Surgical staples, staple cartridges and surgical end effectors

1. A surgical instrument assembly, comprising:

an instrument attachment interface;

a shaft extending from said instrument attachment interface;

a firing member movable between a fired position and an unfired position;

an articulation joint; and

an end effector configured to be articulated relative to said shaft about said articulation joint, wherein said end effector comprises:

a first jaw;

a second jaw movable relative to said first jaw;

an anvil; and

a replaceable staple cartridge, comprising:

a proximal end;

a distal end;

a slot defining a first side of said staple cartridge and a second side of said staple cartridge;

at least two rows of staple cavities; and

a plurality of staples stored within said staple cavities, wherein said staples are configured to be deployed by said firing member, wherein each said staple comprises:

a staple leg comprising planar surfaces; and

a staple base, wherein said staple leg extends from said staple base, and wherein said staple base comprises:

 planar surfaces; and

 a camming surface distally offset from said staple leg and configured to be directly engaged by said firing member, wherein said staple leg is configured to be formed over said camming surface.

2. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 1 , wherein said instrument attachment interface comprises a tool mounting portion configured to receive control motions from a surgical robot.

3. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 2 , wherein said tool mounting portion comprises a motor.

4. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 1 , wherein said articulation joint comprises a first articulation joint and a second articulation joint, wherein said end effector is configured to be articulated about said first articulation joint in a first articulation plane and about said second articulation joint in a second articulation plane, and wherein said first articulation plane and said second articulation plane are different.

5. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a rotary drive shaft, wherein said firing member is configured to be actuated by said rotary drive shaft.

6. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 1 , wherein the deployment of said staples comprises a rotational force.

7. A surgical instrument assembly, comprising:

an instrument attachment interface;

a shaft;

a firing system, comprising:

a firing member, comprising:

a cutting member;

a first jaw-camming portion; and

a second jaw-camming portion, wherein said first jaw-camming portion and said second jaw-camming portion are configured to control a tissue gap distance; and

a staple-deployment member movable between a fired position and an unfired position;

a closure system comprising a closure cam;

an articulation joint; and

an end effector configured to be articulated relative to said shaft about said articulation joint, wherein said end effector comprises:

a first jaw;

a second jaw movable relative to said first jaw when a closure motion is applied to said second jaw by said closure cam;

an anvil; and

a replaceable staple cartridge, comprising:

a proximal end;

a distal end;

a slot defining a first side of said staple cartridge and a second side of said staple cartridge;

at least two rows of staple cavities; and

a plurality of staples stored within said staple cavities, wherein said staples are configured to be ejected from said staple cavities by said staple-deployment member, wherein each said staple comprises:

a staple leg comprising planar sides; and

a staple base, wherein said staple leg extends from said staple base, and wherein said staple base comprises:

 planar sides; and

 a camming surface distally offset from said staple leg and configured to be engaged by said staple-deployment member, wherein said staple leg is configured to be formed over said camming surface.

8. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 7 , wherein said instrument attachment interface comprises a tool mounting portion configured to receive control motions from a surgical robot.

9. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 8 , wherein said tool mounting portion comprises a motor.

10. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 7 , wherein said articulation joint comprises a first articulation joint and a second articulation joint, wherein said end effector is configured to be articulated about said first articulation joint in a first articulation plane and about said second articulation joint in a second articulation plane, and wherein said first articulation plane and said second articulation plane are different.

11. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a rotary drive shaft, wherein said staple-deployment member is configured to be actuated by said rotary drive shaft.

12. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 7 , wherein the ejection of said staples comprises a rotational force.

13. A surgical instrument assembly configured to be attached to a surgical robot, wherein said surgical instrument assembly comprises:

a tool mounting portion;

a shaft;

an articulation joint;

a sled movable between a fired position and an unfired position; and

an end effector configured to be articulated relative to said shaft about said articulation joint, wherein said end effector comprises:

a first jaw;

a second jaw movable relative to said first jaw;

an anvil; and

a replaceable fastener cartridge, comprising:

a proximal end;

a distal end;

a slot defining a first side of said fastener cartridge and a second side of said fastener cartridge;

at least two rows of fastener cavities; and

a plurality of fasteners stored within said fastener cavities, wherein said fasteners are configured to be ejected from said fastener cavities by said sled, wherein each said fastener comprises:

a leg comprising planar edges; and

a crown, wherein said leg extends from said crown, and wherein said crown comprises:

 planar edges; and

 a camming surface distally offset from said leg and configured to be contacted by said sled, wherein said leg is configured to be deformed over said camming surface.

14. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 13 , wherein said tool mounting portion comprises a motor.

15. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 13 , wherein said articulation joint comprises a first articulation joint and a second articulation joint, wherein said end effector is configured to be articulated about said first articulation joint in a first articulation plane and about said second articulation joint in a second articulation plane, and wherein said first articulation plane and said second articulation plane are different.

16. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a rotary drive shaft and a firing member, wherein said sled is movable between said unfired position and said fired position by said firing member, and wherein said firing member is configured to be actuated by said rotary drive shaft.

17. The surgical instrument assembly of claim 13 , wherein the ejection of said fasteners comprises a rotational force.

18. A surgical stapling assembly, comprising:

a shaft;

a firing member movable between a fired position and an unfired position;

an articulation joint; and

an end effector configured to be articulated relative to said shaft about said articulation joint, wherein said end effector comprises:

a first jaw;

a second jaw movable relative to said first jaw; and

a replaceable staple cartridge, comprising:

a proximal end;

a distal end;

a longitudinal slot defining a first lateral side of said staple cartridge and a second lateral side of said staple cartridge;

longitudinal rows of staple cavities; and

staples removably stored within said staple cavities, wherein said staples are configured to be deployed by said firing member, wherein each said staple comprises:

a staple leg comprising planar surfaces; and

a staple base, wherein said staple leg extends from said staple base, and wherein said staple base comprises:

 planar surfaces; and

 a camming surface distally offset from said staple leg and configured to be directly engaged by said firing member, wherein said staple leg is configured to be formed over said camming surface.

19. A surgical stapling assembly, comprising:

a firing member movable between a fired position and an unfired position;

a cartridge body, comprising:

a proximal end;

a distal end;

a longitudinal slot defining a first lateral side of said cartridge body and a second lateral side of said cartridge body; and

longitudinal rows of staple cavities; and

staples removably stored within said staple cavities, wherein said staples are configured to be deployed by said firing member, wherein each said staple comprises:

a staple leg comprising planar surfaces; and

a staple base, wherein said staple leg extends from said staple base, and wherein said staple base comprises:

planar surfaces; and

a camming surface distally offset from said staple leg and configured to be directly engaged by said firing member, wherein said staple leg is configured to be formed over said camming surface.

20. A surgical stapling assembly, comprising:

a shaft;

a first jaw;

a second jaw;

a firing member, comprising:

a cutting member;

a first jaw-camming portion; and

a second jaw-camming portion, wherein said first jaw-camming portion and said second jaw-camming portion are configured to control a tissue gap distance between said first jaw and said second jaw;

a staple-deployment member movable between a fired position and an unfired position;

an articulation joint;

an end effector configured to be articulated relative to said shaft about said articulation joint; and

a replaceable staple cartridge, comprising:

a proximal end;

a distal end;

a longitudinal slot defining a first lateral side of said replaceable staple cartridge and a second lateral side of said replaceable staple cartridge;

longitudinal rows of staple cavities; and

staples removably stored within said staple cavities, wherein said staples are configured to be ejected from said staple cavities by said staple-deployment member, wherein each said staple comprises:

a staple leg comprising planar sides; and

a staple base, wherein said staple leg extends from said staple base, and wherein said staple base comprises:

planar sides; and

a camming surface distally offset from said staple leg and configured to be engaged by said staple-deployment member, wherein said staple leg is configured to be formed over said camming surface.

21. A surgical stapling assembly, comprising:

a staple-deployment member movable between a fired position and an unfired position;

a cartridge body, comprising:

a proximal end;

a distal end;

a longitudinal slot defining a first lateral side of said cartridge body and a second lateral side of said cartridge body; and

longitudinal rows of staple cavities; and

staples removably stored within said staple cavities, wherein said staples are configured to be ejected from said staple cavities by said staple-deployment member, wherein each said staple comprises:

a staple leg comprising planar sides; and

a staple base, wherein said staple leg extends from said staple base, and wherein said staple base comprises:

planar sides; and

a camming surface distally offset from said staple leg and configured to be engaged by said staple-deployment member, wherein said staple leg is configured to be formed over said camming surface.