Surgical instrument having jaw alignment mechanism

Abstract

A surgical instrument comprising first and second jaws movably coupled together for movement between an open position and a closed position, the first jaw including a first proximal end, a first distal tip, and a first jaw midpoint between the first proximal end and the first distal tip, the second jaw including a second proximal end and a second distal tip, and the first jaw including a first alignment mechanism distal to the first jaw midpoint and configured to engage a corresponding portion of the second jaw when the first and second jaws are moved to the closed position to align the first distal tip with the second distal tip.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This non-provisional application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 955,299, filed December 30, 2019, entitled "DEVICES AND SYSTEMS FOR ELECTROSURGERY," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] The present invention relates to surgical instruments designed to treat tissue, including but not limited to surgical instruments configured to cut and fasten tissue. The surgical instruments may include electrosurgical instruments powered by a generator to effect dissection, cutting, and / or coagulation of tissue during surgery. The surgical instruments may include instruments configured to cut and staple tissue using surgical staples and / or fasteners. The surgical instruments may be configured for use in open surgery, but have applications in other types of surgery, such as laparoscopic, endoscopic, and robotic-assisted procedures, and may include an end effector articulatable relative to a shaft portion of the instrument to facilitate precise positioning within a patient. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] In various embodiments, a surgical instrument is disclosed that includes a first jaw including a first proximal end and a first distal tip. A first jaw midpoint is defined between the first proximal end and the first distal tip. The surgical instrument further includes a second jaw including a second proximal end and a second distal tip. The second jaw midpoint is defined between the second proximal end and the second distal tip. The first proximal end and the second proximal end are movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position. The first jaw further includes at least one first alignment mechanism distal to the first jaw midpoint and configured to engage a corresponding portion of the second jaw when the first jaw and the second jaw are moved to the closed position to align the first distal tip with the second distal tip.

[0004] In various embodiments, a surgical instrument is disclosed that includes a first jaw including a first jaw body defining a first jaw axis. The first jaw body defines a first proximal end and a first distal tip. The first distal tip terminates at a first point laterally displaced from the first jaw axis. The first jaw body defines a first jaw clamping surface. The surgical instrument further includes a second jaw including a second jaw body defining a second jaw axis. The second jaw body defines a second proximal end and a second distal tip. The second distal tip terminates at a second point laterally displaced from the second jaw axis. The second jaw body defines a second jaw clamping surface. The first proximal end and the second proximal end are movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position. The first jaw further comprises at least one first alignment feature on a portion of the first jaw clamping face closer to the first distal tip than the first proximal end. The second jaw further comprises a second alignment feature on the second jaw clamping face corresponding to each first alignment feature. Each first alignment feature is configured to interact with a corresponding second alignment feature when the first and second jaws move to the closed position, whereby interaction between the first alignment feature and the corresponding second alignment feature moves the first and second distal tips to the aligned position.

[0005] In various embodiments, a surgical instrument is disclosed that includes a first jaw including a first jaw body defining a first jaw axis. The first jaw body defines a first proximal end and a first distal tip. The first distal tip terminates at a first point laterally displaced from the first jaw axis. The first jaw body defines a first jaw clamping surface. The surgical instrument further includes a second jaw including a second jaw body defining a second jaw axis. The second jaw body defines a second proximal end and a second distal tip. The second distal tip terminates at a second point laterally displaced from the second jaw axis. The second jaw body defines a second jaw clamping surface. The first proximal end and the second proximal end are movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position. The surgical instrument further comprises means for imparting an alignment motion to the first and second jaws as they move from the open position toward the closed position, the degree of alignment motion increasing as the first and second jaw clamping surfaces approach one another, thereby causing the first and second distal tips to move into the aligned position as the first and second jaws reach the closed position.

