Patent ID: 7070083

Claim:
A surgical stapling apparatus, comprising: an anvil having a working surface including a plurality of staple forming depressions formed therein, the working surface of the anvil including a pair of inclined wall portions extending along a length thereof and having a non-planar cross-sectional shape; and a staple cartridge having a working surface in juxtaposition to the working surface of the anvil and including a plurality of staple retention slots formed therein, the working surface of the staple cartridge including a pair of inclined wall portions extending longitudinally along a length thereof and having a shape which complements the shape of the working surface of the anvil, such that as the anvil and staple cartridge are approximated relative to one another with tissue therebetween, the working surface of the anvil cooperates with the working surface of the staple cartridge to help align the plurality of staple forming depressions with the plurality of staple retention slots.