US Patent 7464849 Electro-mechanical surgical instrument with closure system and anvil alignment components

A surgical instrument. Various embodiments relate to a surgical cutting and fastening instrument that has an end effector with an anvil that can pivot between open and closed positions relative to an elongate channel that can support a staple cartridge therein. The anvil may be opened and closed by a drive system. Various embodiments employ a powered drive system for opening and closing the anvil and powering a knife and staple drive assembly used to cut tissue and deploy the staples in the cartridge. Other embodiments employ a mechanical system to open and close the anvil and employ a powered system to power the knife and staple drive assembly. In various embodiments, the drive assembly serves to axially and laterally align anvil relative to the elongate channel. The anvil is constructed to move in a substantially parallel path relative to the elongate channel during closing.