[0006] In various embodiments, a surgical instrument is disclosed that includes a first jaw including a first jaw body defining a first jaw axis. The first jaw body defines a first proximal end and a first distal tip. The first distal tip terminates at a first point laterally displaced from the first jaw axis. The first jaw body defines a first jaw clamping surface. The surgical instrument further includes a second jaw including a second jaw body defining a second jaw axis. The second jaw body defines a second proximal end and a second distal tip. The second distal tip terminates at a second point laterally displaced from the second jaw axis. The second jaw body defines a second jaw clamping surface. The first proximal end and the second proximal end are movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position. The surgical instrument further comprises at least one jaw alignment mechanism on at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw. The at least one jaw alignment mechanism applies an alignment motion to at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw as the first jaw and the second jaw move from the open position toward the closed position. The degree of alignment motion increases as the first jaw and the second jaw clamping surfaces approach each other such that the first and second distal tips move into the aligned position when the first jaw and the second jaw reach the closed position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] The novel features of the various aspects are set forth with particularity in the appended claims, however the described aspects, both as to organization and method of operation, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an example of a generator for use with a surgical instrument, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates one form of a surgical system including a generator and an electrosurgical instrument usable with the generator, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3]1 shows a schematic diagram of a surgical instrument or tool, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a surgical instrument in a non-articulated position, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the articulation joint of the surgical instrument of FIG. 4 articulated in a first direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is another perspective view of the articulation joint of FIG. 5 in a non-articulated position. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the articulation joint of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an end elevation view of the articulation joint of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is a top view of the articulation joint of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the articulation joint of the surgical instrument of FIG. 4 articulated in a first direction. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an end elevation view of the articulation joint of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a top view of the articulation joint of FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the articulation joint of the surgical instrument of FIG. 4 articulated in a second direction. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an end elevation view of the articulation joint of FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 14 is a top view of the articulation joint of FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of an axial drive system embodiment in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the articulation joint of the surgical instrument of FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is another perspective view of the articulation joint of FIG. 17. [Figure 19] FIG. 18 is another perspective view of the articulation joint of FIG. 17 in a non-articulated position. [Figure 20] FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the articulation joint of FIG. 4 articulated in a second direction. [Figure 21] FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the articulation joint of FIG. 4 articulated in a first direction. [Figure 22]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the surgical instrument of FIG. 4 with the jaws in a closed position. [Diagram 23] FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the surgical instrument of FIG. [Figure 24] FIG. 5 is an end perspective view of the articulation joint of the surgical instrument of FIG. 4, with the articulation joint articulated in a second direction; [Diagram 25] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a portion of the surgical instrument of FIG. 4, with a portion shown in phantom. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 25 with the jaws in a closed position. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is another perspective view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 26, with a portion shown in phantom. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of a proximal shaft segment embodiment, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 29] FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional end view of the proximal shaft segment of FIG. 28. [Diagram 30] FIG. 13 is a top view of a portion of a rotary drive shaft, actuation yoke assembly, and threaded insert embodiment, with a portion of the rotary drive shaft shown in phantom, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Diagram 31] FIG. 31 is a side elevational view of the rotary drive shaft, actuation yoke assembly, and threaded insert of FIG. [Diagram 32] 13A-13C are side elevational views of a portion of another rotary drive shaft, another actuation yoke assembly, and another threaded insert embodiment in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Diagram 33] FIG. 33 is a perspective view of the rotary drive shaft, actuation yoke assembly, and threaded insert of FIG. [Diagram 34] FIG. 1 is a top view of a distal frame member and a portion of a proximal housing member of a surgical instrument, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 35] FIG. 35 is a partial perspective view of a spring clip used to support a proximal housing member on the distal frame member of FIG. 34. [Diagram 36]FIG. 35 is a cross-sectional end view of the distal frame member and proximal housing member of FIG. 34. [Figure 37] FIG. 35 is a side elevational view of a portion of the distal frame member and proximal housing member of FIG. 34. [Figure 38] FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of another surgical instrument in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 39] FIG. 39 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the surgical instrument of FIG. [Diagram 40] FIG. 13 is a top view of a portion of another articulation joint embodiment in a non-articulated position in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Diagram 41] FIG. 41 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the articulation joint of FIG. 40 articulated in a first direction. [Diagram 42] FIG. 41 is another partial cross-sectional side view of the articulation joint of FIG. 40 articulated in a second direction. [Diagram 43] FIG. 41 is another partial cross-sectional side view of the articulation joint of FIG. 40 articulated in a first direction. [Diagram 44] FIG. 41 is another partial cross-sectional side view of the articulation joint of FIG. 40 articulated in a second direction. [Diagram 45] FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view of a portion of another articulation joint embodiment in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 46] FIG. 46 is a side elevational view of the articulation joint of FIG. 45 in a non-articulated position. [Figure 47] FIG. 13 is a side view of a portion of another surgical instrument with a surgical end effector in a non-articulated position and jaws in a closed position, some shown in phantom, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 48] FIG. 48 is a partial perspective view of a portion of the surgical instrument of FIG. 47 with some elements shown in phantom. [Figure 49] FIG. 48 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the surgical instrument of FIG. 47 with the jaws in the open position. [Figure 50] FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of another surgical instrument with the jaws in an open position in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 51]FIG. 51 is another partial cross-sectional view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 50 with the jaws in a closed position. [Figure 52] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a portion of another articulatable surgical instrument with a surgical end effector in an articulated position and with the jaws of the surgical end effector in an open position, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 53] FIG. 53 is a perspective view of a portion of the surgical instrument of FIG. 52 with the surgical end effector in a non-articulated position and the jaws in a closed position; [Figure 54] FIG. 53 is an exploded perspective assembly view of a portion of the surgical instrument of FIG. [Figure 55] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective assembly view of a portion of another surgical instrument in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 56] FIG. 13 is a side elevation view of a portion of another surgical instrument with a surgical end effector in a non-articulated position and with the jaws of the surgical end effector in a partially closed position, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 57] FIG. 57 is a partial side elevational view of a portion of the articulation joint of the surgical instrument of FIG. 56 articulated in a first direction. [Figure 58] FIG. 57 is another partial side elevational view of the articulation joint of FIG. 56 articulated in a second direction. [Figure 59] FIG. 57 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a portion of the surgical instrument of FIG. [Figure 60] FIG. 57 is a partial perspective view of a portion of the surgical instrument of FIG. [Figure 61] FIG. 57 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the surgical instrument of FIG. [Figure 62] FIG. 57 is a partial perspective view of a portion of the surgical instrument of FIG. [Figure 63] 57 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the proximal shaft segment of FIG. 56 with the articulation joint in a non-articulated position. [Figure 64] FIG. 57 is another cross-sectional side elevation view of the proximal shaft segment of FIG. 56, with the articulation joint articulated in a first direction. [Figure 65] FIG. 57 is another cross-sectional side elevation view of the proximal shaft segment of FIG. 56 articulated in a second direction. [Figure 66] FIG. 57 is a partial perspective view of the distal frame member and flexible circuit configuration of the surgical instrument of FIG. [Figure 67] FIG. 67 is another partial perspective view of the distal frame member and flexible circuit configuration of FIG. 66. [Figure 68] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a first jaw embodiment in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 69] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a second jaw embodiment in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 70] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional end view of a portion of a first jaw and a second jaw aligned in a closed position, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 71] FIG. 71 is another cross-sectional end view of the first and second jaws of FIG. 70 closed on tissue but not aligned; [Figure 72] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a first jaw and a second jaw in a closed position according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 73] FIG. 73 is a cross-sectional end view of a portion of the first and second jaws of FIG. 72 misaligned during closure. [Figure 74] FIG. 73 is a cross-sectional end view of a portion of the first and second jaws of FIG. 72 aligned in a closed position. [Figure 75] FIG. 13 is a graphical comparison between the jaw clamping force required to close the first and second jaws and the jaw biasing force required to move the first and second jaws into alignment with one another as the first and second jaws move from an open position to a fully closed position, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 76] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of a first jaw and a corresponding portion of a second jaw when the first jaw and the second jaw are in a closed position, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 77] FIG. 13 is a top view of another first jaw, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 78]FIG. 13 is a top view of another first jaw, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 79] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a surgical end effector embodiment with the jaws in an open position, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 80] FIG. 80 is a cross-sectional end view of the surgical end effector of FIG. 79 taken along line AA of FIG. 79. [Figure 81] 80 is another cross-sectional end view of the surgical effector of FIG. 79 taken along line BB of FIG. 79. [Figure 82] FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of another surgical end effector embodiment with the jaws in a closed position in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 83] FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of another surgical end effector embodiment with the jaws in a closed position in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 84] FIG. 84 is a side elevational view of the surgical end effector of FIG. 83 showing the jaws in a fully closed position. [Figure 85] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a portion of a surgical instrument according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 86] FIG. 86 is a side elevational view of a portion of the surgical instrument of FIG. [Figure 87] 86 is a finite element analysis of the articulation joint of the surgical instrument of FIG. 85 articulated in a first direction. [Figure 88] FIG. 86 is another finite element analysis of the articulation joint of the surgical instrument of FIG. 85 articulated in a second direction. [Figure 89] FIG. 13 is a partial view of another surgical instrument having a surgical end effector in a non-articulated position, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 90] FIG. 90 is another partial view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 89 with the surgical end effector in an articulated position. [Figure 91] FIG. 13 is a partial view of another surgical instrument having a surgical end effector in a non-articulated position, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 92]FIG. 13 is a partial view of another surgical instrument having a surgical end effector in a non-articulated position, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 93] FIG. 13 is a partial view of another surgical instrument having a surgical end effector in a non-articulated position, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 94] FIG. 13 is a partial view of another surgical instrument having a surgical end effector in a non-articulated position, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The applicant of the present application owns the following U.S. patent applications, filed on even date herewith, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety: Attorney Docket No. END9234USNP1 / 190717-1M, Title of invention: "METHOD FOR AN ELECTROSURGICAL PROCEDURE", Attorney Docket No. END9234USNP2 / 190717-2, Title of invention: "ARTICULATABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT", -Attorney docket number END9234USNP4 / 190717-4, invention title "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH ROTATABLE AND ARTICULATABLE SURGICAL END EFFECTOR", -Attorney docket number END9234USNP5 / 190717-5, invention title "ELECTROSURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH ASYNCHRONOUS ENERGIZING ELECTRODES", -Attorney docket number END9234USNP6 / 190717-6, invention title "ELECTROSURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH ELECTRODES BIASING SUPPORT", -Attorney docket number END9234USNP7 / 190717-7, invention name "ELECTROSURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH FLEXIBLE WIRING ASSEMBLIES", -Attorney docket number END9234USNP8 / 190717-8, invention title "ELECTROSURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH VARIABLE CONTROL MECHANISMS", -Attorney Docket No. END9234USNP9 / 190717-9, Title of invention: "ELECTROSURGICAL SYSTEMS WITH INTEGRATED AND EXTERNAL POWER SOURCES" -Attorney Docket No. END9234USNP10 / 190717-10, Title of invention: "ELECTROSURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH ELECTRODES HAVING ENERGY FOCUSING FEATURES", -Attorney docket number END9234USNP11 / 190717-11, invention title "ELECTROSURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH ELECTRODES HAVING VARIABLE ENERGY DENSITIES", -Attorney docket number END9234USNP12 / 190717-12, invention title "ELECTROSURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH MONOPOLAR AND BIPOLAR ENERGY CAPABILITIES", -Attorney docket number END9234USNP13 / 190717-13, invention title "ELECTROSURGICAL END EFFECTORS WITH THERMALLY INSULATIVE AND THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE PORTIONS", -Attorney docket number END9234USNP14 / 190717-14, invention title "ELECTROSURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH ELECTRODES OPERABLE IN BIPOLAR AND MONOPOLAR MODES", -Attorney Docket No. END9234USNP15 / 190717-15, Invention Title: "ELECTROSURGICAL INSTRUMENT FOR DELIVERING BLENDED ENERGY MODALITIES TO TISSUE", -Attorney Docket No. END9234USNP16 / 190717-16, Invention Title "CONTROL PROGRAM ADAPTATION BASED ON DEVICE STATUS AND USER INPUT", Attorney Docket No. END9234USNP17 / 190717-17, Title of Invention: "CONTROL PROGRAM FOR MODULAR COMBINATION ENERGY DEVICE", and Agent docket number END9234USNP18 / 190717-18, invention title "SURGICAL SYSTEM COMMUNICATION PATHWAYS".

