Patent ID: 8684249

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, the outside portion of the first and second staple forming cups being positioned in spaced relation to each other, each of the first and second staple forming cups being defined by sidewalls and an elongated base surface; wherein the sidewalls have linear profile extending to upper portions of the sidewalls, the upper portions of the sidewalls having an arcuate contoured profile that gradually approaches the tissue contact surface to form a line of intersection, the arcuate upper portions of the sidewalls defining a contoured surface extending along the entire length of the line of intersection at the tissue contact surface.