Patent ID: 8746534

Claim:
A surgical instrument for surgically joining tissue, the surgical instrument comprising: a handle assembly; an elongated portion extending distally from the handle assembly and defining a longitudinal axis; an end effector disposed adjacent a distal portion of the elongated portion, the end effector including a first jaw member and a second jaw member, at least one jaw member being movable with respect to the other jaw member between spaced and approximated positions, the first jaw member having a tissue contacting surface and the second jaw member having a tissue contacting surface; and a stop member disposed between the first jaw member and the second jaw member and extending generally in a proximal direction, the stop member being pivotable with respect to the first jaw member between a first position and a second position, the stop member having a proximally-facing surface for engaging tissue, wherein at least one of the tissue contacting surfaces includes a slot and the stop member includes a first leg and a second leg defining a space therebetween, the slot configured to receive at least a portion of one of the first leg or second leg.