Staple cartridge for surgical stapler and surgical stapler with aligning locking tang

摘要

A surgical stapler having a supporting frame, including a stationary jaw having an anvil, a movable jaw, a replaceable staple cartridge carried by the movable jaw, a mechanism for approximating the cartridge relative to the anvil, and a mechanism for firing the device so as to crimp the staples against the anvil in a manner to enable the surgeon to substantially simultaneously place one or more rows of surgical staples in organs or tissues. The device includes interrelated, cooperating first and second locking mechanisms for positively preventing refiring if the staple cartridge is spent and for providing a tactile sensation to the surgeon to indicate that a spent staple cartridge is present within the instrument.