Patent ID: 8408440

Claim:
A surgical fastening apparatus, comprising: a tool assembly including a cartridge assembly and an anvil assembly, at least one of the cartridge assembly and anvil assembly being movable in relation to the other of the cartridge assembly and anvil assembly; at least one surgical buttress releasably secured to a tissue contacting surface of at least one of the anvil assembly and the cartridge assembly, the at least one surgical buttress secured to the at least one of the anvil assembly and the cartridge assembly by at least one connecting member, the at least one of the cartridge assembly and anvil assembly configured to receive a portion of the at least one connecting member; a release assembly operatively associated with the at least one of the anvil assembly and the cartridge assembly; and a drive assembly translatable through the tool assembly, the drive assembly configured to actuate the release assembly upon a complete advancement of the drive assembly, wherein the release assembly engages and pushes the at least one connecting member from a constriction slot and releases the at least one buttress from the respective tissue contacting surface.