[0009] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. provisional patent applications, filed December 30, 2019, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein: - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 955,294, entitled "USER INTERFACE FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH COMBINATION ENERGY MODALITY END-EFFECTOR"; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 955,292, entitled "COMBINATION ENERGY MODALITY END-EFFECTOR"; and · U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 955,306 entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS."

[0010] The applicant of the present application owns the following U.S. patent applications, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety: U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 209,395, entitled "METHOD OF HUB COMMUNICATION" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0201136); U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 209,403, entitled "METHOD OF CLOUD BASED DATA ANALYTICS FOR USE WITH THE HUB" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0206569); U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 209,407, entitled "METHOD OF ROBOTIC HUB COMMUNICATION, DETECTION, AND CONTROL" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0201137); U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 209,416, entitled "METHOD OF HUB COMMUNICATION, PROCESSING, DISPLAY, AND CLOUD ANALYTICS" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0206562); U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 209,423, entitled "METHOD OF COMPRESSING TISSUE WITHIN A STAPLING DEVICE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DISPLAYING THE LOCATION OF THE TISSUE WITHIN THE JAWS" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0200981); U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 209,427, entitled "METHOD OF USING REINFORCED FLEXIBLE CIRCUITS WITH MULTIPLE SENSORS TO OPTIMIZE PERFORMANCE OF RADIO FREQUENCY DEVICES" (now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0208641); U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 209,433, entitled "METHOD OF SENSING PARTICULATE FROM SMOKE EVACUATED FROM A PATIENT, ADJUSTING THE PUMP SPEED BASED ON THE SENSED INFORMATION, AND COMMUNICATING THE FUNCTIONAL PARAMETERS OF THE SYSTEM TO THE HUB" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0201594); U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 209,447, entitled "METHOD FOR SMOKE EVACUATION FOR SURGICAL HUB" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0201045); U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 209,453, entitled "METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SMART ENERGY DEVICES" (now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0201046); U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 209,458, entitled "METHOD FOR SMART ENERGY DEVICE INFRASTRUCTURE" (now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0201047); U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 209,465, entitled "METHOD FOR ADAPTIVE CONTROL SCHEMES FOR SURGICAL NETWORK CONTROL AND INTERACTION" (now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0206563); U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 209,478, entitled "METHOD FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS FOR SURGICAL NETWORK OR SURGICAL NETWORK CONNECTED DEVICE CAPABLE OF ADJUSTING FUNCTION BASED ON A SENSED SITUATION OR USAGE" (now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0104919); U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 209,490, entitled "METHOD FOR FACILITY DATA COLLECTION AND INTERPRETATION" (now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0206564); and U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 209,491, entitled "METHOD FOR CIRCULAR STAPLER CONTROL ALGORITHM ADJUSTMENT BASED ON SITUATIONAL AWARENESS" (currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0200998); - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,123, entitled "METHOD FOR CONSTRUCTING AND USING A MODULAR SURGICAL ENERGY SYSTEM WITH MULTIPLE DEVICES"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,135, entitled "METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ENERGY MODULE OUTPUT"; U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,144, entitled "METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A MODULAR ENERGY SYSTEM USER INTERFACE"; and U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 562,125, entitled "METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN MODULES AND DEVICES IN A MODULAR SURGICAL SYSTEM."

