Patent ID: 8418904

Claim:
A surgical stapling device comprising: an elongated body portion defining a longitudinal axis; a tool assembly pivotally supported at the distal end of the elongated body, the tool assembly including an anvil assembly and a cartridge assembly housing a plurality of staples, the anvil assembly and cartridge assembly being movably mounted in relation to one another between open and closed positions; a flexible drive assembly having a distal end configured to translate through the cartridge assembly to eject the staples therefrom, the flexible drive assembly being bendable relative to the longitudinal axis when the tool assembly pivots; and a first support member positioned adjacent a pivot axis on a side of the flexible drive assembly, the first support member having a first end fixedly attached to the tool assembly and a second end fixedly attached to the elongated body portion, the first support member having a central portion defining a vertically oriented opening allowing the first support member to flex with respect to the pivot axis when the tool assembly pivots.