A surgical end effector comprising a staple cartridge, an anvil, and a compressible portion intermediate the staple cartridge and the anvil is disclosed. The compressible portion comprises a plurality of tubular members.

A device that may be used as a surgical stapler comprises five rows of staples towards the segment one wishes to suture and one row towards the segment that is extracted. In a back area it comprises two sections separated in the middle for a knife to pass through. At least one of the sections presents a curve-shaped end to adapt it to the stapler.

An assembly for fastening tissue is disclosed. The assembly may comprise a first jaw comprising a cartridge, wherein the cartridge comprises a plurality of fasteners. The plurality of fasteners comprises a first fastener comprising a first height and a second fastener comprising a second height, wherein the second height is different than the first height. The assembly further comprises a second jaw, wherein at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw is movable relative to the other. The second jaw comprises a plurality of fastener-engaging portions. The plurality of fastener-engaging portions comprises a first fastener-engaging portion and a second fastener-engaging portion. The assembly further comprises a compressible layer intermediate the first jaw and the second jaw.

A surgical anvil assembly for use with a circular stapling instrument includes an anvil center rod defining a longitudinal axis and an anvil head pivotally coupled to the anvil center rod and movable between a first operative condition and a second tilted condition. The anvil assembly further includes a locking assembly configured to selectively lock the anvil head in each of the first and second conditions.

A staple cartridge for use with a surgical instrument is disclosed. The staple cartridge comprises a cartridge body, staples, an inner staple driver, an intermediate staple driver, an outer staple driver, and a wedge sled. The inner staple driver comprises an inner staple support surface, the intermediate staple driver comprises an intermediate staple support surface, and the outer staple driver comprises an outer staple support surface. The wedge sled is configured to move each of the inner staple driver, the intermediate staple driver, and the outer staple driver between an unfired position and a fired position. One of the inner staple support surface, the intermediate staple support surface, and the outer staple support surface extends above the others when the inner staple driver, the intermediate staple driver, and the outer staple driver are in their unfired positions.

A surgical stapler, or fastening instrument, may generally comprise a layer, such as a tissue thickness compensator, for example, releasably attached to a fastener cartridge and/or anvil by a flowable attachment portion. The flowable attachment portion may be indefinitely flowable. The flowable attachment portion may be flowable from the time that layer is installed to the fastener cartridge to the time in which the layer is implanted to patient tissue. The flowable attachment portion may comprise a pressure sensitive adhesive. The flowable attachment portion may comprise an adhesive laminate comprising a base layer comprising the tissue thickness compensator and an adhesive layer on at least a portion of a surface of the base layer comprising the pressure sensitive adhesive. Articles of manufacture comprising flowable attachment portion and methods of making and using the flowable attachment portion are also described.

A surgical instrument can comprise a handle, a motor, and a shaft extending from the handle. The handle and/or the shaft can define a longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument can further comprise a fastener cartridge comprising a plurality of fasteners removably stored therein, an anvil configured to deform the fasteners, a closure drive configured to move the anvil toward and away from the fastener cartridge which is rotatable about the longitudinal axis, and a firing drive configured to deploy the fasteners from the fastener cartridge which is rotatable about the longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument can further comprise a transmission comprising a first operating configuration which connects the motor to the closure drive and a second operating configuration which connects the motor to the firing drive.

A surgical stapler having an anvil including a plurality of staple forming pockets for forming staples. The staple forming pockets include first and second staple forming cups configured to receive first and second legs of a staple respectively. The first staple forming cup within each staple forming pocket has a different depth from the second staple forming cup within that staple forming pocket.

An end effector for a medical device includes an anvil and a cartridge. The anvil has an anvil face and a first staple pocket and a second staple pocket, each defined by the anvil face. The first staple pocket includes a first surface having a first depth, and the second staple pocket includes a second surface having a second depth. The cartridge has a first staple having a first height in an open configuration, a first driver, a second staple having a second height in an open configuration, and a second driver. A first staple formation distance is defined by a first distance between the first driver and the first surface of the first staple pocket when the anvil and the cartridge are in a closed position. The first staple formation distance differs from a second staple formation distance.

Methods for providing and using a surgical instrument system are disclosed.