Directionally biased staple and anvil assembly for forming the staple

An anvil assembly for use with a surgical stapler, the anvil assembly comprising:

• a tissue contact surface;
• a plurality of staple pockets formed in the tissue contact surface, each of the plurality of staple pockets defining a longitudinal axis;
• each of the plurality of staple pockets including first and second staple forming cups, each of the first and second staple forming cups having an outside portion and an inside portion, the inside portion of the first and second staple forming cups being positioned in close relation to each other on the longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of staple pockets, the outside portion of the first and second staple forming cups being positioned in spaced relation to each other on the longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of staple pockets, each of the first and second staple forming cups being defined by sidewalls and an elongated base surface extending along the longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of staple pockets,
• wherein the sidewalls of each of the first and second staple forming cups form an acute angle with respect to the tissue contact surface of the anvil assembly at the outside portion of each of the first and second staple forming cups and become progressively more perpendicular towards the inside portion of each of the first and second staple forming cups such that the sidewalls of the first and second staple forming cups are substantially vertical at a center of each of the staple forming cups and wherein substantially vertical is defined by an angle of at least about 80° with respect to a plane defined by the tissue contact surface.

An end effector for use with a surgical stapler, the end effector comprising:

• an anvil assembly, comprising:
• a tissue contact surface;
• a plurality of staple pockets formed in the tissue contact surface, each of the plurality of staple pockets defining a longitudinal axis;
• each of the plurality of staple pockets including first and second staple forming cups, each of the first and second staple forming cups having an outside portion and an inside portion, the inside portion of the first and second staple forming cups being positioned in close relation to each other on the longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of staple pockets, the outside portion of the first and second staple forming cups being positioned in spaced relation to each other on the longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of staple pockets, each of the first and second staple forming cups being defined by sidewalls and an elongated base surface extending along the longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of staple pockets,
• wherein the sidewalls of each of the first and second staple forming cups form an acute angle with respect to the tissue contact surface of the anvil assembly at the outside portion of each of the first and second staple forming cups and become progressively more perpendicular towards the inside portion of each of the first and second staple forming cups such that the sidewalls of the first and second staple forming cups are substantially vertical through at least a portion of the inside portion thereof;
• and
• wherein a longitudinal surface of each of the staple forming cups is defined between a longitudinal edge of the staple pocket and a longitudinal edge of each staple forming cup and each longitudinal surface is non-linear along a majority of its length;
• and
• a staple cartridge comprising a plurality of directionally biased staples supported in a spaced relation to each other.