Cartridge with locking knife for a curved cutter stapler

A surgical instrument adapted for applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue, the surgical instrument comprising:

• a cartridge module including a cartridge housing containing a plurality of surgical fasteners and a knife, the cartridge module includes a driver disposed to push surgical fasteners out of the cartridge housing;
• a firing mechanism associated with the cartridge housing for ejecting the surgical fasteners and the knife from the cartridge housing;
• means for preventing undesired forward and rearward motion of the knife to prevent the knife from inadvertently moving;
• and
• means for preventing undesired movement of the driver.

A surgical instrument adapted for applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue, the surgical instrument comprising:

• a cartridge module including a cartridge housing containing a plurality of surgical fasteners and a knife, the cartridge module includes a driver disposed to push surgical fasteners out of the cartridge housing;
• a firing mechanism associated with the cartridge housing for ejecting the surgical fasteners and the knife from the cartridge housing;
• means for preventing undesired forward and rearward motion of the knife to prevent the knife from inadvertently moving;
• and
• wherein the driver includes a prefired position and a retracted position and means are operatively associated with the driver for securing the driver in the prefired position and means are operatively associated with the driver for securing the driver in the retracted position.

A surgical instrument adapted for applying a plurality of surgical fasteners to body tissue, the surgical instrument comprising:

• a cartridge module including a cartridge housing containing a plurality of surgical fasteners and a knife, the cartridge module includes a driver disposed to push surgical fasteners out of the cartridge housing;
• a firing mechanism associated with the cartridge housing for ejecting the surgical fasteners and the knife from the cartridge housing;
• means for preventing undesired forward and rearward motion of the knife to prevent the knife from inadvertently moving;
• and
• wherein the driver includes a prefired position and a retracted position and means are operatively associated with the driver for securing the driver in the prefired position and for securing the driver in the retracted position.