A surgical instrument including a stapling assembly and an anvil configured to selectively couple with the stapling assembly to compress tissue and form staples in the tissue. The stapling assembly includes a housing extending distally along a central axis, a deck member having a plurality of staple openings configured to receive a plurality of staples, and a knife member at least partially disposed within the housing. The deck member includes an exterior perimeter having a first shape and an interior perimeter enclosed by the exterior perimeter and having a second shape different than the first shape. The knife member includes a distal end having a cutting edge that defines an edge plane that intersects the central axis. The cutting edge has a non-circular shape in the edge plane.

A surgical instrument includes a stapling assembly and an anvil that releasably couple together to compress and staple tissue. The stapling assembly includes a body having a longitudinal axis, a deck member, and a knife member surrounding the longitudinal axis. The deck member includes a deck surface having an imaginary centerline that surrounds the longitudinal axis, a first deck surface portion extending along a first angular range of the deck surface about the longitudinal axis, and a second deck surface portion extending along a second angular range of the deck surface about the longitudinal axis. A first array of staple openings is disposed on the first deck surface portion and is arranged in a first orientation relative to the deck surface centerline. A second array of staple openings is disposed on the second deck surface portion and is arranged in a second orientation relative to the deck surface centerline.

A surgical stapling instrument includes an elongate body portion defining a longitudinal axis, and an end effector supported on a distal portion of the elongated body portion. The end effector includes a housing having a base portion and a jaw portion, an anvil assembly supported on the jaw portion, and a cartridge assembly releasably supported on the base portion. A tissue guide member is operably secured relative to the cartridge assembly to facilitate alignment of the cartridge assembly through a firing stroke.

A surgical stapling instrument includes an anvil and a stapling head assembly. The anvil defines staple forming pockets. The stapling head assembly includes a body, a coupling member, a firing assembly, and a staple deck. The coupling member is configured to actuate relative to the body to thereby acuate the anvil relative to the body. The firing assembly is configured to drive staples against the staple forming pockets of the anvil. The staple deck is defined by an outer arched perimeter and an inner arched perimeter fixed to the body. The staple deck defines staple openings. At least one non-tangential staple opening in the of staple openings extends along a longitudinal axis in a non-tangential relationship with a closest tangent line of the inner arched perimeter or the outer arched perimeter.

A surgical stapler instrument includes a stapling head assembly that receives a plurality of staples. The staples are configured with features that allow the staples to expand after deployment so that an anastomosis created by the instrument can increase in size after forming. In some versions the staples expand automatically after deployment, and in other versions the staples expand in response to tissue forces imparted upon the staples after deployment. In some versions the staples are configured to be deployed in various patterns that promote expandability of the circular staple line.

A surgical stapler for creating an anastomosis includes a stapling head assembly having a deck member that incorporates an alignment feature. The alignment feature aligns with a transection staple line prior to creating the anastomosis. In some versions the alignment feature is a groove formed in a surface of the deck member. The surgical stapler may include an anvil with a complementary stepped feature to the alignment feature of the deck member. Various surgical staplers with an alignment feature can be oval shaped, circular shaped, or dog-bone shaped. In some versions different staple geometries are used along the deck member incorporating the alignment feature.

A surgical stapling instrument includes a shaft assembly and an end effector. The end effector includes a first jaw having an anvil, and a second jaw. The instrument also includes a stapling assembly supported by the second jaw and including a plurality of staples, a staple actuator, and a driver assembly. The driver assembly includes a laterally-opposed pair of distal drivers that receive respective staples, a proximal driver that receives a respective staple, and a cam surface. The staple actuator is configured to engage the cam surface during distal translation of the staple actuator to drive the respective staples into contact with the anvil. The staple actuator and the cam surface are configured such that, when the respective staples contact the anvil, the engagement between the staple actuator and the cam surface is centered at a location along the cam surface distal of a centroid of the first driver assembly.

A surgical instrument includes a stapling assembly and an anvil that releasably couple together to compress and staple tissue. The stapling assembly includes a body having a longitudinal axis, a deck member, and a knife member surrounding the longitudinal axis. The deck member includes a deck surface having an imaginary centerline that surrounds the longitudinal axis, a first deck surface portion extending along a first angular range of the deck surface about the longitudinal axis, and a second deck surface portion extending along a second angular range of the deck surface about the longitudinal axis. A first array of staple openings is disposed on the first deck surface portion and is arranged in a first orientation relative to the deck surface centerline. A second array of staple openings is disposed on the second deck surface portion and is arranged in a second orientation relative to the deck surface centerline.

A method of operating a robotically controlled surgical instrument that includes an end effector, a driving assembly, and a lockout, the method includes inhibiting actuation of the driving assembly when the lockout is in a locked configuration in response to an unspent staple cartridge being absent from a first jaw of the end effector. The method also includes inserting the unspent staple cartridge into the first jaw of the end effector to switch the lockout to an unlocked configuration. The method also includes actuating the driving assembly to pivot the first jaw, which includes the staple cartridge, toward a second jaw of the end effector to at least one of staple or cut tissue with the end effector when the lockout is in the unlocked configuration.

A surgical instrument comprising a first jaw, a second jaw rotatable relative to said first jaw, and jaw drive system is disclosed. The jaw drive system comprises a drive screw and a closure member threadably engaged with the drive screw configured to close the second jaw. The jaw drive system further comprises an opening link connecting the closure member to the second jaw which acts to open the second jaw when the closure member is driven in an opposite direction. In the event that the second jaw is not opened by the closure link, the jaw drive system further comprises a pull member which is pushed by the closure member to dislodge the second jaw into its open position.