Patent attributes
A surgical stapling assembly comprising a first closure member, a second closure member, a firing member, a shaft, and an end effector is disclosed. The firing member is actuatable independently of the first and second closure members. The end effector comprises a first jaw and a second jaw movable relative to the first jaw between an open position, a fully-closed position, and a collapsed position. The fully-closed position defines a first gap height between the first iaw and the second iaw. The collapsed position defines a second gap height between the first jaw and the second jaw. The firing member comprises a first flange configured to engage the first jaw and a second flange configured to engage the second jaw. The first flange and the second flange are configured to control the distance between the first jaw and the second jaw during a firing stroke of the firing member.
