Patent ID: 8292146

Claim:
An end effector for a surgical stapling instrument comprising: a staple cartridge having a cross-sectional profile defined by a first tissue contacting surface, a second tissue contacting surface, and a third surface, the first tissue contacting surface and the second tissue contacting surface defining respective first and second planes, the first and second planes being substantially parallel to each other and extending from a proximal portion of the staple cartridge to a distal portion of the staple cartridge, and the third surface connecting the first and second surfaces, the third surface defining a third plane that intersects the first and second planes; an anvil arranged with the staple cartridge, the anvil and the cross-sectional profile of the staple cartridge defining a tissue compression gradient, the tissue compression gradient including a first value of tissue compression between the anvil and the first plane, and a second value of tissue compression between the anvil and the second plane, the first value of tissue compression different from the second value of tissue compression; the cartridge having a first plurality of staples associated with the first tissue contacting surface and a second plurality of staples associated with the second surface, the size of the first plurality of staples being selected to correspond to the first tissue contacting surface and the size of the second plurality of staples being selected to correspond to the second tissue contacting surface.