[0011] Before describing various aspects of the electrosurgical system in detail, it should be noted that the exemplary embodiments are not limited in application or use to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specification. The exemplary embodiments may be embodied or incorporated in other aspects, variations, and modifications and may be practiced or carried out in various ways. Moreover, unless otherwise indicated, the terms and phrases used herein have been selected for the convenience of the reader and for the purpose of describing the exemplary embodiments and not for the purpose of limiting them. Furthermore, it should be understood that one or more of the aspects, aspect expressions, and / or examples described below can be combined with any one or more of the other aspects, aspect expressions, and / or examples described below.

[0012] Various aspects are directed to electrosurgical systems that include electrosurgical instruments powered by a generator to effect dissection, cutting, and / or coagulation of tissue during a surgical procedure. The electrosurgical instruments may be configured for use in open surgical procedures, but also have applications in other types of surgery, such as laparoscopic, endoscopic, and robotic-assisted procedures.

[0013] As described in more detail below, electrosurgical instruments generally include a shaft having a distally attached end effector (e.g., one or more electrodes). The end effector can be positioned relative to tissue such that electrical current is introduced into the tissue. Electrosurgical instruments can be configured for bipolar or monopolar operation. During bipolar operation, electrical current is introduced into tissue by an active electrode of the end effector and returned from the tissue by a return electrode of the end effector, respectively. During monopolar operation, electrical current is introduced into tissue by an active electrode of the end effector and returned via a return electrode (e.g., a ground pad) separately located on the patient's body. Heat generated by electrical current flowing through tissue may form a hemostatic seal within and / or between tissues and may thus be particularly useful for sealing blood vessels, for example.

[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a generator 900 configured to deliver multiple energy modalities to a surgical instrument. The generator 900 provides RF and / or ultrasonic signals for delivering energy to the surgical instrument. The generator 900 includes at least one generator output capable of delivering multiple energy modalities (e.g., ultrasonic, bipolar or monopolar RF, irreversible and / or reversible electroporation, and / or microwave energy, among others) through a single port, which signals can be delivered individually or simultaneously to an end effector to treat tissue. The generator 900 includes a processor 902 coupled to a waveform generator 904. The processor 902 and the waveform generator 904 are configured to generate various signal waveforms based on information stored in a memory coupled to the processor 902, which is not shown for clarity of disclosure. Digital information related to the waveforms is provided to the waveform generator 904, which includes one or more DAC circuits to convert the digital input to an analog output. The analog output is provided to an amplifier 906 for signal conditioning and amplification. The conditioned and amplified output of amplifier 906 is coupled to a power transformer 908. The signals are coupled across power transformer 908 to a secondary on the patient isolated side. A first signal of a first energy modality is provided between terminals labeled ENERGY1 and RETURN on the surgical instrument. A second signal of a second energy modality is coupled across capacitor 910 and provided between terminals labeled ENERGY2 and RETURN on the surgical instrument. More than two energy modalities may be output, thus the subscript "n" refers to up to n ENERGY modalities. n It will be understood that n is a positive integer greater than 1. n ) may be provided without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0015] A first voltage sense circuit 912 is coupled across the terminals labeled ENERGY1 and RETURN paths and measures the output voltage therebetween. A second voltage sense circuit 924 is coupled across the terminals labeled ENERGY2 and RETURN paths and measures the output voltage therebetween. A current sense circuit 914 is disposed in series with the RETURN section on the secondary side of the power transformer 908 shown to measure the output current of either energy modality. If a different return path is provided for each energy modality, a separate current sense circuit must be provided in each return section. The outputs of the first voltage sense circuit 912 and the second voltage sense circuit 924 are provided to corresponding isolation transformers 928, 922, and the output of the current sense circuit 914 is provided to another isolation transformer 916. The outputs of the isolation transformers 916, 928, 922 on the primary side (non-patient isolated side) of the power transformer 908 are provided to one or more ADC circuits 926. The digitized output of the ADC circuit 926 is provided to the processor 902 for further processing and calculations. Feedback information of the output voltage and output current can be used to calculate parameters such as output impedance to adjust the output voltage and current provided to the surgical instrument. Input / output communication between the processor 902 and the patient isolation circuit is provided via an interface circuit 920. Sensors may also be in electrical communication with the processor 902 via the interface circuit 920.

[0016] In one aspect, the impedance may be determined by the processor 902 by dividing the output of either the first voltage sense circuit 912 coupled across the terminals labeled ENERGY1 / RETURN or the second voltage sense circuit 924 coupled across the terminals labeled ENERGY2 / RETURN by the output of a current sense circuit 914 placed in series with the RETURN section of the secondary side of the power transformer 908. The outputs of the first voltage sense circuit 912 and the second voltage sense circuit 924 are provided to separate isolation transformers 928, 922, and the output of the current sense circuit 914 is provided to another isolation transformer 916. Digitized voltage and current sense measurements from the ADC circuit 926 are provided to the processor 902 to calculate the impedance. As an example, the first energy modality ENERGY1 may be RF monopolar energy and the second energy modality ENERGY2 may be RF bipolar energy. Yet, in addition to bipolar and monopolar RF energy modalities, other energy modalities include ultrasound energy, irreversible and / or reversible electroporation, and / or microwave energy, among others. Also, while the example illustrated in FIG. 1 shows that a single return path (RETURN) may be provided to two or more energy modalities, in other embodiments, multiple return paths RETURN n However, each energy modality ENERGY n may be provided to

