Patent ID: 11864762
Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 11:
12. A staple cartridge for a surgical stapling instrument having a shaft having a longitudinal axis and first and second jaws, the staple cartridge comprising:
a housing configured for positioning within a channel of one of the first and second jaws of the surgical stapling instrument;
a plurality of staples within the housing; and
a switch movably coupled to the housing and configured to move from a proximal position to a distal position relative to the housing, wherein when the switch is in the proximal position the switch is configured to releasably maintain a locking member on one of the jaws of the surgical stapling instrument in a first position, and wherein when the switch is in the distal position the switch is configured to allow the locking member to move to a second position and wherein the switch comprises a proximal shelf extending in a substantially parallel direction to the longitudinal axis configured to contact a distal portion of the locking member when the locking member is in the first position.