Electric anastomat and staple cartridge assembly length measuring method

Abstract

The invention provides an electric anastomat and a staple cartridge assembly length measuring method. The electric anastomat comprises a push rod assembly which comprises a push rod, a driving rod and a percussion rod, a signal transmitter and a signal receiver are assembled at one end of the driving rod, and one end of the percussion rod is connected with the driving rod and makes contact with the signal transmitter and the signal receiver; the nail bin assembly is detachably connected with the push rod and the percussion rod; and the main control board is close to the push rod and is integrated with a detection switch, a signal transmitting unit, a signal receiving unit and a control unit. When the staple cartridge assembly is inserted into the push rod assembly, the push rod is pushed to trigger the detection switch, the control unit activates the signal transmitter and the signal receiver, the signal transmitter transmits a signal towards one side of the staple cartridge assembly, and the signal receiver receives a reflected signal returned from the tail end of the staple cartridge assembly. In this way, the control unit can automatically calculate the length of the nail bin assembly according to the transmitting time of the signals and the receiving time of the reflected signals, and the intelligent level is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for measuring the length of an electric stapler and its cartridge assembly, belonging to the field of medical device technology. Background Technology

[0002] Electric staplers are a widely used medical device in surgery. They use titanium staples to cut or anastomose tissue. The working principle is similar to that of a stapler. Two rows of intersecting staples are fired and implanted into the tissue for cross suturing. Compared with traditional manual suturing, electric staplers are simple and convenient to operate, and greatly shorten the operation time.

[0003] To expand the application scenarios of electric staplers, the stapler cartridge assembly is typically designed to be detachably connected to the firing rod to accommodate various stapler cartridge assemblies. Therefore, when using the stapler cartridge assembly and firing rod together, it is necessary to accurately identify the length of the stapler cartridge assembly and control the travel distance of the firing rod according to different cartridge lengths to achieve precise positioning and limit adjustment. However, traditional methods for detecting the length of the stapler cartridge assembly mostly rely on mechanical switches or manual settings, lacking automatic identification and adjustment capabilities.

[0004] In view of this, it is indeed necessary to improve the existing electric staplers in order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an electric stapler that can automatically identify the length of the staple cartridge assembly.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an electric stapler, comprising: A push rod assembly includes a push rod, a drive rod, and a firing rod. One end of the drive rod is equipped with a signal transmitter and a signal receiver, and one end of the firing rod is connected to the drive rod and in contact with the signal transmitter and the signal receiver. The stud cartridge assembly is detachably connected to the end of the push rod and the firing rod away from the drive rod; The main control board, located near the push rod, integrates a detection switch, a signal transmitting unit electrically connected to the signal transmitter, a signal receiving unit electrically connected to the signal receiver, and a control unit. The control unit is electrically connected to the detection switch, the signal transmitting unit, and the signal receiving unit, respectively. When the staple cartridge assembly is inserted into the push rod assembly, the push rod is pushed by the staple cartridge assembly and moves toward the detection switch, triggering the detection switch. The control unit activates the signal transmitter and the signal receiver, causing the signal transmitter to emit a signal toward the staple cartridge assembly via the firing lever, and the signal receiver to receive the reflected signal returned from the end of the staple cartridge assembly.

[0007] Optionally, the signal transmitter is a TDR transmitter, and the signal emitted by the TDR transmitter is an electrical signal.

[0008] Optionally, the signal transmitter is an ultrasonic transmitter, and the signal emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter is a sound wave signal.

[0009] Optionally, the electric stapler further includes a drive assembly that is connected to the drive rod. The main control board also integrates a drive unit and a position detection unit. The drive unit and the position detection unit are electrically connected to the drive assembly and the control unit, respectively, to drive the drive rod to move the firing rod.

[0010] Optionally, the drive assembly includes a drive motor that is driven by the drive rod and an encoder that is electrically connected to the drive motor. The drive unit is connected between the drive motor and the control unit to control the operation of the drive motor. The position detection unit is connected between the encoder and the control unit to transmit the number of pulses output by the encoder to the control unit.