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1 , the generator 900 with at least one output port can include a power transformer 908 with a single output and multiple taps to provide power to an end effector in the form of one or more energy modalities, such as, for example, ultrasound, bipolar or monopolar RF, irreversible and / or reversible electroporation, and / or microwave energy, among others, depending on the type of tissue treatment to be performed. For example, the generator 900 can deliver high voltage and low current energy to drive an ultrasonic transducer, deliver low voltage and high current energy to drive an RF electrode to seal tissue, or deliver energy with a coagulation waveform for spot coagulation using either monopolar or bipolar RF electrosurgical electrodes. The output waveform from the generator 900 can be directed, switched, or filtered to provide the frequency to the end effector of the surgical instrument. In one example, the connection of the RF bipolar electrode to the output of the generator 900 would preferably be located between the output labeled ENERGY2 and RETURN. For unipolar outputs, it may be preferable to connect the active electrode (eg, a pencil or other probe) to the ENERGY2 output and a suitable return pad to the RETURN output.

[0018] Additional details are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0086914, published March 30, 2017, entitled "TECHNIQUES FOR OPERATING GENERATOR FOR DIGITALLY GENERATING ELECTRICAL SIGNAL WAVEFORMS AND SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0019] 2 illustrates one form of a surgical system 1000 including a generator 1100 and various surgical instruments 1104, 1106, 1108 usable therewith, where the surgical instrument 1104 is an ultrasonic surgical instrument, the surgical instrument 1106 is an RF electrosurgical instrument, and the multi-function surgical instrument 1108 is a combination ultrasonic / RF electrosurgical instrument. The generator 1100 is configurable for use with a variety of surgical instruments. According to various forms, the generator 1100 may be configurable for use with a variety of different types of surgical devices including, for example, the ultrasonic surgical instrument 1104, the RF electrosurgical instrument 1106, and the multi-function surgical instrument 1108 that integrates RF and ultrasonic energy delivered simultaneously from the generator 1100. 2, the generator 1100 is shown separate from the surgical instruments 1104, 1106, 1108, however, in one form the generator 1100 may be integrally formed with any of the surgical instruments 1104, 1106, 1108 to form an integrated surgical system. The generator 1100 includes an input device 1110 located on a front panel of a console for the generator 1100. The input device 1110 may include any suitable device for generating signals suitable for programming the operation of the generator 1100. The generator 1100 may be configured for wired or wireless communication.

[0020] The generator 1100 is configured to drive a number of surgical instruments 1104, 1106, 1108. The first surgical instrument is an ultrasonic surgical instrument 1104 and includes a handpiece 1105 (HP), an ultrasonic transducer 1120, a shaft 1126, and an end effector 1122. The end effector 1122 includes an ultrasonic blade 1128 acoustically coupled to the ultrasonic transducer 1120 and a clamp arm 1140. The handpiece 1105 includes a trigger 1143 for actuating the clamp arm 1140 and a combination of toggle buttons 1137, 1134b, 1134c for energizing and actuating the ultrasonic blade 1128 or other functions. The toggle buttons 1137, 1134b, 1134c can be configured to energize the ultrasonic transducer 1120 using the generator 1100.

[0021] The generator 1100 is also configured to drive a second surgical instrument 1106. The second surgical instrument 1106 is an RF electrosurgical instrument and includes a hand piece 1107 (HP), a shaft 1127, and an end effector 1124. The end effector 1124 includes electrodes in clamp arms 1145, 1142b and return through an electrical conductor portion of the shaft 1127. The electrodes are coupled to and energized by a bipolar energy source in the generator 1100. The hand piece 1107 includes a trigger 1145 for operating the clamp arms 1145, 1142b and an energy button 1135 for actuating an energy switch to energize the electrodes in the end effector 1124. The second surgical instrument 1106 may also be used with a return pad to deliver monopolar energy to tissue.

[0022] The generator 1100 is also configured to drive a multifunction surgical instrument 1108. The multifunction surgical instrument 1108 includes a hand piece 1109 (HP), a shaft 1129, and an end effector 1125. The end effector 1125 includes an ultrasonic blade 1149 and a clamp arm 1146. The ultrasonic blade 1149 is acoustically coupled to an ultrasonic transducer 1120. The hand piece 1109 includes a trigger 1147 that operates the clamp arm 1146, and a combination of toggle buttons 11310, 1137b, 1137c to energize and drive the ultrasonic blade 1149 or other functions. The toggle buttons 11310, 1137b, 1137c can be configured to energize the ultrasonic transducer 1120 using the generator 1100, and to energize the ultrasonic blade 1149 using a bipolar energy source also housed within the generator 1100. Monopolar energy can be delivered to tissue in combination with or separate from the bipolar energy.

[0023] The generator 1100 is configurable for use with a variety of surgical instruments. According to various configurations, the generator 1100 may be configurable for use with different types of different surgical instruments including, for example, an ultrasonic surgical instrument 1104, an RF electrosurgical instrument 1106, and a multi-function surgical instrument 1108 that integrates RF and ultrasonic energy delivered simultaneously from the generator 1100. In the configuration of FIG. 2, the generator 1100 is shown separate from the surgical instruments 1104, 1106, 1108, but in another configuration, the generator 1100 may be integrally formed with any one of the surgical instruments 1104, 1106, 1108 to form an integrated surgical system. As discussed above, the generator 1100 includes an input device 1110 located on a front panel of the console of the generator 1100. The input device 1110 may include any suitable device that generates signals suitable for programming the operation of the generator 1100. The generator 1100 may also include one or more output devices 1112. Further aspects of the generator for digitally generating an electrical signal waveform and a surgical instrument are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017-0086914(A1), which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0024] 3 shows a schematic diagram of a surgical instrument or tool 600 with multiple motor assemblies that can be activated to perform various functions. In the illustrated example, a closure motor assembly 610 is operable to transition the end effector between an open configuration and a closed configuration, and an articulation motor assembly 620 is operable to articulate the end effector relative to the shaft assembly. In certain examples, the multiple motor assemblies can be individually activated to produce a firing motion, a closing motion, and / or an articulation motion in the end effector. The firing motion, the closing motion, and / or the articulation motion can be transmitted to the end effector via the shaft assembly, for example.

