Staple cartridge comprising a staple driver arrangement

An end effector for use with a surgical instrument, said end effector comprising:

• an anvil comprising a non-stepped tissue-engagement surface;
• a cartridge housing;
• a knife channel dividing said cartridge housing into a first side and a second side;
• a first row of staple pockets located on said first side of said cartridge housing;
• a second row of staple pockets located on said first side of said cartridge housing;
• a third row of staple pockets located on said first side of said cartridge housing;
• a plurality of first staples removably stored within said first row of staple pockets;
• a plurality of second staples removably stored within said second row of staple pockets;
• a plurality of third staples removably stored within said third row of staple pockets;
• a staple driver on the first side arranged to drive a total of four staples, wherein said four staples comprise at least one staple from said first row, at least one staple from said second row and at least one staple from said third row and, in cooperation with said anvil, deform at least one of said four staples to a first fired height and at least one of said four staples to a second fired height, wherein said first fired height is different than said second fired height.

A surgical end effector, comprising:

• a cartridge housing;
• a knife channel dividing the cartridge housing into a first side and a second side;
• a first row of staple pockets located on the first side of the cartridge housing, wherein the first row of staple pockets is adjacent the knife channel;
• a second row of staple pockets located on the first side of the cartridge housing, wherein the second row of staple pockets is adjacent to the first row of staple pockets, and wherein the staple pockets in the first row are staggered distally with respect to the staple pockets in the second row;
• a third row of staple pockets located on the first side of the cartridge housing;
• staples removably positioned within the staple pockets;
• a first staple driver on the first side arranged to drive a first staple out of the staple pockets in the first row, a second staple out of the staple pockets in the second row, and a third staple out of the staple pockets in the third row;
• and
• a second staple driver on the first side arranged to drive a total of four staples.