Devices and methods for facilitating ejection of surgical fasteners from cartridges

A surgical fastening device for treating tissue, comprising:

• an elongate shaft;
• an end effector coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft, the end effector including a jaw and an anvil pivotally connected to the jaw, the jaw and the anvil being configured to engage tissue therebetween;
• a plurality of fasteners disposed within the jaw and frangibly coupled to a carrier;
• a sled configured to advance distally through the jaw to cause each of the plurality of fasteners to rotate into tissue engaged between the jaw and the anvil;
• and
• a shearing element slidably moveable within the jaw to shear each fastener from the carrier, the shearing element being configured to shear the fasteners from the carrier after the fasteners are driven into tissue by the sled, the shearing element being pivotable between a first inactive position and a second active position, and the shearing element shearing the fasteners during the second active position.