Methods of surgical treatment employing a biocompatible glue

Abstract

Use of one or more saccharides, for example one or more non-toxic mono-, di-, tri-, oligo- or polysaccharides, in the manufacture of a biocompatible glue for adhering a first structure to a surface of a second structure. The biocompatible glue can be adapted to act as a temporary glue. In this case the glue may be used to enable a medical structure to be transferred from a medical instrument onto the surface of a structure of a human or animal body, for example as in the transfer of a buffer material from the fork of a surgical stapler to a diseased lung after one or more rows of staples have been fired through the buffer material into the lung during lung volume reduction surgery for treating emphysema. The biocompatible glue can also to advantage be used to adhere or secure medical structures to a structure of a human or animal body direct, such as in the case of a patch being applied to the skin of a mammal.

1 . Use of one or more saccharides in the manufacture of a biocompatible glue for adhering a first structure to a surface of a second structure.  
     
     
         2 . Use as claimed in  claim 1 , characterised in that one or more non-toxic saccharides are used in the manufacture of the biocompatible glue.  
     
     
         3 . Use as claimed in  claim 1  or  2 , characterised in that one or more mono-, di-, tri-, oligo- or polysaccharides are used in the manufacture of the biocompatible glue.  
     
     
         4 . Use as claimed in  claim 1 ,  2  or  3 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue is adapted for releasably adhering the first structure to the surface of the second structure.  
     
     
         5 . Use as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  4 , characterised in that the second structure is a human or animal body structure.  
     
     
         6 . Use as claimed in  claim 5 , characterised in that the first structure is a medical structure.  
     
     
         7 . Use as claimed in  claim 4 , characterised in that the first structure is a medical structure for disposal on a surface of a human or animal body structure and the second structure is a medical instrument whereby the biocompatible glue enables the medical structure to be transferred from the medical instrument onto the surface of the body structure.  
     
     
         8 . Use as claimed in  claim 5 ,  6  or  7 , characterised in that the body structure is an internal structure of the human or animal body.  
     
     
         9 . Use as claimed in  claim 8  when appendent on  claim 7 , characterised in that the medical instrument is an invasive surgical instrument for an invasive surgical procedure in which the medical structure is to be transferred from the surgical instrument to the surface of the internal body structure.  
     
     
         10 . Use as claimed in  claim 5 ,  6  or  7 , characterised in that the body structure is the skin of the human or animal body.  
     
     
         11 . Use as claimed in  claim 6 , characterised in that the medical structure is a patch and that the body structure is the skin of the human or animal body.  
     
     
         12 . Use as claimed in  claim 9 , characterised in that the invasive surgical instrument is a stapler for use in lung volume reduction surgery for treating emphysema of a lung of the human or animal body and that the medical structure is a buffer material through which one or more lines of staples are fired into the lung from the stapler.  
     
     
         13 . Use as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first structure comprises a bio-resorbable material.  
     
     
         14 . Use as claimed in  claim 13 , characterised in that the bio-resorbable material comprises poly(3-hydroxybutyrate).  
     
     
         15 . Use as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises from 60 to 90% by weight of saccharides in solution.  
     
     
         16 . Use as claimed in  claim 15 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises approximately 85% by weight of saccharides in solution.  
     
     
         17 . Use as claimed in  claim 15  or  16 , characterised in that water is used as a solvent for the saccharides to form the solution.  
     
     
         18 . Use as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the saccharides comprise sugars.  
     
     
         19 . Use as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the biocompatible glue is formed in a viscous state and used immediately for adhering the first structure to the surface of the second structure.  
     
     
         20 . Use as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises a mixture of two or more different saccharides.  
     
     
         21 . Use as claimed in  claim 15 ,  16  or  17 , characterised in that the solution includes 0.5 to 30% by weight of glycerol.  
     
     
         22 . Use as claimed in  claim 15 ,  16  or  17 , characterised in that the solution includes  1  to 30% by weight of polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of less than 50 000.  
     
     
         23 . A biocompatible glue comprising one or more saccharides for adhering a first structure to a surface of a second structure.  
     
     
         24 . A biocompatible glue as claimed in  claim 23 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises one or more non-toxic saccharides.  
     
     
         25 . A biocompatible glue as claimed in  claim 23  or  24 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises one or more mono-, di-, tri-, oligo- or polysaccharides.  
     
     
         26 . A biocompatible glue as claimed in  claim 23 ,  24  or  25 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue is adapted for releasably adhering the first structure to the surface of the second structure.  
     
