Stepped staple cartridge with asymmetrical staples

Abstract

A surgical instrument includes a staple cartridge that defines a stepped deck. The surgical instrument further includes a staple comprised of seamless unitary structure. The staple is configured to be formed and/or stamped from a sheet of material. The staple includes a base and staple legs. A staple drive surface is integrally formed in the base, and a sled is configured to directly contact the staple drive surface to directly drive the staple.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A staple cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapling instrument including an anvil, wherein the staple cartridge comprises:
 a cartridge body, comprising:
 a proximal portion; 
 a distal portion; 
 an elongate slot extending between the proximal portion and the distal portion; 
 a bottom surface; and 
 a cartridge deck on an opposite side of the cartridge body from the bottom surface, the cartridge deck comprising:
 a first deck surface; and 
 a second deck surface laterally offset from the first deck surface in a direction away from the elongate slot, wherein the first deck surface is stepped up from the second deck surface relative to the bottom surface; 
 
   a plurality of staple cavities, comprising:
 a first row of staple cavities defined in the first deck surface; and 
 a second row of staple cavities defined in the second deck surface, wherein the first row of staple cavities is closer to the elongate slot than the second row of staple cavities; 
   a plurality of staples housed in the cartridge body, the plurality of staples comprising:
 first staples deployable from the first row of staple cavities; and 
 second staples deployable from the second row of staple cavities, wherein each of the plurality of staples comprises:
 a base comprising an inclined drive surface; 
 a first leg extending from the base; and 
 a second leg extending from the base, wherein the base, the first leg and the second leg define a seamless unitary piece, wherein the first legs of the first staples and the first legs of the second staples comprise different unformed heights; and 
 
   a sled, comprising:
 a first ramp configured to directly engage the inclined drive surface of the first staples to deploy the first staples from the first row of staple cavities, wherein the first ramp is configured to cooperate with the anvil to form the first staples to a first formed height; and 
 a second ramp configured to directly engage the inclined drive surface of the second staples to deploy the second staples from the second row of staple cavities, wherein the second ramp is configured to cooperate with the anvil to form the second staples to a second formed height greater than the first formed height. 
   
     
     
         2 . The staple cartridge assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the inclined drive surface is positioned intermediate the first leg and the second leg. 
     
     
         3 . The staple cartridge assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first leg and the second leg define a leg plane, wherein the inclined drive surface defines a drive plane, and wherein the drive plane is offset from the leg plane. 
     
     
         4 . The staple cartridge assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base is asymmetrical. 
     
     
         5 . The staple cartridge assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first ramp and the second ramp comprise different heights. 
     
     
         6 . The staple cartridge assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first ramp comprises a first peak surface, wherein the second ramp comprises a second peak surface, and wherein the first peak surface is higher than the second peak surface. 
     
     
         7 . A staple cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapling instrument including an anvil, wherein the staple cartridge comprises:
 a cartridge body, comprising:
 a proximal portion; 
 a distal portion; 
 an elongate slot extending between the proximal portion and the distal portion; and 
 a cartridge deck, comprising:
 a first deck surface defining a first deck height; and 
 a second deck surface defining a second deck height, wherein the second deck height is shorter than the first deck height; 
 
   a plurality of staple cavities, comprising:
 a first row of staple cavities defined in the first deck surface; and 
 a second row of staple cavities defined in the second deck surface, wherein the first row of staple cavities is closer to the elongate slot than the second row of staple cavities; 
   a plurality of staples housed in the cartridge body, the plurality of staples comprising:
 first staples deployable from the first row of staple cavities, wherein each of the first staples comprise an unformed height; and 
 second staples deployable from the second row of staple cavities, wherein the each of the second staples comprise the unformed height, and wherein each of the plurality of staples comprises:
 a base comprising a sloping drive surface; 
 a first leg extending from the base; and 
 a second leg extending from the base, wherein the first leg and the second leg define a first plane, wherein the drive surface extends along a portion of the base in a direction parallel to the first plane, wherein the sloping drive surface is laterally offset from the first plane; and 
 
   a sled, comprising:
 a first ramp configured to directly engage the sloping drive surface of the first staples to deploy the first staples from the first row of staple cavities, wherein the first ramp is configured to cooperate with the anvil to form the first staples to a first formed height; and 
 a second ramp configured to directly engage the sloping drive surface of the second staples to deploy the second staples from the second row of staple cavities, wherein the second ramp is configured to cooperate with the anvil to form the second staples to a second formed height greater than the first formed height. 
   