[0011] Optionally, the drive assembly includes a drive motor that is pulsatorically connected to the drive rod. The drive motor has a motor body, an output shaft extending from the motor body, a drive wheel fixed on the output shaft, and a driven wheel meshing with the drive wheel. The drive rod has teeth on the side facing the drive motor, and the teeth are pulsatorically engaged with the driven wheel so that the drive rod is driven to move by the driven wheel after the drive motor is started.

[0012] The present invention also aims to provide a method for measuring the length of a staple cartridge assembly, so as to achieve automatic identification of the length of the staple cartridge assembly.

[0013] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a method for measuring the length of a stapler cartridge assembly, applied to the aforementioned electric stapler, comprising the following steps: S1. Assemble the staple cartridge assembly to one end of the push rod assembly. The push rod is pushed by the staple cartridge assembly and moves toward the detection switch, triggering the detection switch and sending a start signal to the control unit. S2. After receiving the start signal, the control unit activates the signal transmitter and signal receiver; S3. The signal transmitter emits a signal toward the staple cartridge assembly and feeds back the emission time to the control unit. The signal emitted by the signal transmitter propagates along the firing lever and the staple cartridge assembly and is reflected when it reaches the end of the staple cartridge assembly. S4. The signal receiver receives the reflected signal returned from the end of the staple cartridge assembly and feeds back the reception time to the control unit; S5. The control unit calculates the signal propagation distance based on the transmission and reception times, and then calculates the length h of the nail cartridge assembly according to the formula h = (propagation distance / 2 - firing rod length).

[0014] Optionally, in step S3, the signal emitted by the signal transmitter propagates along the firing rod, and when it reaches the end of the firing rod, part of the signal is reflected, while the other part of the signal continues to propagate along the staple cartridge assembly.

[0015] Optionally, between steps S3 and S4, there is also step S3': the signal receiver receives the mid-course signal returning from the end of the firing rod and feeds back the reception time to the control unit, which calculates the length of the firing rod based on the launch time and reception time.

[0016] Optionally, the firing lever and the cartridge assembly may be made of different materials.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The electric stapler of this invention positions the main control board close to the push rod, and assembles a signal transmitter and a signal receiver at one end of the drive rod, both of which are in contact with the firing rod. When the staple cartridge assembly is inserted into the push rod assembly, the push rod is pushed by the staple cartridge assembly, triggering a detection switch on the main control board. This activates the signal transmitter and receiver, causing the signal transmitter to emit a signal towards the staple cartridge assembly via the firing rod, and the signal receiver to receive the reflected signal returning from the end of the staple cartridge assembly. Thus, the control unit can calculate the signal propagation distance based on the signal transmission time and the reception time of the reflected signal, and automatically calculate the length of the staple cartridge assembly, thereby improving the intelligence level of the electric stapler. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electric stapler of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Another angled schematic diagram of the electric stapler shown.

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of the area circled in the middle.

[0021] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of the central drive rod, main control board, and drive components.

[0022] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Another perspective diagram.

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 3A schematic diagram of the main control board.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the internal connection relationship between the drive lever, firing lever, and bolt cartridge assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, this invention discloses an electric stapler 100, including a push rod assembly 10, a staple cartridge assembly 20 detachably connected to the push rod assembly 10, a drive assembly 40 pulsatorically connected to the push rod assembly 10, and a main control board 30. The purpose of detachably connecting the staple cartridge assembly 20 and the push rod assembly 10 is to facilitate the installation of staple cartridge assemblies 20 of different lengths onto the push rod assembly 10, forming different models of electric staplers 100. This not only saves manufacturing costs but also expands the application scenarios of the electric stapler 100.

[0027] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the push rod assembly 10 includes a push rod 11, a drive rod 12, a firing rod 13, and a torsion spring 14 elastically connected to the push rod 11. One end of the push rod 11 is detachably connected to the staple cartridge assembly 20, and the other end is close to the main control board 30 and abuts against the torsion spring 14. When the staple cartridge assembly 20 is assembled onto the push rod assembly 10, the staple cartridge assembly 20 pushes the push rod 11 toward the main control board 30, at which time the torsion spring 14 is compressed. When the staple cartridge assembly 20 is detached from the push rod assembly 10, the push rod 11 moves away from the main control board 30 under the restoring force of the torsion spring 14, resetting to its initial position.

