Patent ID: 7726538

Claim:
A surgical stapling instrument, comprising: a staple cartridge having a tissue contacting surface extending from a proximal end portion of the staple cartridge to a distal end portion of the staple cartridge; an anvil arranged with the staple cartridge so that the anvil and the staple cartridge have an open position and a clamped position for clamping tissue therebetween; the anvil including a first surface and a second surface, each of the first and second surfaces of the anvil including staple pockets configured to close surgical fasteners, the first surface being spaced from the tissue contacting surface of the staple cartridge by a first distance and the second surface being spaced from the tissue contacting surface of the staple cartridge by a second distance when the staple cartridge and the anvil are in the clamped position, the anvil being arranged with the staple cartridge to apply a varying tissue compression pressure to tissue disposed between the anvil and the tissue contacting surface of the staple cartridge when the staple cartridge and the anvil are in the clamped position; the cartridge having a first plurality of staples and a second plurality of staples, the size of the first plurality of staples being different from the size of the second plurality of staples; and staple pushers having upper surfaces supporting the first plurality of staples and the second plurality of staples.