Patent ID: 8448832

Claim:
A surgical fastener applying apparatus, comprising: a first jaw including a cartridge body housing a plurality of surgical fasteners including: a plurality of first surgical fasteners having a first pair of legs terminating in penetrating ends, the first pair of legs being connected by a first backspan including a hump extending towards the penetrating ends to define a first height; and a plurality of second surgical fasteners having a second pair of legs terminating in penetrating ends, the second pair of legs being connected by a second backspan including a hump extending towards the penetrating ends to define a second, different height, whereby the plurality of first surgical fasteners apply a first compressive force to tissue upon formation, and the plurality of second surgical fasteners apply a second, different compressive force to tissue upon formation; and a second jaw connected to the first jaw such that the first and second jaws are repositionable between unapproximated and approximated positions, the second jaw including a tissue contacting surface having a plurality of listener forming pockets formed therein, each of the fastener forming pockets being configured and dimensioned to receive and form a surgical fastener upon ejection from the cartridge body, wherein the plurality of first surgical fasteners being arranged in a first pair of rows spaced laterally outward of a central longitudinal axis of the cartridge body, and the plurality of second surgical fasteners being arranged in a second pair of rows spaced laterally outward of the first pair of rows, the first height being greater than the second height such that the first compressive force is greater than the second compressive force.