Staple cartridge and methods for surgical staplers

1. A cartridge assembly for a surgical stapler, comprising:

a first cartridge portion; and

a second cartridge portion; wherein each of the first and second cartridge portions has an upper surface for engaging tissue, and a slot configured to house a staple;

a proximal portion of each of the first and second cartridge portions has a guide portion having at least one of a channel or a protrusion for guiding at least a portion of an i-beam; and

the second cartridge portion is removably couplable to the first cartridge portion to form a channel between the first and second cartridge portion; and wherein

at least one of the first cartridge portion or the second cartridge portion comprises a movable member adjacent the channel, the movable member configured to be displaced by a knife translating in the channel to widen at least a portion of the channel.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the movable member is a resilient member.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

at least one of the first cartridge portion or the second cartridge portion has a flange configured to engage a flange in a cartridge housing to align the assembly with the cartridge housing.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the first cartridge portion and the second cartridge portion are configured to be fixed together by a cartridge housing.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the first cartridge portion and the second cartridge portion are configured to be fixed together by a cap engaging a distal portion of each of the first and second cartridge portions.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the first cartridge portion and the second cartridge portion each have a distal portion housing the respective slot, and a recess between the distal portion and the proximal portion, the recess configured to receive a proximal portion of an anvil rotatably coupled to the assembly.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

at least one of the first or second cartridge portions has an inner wall for forming the channel; and

the slot in the at least one of the first or second cartridge portions is configured to house a staple at a non-parallel angle to the inner wall.

8. A surgical stapler, comprising:

a cartridge assembly, the cartridge assembly having a first cartridge portion; and

a second cartridge portion, wherein each of the first and second cartridge portions has an upper surface for engaging tissue, and a slot configured to house a staple, a proximal portion of each of the first and second cartridge portions has a guide portion having at least one of a channel or a protrusion for guiding at least a portion of an i-beam, and the second cartridge portion is removably couplable to the first cartridge portion to form a channel between the first and second cartridge portion;

a distal cap; and

a housing; wherein

the distal cap and the housing removably couple the first cartridge portion and the second cartridge portion to form the channel therebetween; and wherein

at least one of the first cartridge portion or the second cartridge portion comprises a movable member adjacent the channel, the movable member configured to be displaced by a knife translating in the channel to widen at least a portion of the channel.

9. The stapler of claim 8 , wherein:

the movable member is a resilient member.

10. The stapler of claim 8 , wherein:

the first cartridge portion and the second cartridge portion each have a distal portion housing the respective slot, and a recess between the distal portion and the proximal portion, the recess configured to receive a proximal portion of an anvil rotatably coupled to the assembly.

11. The stapler of claim 8 , wherein:

the slot in at least one of the first or second cartridge portions is configured to house a staple at a non-parallel angle to the channel.

12. A method of making a surgical stapler, comprising:

providing a cartridge assembly, the cartridge assembly having a first cartridge portion, and a second cartridge portion, wherein each of the first and second cartridge portions has an upper surface for engaging tissue, and a slot configured to house a staple, a proximal portion of each of the first and second cartridge portions has a guide portion having at least one of a channel or a protrusion for guiding at least a portion of an i-beam, and the second cartridge portion is removably couplable to the first cartridge portion to form a channel between the first and second cartridge portion;

providing a distal cap;

providing a housing;

using the distal cap and the housing to removably couple the first cartridge portion and the second cartridge portion and form the channel therebetween; wherein

the providing a cartridge assembly comprises providing a cartridge assembly wherein at least one of the first cartridge portion or the second cartridge portion comprises a movable member adjacent the channel, the movable member configured to be displaced by a knife translating in the knife channel to widen at least a portion of the knife channel.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the first cartridge portion and the second cartridge portion each have a distal portion housing the respective slot, and a recess between the distal portion and the proximal portion, the recess configured to receive a proximal portion of an anvil rotatably coupled to the assembly.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

at least one of the first or second cartridge portions has an inner wall for forming the channel; and

the slot in the at least one of the first or second cartridge portions is configured to house a staple at a non-parallel angle to the inner wall.