Surgical stapling instruments comprising shortened staple cartridge noses

Abstract

A surgical stapling instrument is disclosed. An end effector for the surgical stapling instrument comprises a staple cartridge assembly and an anvil. The staple cartridge assembly comprises a proximal end, a distal end, and a cartridge body comprising a shortened nose at the distal end. The staple cartridge assembly further comprises staples removably stored in the cartridge body, a driver configured to support at least one of the staples, and a sled movable toward the distal end. The sled comprises a ramp configured to lift the driver and at least one of the staples and a base, wherein the shortened nose of the cartridge body is shorter than the base of the sled. The anvil comprises a staple forming surface comprising a plurality of staple forming pockets and a blunt distal nose extending downward toward the staple cartridge assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A staple cartridge system, comprising:
 an end effector configurable in an unclamped configuration and a clamped configuration, comprising:
 an anvil jaw; and 
 a cartridge jaw configured to receive a staple cartridge, wherein said cartridge jaw comprises a cartridge support datum; 
   a first staple cartridge, comprising:
 a first deck configured to support the tissue of a patient; 
 first staple cavities defined in said first deck; 
 first staples removably stored in said first staple cavities; 
 a first proximal end, wherein said first proximal end is aligned with a datum of said cartridge jaw when said first staple cartridge is positioned in said cartridge jaw; and 
 a first distal end, wherein a first cartridge length is defined between said first proximal end and said first distal end; and 
   a second staple cartridge, comprising:
 a second deck configured to support the tissue of a patient; 
 second staple cavities defined in said second deck; 
 second staples removably stored in said second staple cavities; 
 a second proximal end, wherein said second proximal end is aligned with said datum of said cartridge jaw when said second staple cartridge is positioned in said cartridge jaw; and 
 a second distal end, wherein a second cartridge length is defined between said second proximal end and said second distal end, 
   wherein said anvil is supported by a first location on said first staple cartridge when said end effector is in said clamped configuration and said first staple cartridge is positioned in said cartridge jaw, wherein said anvil is supported by a second location on said second staple cartridge when said end effector is in said clamped configuration and said second staple cartridge is positioned in said cartridge jaw, wherein said first location is a first orthogonal distance away from said cartridge support datum when said first staple cartridge is positioned in said cartridge jaw and said second location is a second orthogonal distance away from said cartridge support datum when said second staple cartridge is positioned in said cartridge jaw, wherein said first orthogonal distance is different than said second orthogonal distance, and wherein said anvil jaw deflects differently in response to whether said first staple cartridge or said second staple cartridge is positioned in said cartridge jaw.   
     
     
         2 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 1 , wherein said second cartridge length is different than said first cartridge length. 
     
     
         3 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 2 , wherein said second cartridge length is shorter than said first cartridge length. 
     
     
         4 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 3 , wherein said second orthogonal distance is shorter than said first orthogonal distance. 
     
     
         5 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 3 , wherein said second orthogonal distance is taller than said first orthogonal distance. 
     
     
         6 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 2 , wherein said second cartridge length is longer than said first cartridge length. 
     
     
         7 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 6 , wherein said second orthogonal distance is shorter than said first orthogonal distance. 
     
     
         8 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 7 , wherein said second orthogonal distance is taller than said first orthogonal distance. 
     
     
         9 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 2 , wherein said second location is closer to said second distal end than said first location to said first distal end. 
     
     
         10 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 2 , wherein said second location is positioned further from said second distal end than said first location from said first distal end. 
     
     
         11 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 2 , wherein said anvil jaw comprises a distal anvil tip, wherein said first cartridge length is set such that said distal anvil tip extends beyond said first distal end, and wherein said second cartridge length is set such that said distal anvil tip does not extend beyond said second distal end. 
     
     
         12 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 11 , wherein said anvil jaw experiences a first deflection when said end effector is in said clamped configuration and said first staple cartridge is positioned in said cartridge jaw, wherein said anvil jaw experiences a second deflection when said end effector is in said clamped configuration and said second staple cartridge is positioned in said cartridge jaw, and wherein said second deflection is larger than said first deflection. 
     
     
         13 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 12 , wherein each said first staple comprises an unformed height within a first unformed height range, wherein each said second staple comprises an unformed height within a second unformed height range, and wherein said second unformed height range comprises heights which are taller than the heights in said first unformed height range. 
     
     
         14 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 12 , wherein each said first staple comprises an unformed height within a first unformed height range, wherein each said second staple comprises an unformed height within a second unformed height range, and wherein said second unformed height range comprises heights which are shorter than the heights in said first unformed height range. 
     
     
         15 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 12 , wherein each said first staple comprises an unformed height within a first unformed height range, wherein each said second staple comprises an unformed height within a second unformed height range, and wherein said second unformed height range is different than said first unformed height range but partially overlaps with said first unformed height range. 
     
     
         16 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 12 , wherein said anvil jaw comprises a distal anvil tip, wherein said first cartridge length is set such that said distal anvil tip extends beyond said first distal end, and wherein said second cartridge length is set such that said distal anvil tip is shorter than said second distal end. 
     
     
         17 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 11 , wherein said anvil jaw is rotatable relative to said cartridge jaw. 
     
     
         18 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 11 , wherein said cartridge jaw is rotatable relative to said anvil jaw. 
     
     
         19 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 11 , wherein said first distal end comprises a first cartridge nose and said second distal end comprises a second cartridge nose, and wherein said second cartridge nose is blunter than said first cartridge nose. 
     
     
         20 . The staple cartridge system of  claim 11 , wherein said first distal end comprises a first cartridge nose and said second distal end comprises a second cartridge nose, and wherein said second cartridge nose is shorter than said first cartridge nose.