[0028] One end of the drive rod 12 is equipped with a signal transmitter 121 and a signal receiver 122. One end of the firing rod 13 is connected to the drive rod 12 and contacts the signal transmitter 121 and the signal receiver 122. Specifically, the drive rod 12 is drivenly connected to the drive assembly 40. A groove 120 is formed on the side of the drive rod 12 opposite to the drive assembly 40, and the signal transmitter 121 and the signal receiver 122 are both accommodated in the groove 120. One end of the firing rod 13 is inserted into the groove 120, so that it can be locked and fixed with the drive rod 12 while maintaining contact with the signal transmitter 121 and the signal receiver 122. The other end of the firing rod 13 is detachably connected to the nail cartridge assembly 20.

[0029] The staple cartridge assembly 20 is detachably connected to the end of the push rod 11 and the firing rod 13 that is away from the drive rod 12. That is, the push rod 11 and the firing rod 13 are arranged side by side and spaced apart, with one end of both extending toward the drive rod 12 and the other end extending away from the drive rod 12 and being detachably connected to the staple cartridge assembly 20.

[0030] like Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the main control board 30 is positioned near the push rod 11. The main control board 30 integrates a detection switch 31, a signal transmitting unit 32 electrically connected to the signal transmitter 121, a signal receiving unit 33 electrically connected to the signal receiver 122, and a control unit 34. The control unit 34 is electrically connected to the detection switch 31, the signal transmitting unit 32, and the signal receiving unit 33, respectively. Optionally, the signal transmitter 121 and the signal transmitting unit 32 are electrically connected via wires; the signal receiver 122 and the signal receiving unit 33 are also electrically connected via wires.

[0031] One end of the push rod 11 is close to the detection switch 31 and can move towards the detection switch 31 under the push of the staple cartridge assembly 20. Thus, when the staple cartridge assembly 20 is inserted into the push rod assembly 10, the push rod 11 can be pushed by the staple cartridge assembly 20 and move towards the detection switch 31, triggering the detection switch 31. This, in turn, activates the signal transmitter 121 and the signal receiver 122 by the control unit 34. The signal transmitter 121 emits a signal towards one side of the staple cartridge assembly 20 via the firing lever 13, and the signal receiver 122 receives the reflected signal returning from the end of the staple cartridge assembly 20. Afterwards, the control unit 34 can first calculate the signal propagation distance based on the signal transmission time and the reflected signal reception time, and then automatically calculate the length h of the staple cartridge assembly 20 according to the formula h = (propagation distance / 2 - firing lever length).

[0032] In this embodiment, the signal transmitter 121 is a time-domain reflectometry (TDR) transmitter. The signal emitted by the TDR transmitter is an electrical signal. By measuring the propagation and reflection characteristics of the electrical signal in the firing lever 13 and the staple cartridge assembly 20, the propagation distance of the signal is measured, and the length of the staple cartridge assembly 20 is calculated. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the signal transmitter 121 can be an ultrasonic transmitter. The signal emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter is a sound wave signal. The propagation distance of the sound wave signal in the firing lever 13 and the staple cartridge assembly 20 can also be measured, and the actual length of the staple cartridge assembly 20 can be calculated. Both methods enable automatic detection of the length of the staple cartridge assembly 20, improving the intelligence level of the electric stapler 100.

[0033] Preferably, the firing lever 13 and the staple cartridge assembly 20 are made of different materials, so that when the signal emitted by the signal transmitter 121 propagates along the firing lever 13 and the staple cartridge assembly 20, part of the signal is reflected when it reaches the end of the firing lever 13, while the other part of the signal continues to propagate along the staple cartridge assembly 20 and is reflected when it reaches the end of the staple cartridge assembly 20. In this way, the control unit 34 can also calculate the actual length of the staple cartridge assembly 20 based on the time difference between the reception of the two reflected signals.

