TISSUE THICKNESS COMPENSATOR COMPRISING RESERVOIR

FIELD: medicine.SUBSTANCE: group of inventions refers to medical technology, namely to surgical cutting and stitching tools and cartridges with staples used therein, which are made with possibility to cut and staple the tissue with staples. Staple cartridge assembly includes a cartridge body, staples, a compressible tissue thickness compensator and a capsule with a drug. Cartridge body comprises a first row of staple cavities and a second row of staple cavities. Each staple is at least partially configured to be mounted in one of the staple cavities, each staple being movable between a non-activated position and an activated position. Staples are configured to at least partially capture the tissue thickness compensator when the staples are moved between their non-activated positions and their activated positions. Drug capsule is located between the first row of staple cavities and the second row of staple cavities. Staple cavities and staples are made and positioned in such a way that the staples do not pierce the capsule with the drug when moving the staples between their non-activated positions and the activated positions. Drug capsule comprises a shell, at least in part formed from a bioresorbable material. Drug capsule comprises a network of tubes fluidically communicating with each other. In a second embodiment, the aforementioned cartridge assembly includes a cartridge body, staples, a compressible tissue thickness compensator, and a plurality of drug capsules. Plurality of drug capsules are located in the tissue thickness compensator. Each drug capsule is located on top of one of the staple cavities. Staple cavities and staples are made and positioned in such a way that drug capsules are destroyed by staples when moving staples between their non-activated positions and their activated positions. Each drug capsule contains a tube, comprising a shell and a drug contained in the shell. In a third embodiment, the aforementioned cartridge assembly includes a cartridge body, staples, a compressible tissue thickness compensator, and a plurality of drug capsules. Plurality of drug capsules are located within the tissue thickness compensator. Each drug capsule comprises a shell, a cavity formed inside the shell, and a drug located in the cavity. Shell comprises a through-opening extending into the cavity, and the drug can flow out of the drug capsule via said through-opening. Tissue thickness compensator is formed from gelatin. In a fourth embodiment, the ab