A staple cartridge comprising a mechanism configured to overcome an empty/missing cartridge lockout is disclosed.
The present application is a continuation application under 35 U.S.C. §120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/175,148, entitled SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT, filed Feb. 7, 2014, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0151434, which is a continuation application under 35 U.S.C. §120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/369,601, entitled ROBOTICALLY-CONTROLLED SURGICAL END EFFECTOR SYSTEM, filed on Feb. 9, 2012, which issued on Jul. 22, 2014 as U.S. Pat. No. 8,783,541, which is a continuation application under 35 U.S.C. §120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/118,246, entitled ROBOTICALLY-DRIVEN SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH E-BEAM DRIVER, filed on May 27, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,060,770, which is a continuation-in-part application under 35 U.S.C. §120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/538,154, entitled ARTICULATING SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT INCORPORATING A TWO-PIECE E-BEAM FIRING MECHANISM, filed on Oct. 3, 2006, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0084897, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein. The present application is a continuation application under 35 U.S.C. §120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/175,148, entitled SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT, filed Feb. 7, 2014, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0151434, which is a continuation application under 35 U.S.C. §120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/141,753, entitled SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT HAVING AN ELECTROACTIVE POLYMER ACTUATED MEDICAL SUBSTANCE DISPENSER, filed on Jun. 1, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,905,977, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/591,694, entitled SURGICAL INSTRUMENT INCORPORATING AN ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED ARTICULATION MECHANISM, filed on Jul. 28, 2004, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.
a mechanism configured to overcome the empty and missing cartridge lockout.