[0034] Of course, if the length of the firing lever 13 is already determined, the actual length of the staple cartridge assembly 20 can be calculated directly based on the signal transmission time and the reception time of the second reflected signal. In this case, the reception time of the first reflected signal can be ignored. However, if the length of the firing lever 13 is uncertain, the length of the firing lever 13 can be calculated first based on the signal transmission time and the reception time of the first reflected signal, and then the actual length of the staple cartridge assembly 20 can be calculated by combining this with the reception time of the second reflected signal.

[0035] It should be noted that when the signal emitted from the signal transmitter 121 propagates within the firing lever 13 and the staple cartridge assembly 20, it may be subject to interference due to a series of reflected signals generated for various reasons. Therefore, the control unit 34 of this invention can be configured to first estimate the length of the firing lever 13 and the staple cartridge assembly 20, then calculate the signal transmission time range to obtain the effective time range for the signal receiver 122 to receive the reflected signals. Thus, reflected signals received within this effective time range can be considered valid signals, while reflected signals received in other time periods are ignored. This improves the accuracy of the length calculation of the firing lever 13 and the staple cartridge assembly 20.

[0036] After calculating the actual length of the staple cartridge assembly 20, the main control board 30 can calculate the distance that the drive rod 12 and the firing rod 13 need to travel. Then, the drive assembly 40 controls the drive rod 12 and the firing rod 13 to send the staple cartridge assembly 20 to the appropriate position for operation.

[0037] like Figures 4 to 6 As shown, the drive assembly 40 is connected to the drive rod 12, and the main control board 30 also integrates a drive unit 35 and a position detection unit 36. The drive unit 35 and the position detection unit 36 ​​are electrically connected to the drive assembly 40 and the control unit 34, respectively, so as to drive the drive rod 12 to move the firing lever 13 back and forth.

[0038] Specifically, the drive assembly 40 includes a drive motor 41 that is pulsatorically connected to the drive lever 12 and an encoder 42 that is electrically connected to the drive motor 41. A drive unit 35 is connected between the drive motor 41 and the control unit 34, and is used to control the operation of the drive motor 41 under the control of the control unit 34. A position detection unit 36 ​​is connected between the encoder 42 and the control unit 34, and is used to detect the operating position of the drive motor 41 and transmit the number of pulses output by the encoder 42 to the control unit 34. The control unit 34 then controls the number of rotations of the drive motor 41 to control the travel distance of the firing lever 13.

[0039] The drive motor 41 has a motor body, an output shaft extending from the motor body, a drive wheel 43 fixed on the output shaft, and a driven wheel 44 meshing with the drive wheel 43. The drive rod 12 has a tooth 123 on the side facing the drive motor 41. The tooth 123 is in transmission cooperation with the driven wheel 44, so that after the drive motor 41 is started, the drive wheel 43 is driven to rotate through the output shaft, and then the drive wheel 43 drives the driven wheel 44 to rotate, thereby realizing the drive rod 12 moving back and forth by the driven wheel 44.

[0040] In other words, the distance traveled by the firing lever 13 varies depending on the length of the staple cartridge assembly 20. The movement of the firing lever 13 is achieved through the transmission relationship between the drive motor 41 and the drive rod 12. The final position of the firing lever 13 is determined by the number of pulses output by the encoder 42 at the tail of the drive motor 41. The control unit 34 receives and counts the pulses output by the encoder 42 through the position detection unit 36. Once the preset counting threshold is reached, the control unit 34 stops the drive motor 41. In this way, the automatic adjustment limit of the staple cartridge assembly 20 is achieved, and the limit can be set to the optimal state.

