A staple cartridge includes a cartridge body and a plurality of staples. The cartridge body defines a plurality of rows of staple pockets and a central knife slot. One of the staples is received in each of the staple pockets. Each of the staples defines a burr or facet that faces the central knife slot and defines a plane that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cartridge body.

A fastener cartridge can comprise a support portion, a tissue thickness compensator positioned relative to the support portion, and a plurality of fasteners positioned within the support portion and/or the tissue thickness compensator which can be utilized to fasten tissue. In use, the fastener cartridge can be positioned in a first jaw of a surgical fastening device, wherein a second jaw, or anvil, can be positioned opposite the first jaw. To deploy the fasteners, a staple-deploying member is advanced through the fastener cartridge to move the fasteners toward the anvil. As the fasteners are deployed, the fasteners can capture at least a portion of the tissue thickness compensator therein along with at least a portion of the tissue being fastened.

A medical device may include a shaft extending from a proximal end toward a distal end, the shaft including a lumen extending from the proximal end toward the distal end; a first stapling head at the distal end, the first stapling head configured to contain one or more staples, and the first stapling head having a block disposed within, and movable relative to, the first stapling head; a second stapling head at the distal end; and a pushing element extending through the lumen, the pushing element being movable from a first position to a second position, wherein transition of the pushing element from the first position to the second position urges the block to move toward second stapling head to deploy the one or more staples.

An end effector for a surgical stapling apparatus includes a cartridge assembly and an anvil assembly. The cartridge assembly includes a cartridge channel supporting a reload. The cartridge assembly can include a cartridge channel that supports the reload. The cartridge assembly can include a hinge assembly that pivotally couples to the cartridge channel.

A surgical system is disclosed including a frame, an electric motor, a power source configured to supply power to the electric motor, a firing member, a manual release for retracting the firing member, and a controller for de-energizing the electric motor while a retraction motion is applied to the firing member. The electric motor is configured to impart a firing motion to the firing member.

A surgical stapler, or fastening instrument, may generally comprise a layer, such as a tissue thickness compensator, for example, releasably attached to a fastener cartridge and/or anvil by a flowable attachment portion. The flowable attachment portion may be indefinitely flowable. The flowable attachment portion may be flowable from the time that layer is installed to the fastener cartridge to the time in which the layer is implanted to patient tissue. The flowable attachment portion may comprise a pressure sensitive adhesive. The flowable attachment portion may comprise an adhesive laminate comprising a base layer comprising the tissue thickness compensator and an adhesive layer on at least a portion of a surface of the base layer comprising the pressure sensitive adhesive. Articles of manufacture comprising flowable attachment portion and methods of making and using the flowable attachment portion are also described.

An anvil-attachable layer for use with a surgical stapler, or fastening instrument, wherein a proximal end portion of the layer is attached to a staple cartridge assembly, for example. The layer may be attached to the staple cartridge assembly by an adhesive, weld, or a staple-cartridge-based clamp, wherein the attachment is weak enough to allow the layer to pull away from the staple cartridge assembly with stapled tissue. Alternatively, the layer can include two or more lateral slits that define a connector region that can be cut by a knife of a surgical stapler to release the layer.

A surgical stapler, or fastening instrument, may generally comprise a layer, such as a tissue thickness compensator, for example, releasably attached to a fastener cartridge and/or anvil by a flowable attachment portion. The flowable attachment portion may be indefinitely flowable. The flowable attachment portion may be flowable from the time that layer is installed to the fastener cartridge to the time in which the layer is implanted to patient tissue. The flowable attachment portion may comprise a pressure sensitive adhesive. The flowable attachment portion may comprise an adhesive laminate comprising a base layer comprising the tissue thickness compensator and an adhesive layer on at least a portion of a surface of the base layer comprising the pressure sensitive adhesive. Articles of manufacture comprising flowable attachment portion and methods of making and using the flowable attachment portion are also described.

A surgical stapling system is disclosed comprising a proximal housing portion, a distal housing portion removably coupleable to the proximal housing portion at a coupling interface, a motor, and a power source in electrical communication with the motor along an electrical communication pathway that does not traverse the coupling interface. The power source is configured to provide energy to the motor along the electrical communication pathway. The power source is permitted to provide energy to the motor based on the distal housing portion being coupled to the proximal housing portion.

A motorized surgical instrument is disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a displacement member, a motor coupled to the displacement member, a display, and a control circuit coupled to the motor and the display. The control circuit is configured to measure distance traveled by the displacement member over a predetermined period of time, cause the display to present a selection menu indicia that is indicative of a velocity mode, receive a user input corresponding to the velocity mode, and set the motor velocity of the displacement member based on the measured distance traveled by the displacement member over the predetermined period of time and the user input.