[0025] In certain examples, the closure motor assembly 610 includes a closure motor. The closure 603 may be operatively coupled to a closure motor drive assembly 612, which may be configured to transmit a closure motion generated by the motor to the end effector, specifically to displace the closure members to close and transition the end effector to a closed configuration. The closure motion may, for example, transition the end effector from an open configuration to a closed configuration to capture tissue. The end effector may be transitioned to an open position by reversing the direction of the motor.

[0026] In certain examples, articulation motor assembly 620 includes an articulation motor operably coupled to an articulation drive assembly 622, which can be configured to transfer articulation motion generated by the motor to the end effector. In certain examples, the articulation can, for example, cause the end effector to articulate relative to the shaft.

[0027] One or more of the motors of the surgical instrument 600 may be equipped with a torque sensor to measure the output torque on the shaft of the motor. The force on the end effector may be sensed in any conventional manner, such as by a force sensor outside the jaws or by a torque sensor on the motor that actuates the jaws.

[0028] In various examples, the motor assemblies 610, 620 include one or more motor drivers, which may include one or more H-bridge FETs. The motor drivers may modulate the power delivered to the motors from the power supply 630 based on inputs, for example, from a microcontroller 640 ("controller") of the control circuit 601. In certain examples, the microcontroller 640 may be used, for example, to measure the current draw by the motors.

[0029] In particular examples, the microcontroller 640 may include a microprocessor 642 ("processor") and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media or memory units 644 ("memory"). In particular examples, the memory 644 may store various program instructions that, when executed, cause the processor 642 to perform a number of functions and / or calculations described herein. In particular examples, one or more of the memory units 644 may be coupled to the processor 642, for example. In various aspects, the microcontroller 640 may communicate via wired or wireless channels, or a combination thereof.

[0030] In certain examples, the power source 630 may be used to, for example, power the microcontroller 640. In certain examples, the power source 630 may include a battery (or "battery pack" or "power pack"), such as, for example, a lithium ion battery. In certain examples, the battery pack may be configured to be releasably attached to the handle to power the surgical instrument 600. Multiple battery cells connected in series may be used as the power source 630. In certain examples, the power source 630 may be, for example, replaceable and / or rechargeable.

[0031] In various examples, the processor 642 may control a motor driver to control the position, direction, and / or speed of the motors of the assemblies 610, 620. In certain examples, the processor 642 may signal the motor driver to stop and / or disable the motor. The term "processor" as used herein should be understood to include any suitable microprocessor, microcontroller, or other basic computing device that integrates the functionality of a computer's central processing unit (CPU) on one integrated circuit or up to a few integrated circuits. The processor 642 is a general-purpose programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes the data according to instructions stored in memory, and provides the results as output. Since it has an internal memory, it is an example of sequential digital logic. The processor operates on numbers and symbols represented in the binary system.

[0032] In one example, the processor 642 may be any single-core or multi-core processor, such as those known under the trade name ARM Cortex manufactured by Texas Instruments. In a particular example, the microcontroller 620 may be, for example, the LM 4F230H5QR available from Texas Instruments. In at least one embodiment, the Texas Instruments LM4F230H5QR is an ARM Cortex-M4F processor core that includes, among other features readily available in the product data sheet, 256KB of on-chip memory of single-cycle flash memory or other non-volatile memory up to 40MHz, a pre-fetch buffer to improve performance above 40MHz, 32KB of single-cycle SRAM, internal ROM with StellarisWare® software, 2KB of EEPROM, one or more PWM modules, one or more QEI analog, one or more 12-bit ADC with 12 analog input channels. Other microcontrollers may be readily substituted for use with the surgical instrument 600. Thus, the present disclosure should not be limited in this context.

[0033] In certain examples, memory 644 may include program instructions that control each of the motors of surgical instrument 600. For example, memory 644 may include program instructions for controlling a closure motor and an articulation motor. Such program instructions may cause processor 642 to control the closure and articulation functions according to inputs from an algorithm or control program of surgical instrument 600.

[0034] In certain examples, one or more mechanisms and / or sensors, such as, for example, sensor 645, can be used to alert processor 642 to program instructions to use in a particular setting. For example, sensor 645 can alert processor 642 to use program instructions associated with closing and articulating the end effector. In certain examples, sensor 645 can include a position sensor that can be used to sense the position of a closure actuator, for example. Thus, processor 642 can actuate the motor of closure drive assembly 620 using program instructions associated with closing the end effector when processor 642 receives a signal from sensor 630 indicating actuation of the closure actuator.

[0035] In some examples, the motors may be brushless DC electric motors and each motor drive signal may include a PWM signal provided to one or more stator windings of the motor, and in some examples, the motor driver may be omitted and the control circuit 601 may generate the motor drive signals directly.

[0036] During various laparoscopic procedures, it is common practice to insert a surgical end effector portion of a surgical instrument through a trocar placed in the patient's abdominal wall to access a surgical site located within the patient's abdomen. In its simplest form, a trocar is a pen-shaped instrument with a sharp triangular tip on one side that is typically used within a hollow tube known as a cannula or sleeve to create an opening in a body through which a surgical end effector may be introduced. Such a configuration creates an access port within a body cavity through which a surgical end effector may be inserted. The inner diameter of the trocar's cannula necessarily limits the size of the end effector and drive support shaft of a surgical instrument that may be inserted through the trocar.

[0037] Regardless of the particular type of surgical procedure being performed, once a surgical end effector is inserted into a patient through a trocar cannula, it is often necessary to move the surgical end effector relative to a shaft assembly positioned within the trocar cannula in order to properly position the surgical end effector relative to the tissue or organ being treated. This movement or positioning of the surgical end effector relative to the portion of the shaft that remains within the trocar cannula is often referred to as "articulation" of the surgical end effector. To facilitate such articulation of the surgical end effector, various articulation joints have been developed for attaching the surgical end effector to an associated shaft. As anticipated in many surgical procedures, it is desirable to use a surgical end effector that has as large a range of articulation as possible.

[0038] Due to size constraints imposed by the size of the trocar cannula, the components of the articulation joint must be sized to be freely insertable through the trocar cannula. These size constraints also limit the size and configuration of the various drive members and components that are operatively associated with a motor and / or other control system supported within a housing that may be handheld or comprise part of a larger automated system. In many cases, these drive members must operatively pass through the articulation joint to be operatively coupled to or operatively associated with a surgical end effector. For example, one such drive member is commonly used to apply an articulation control motion to a surgical end effector. In use, the articulation drive member is inactivated to position the surgical end effector in a non-articulated position to facilitate insertion of the surgical end effector through the trocar, and can then be activated to articulate the surgical end effector to a desired position when the surgical end effector enters the patient.

