US Patent 9730692 Surgical stapling device with a curved staple cartridge

In various embodiments, an end effector for use with a surgical instrument is disclosed. The end effector comprises a staple cartridge comprising a plurality of staple cavities arranged in staple cavity rows, a plurality of staples ejectably stored in the staple cavities, and a slot comprising a longitudinal curvature. The end effector further comprises a staple-ejecting sled configured to translate along the slot during a firing stroke, wherein the staple-ejecting sled comprises a ramp and an irreversibly curved guide, wherein the irreversibly curved guide is connected to the ramp within the staple cartridge and wherein the irreversibly curved guide comprises a longitudinal curvature that matches the longitudinal curvature of the slot.