Patent ID: 8628544

Claim:
A surgical instrument for surgically joining tissue, the surgical instrument comprising: a handle assembly; an elongate member extending distally from the handle assembly; an end effector disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongate member; an actuation assembly operatively associated with the handle assembly, the actuation mechanism including: a thrust bar disposed at least partially within the elongate member, the thrust bar having a length, a proximal portion, a distal portion, a first lateral side and a second lateral side, wherein the thrust bar is configured to move between proximal and distal positions with respect to the handle assembly; a distal slide member having a length and being positioned adjacent and in direct contact with the first lateral side of the thrust bar along at least a majority of the length of the distal slide member, the distal slide member being fixed adjacent the distal portion of the thrust bar, wherein a proximal portion of the distal slide member is adapted to slide relative to the thrust bar when thrust bar moves in a curvilinear direction, the length of the distal slide member being significantly smaller than the length of the thrust bar; a proximal slide member positioned adjacent the first lateral side of the thrust bar, where proximal slide member is movable with respect to the distal slide member.