Patent ID: 8870049

Claim:
A surgical stapler, comprising: an elongated shaft having a handle at its proximal end; a discharge head fixedly attached to a distal end of the elongated shaft, the discharge head disposed at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongated shaft; a magazine of staples mounted between the discharge head and the shaft, the magazine of staples oriented at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongated shaft; and a pusher plate disposed in the discharge head, the pusher plate including a pair of forming fingers adapted to retain a single outermost staple from the magazine of staples between the forming fingers; and an anvil plate positioned in the discharge head adjacent the pusher plate, the anvil plate having a step with a height of about a thickness of the single staple, wherein the single staple is positioned against the step such that a center portion of the single staple contacts the step and outer legs of the single staple rest against a lower distal portion of the anvil plate wherein the distal portion is relative to the step of the anvil plate to cause the single staple to rotate away from the magazine of staples.