Importance

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Abstract

A surgical stapling system comprising a surgical stapling instrument and a staple-carrying cartridge therefor. The surgical stapling instrument comprises a pliers-like instrument having upper and lower handles pivotally joined together. The upper handle has an elongated front portion terminating in an anvil. A staple former is slidably mounted on the front portion and is axially shiftable thereon by the lower handle between a normal or retracted position and a staple forming position. Cooperating leaf springs are mounted on each of the handles to normally urge the handles apart and the former to its retracted position. Portions of the leaf springs cooperate to lock the former in a staple gripping position. The cartridge comprises an elongaged member having a plurality of transverse slots formed in its upper surface and in parallel spaced relationship. A surgical staple of inverted U-shaped configuration, having downwardly depending legs and a crown portion extending therebetween, is located in each transverse slot. Each transverse slot is of a length such that its ends frictionally engage the legs of the surgical staple therein. A longitudinal groove is formed in the upper surface of the cartridge, extending the length of the cartridge and intersecting the transverse slots therein. The longitudinal groove is of a width and depth such as to receive the surgical stapling instrument nose portion with the staple former above and the anvil surface below the crown of an individual staple in the cartridge, so that the crown of the staple may be engaged between the instrument former and the anvil surface and extracted from the cartridge by the surgical stapling instrument.

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First Claim