Patent ID: 7926692

Claim:
An anvil assembly for use with a surgical stapler, the anvil assembly comprising: a tissue contact surface; a plurality of staple pockets formed in the tissue contact surface, each of the plurality of staple pockets defining a longitudinal axis; and each of the plurality of staple pockets including first and second staple forming cups, each of the first and second staple forming cups having an outside portion and an inside portion, the inside portion of the first and second staple forming cups being positioned in close relation to each other on the longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of staple pockets, the outside portion of the first and second staple forming cups being positioned in spaced relation to each other on the longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of staple pockets, each of the first and second staple forming cups being defined by sidewalls and an elongated base surface extending along the longitudinal axis of each of the plurality of staple pockets; wherein the elongated base surface of each of the first and second staple forming cups is transversely linear along a majority of its length; wherein the sidewalls of each of the first and second staple forming cups form an acute angle with respect to the tissue contact surface of the anvil assembly at the outside portion of each of the first and second staple forming cups; and wherein the angles of the sidewalls increase non-linearly along a majority of their lengths between the outside portion and the inside portion of each of the staple forming cups.