[0041] Therefore, the present invention also provides a method for measuring the length of the staple cartridge assembly to automatically calculate / identify the actual length of the staple cartridge assembly 20, mainly including the following steps: S1. Assemble the staple cartridge assembly 20 onto one end of the push rod assembly 10. The push rod 11 is pushed by the staple cartridge assembly 20 and moves toward the detection switch 31, triggering the detection switch 31. Subsequently, the detection switch 31 sends a start signal to the control unit 34. S2. After receiving the start signal, the control unit 34 activates the signal transmitter 121 and the signal receiver 122. S3, the signal transmitter 121 emits a signal toward the staple cartridge assembly 20 and feeds back the emission time to the control unit 34. The signal emitted by the signal transmitter 121 propagates along the firing lever 13 and the staple cartridge assembly 20 and is reflected when it reaches the end of the staple cartridge assembly 20. S4. The signal receiver 122 receives the reflected signal returned from the end of the staple cartridge assembly 20 and feeds back the reception time to the control unit 34. S5 and control unit 34 calculate the signal propagation distance based on the transmission and reception time, and then calculate the length h of the nail cartridge assembly 20 according to the formula h = (propagation distance / 2 - firing rod length).

[0042] In this invention, since the firing lever 13 and the staple cartridge assembly 20 are made of different materials, in step S3, the signal emitted by the signal transmitter 121 propagates along the firing lever 13 and when it reaches the end of the firing lever 13, part of the signal is reflected and the other part of the signal continues to propagate along the staple cartridge assembly 20.

[0043] In the case where the length of the firing lever 13 is uncertain, there may be a step S3' between step S3 and step S4: the signal receiver 122 receives the mid-course signal returned from the end of the firing lever 13 and feeds back the reception time of the mid-course signal to the control unit 34, and the control unit 34 calculates the length of the firing lever 13 based on the transmission time of the signal and the reception time of the mid-course signal.

[0044] For example, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, when the staple cartridge assembly 20 is inserted into the push rod assembly 10, the push rod 11 triggers the detection switch 31. The control unit 34 detects the action of the detection switch 31 and immediately activates the signal transmitting unit 32 and the signal receiving unit 33. Subsequently, the transmitting end tx of the signal transmitter 121 transmits signal t1. Signal t1 is transmitted along the firing rod 13. When it reaches the end of the firing rod 13, due to the change in impedance, part of the signal is reflected, forming a reflected signal f1. The remaining signal t2 continues to propagate along the inside of the staple cartridge assembly 20. When signal t2 reaches the top of the staple cartridge assembly 20, the signal... Signal t2 can no longer propagate and is reflected to form reflected signal f2. After receiving reflected signals f1 and f2, the receiving end rx of signal receiver 122 calculates the time it takes to receive reflected signal f2, starting from the transmission time of signal t1. This gives the time taken from transmission to reception, allowing the calculation of the total distance the signal has traveled. Then, based on the length of the firing rod 13 (which can be a fixed length or calculated from the time it takes to receive reflected signal f1), the length of the staple cartridge assembly 20 can be calculated as: propagation distance / 2 - length of firing rod 13.

[0045] Of course, after the staple cartridge assembly 20 has finished working and has been removed from the push rod assembly 10, the push rod 11 will move away from the main control board 30 under the restoring force of the torsion spring 14, disengage from the detection switch 31 and return to the initial position. At this time, the detection switch 31 has no signal feedback to the control unit 34. The control unit 34 determines that the staple cartridge assembly 20 has been removed, so it no longer activates the signal transmitter 121 and the signal receiver 122, and the main control board 30 stops working.

[0046] In summary, the electric stapler 100 of the present invention, by positioning the main control board 30 close to the push rod 11 and assembling a signal transmitter 121 and a signal receiver 122 at one end of the drive rod 12, with both the signal transmitter 121 and the signal receiver 122 in contact with the firing rod 13, allows the detection switch 31 on the main control board 30 to be triggered when the staple cartridge assembly 20 is inserted into the push rod assembly 10, thanks to the push rod 11 being pushed by the staple cartridge assembly 20. This triggers the control unit 34 to activate the signal transmitter 121 and the signal receiver 122, thereby emitting a signal from the signal transmitter 121 towards the staple cartridge assembly 20 via the firing rod 13, and receiving the reflected signal from the end of the staple cartridge assembly 20 via the signal receiver 122. Thus, the control unit 34 can calculate the signal propagation distance based on the signal transmission time and the reflected signal reception time, and automatically calculate the actual length of the staple cartridge assembly 20, thereby improving the intelligence level of the electric stapler 100.

