Surgical stapling instrument

A surgical stapling assembly, comprising:

• a motor;
• a first jaw;
• a second jaw movable relative to the first jaw by the motor between an open position and a closed position;
• a staple cartridge, comprising:
• a cartridge body, comprising:
• a first end;
• a second end;
• an anvil-facing surface to support patient tissue;
• a first arcuate slot extending through the cartridge body between the first end and the second end, wherein the first arcuate slot is configured to receive a knife assembly therethrough;
• a plurality of staple cavities defined in the cartridge body arranged in a plurality of staple cavity rows;
• and
• a projection extending upwardly from the anvil-facing surface at the second end;
• a first staple stored within a first staple cavity the plurality of staple cavities;
• and
• a second staple removably stored within a second staple cavity of the plurality of staple cavities;
• a staple driver assembly, comprising:
• a main driver
• a first staple support driver supporting the first staple, the first staple support driver movable within the first staple cavity;
• a second staple support driver supporting the second staple, the second staple support driver movable within the second cavity;
• a first driver portion supporting the first staple support driver, the first driver portion comprising a first driver portion height;
• a second driver portion supporting the second staple support driver, the second driver portion comprising a second driver portion height;
• and
• a main driver, wherein the motor is configured to actuate the main driver during a staple firing stroke, wherein the main driver concurrently drives the first driver portion and the second driver portion during the firing stroke, wherein the first driver portion is to configured form the first staple to a first formed height, wherein and the second driver portion is configured to form the second staple to a second formed height, wherein the first formed height and the second formed height are different, and wherein the first driver portion height and the second driver portion height are different;
• and
• an anvil comprising a second arcuate slot extending through the anvil, wherein one of the first jaw or the second jaw comprises the staple cartridge, and wherein the other one of the first jaw or the second jaw comprises the anvil.

A surgical stapling assembly, comprising:

• a motor;
• a firing actuator actuatable by the motor;
• a closure actuator actuatable by the motor;
• a staple cartridge jaw, comprising:
• a tissue-supporting deck;
• a first curved slot to receive a knife assembly therethrough;
• a plurality of staple cavities arranged in a plurality of staple cavity rows, wherein the plurality of staple cavity rows define a staple pattern comprising a first end and a second end;
• and
• a first staple removably stored within a first staple cavity of the plurality of staple cavities, wherein the first staple cavity is a first distance from the first curved slot;
• a second staple comprising a second unformed height removably stored within a second staple cavity of the plurality of staple cavities, wherein the second staple cavity is a second distance from the first curved slot which is greater than the first distance;
• and
• a staple driver assembly, comprising:
• a first staple support driver supporting the first staple, the first staple support driver movable within the first staple cavity;
• a second staple support driver supporting the second staple, the second staple support driver movable within the second cavity;
• a first driver portion supporting the first staple support driver;
• and
• a second driver portion supporting the second staple support driver;
• and
• a main driver, wherein the firing actuator is configured to actuate the main driver during a staple firing stroke, wherein the main driver concurrently drives the first driver portion and the second driver portion to cause the first staple to travel a first distance to form the first staple with a first formed height and cause the second staple to travel a second distance to form the second staple with a second formed height, wherein the first distance and the second distance are different, and wherein the first formed height and the second formed height are different;
• and
• an anvil jaw comprising a second curved slot extending through the anvil jaw, wherein the second curved slot is also to receive the knife assembly therethrough, wherein the staple cartridge jaw is movable by the closure actuator relative to the anvil jaw from an open position to a clamped position during a clamping stroke.