A surgical stapling device includes tool assembly having an anvil and a cartridge assembly. The cartridge assembly includes a channel member that defines a cavity, a staple cartridge supported within the cavity of the channel member, and a biasing member. The staple cartridge supports staples, each having a back span and a pair of legs depending from the back span. The biasing member is positioned within the channel member and is deformable to allow the cartridge body to move vertically within the cavity of the channel member. The anvil incudes staple deforming pockets that are configured to deform the legs of the staples from a position within the same plane as the back span to positions laterally offset from the back span.

A surgical stapler for stapling the tissue of a patient is disclosed. The surgical stapler comprises a handle, a shaft extending from the handle, and an end effector. The end effector comprises a tissue compression surface, a plurality of staples, and an anvil comprising staple forming pockets, wherein the anvil is movable toward the tissue compression surface during a closing stroke to clamp the patient tissue against and tissue compression surface. The surgical stapler further comprises an anvil closing system configured to move the anvil through the closing stroke, a staple firing system configured to deploy the staples during a staple firing stroke, and means for clamping and holding the patient tissue during the staple firing stroke and moving the end effector relative to the patient tissue after the staple firing stroke.

A system is disclosed. The system can comprise a replaceable staple cartridge comprising a plurality of staples, a proximal laterally-protruding lug, and a distal laterally-protruding lug. The system can further comprise a channel configured to receive the replaceable staple cartridge, wherein the channel comprises a sidewall comprising a proximal receptacle positioned and dimensioned to receive the proximal laterally-protruding lug and a distal receptacle positioned and dimensioned to receive the distal laterally-protruding lug.

An apparatus includes a body, a shaft extending distally from the body, a motor, a stapling assembly disposed at a distal end of the shaft, and a timer circuit operatively coupled to the motor and the firing actuator. The body includes a firing actuator and the motor is configured to activate in response to a firing actuation of the firing actuator. The motor is further configured to deactivate after a first predetermined time period subsequent to the firing actuation. The stapling assembly is configured to selectively move from an open position to a closed position to clamp tissue and is operable to drive a plurality of staples into the clamped tissue in response to activation of the motor. The timer circuit is configured to activate a timer in response to the firing actuation. The timer is configured to run for a second predetermined time period. The timer circuit is configured to ensure deactivation of the motor upon expiration of the second predetermined time period.

A surgical stapler includes a first stapler half a second stapler half configured to releasably couple together. The second stapler half includes a first elongate member, a second elongate member, and a polymeric body that encapsulates at least a portion of each of the first elongate member and the second elongate member. One of the first stapler half or the second stapler half includes a distal portion configured to receive a staple cartridge, and the other of the first stapler half or the second stapler half includes a distal portion having a plurality of staple-forming pockets.

A surgical stapling attachment configured to clamp, staple, and cut tissue is disclosed. The surgical stapling attachment comprises an attachment portion, a shaft assembly, an articulation joint, and an end effector assembly. The end effector assembly comprises a firing system configured to cut tissue only after the tissue has been stapled.

A surgical instrument includes a tool assembly having an anvil and a cartridge assembly that are movable in relation to each other between an open position and a clamped position to clamp tissue between the anvil and the cartridge assembly. The staple cartridge and/or the anvil includes a tissue contact surface that is formed of or includes a compliant material to allow the tool assembly to adapt to the topography of the tissue being clamped to uniformly compress the tissue along the length of the tool assembly and minimize trauma inflicted on the tissue.

Surgical instruments and/or fastener apparatuses comprising an end effector with a pair of jaws pivoted at a proximal end thereof and movable between an open and closed position. At least one of the jaws may comprise a channel for receiving a cartridge containing a plurality of surgical fasteners. Also, an electrically powered actuator may be for deploying the surgical fasteners and may comprise a power source and a motor. An activation mechanism may be attached to the handle to move the pair of jaws from the open to the closed position and to activate the actuator. A lockout mechanism may be configured to permit current to flow from the power source to the motor when the pair of jaws is in the closed position and to prevent current from flowing to the power source to the motor when the pair of jaws is in the open position.

A staple retainer for a surgical staple cartridge unit includes a body having first and second body sides configured to be positioned within an aperture defined between an anvil and a deck of the cartridge unit such that the first body side confronts the anvil and the second body side confronts the deck. The second body side is configured to retain staples within openings in the deck. A first protrusion at the first body side is configured to contact the anvil at a first location, and a second protrusion at the first body side is configured to contact the anvil at a second location. The protrusions are configured to resiliently deflect toward the second body side in response to the staple retainer being positioned within the aperture, and are further configured to cooperate with the second body side to maintain a predetermined distance between the anvil and the deck.

A surgical stapler includes first and second elongate members, a clamp member, and a firing assembly. The second elongate member is configured to receive a staple cartridge. The clamp member is operable to releasably clamp the first elongate member against the second elongate member. The firing assembly is translatable to fire the staple cartridge. The firing assembly includes a slider and an actuator configured to be selectively actuated by a user. The slider includes inner and outer engagement features. The actuator includes inner and outer engagement features. The inner engagement feature of the actuator is configured to engage with the inner engagement feature of the slider at a first interface when the actuator moves relative to the slider. The outer engagement feature of the actuator is configured to engage the outer engagement feature of the slider at a second interface when the actuator moves relative to the slider.