Patent ID: 7467740

Claim:
A surgical instrument comprising: an elongate staple channel having a longitudinal channel slot; a staple cartridge operably supported within said elongate staple channel; an elongate shaft operably coupled to said elongate staple channel; an anvil pivotally attached to the elongate staple channel and being selectively pivotable between a closed position wherein a staple forming undersurface thereof is in confronting relationship to an upper surface of said staple cartridge supported within said elongate staple channel and an open position wherein a distal end of said anvil is spaced from said upper surface of said staple cartridge, said anvil having a first longitudinally extending anvil ledge portion cantilevering inwardly from a first anvil portion and a second longitudinally extending anvil ledge portion cantilevering inwardly from a second anvil portion in spaced confronting relationship to said first anvil ledge portion to define a portion of an elongate anvil slot therebetween; a first undercut area extending into said first anvil portion adjacent an upper surface of said first anvil ledge; a second undercut area extending into said second anvil portion adjacent an upper surface of said second anvil ledge; a control handle assembly proximally operably coupled through the elongate shaft to selectively apply opening and closing motions to said anvil; and a firing member operably coupled to the control handle assembly through said elongate shaft for selective longitudinal reciprocating motion in the elongate staple channel such that one portion of said firing member extends through said anvil slot between a first and a second resilient anvil portion and another portion of said firing member extends through said longitudinal channel slot.