Patent ID: 11963681
Assignee: CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 19:
20. A surgical instrument, comprising:
(a) a first jaw defining a channel, wherein the first jaw comprises a pair of side walls and a floor extending between the pair of side walls;
(b) a second jaw having an anvil, wherein the first and second jaws are movable relative to each other between an open configuration and a closed configuration;
(c) a replaceable cartridge configured to a selectively couple with the first jaw, wherein the replaceable cartridge comprises:
(i) a cartridge deck defining a slot and a plurality of staple openings, and
(ii) a plurality of staples each housed within a respective staple opening;

(d) a firing assembly configured to actuate through the slot of the cartridge deck while the first and second jaws are in the closed configuration to fire the plurality of staples against the anvil; and
(e) a cartridge seating protrusion located proximally relative to the plurality of staple openings, wherein the cartridge seating protrusion is configured to exert a compressive force on and thereby actuate the replaceable cartridge toward the floor of the first jaw and into the channel of the first jaw in response to the first jaw and the second jaw moving toward the closed configuration.