Buttress attachment features for surgical stapling apparatus

Abstract

An end effector assembly for use with a surgical stapler, comprising a staple cartridge having a tissue contacting surface, an anvil plate having a tissue contacting surface, a buttress material releasably disposed on the tissue contacting surfaces of each of the staple cartridge and the anvil plate, and an epoxy positioned onto the tissue contacting surfaces of each of the staple cartridge and anvil plate defining an attachment zone configured to retain the respective buttress material atop the respective tissue contacting surfaces.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An end effector assembly comprising:
 a staple cartridge;   an anvil plate including first and second openings defined therein, and having a tissue contacting surface;   a buttress material overlying the tissue contacting surface of the anvil plate; and   first and second retaining members each including a pair of buttons linked together by a tether, the tether extending through the respective first and second openings of the anvil plate and through the buttress material, the pair of buttons sized larger than the first and second openings to releasably secure the buttress material to the anvil plate.   
     
     
         3 . The end effector assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the buttress material includes first and second holes in registration with the first and second openings, respectively, of the anvil plate, and the tether of the first and second retaining members extend through the respective first and second holes. 
     
     
         4 . The end effector assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the first and second openings of the anvil plate are defined through respective first and second side surfaces of the anvil plate, the first and second side surfaces disposed on opposed sides of the tissue contacting surface. 
     
     
         5 . The end effector assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the anvil plate is linear and the first and second side surfaces extend longitudinally along the opposed sides of the tissue contacting surface. 
     
     
         6 . The end effector assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the anvil plate is annular and defines a centrally located aperture therein, and the first and second side surfaces extend annularly around the opposed sides of the tissue contacting surface. 
     
     
         7 . The end effector assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein the buttress material includes a body portion overlying the tissue contacting surface of the anvil plate and first and second flaps extending from the body portion and overlying the respective first and second side surfaces of the anvil plate, the tether of the first and second retaining members extending through the respective first and second flaps of the buttress material. 
     
     
         8 . The end effector assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein a first button of the pair of buttons of each of the first and second retaining members is positioned adjacent to an outer surface of the buttress material and a second button of the pair of buttons is positioned adjacent to an inner surface of the anvil plate. 
     
     
         9 . The end effector assembly according to  claim 8 , wherein the buttress material includes perforations aligned with the first buttons such that the first buttons break through the perforations when the buttress material is released from the anvil plate. 
     
     
         10 . The end effector assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the first and second retaining members are bioabsorbable. 
     
     
         11 . The end effector assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the first and second retaining members are dissolvable. 
     
     
         12 . The end effector assembly according to  claim 2 , wherein the first and second openings defined in the anvil plate are one of a plurality of first and second openings, and the first and second retaining members are one of a plurality of first and second retaining members. 
     
     
         13 . The end effector assembly according to  claim 2 , further including a second buttress material releasably disposed on the staple cartridge.