Surgical Stapling Apparatus Having a Wound Closure Material Applicator Assembly

Abstract

A surgical stapling apparatus includes a staple anvil and a staple cartridge having a working surface, one or more rows of individual staple slots formed in the working surface, a knife track formed along a length of the working surface, and a plurality of surgical staples individually disposed within the individual staple slots. The apparatus further includes an actuation sled having a knife and being configured and adapted to movably position the knife axially within the knife track. The apparatus also includes a wound closure material applicator assembly having a needle secured to the knife to dispense a quantity of wound closure material along a length of the knife track as the actuation sled and knife are moved therealong.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A surgical stapling apparatus for joining body tissue, comprising:
 a staple anvil having a knife track;   a staple cartridge adjacent the staple anvil, the staple cartridge and staple anvil being juxtaposable with one another, the staple cartridge including a plurality of surgical staples, the staple cartridge having a knife slot;   a monolithic sled for ejecting the staples from the staple cartridge, the sled having a shank for supporting a knife blade;   a driving member for distally translating the sled;   a conduit having a plurality of apertures, the conduit being attached to the sled; and   a source of wound closure material communicating with the conduit.   
     
     
         24 . The surgical stapling apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the staple cartridge defines at least two linear rows of staples on either side of the knife slot. 
     
     
         25 . The surgical stapling apparatus according to  claim 23 , further comprising a distribution tip defining an orifice. 
     
     
         26 . The surgical stapling apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein the tip is arranged so that the orifice faces proximally. 
     
     
         27 . The surgical stapling apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the conduit has a plurality of apertures defined along a side of the conduit. 
     
     
         28 . The surgical stapling apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the source of wound closure material includes a first reservoir having a first component of the wound closure material, and a second reservoir having a second component of the wound closure material. 
     
     
         29 . The surgical stapling apparatus according to  claim 23 , further comprising a second distribution tip. 
     
     
         30 . The surgical stapling apparatus according to  claim 23 , further comprising a clamping handle, the clamping handle being movable to move the staple cartridge and staple anvil into a clamping position. 
     
     
         31 . The surgical stapling apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the sled is removably attached to the driving member and contained in the staple cartridge, the staple cartridge being replaceable. 
     
     
         32 . The surgical stapling apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the source of wound closure material is selected from the group consisting of a syringe and a compressible reservoir.