Patent ID: 7655007

Claim:
A method of fusing biomaterials, comprising the steps of: providing a circular stapling instrument having a support member configured to support an array of staples and an opposing anvil, the support member movable relative to the anvil to compress tissue therebetween, each of the support member and the anvil having electrically conductive sealing surfaces; providing a non-collagen biomaterial; everting an end of a segment of non-collagen biomaterial; positioning the evened end of the non-collagen biomaterial in abutting relation to an everted end of at least one other tissue such that the respective intimae of the everted non-collagen biomaterial and the at least one other tissue oppose one another, the at least one other tissue selected from the group consisting of collagen biomaterial, non-collagen biomaterial and elastin biomaterials; compressing the non-collagen biomaterial and the at least one other tissue between the support member and the anvil; energizing the support member and the anvil with radiofrequency energy to effectively fuse the non-collagen biomaterial and the at least one other tissue such that the at least one other tissue and the non-collagen biomaterial reform into a single, fused mass; and actuating the circular stapling instrument to fire the staples through the non-collagen biomaterial and the at least one other tissue and against the anvil.