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.