Patent ID: 7810692

Claim:
A disposable loading unit for attachment to a surgical stapling apparatus, said disposable loading unit comprising: a carrier; a staple cartridge supported in said carrier; an anvil assembly movably coupled to said carrier for selective movable travel between open and closed positions relative to said staple cartridge; an axial drive assembly having a distal end portion constructed to move in a distal direction from a start position to an end position through said staple cartridge in response to a drive motion imparted to said axial drive assembly from the surgical stapling apparatus, said axial drive assembly having a firing indicator region spaced from said distal end thereof; and a housing coupled to said carrier and configured for operable attachment to the surgical stapling apparatus, said housing having a distal end and an axially extending opening therein spaced from said distal end thereof such that said firing indicator region is observable through said axially extending opening; as said axial drive assembly is driven from said start position to said end position.