US Patent 10517594 Cartridge assemblies for surgical staplers

A surgical end effector includes a staple cartridge that includes a cartridge body with a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, an elongate slot extending between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion, and a tissue supporting portion that includes three stepped tissue supporting surface surfaces. The staple cartridge includes a set of staggered staples having different unformed heights. The staple cartridge also includes a staple pusher system having a plurality of pusher members that are independently driven to simultaneously deploy the set of staples.