Patent ID: 7552854

Claim:
A surgical stapler comprising: a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis having a proximal end and a distal end, a first jaw and a second jaw extending from the distal end of the shaft, the second jaw arranged to receive a staple cartridge having a plurality of staples and movable along the longitudinal axis towards the first jaw; an actuator coupled to the proximal end of the shaft; and a staple pusher coupled to the actuator and movable along the longitudinal axis to push the plurality of staples out of the cartridge along the longitudinal axis, the staple pusher having a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion being pivotably connected to the proximal portion, the distal portion of the staple pusher having a first position and a second position, wherein when the distal portion of the staple pusher is in the first position movement of the staple pusher towards the first jaw is prevented; wherein the shaft comprises a cartridge support having a proximal end and a distal end being the second jaw, the proximal end having a first, second and third slots and a latch movable perpendicular to the longitudinal axis to be positioned sequentially in each of the first, second and third slots.