cavity toward the connector.

A fastener cartridge can comprise a support portion, a tissue thickness compensator positioned relative to the support portion, and a plurality of fasteners positioned within the support portion and/or the tissue thickness compensator which can be utilized to fasten tissue. In use, the fastener cartridge can be positioned in a first jaw of a surgical fastening device, wherein a second jaw, or anvil, can be positioned opposite the first jaw. To deploy the fasteners, a staple-deploying member is advanced through the fastener cartridge to move the fasteners toward the anvil. As the fasteners are deployed, the fasteners can capture at least a portion of the tissue thickness compensator therein along with at least a portion of the tissue being fastened.

A reload assembly includes a shell housing, a knife carrier, a lockout component, and a hook component. The lockout component is supported on an inner wall of the knife carrier and has a body formed of a resilient material that defines a window. The hook component is supported on the inner housing portion of the shell housing and includes a body having a hook that is received within the window of the lockout component when the knife carrier is in its retracted position after the reload assembly has been fired to obstruct readvancement of the knife carrier.