     
         27 . A biocompatible glue as claimed in any one of  claims 23  to  26 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises from 60 to 90% by weight of saccharides in solution.  
     
     
         28 . A biocompatible glue as claimed in  claim 27 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises approximately 85% by weight of saccharides in solution.  
     
     
         29 . A biocompatible glue as claimed in  claim 27  or  28 , characterised in that water is used as a solvent for the saccharides to form the solution.  
     
     
         30 . A biocompatible glue as claimed in any one of  claims 23  to  29 , characterised in that the saccharides comprise sugars.  
     
     
         31 . A biocompatible glue as claimed in any one of  claims 23  to  30 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue is formed in a viscous state and used immediately for adhering the first structure to the surface of the second structure.  
     
     
         32 . A biocompatible glue as claimed in any one of  claims 23  to  31 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises a mixture of two or more different saccharides.  
     
     
         33 . A biocompatible glue as claimed in  claim 27 ,  28  or  29 , characterised in that the solution includes 0.5 to 30% by weight of glycerol.  
     
     
         34 . A biocompatible glue as claimed in  claim 27 ,  28  or  29 , characterised in that the solution includes 1 to 30% by weight of polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of less than 50 000.  
     
     
         35 . A method of adhering a first structure to a surface of a second structure comprising the step of applying a coating of a biocompatible glue comprising one or more saccharides to one or other of the first or second structures.  
     
     
         36 . A method as claimed in  claim 35 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue is adapted for releasably adhering the first structure to the surface of the second structure.  
     
     
         37 . A method of treatment of a human or animal body by surgery including the steps of releasably securing a medical structure to a surgical instrument and then transferring the medical structure from the surgical instrument to a surface of a structure of the human or animal body characterised in that the medical structure is releasably secured to the surgical instrument with a biocompatible glue comprising one or more saccharides.  
     
     
         38 . A method as claimed in  claim 37 , characterised in that the surgery is lung volume reduction surgery for treating emphysema of a lung of a human or animal body, that the surgical instrument is a surgical stapler for firing one or more rows of staples into the lung, that the medical structure is a buffer material and that the biocompatible glue releasably adheres the buffer material to a fork of the surgical stapler such that the staples can be fired therethrough.  
     
     
         39 . A method as claimed in  claim 35 ,  36 ,  37  or  38 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises one or more non-toxic saccharides.  
     
     
         40 . A method as claimed in any one of  claims 35  to  39 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises one or more mono-, di-, tri-, oligo- or polysaccharides.  
     
     
         41 . A method as claimed in any one of  claims 35  to  40 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises from 60 to 90% by weight of saccharides in solution.  
     
     
         42 . A method as claimed in  claim 41 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises approximately 85% by weight of saccharides in solution.  
     
     
         43 . A method as claimed in  claim 41  or  42 , characterised in that water is used as a solvent for the saccharides to form the solution.  
     
     
         44 . A method as claimed in any one of  claims 35  to  43 , characterised in that the saccharides comprise sugars.  
     
     
         45 . A method as claimed in any one of  claims 35  to  44 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue is formed in a viscous state and used immediately for adhering the first structure to the surface of the second structure.  
     
     
         46 . A method as claimed in any one of  claims 35  to  45 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises a mixture of two or more different saccharides.  
     
     
         47 . A method as claimed in  claim 41 ,  42  or  43 , characterised in that the solution includes 0.5 to 30% by weight of glycerol.  
     
     
         48 . A method as claimed in  claim 41 ,  42  or  43 , characterised in that the solution includes 1 to 30% by weight of polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of less than 50 000.  
     
     
         49 . A medical device comprising a patch of polymeric material and a coating of a biocompatible glue comprising one or more saccharides for adhering the patch to a surface of a structure of a human or animal body.  
     
     
         50 . A medical device as claimed in  claim 49 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises one or more non-toxic saccharides.  
     
     
         51 . A medical device as claimed in  claim 49  or  50 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue comprises one or more mono-, di-, tri-, oligo- or polysaccharides.  
     
     
         52 . A medical device as claimed in  claim 49 ,  50  or  51 , characterised in that the biocompatible glue is adapted to releasably adhere the patch to the body structure.  
     
     
         53 . A medical device as claimed in any one of  claims 49  to  52 , characterised in that the patch comprises a non-woven patch of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate).