Surgical stapling instruments having flexible channel and anvil features for adjustable staple heights

A surgical stapling instrument comprising:

• an elongate staple channel having a longitudinal channel slot;
• a staple cartridge operably supported within said elongate staple channel;
• an elongate shaft operably coupled to said elongate staple channel;
• an anvil pivotally attached to the elongate staple channel, said anvil comprising:
• a first staple insert movably supported within said anvil, said first staple insert having a first staple forming undersurface thereon and defining a first staple zone;
• a first compliant member corresponding to said first staple insert and supported between said corresponding first staple insert and a portion of said anvil;
• a second staple insert supported within said anvil and being independently movable relative to said first staple insert to define a second staple zone, said second staple insert having a second staple forming undersurface thereon;
• and
• a second compliant member corresponding to said second staple insert and supported between said corresponding second staple insert and another portion of said anvil;
• a control handle assembly proximally operably coupled through the elongate shaft to selectively apply opening and closing motions to said anvil;
• and
• a firing member operably coupled to the control handle assembly through said elongate shaft for selective longitudinal reciprocating motion in the elongate staple channel such that one portion of said firing member extends through an anvil slot defined by said first and second staple inserts and another portion of said firing member extends through said longitudinal channel slot.

A surgical instrument, comprising:

• a cartridge supporting assembly configured to operably support a staple cartridge therein;
• an anvil body movably coupled to said cartridge supporting assembly and being selectively movable between an open position and a closed position in response to opening and closing motions respectively applied thereto, said anvil body having an elongate anvil slot therein and a resilient structure configured to flexibly interact with said firing member during said staple firing motion to allow a distance between a staple forming undersurface associated with said anvil body and an upper surface of said staple cartridge supported within said cartridge supporting assembly to vary in relation to a thickness of tissue clamped therebetween, said resilient structure comprising:
• at least one right insert movable relative to said anvil body on a first side of said anvil slot and having a first staple forming undersurface thereon;
• and
• at least one left insert movable relative to said anvil body on a second side of said anvil slot and having a second staple forming undersurface thereon;
• and
• a firing member operably supported relative to said cartridge supporting assembly and being selectively translatable from an unfired position to a fired position in response to a firing force applied to said firing member and to retract to an unfired position in response to a retraction force applied to said firing member.

A surgical instrument, comprising:

• a cartridge supporting assembly configured to operably support a staple cartridge therein, said cartridge supporting assembly having a first longitudinally extending ledge cantilevering inwardly from a first portion of said cartridge supporting assembly and a second longitudinally extending ledge cantilevering inwardly in spaced confronting relationship relative to said first ledge, said first and second ledge defining an elongate channel track thereunder and an elongate slot therebetween that extends into said elongate channel track;
• an anvil movably coupled to said cartridge supporting assembly and being selectively movable between an open position and a closed position in response to opening and closing motions respectively applied thereto;
• a firing member operably supported relative to said cartridge supporting assembly and being selectively translatable from an unfired position to a fired position in a staple firing motion in response to a firing force applied to said firing member and to retract to an unfired position in response to a retraction force applied to said firing member, said firing member having a vertical portion movably received in said elongate slot for axial travel therein and a lower foot movably received in said elongate channel track for axial travel therein, and wherein an upper portion of said firing member movably engages said anvil when said anvil is in said closed position;
• at least one first undercut area in said first portion of said cartridge supporting assembly and at least one second undercut area in said second portion of said cartridge supporting assembly to enable said first and second ledges, respectively to flexibly interact with said firing member during said staple firing motion to allow a distance between a staple forming undersurface of said anvil and the upper surface of a staple cartridge supported within said cartridge supporting assembly to vary in relation to a thickness of tissue clamped therebetween.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• an elongate staple channel having a longitudinal channel slot;
• a staple cartridge operably supported within said elongate staple channel;
• an elongate shaft operably coupled to said elongate staple channel;
• an anvil pivotally attached to the elongate staple channel and being selectively pivotable between a closed position wherein a staple forming undersurface thereof is in confronting relationship to an upper surface of said staple cartridge supported within said elongate staple channel and an open position wherein a distal end of said anvil is spaced from said upper surface of said staple cartridge, said anvil having a first resilient anvil portion and a second resilient anvil portion spaced from said first resilient anvil portion to define a portion of an elongate anvil slot therebetween;
• a control handle assembly proximally operably coupled through the elongate shaft to selectively apply opening and closing motions to said anvil;
• and
• a firing member operably coupled to the control handle assembly through said elongate shaft for selective longitudinal reciprocating motion in the elongate staple channel such that one portion of said firing member extends through said anvil slot between said first and second resilient anvil portions and another portion of said firing member extends through said longitudinal channel slot, said firing member comprising:
• a vertical portion wherein said one portion of said firing member comprises an upper end of said vertical portion and wherein said another portion of said firing member comprises a lower end of said vertical portion;
• laterally extending pins protruding from the upper end of the vertical portion and being flexible relative thereto to bear upon the first and second resilient portions of said anvil during firing translation of said firing member therein;
• and
• a foot portion extending from the lower end of the vertical portion positioned to exert an inward compressive force on the elongate channel during firing translation.