Patent ID: 7828188

Claim:
A surgical stapling apparatus, comprising: an anvil having a working surface with a shaped topography; and a staple cartridge having a working surface in juxtaposition with the anvil, the working surface of the staple cartridge having a shaped topography which is complementary to the shaped topography of the working surface of the anvil, such that when the anvil and the staple cartridge are approximated with one another with tissue therebetween, cooperation of at least a portion of the working surface of the anvil with at least a portion of the working surface of the staple cartridge enhances alignment of the staple cartridge and the anvil in at least one of a transverse and longitudinal direction, wherein at least one working surface comprises at least a first wall defining a first plane and a second wall defining a second plane, the first plane intersecting the second plane along a longitudinal axis of the surgical stapling apparatus, the first wall and the second wall defining a V-shaped cross-sectional profile extending in the longitudinal direction.