[0039] The aforementioned size constraints therefore pose many challenges in developing an articulation system that can achieve the desired range of articulation and also accommodate the variety of different drive systems required to operate the various features of the surgical end effector. Furthermore, once the surgical end effector is positioned in a desired articulation position, the articulation system and articulation joint must be capable of holding the surgical end effector in that position during actuation of the end effector and performance of the surgical procedure. Such articulation joint configuration must also be capable of withstanding the external forces to which the end effector is subjected during use.

[0040] FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of a surgical instrument 10000 that may address many, if not all, of the aforementioned challenges. As seen in FIG. 4, the surgical instrument 10000 includes a proximal shaft segment 10100 that may be operably coupled to a housing (not shown) that may support one or more control motors and a control system for controlling the manipulation and actuation of a surgical end effector 10200 operably coupled to the proximal shaft segment 10100. For example, the housing may include various types of handheld housings disclosed herein, or the housing may include a portion of an automated or robotic control system used to manipulate and operate the surgical end effector 10200 operably coupled to the proximal shaft segment 10100. The handheld housing may include triggers and / or switches for controlling motors and / or mechanical systems configured to generate the control motions and operations.

[0041] In the illustrated example, the proximal shaft segment 10100 defines a shaft axis SA that extends centrally through the proximal shaft segment 10100 and the surgical end effector 10200 for reference purposes. The proximal shaft segment 10100 includes a proximal outer shaft tube 10110 that may extend from or otherwise interface with the housing. The proximal outer shaft tube 10110 is hollow or at least partially hollow and accommodates various drive members and components used to transmit control motions and signals between a control system within the housing and the surgical end effector 10200. In at least one configuration, the proximal outer shaft tube 10110 is rigid or at least partially rigid and defines a maximum outer diameter "OD". Other configurations are contemplated in which the proximal outer shaft tube 10110 is flexible, or at least partially flexible, or selectively contourable.

[0042] FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of a trocar cannula 10010 having an inner diameter "ID" that is larger than the OD of the proximal outer shaft tube 10110. For example, the inner diameter ID may be at least 1 mm larger than the OD of the proximal outer shaft tube 10110 to facilitate passage therethrough. As seen in FIG. 4, the proximal shaft segment 10100 is attached to the surgical end effector frame assembly 10210 by an articulation joint, generally shown as 10300. In the illustrated configuration, the articulation joint 10300 comprises a proximal shaft frame member 10310 extending distally from the distal end 10102 of the proximal shaft segment 10100. The proximal shaft frame member 10310 may be attached to the proximal outer shaft tube 10110 by, for example, welding, adhesives, or the like. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the proximal shaft frame member 10310 comprises a U-shaped cradle portion including proximally extending mounting arms 10312, 10314, with the mounting arm 10312 located on one side of the shaft axis SA and the mounting arm 10314 located on the opposite side of the shaft axis SA.

[0043] In a particular example, the articulation joint 10300 further comprises a proximal end effector frame member 10320 that also comprises a portion of the end effector frame assembly 10210. The proximal end effector frame member 10320 comprises two upright support surfaces 10322, 10324 that define a U-shaped cradle 10326. The proximal end effector frame member 10320 is received between the mounting arms 10312 and 10314 and is pivotally supported therein by an articulation pin 10330 that defines an articulation axis AA. The articulation joint 10300 facilitates selective articulation of the proximal end effector frame member 10320 through a range of articulation on each side of the shaft axis SA. For example, the articulation joint 10300 facilitates articulation of the proximal end effector frame member 10320 from a non-articulated position (FIGS. 6-9) in a first articulation direction A1 on one side of the shaft axis SA to a first maximum articulation position (FIGS. 5 and 10-12), and in a second articulation direction A2 to a second maximum articulation position (FIGS. 13-15).

[0044] In various examples, the surgical end effector 10200 is selectively articulated about an articulation axis AA relative to the proximal shaft segment 10100 by an articulation system generally shown as 10400. In one example, the articulation system 10400 includes a right proximal link 10410 located on a right side of the shaft axis, a left proximal link 10430 located on a left side of the shaft axis, and a centrally disposed second link 10450. See FIG. 6. The right proximal link 10410 includes a right proximal link body 10412 that is generally L-shaped and includes a right proximal link proximal end 10414 and a right proximal link distal end 10416. Similarly, the left proximal link 10430 includes a left proximal link body 10432 that is generally L-shaped and includes a left proximal link proximal end 10434 and a left proximal link distal end 10436. In the illustrated example, the right proximal link proximal end 10414 is pivotally supported relative to the mounting arm 10312 and the left proximal link proximal end 10434 is pivotally supported relative to the mounting arm 10314. The right proximal link proximal end 10414 is pivotally coupled to the mounting arm 10312 and the left proximal link proximal end 10434 is pivotally coupled to the mounting arm 10314 by a first link pin 10420. The first link pin 10420 defines a first link axis FLA that is transverse to the shaft axis SA and facilitates pivotal movement of the right proximal link 10410 and the left proximal link 10430 about the first link axis FLA relative to the proximal shaft frame member 10310. See FIGS. 5 and 11.

[0045] 6, in a particular example, the second link 10450 is substantially U-shaped and includes a second link proximal end 10452 received between and spanning the distance between the right proximal link distal end 10416 and the left proximal link distal end 10436. The second link proximal end 10452 is pivotally coupled to the right proximal link distal end 10416 and the left proximal link distal end 10436 by a second link pin 10422. See FIG. 7. The second link pin 10422 defines a second link axis SLA that transverses the shaft axis SA and facilitates relative pivotal movement of the second link 10450 with respect to the right proximal link 10410 and the left proximal link 10430 about the second link axis SLA. The second link 10450 further includes a right second link arm 10454 and a left second link arm 10456 each extending distally from the second link proximal end 10452. The right second link arm 10454 and the left second link arm 10456 are pivotally attached to the proximal end effector frame member 10320 by a third link pin 10424. The third link pin 10424 defines a third link axis TLA transverse to the shaft axis SA and facilitates pivotal movement of the second link 10450 relative to the proximal end effector frame member 10320 about the third link axis TLA. See FIGS. 7 and 9.

