Patent ID: 8496154

Claim:
A staple cartridge comprising: a housing, the housing defining a plurality of retention slots; a first staple pusher defining a central longitudinal axis, the first staple pusher including at least two pusher plates, each pusher plate including a top surface, the top surface of each pusher plate being adapted to engage a staple retained within one of the retention slots, the top surfaces of the pusher plates being substantially symmetrical about the central longitudinal axis, the top surfaces having substantially equal dimensions and having substantially equal positioning along the central longitudinal axis, the top surfaces being laterally spaced apart along an axis transverse to the central longitudinal axis; and a second staple pusher longitudinally adjacent to the first staple pusher and defining a central longitudinal axis, the second staple pusher including at least two pusher plates, each pusher plate including a top surface, the top surface of each pusher plate being adapted to engage a staple retained within one of the retention slots, the top surfaces of the pusher plates being longitudinally offset along the central longitudinal axis, the top surfaces being laterally spaced apart along an axis transverse to the central longitudinal axis.