     
     
         8 . The staple cartridge assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sloping drive surface is positioned intermediate the first leg and the second leg. 
     
     
         9 . The staple cartridge assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first leg and the second leg define a leg plane, wherein the sloping drive surface defines a drive plane, and wherein the drive plane is offset from the leg plane. 
     
     
         10 . The staple cartridge assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base is asymmetrical. 
     
     
         11 . The staple cartridge assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first ramp and the second ramp comprise different heights. 
     
     
         12 . The staple cartridge assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first ramp comprises a first peak surface, wherein the second ramp comprises a second peak surface, and wherein the first peak surface is higher than the second peak surface. 
     
     
         13 . The staple cartridge assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base, the first leg, and the second leg define a unitary piece. 
     
     
         14 . A surgical stapling instrument, comprising:
 an anvil, comprising:
 a first row of pockets; and 
 a second row of pockets; 
   a staple cartridge, wherein at least one of the anvil and the staple cartridge is movable relative to the other between an open configuration and a closed configuration to capture tissue, and wherein the staple cartridge comprises:
 a cartridge body, comprising:
 a proximal portion; 
 a distal portion; 
 an elongate slot extending between the proximal portion and the distal portion; and 
 a cartridge deck, the cartridge deck comprising:
 a first deck surface; and 
 a second deck surface positioned further away from the elongate slot than the first deck surface; 
 
 
 a plurality of staple cavities, comprising:
 a first row of staple cavities defined in the first deck surface, wherein a first gap is defined between the first row of pockets and the first row of staple cavities in the closed configuration; and 
 a second row of staple cavities defined in the second deck surface, wherein the first row of staple cavities is closer to the elongate slot than the second row of staple cavities, wherein a second gap is defined between the second row of pockets and the second row of staple cavities in the closed configuration, and wherein the second gap is greater than the first gap; and 
 
 a plurality of staples housed in the cartridge body, the plurality of staples comprising:
 first staples deployable from the first row of staple cavities, wherein the first staples comprise a first unformed height; and 
 second staples deployable from the second row of staple cavities, wherein the second staples comprise a second unformed height greater than the first unformed height, and wherein each of the plurality of staples comprises:
 a leg; and 
 an integral drive surface; and 
 
 
   a sled, comprising:
 a first ramp configured to directly engage the integral drive surface of the first staples to deploy the first staples from the first row of staple cavities, wherein the first ramp is configured to form the first staples against the first row of pockets to a first formed height; and 
 a second ramp configured to directly engage the integral drive surface of the second staples to deploy the second staples from the second row of staple cavities, wherein the second ramp is configured to form the second staples against the second row of staple pockets to a second formed height different than the first formed height. 
   
     
     
         15 . The surgical instrument of  claim 14 , wherein the second formed height is greater than the first formed height. 
     
     
         16 . The surgical instrument of  claim 14 , wherein the integral drive surface is positioned intermediate the first leg and the second leg. 
     
     
         17 . The surgical instrument of  claim 14 , wherein the first leg and the second leg define a leg plane, wherein the integral drive surface defines a drive plane, and wherein the drive plane is offset from the leg plane. 
     
     
         18 . The surgical instrument of  claim 14 , wherein the base is asymmetrical. 
     
     
         19 . The surgical instrument of  claim 14 , wherein the first ramp and the second ramp comprise different heights. 
     
     
         20 . The surgical instrument of  claim 14 , wherein the first ramp comprises a first peak surface, wherein the second ramp comprises a second peak surface, and wherein the first peak surface is higher than the second peak surface.