Surgical stapling device with modified staple formation

A surgical stapling device comprising:

• a handle assembly;
• an elongate body having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end coupled to the handle assembly;
• a tool assembly supported on the distal end of the elongate body, the tool assembly including:
• a cartridge assembly including a staple cartridge and a cartridge channel, the staple cartridge supported on the cartridge channel and defining a first central knife slot and a plurality of staple receiving slots, the staple receiving slots including three rows of staple receiving slots on each side of the first central knife slot, each of the three rows of staple receiving slots including an inner row of staple receiving slots positioned adjacent to the first central knife slot, an outer row of staple receiving slots, and a middle row of staple receiving slots positioned between the inner and outer rows of staple receiving slots, each of the staple receiving slots supporting a staple;
• and
• an anvil coupled to the cartridge assembly such that the tool assembly is movable between an open position and a clamped position, the anvil including a staple deforming surface defining a plurality of staple deforming pockets and a second central knife slot, the staple deforming pockets being aligned in three rows of staple deforming pockets on each side of the second central knife slot, each of the three rows of staple deforming pockets including an inner row of staple deforming pockets positioned adjacent the second central knife slot, an outer row of staple deforming pockets, and a middle row of staple deforming pockets positioned between the inner and outer rows of staple deforming pockets, wherein each of the inner rows of staple deforming pockets includes a distal-most staple deforming pocket, the distal-most staple pocket of the inner rows of staple pockets having a configuration different from the configuration of the remaining staple deforming pockets in the inner rows of staple deforming pockets.

A tool assembly comprising:

• an anvil including a staple deforming surface defining a plurality of staple deforming pockets and a first central knife slot;
• a cartridge assembly coupled to the anvil such that the tool assembly is movable between an open position and a clamped position, the cartridge assembly including a staple cartridge and a cartridge channel, the staple cartridge supported on the cartridge channel and defining a second central knife slot and a plurality of staple receiving slots, the staple receiving slots including three rows of staple receiving slots on each side of the second central knife slot, each of the three rows of staple receiving slots including an inner row of staple receiving slots positioned adjacent to the first central knife slot, an outer row of staple receiving slots, and a middle row of staple receiving slots positioned between the inner and outer rows of staple receiving slots;
• and
• a plurality of staples, each of the plurality of staples being received within a respective one of the staple receiving slots, wherein each of the inner rows of staple receiving slots includes a distal-most staple receiving slot, and the staples received in the distal-most staple receiving slots of the inner rows of staple receiving slots is larger than the staples received within remaining staple receiving slots of the inner rows of staple receiving slots.