Mechanical infrastructure to support electronics in an end effector of a surgical stapling instrument

Abstract

A surgical instrument includes an end effector having an elongated jaw with a pair of side walls separated by a floor, which define a channel. Each of the side walls has an inner surface that defines a groove, and the groove defined by each side wall is in communication with the channel. A surgical staple reload cartridge may be received in the channel. The cartridge includes a top rail on either side and one or more bottom pads on either side, which also define grooves on either side of the cartridge. When positioned in the channel, the top rails and the bottom pads engage in inner surface of the respective side walls, and the grooves defined in the side walls of the end effector are in communication with respective grooves defined in the sides of the cartridges. Other embodiments are described and claimed.