Patent ID: 8186556

Claim:
A surgical fastener applying apparatus comprising: a fastener assembly including an anvil section and a cartridge section, the cartridge section and the anvil section movable from an unclamped position to a clamped position to clamp tissue therebetween, the cartridge section having a tissue contacting surface with a plurality of retention slots formed therein; a plurality of first surgical fasteners and a plurality of second surgical fasteners retained within the cartridge section, each surgical fastener disposed within a corresponding retention slot, the plurality of first surgical fasteners having a first backspan and the plurality of second surgical fasteners having a second backspan; a plurality of first pushers and a plurality of second pushers positioned within the cartridge section; and an actuation member movable through the cartridge section and engagable with the plurality of first pushers and the plurality of second pushers to move the plurality of first pushers and the plurality of second pushers towards the tissue contacting surface of the cartridge section, the plurality of first pushers being configured and dimensioned to deform the first backspan from an initial configuration into a subsequent configuration such that the plurality of first surgical fasteners apply a first compressive force to tissue upon formation, the plurality of second pushers being configured and dimensioned to deform the second backspan from an initial configuration into a subsequent configuration such that the plurality of second surgical fasteners apply a second compressive force to tissue upon formation, the second compressive force being different than the first compressive force.