Patent ID: 7762445

Claim:
A surgical stapler, comprising: an anvil member having a plurality of staple-forming recesses defined therein for deforming a corresponding plurality of surgical staples thereagainst, the anvil includes an electrically insulative material disposed on a tissue contacting surface thereof, wherein at least one of the plurality of staple-forming recesses is coated with the electrically insulative material, wherein the electrically insulative material is selectively removable, and wherein the electrically insulative material is selectively removed from the tissue contacting surface of the anvil member during a firing of the surgical stapler; a cartridge assembly including a staple cartridge defining a tissue contact surface and configured to retain a plurality of electrically conductive surgical staples; an electrical conduit adapted for connection to a surgical generator; and an actuator operatively connected to the cartridge assembly for deploying the plurality of surgical staples from the staple cartridge against the anvil member, the actuator being movable within the cartridge assembly and coupled to the electrical conduit, the actuator including an electrically conductive actuation sled and an electrically conductive knife blade, wherein the electrical conduit is configured for transmitting a thermogenic energy to the knife blade and to the staples through the actuation sled.