Staple cartridge retainers with frangible retention features and methods of using same

A retainer for use with a staple cartridge configured for use with a surgical stapling device comprising a pair of jaws, wherein one of the jaws is movable relative to the other jaw between an open position and a closed position, wherein the surgical stapling device further comprises a lockout for preventing operation of the surgical stapling device, wherein the staple cartridge comprises a cartridge body configured to be operably seated in one of the jaws of the surgical stapling device, wherein the cartridge body comprises a longitudinal slot, a deck surface, a plurality of staple pockets opening through the deck surface, and a staple removably stored within each staple pocket, and wherein said retainer comprises:

• a retainer body configured to be received on the deck surface and attached to the staple cartridge to form a cartridge assembly;
• and
• at least one pair of retention members, wherein each said pair of retention members comprises:
• a right retention member protruding from said retainer body at a leftwardly extending angle to frictionally engage a left sidewall of the longitudinal slot when inserted therein;
• and
• a left retention member protruding from said retainer body at a rightwardly extending angle to frictionally engage a right sidewall of the longitudinal slot when inserted therein, wherein each said right retention member and each said left retention member removably affix said retainer to the cartridge body when each said right retention member and each said left retention member are inserted into the longitudinal slot, and wherein said retainer further comprises an authentication key configured to defeat the lockout when said cartridge assembly is seated in one of the jaws.

A method of modifying a retainer configured for use with a staple cartridge configured for use with a surgical stapling device comprising a pair of jaws and a lockout for preventing operation of the surgical stapling device, wherein said method comprises:

• providing a retainer, wherein the retainer comprises:
• a retainer body configured to be received on the staple cartridge;
• at least one removable retention feature protruding from the cartridge body and configured to releasably couple the retainer to the staple cartridge to form a cartridge assembly;
• and
• an authentication key configured to defeat the lockout when the cartridge assembly is seated in one of the jaws of the surgical stapling device, wherein said method further comprises:
• installing the retainer on the staple cartridge to form the cartridge assembly;
• seating the cartridge assembly in the surgical stapling device to defeat the lockout;
• removing the retainer from the staple cartridge;
• removing one of the at least one removable retention features from the retainer to form a modified retainer;
• cleaning the modified retainer;
• and
• installing the modified retainer on another staple cartridge to form another cartridge assembly.