US Patent 10321909 Staple cartridge comprising a staple including deformable members

A stapling assembly comprising an end effector movable from an open configuration to a closed configuration is disclosed. The end effector comprises an anvil and a staple cartridge comprising a first tissue-contact surface, a second tissue-contact surface stepped up from the first tissue-contact surface, an annular row of cavities, and a plurality of staples removably stored in the cavities. The anvil is configured to transition the staples from an unformed configuration to a formed configuration. Each staple comprises a crown, a first staple leg extending from the crown, and a second staple leg extending from the crown. The first staple leg and the second staple leg define a plane intersecting the crown in the unformed configuration. The first staple leg is bent toward a first side of the plane in the formed configuration. The second staple leg is bent toward a second side of the plane in the formed configuration.