Patent ID: 7000818

Claim:
A surgical instrument, comprising: a handle portion operable to separately produce a firing motion and a closing motion; and an implement portion responsive to the separate firing and closing motions from the handle portion, the implement portion comprising: an elongate channel coupled to the handle portion, an anvil pivotally coupled to the elongate channel, comprising a vertical anvil slot inwardly open along a longitudinal axis of the anvil and comprising left and right longitudinal recesses communicating with, bisected by, and transverse to the vertical slot, and a firing device including a distally presented cutting edge longitudinally received between the elongate channel and the anvil, an upper member comprising left and right engagement members each sized to have upper and lower surfaces that slidingly engage inner surfaces of the respective left and right longitudinal recesses in the anvil, and a lower portion longitudinally engaging the elongate channel, wherein the upper member remains retracted and disengaged from the anvil during closing thereof and wherein engagement of the firing device during firing maintains vertical spacing between the elongate channel and the anvil resisting both pinching due to inadequately clamped tissue and partial opening due to an excessive amount of clamped tissue.