[0047] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electric stapler, characterized in that, include: A push rod assembly includes a push rod, a drive rod, and a firing rod. One end of the drive rod is equipped with a signal transmitter and a signal receiver, and one end of the firing rod is connected to the drive rod and in contact with the signal transmitter and the signal receiver. The stud cartridge assembly is detachably connected to the end of the push rod and the firing rod away from the drive rod; The main control board, located near the push rod, integrates a detection switch, a signal transmitting unit electrically connected to the signal transmitter, a signal receiving unit electrically connected to the signal receiver, and a control unit. The control unit is electrically connected to the detection switch, the signal transmitting unit, and the signal receiving unit, respectively. When the staple cartridge assembly is inserted into the push rod assembly, the push rod is pushed by the staple cartridge assembly and moves toward the detection switch, triggering the detection switch. The control unit activates the signal transmitter and the signal receiver, causing the signal transmitter to emit a signal toward the staple cartridge assembly via the firing lever, and the signal receiver to receive the reflected signal returned from the end of the staple cartridge assembly.

2. The electric stapler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signal transmitter is a TDR transmitter, and the signal emitted by the TDR transmitter is an electrical signal.

3. The electric stapler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signal transmitter is an ultrasonic transmitter, and the signal emitted by the ultrasonic transmitter is a sound wave signal.

4. The electric stapler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electric stapler also includes a drive assembly that is connected to the drive rod. The main control board also integrates a drive unit and a position detection unit. The drive unit and the position detection unit are electrically connected to the drive assembly and the control unit, respectively, to drive the drive rod to move the firing rod.

5. The electric stapler according to claim 4, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a drive motor that is kinetically connected to the drive rod and an encoder that is electrically connected to the drive motor. The drive unit is connected between the drive motor and the control unit to control the operation of the drive motor. The position detection unit is connected between the encoder and the control unit to transmit the number of pulses output by the encoder to the control unit.

6. The electric stapler according to claim 4, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a drive motor that is pulsatorically connected to the drive rod. The drive motor has a motor body, an output shaft extending from the motor body, a drive wheel fixed on the output shaft, and a driven wheel meshing with the drive wheel. The drive rod has teeth on the side facing the drive motor, and the teeth are pulsatorically engaged with the driven wheel so that the drive rod is driven to move by the driven wheel after the drive motor is started.

7. A method for measuring the length of a stapler cartridge assembly, applied to the electric stapler according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Assemble the staple cartridge assembly to one end of the push rod assembly. The push rod is pushed by the staple cartridge assembly and moves toward the detection switch, triggering the detection switch and sending a start signal to the control unit. S2. After receiving the start signal, the control unit activates the signal transmitter and signal receiver; S3. The signal transmitter emits a signal toward the staple cartridge assembly and feeds back the emission time to the control unit. The signal emitted by the signal transmitter propagates along the firing lever and the staple cartridge assembly and is reflected when it reaches the end of the staple cartridge assembly. S4. The signal receiver receives the reflected signal returned from the end of the staple cartridge assembly and feeds back the reception time to the control unit; S5. The control unit calculates the signal propagation distance based on the transmission and reception times, and then calculates the length h of the nail cartridge assembly according to the formula h = (propagation distance / 2 - firing rod length).

8. The method for measuring the length of the staple cartridge assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that, In step S3, the signal emitted by the signal transmitter propagates along the firing rod, and when it reaches the end of the firing rod, part of the signal is reflected, while the other part of the signal continues to propagate along the staple cartridge assembly.

9. The method for measuring the length of the staple cartridge assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, Between steps S3 and S4, there is step S3': the signal receiver receives the mid-course signal returning from the end of the firing rod and feeds back the reception time to the control unit, which then calculates the length of the firing rod based on the launch time and reception time.

10. The method for measuring the length of the staple cartridge assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The firing lever and the cartridge assembly are made of different materials.

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