[0046] The articulation system 10400 further comprises an axially movable articulation actuator 10470 configured to apply axial articulation to the right proximal link 10410 and the left proximal link 10430. In various examples, the articulation actuator may be axially aligned with the shaft axis SA. In the illustrated configuration, the articulation actuator 10470 comprises an articulation shaft 10472 including a distal end formation 10474 pivotally coupled to the right proximal link 10410 and the left proximal link 10430. For example, the distal end formation 10474 comprises a right protruding right link pin 10476 configured to pivotally extend through a right first corner portion 10417 of the right proximal link 10410 and into a right pivot hole 10419 provided at a right first pivot location 10418. See FIG. 9. Stated another way, the right link pin 10476 pivotally engages the right proximal link 10410 at a right first pivot location 10418 between the right proximal link proximal end 10414 and the right proximal link distal end 10416 of the right proximal link 10410. Similarly, the distal end formation 10474 includes a left protruding left link pin 10478 configured to pivotally extend through a left first corner portion 10437 of the left proximal link 10430 and into a left pivot hole 10439 provided at the left first pivot location 10438. Stated another way, the left link pin 10478 pivotally engages the left proximal link 10430 at a left first pivot location 10438 between the left proximal link proximal end 10434 and the left proximal link distal end 10436 of the left proximal link 10430.

[0047] The surgical end effector 10200 can be selectively articulated about an articulation axis AA by moving the articulation actuator 10470 in a proximal direction PD or a distal direction DD. For example, to articulate the surgical end effector 10200 in a first articulation direction A1, the articulation actuator 10470 is moved axially in the proximal direction PD. See FIGS. 5 and 10-12. To articulate the surgical end effector 10200 in a second articulation direction A2, the articulation actuator 10470 is moved axially in the distal direction DD. See FIGS. 13-15. The articulation actuator 10470 extends through the proximal shaft segment 10100 and is in operative communication with an articulation drive system supported within the housing.

[0048] A variety of axial drive system configurations are known. FIG. 16 illustrates a portion of an axial drive system 10500 that may be used (in or on a housing) to impart axial drive motion to an articulation actuator 10470, for example. In a particular example, as seen in FIG. 16, the axial drive system 10500 comprises a fixed proximal shaft 10510 including a left-handed threaded segment 10512 supported in a drive shaft 10520 (shown in phantom). The threaded segment 10512 threadably engages a corresponding segment of threads 10522 in the drive shaft 10520. The drive shaft 10520 is supported for rotational movement by a drive gear 10530 journaled thereon. In various examples, the drive gear 10530 can be in meshing engagement with a motor drive gear (not shown) supported in or on the housing. In one embodiment, the axial drive system 10500 further comprises a distal shaft 10540 including a right-hand threaded segment 10542 supported on a distal portion of the drive shaft 10520. The threaded segment 10542 threadedly engages a corresponding segment of the threads 10524 in the drive shaft 10520. In the illustrated configuration, one revolution of the drive gear 10530 in a counterclockwise CCW direction, for example, may linearly move the distal shaft 10540 in a distal direction of 0.050 inches. Similarly, a clockwise CW rotation of the drive gear 10530 linearly moves the distal shaft 10540 in the distal direction DD. In certain examples, the distal shaft 10540 may actually comprise or otherwise be operatively associated with the articulation actuator 10470 to provide the desired axial articulation control motion thereto. In at least one configuration, for example, the amount of articulation force applied to the articulation actuator 10470 using such a configuration can be between 10-30 pounds, depending on dynamic adjustments. In some cases, the ideal amount of articulation force can be, for example, 20 pounds. The static resistive load of such a configuration can be on the order of 80-150 pounds, with an actual load on the distal shaft 10540 of 100 pounds. A local pivot stop of the articulation actuator close to the articulation joint can also minimize the possibility of buckling.In various examples, buckling supports can be integrated into the supports of the drive gear 10530, or spring-loaded or sliding joint bushings can be used on the drive shaft 10520 to allow it to pivot but not buckle under compressive loads.

[0049] 17 and 18, in at least one configuration, to increase the range of articulation provided by the articulation joint 10300, the second link proximal end 10452 includes a recessed area 10453 configured to provide additional clearance for the proximal end effector frame member 10320 when the proximal end effector frame member 10320 articulates to a maximum articulation angle. Also, in at least one configuration, the right proximal link 10410 includes a contoured or arcuate outer surface 10415 and the left proximal link 10430 includes a contoured or arcuate outer surface 10435. See FIG. 8. Similarly, the right second link arm 10454 has a contoured or arcuate outer surface 10455 and the left second link arm 10456 has a contoured or arcuate outer surface 10457. Such a contoured link shape can be much stronger than previous non-contoured or relatively flat link configurations used in other articulation joint configurations. As seen in FIG. 8, such arcuate surfaces on the right proximal link 10410 and the left proximal link 10430 generally align with the inner diameter ID of the proximal outer shaft tube 10110.

[0050] As seen in FIG. 21 , the right proximal link 10410 includes a right cutout region 10411 that allows the right proximal link 10410 to articulate over the right end of the 10334 articulation pin 10330. Such a configuration helps facilitate further articulation of the surgical end effector 10200 about the articulation axis AA. Additionally, in various examples, a right articulation boss or rib segment 10413 is formed on an inner surface of the right proximal link 10410 to provide additional strength to the right proximal link 10410 while facilitating further articulation. The right articulation rib segment 10413 provides additional pivot support to the right proximal link 10410 as it pivots relative to the right link pin 10476. However, the right articulation rib segment 10413 extends only partially around the right link pin 10476 to provide additional pivot clearance for the right proximal link 10410 to pivot about the right link pin 10476.

[0051] Similarly, the left proximal link 10430 includes a left cutout region 10431 that allows the left proximal link 10430 to articulate over the left end 10332 of the articulation pin 10330. See FIG. 20. Such a configuration helps facilitate further articulation of the surgical end effector 10200 about the articulation axis AA. Additionally, in various examples, a left articulation boss or rib segment 10433 is formed on an inner surface of the left proximal link 10430 to provide additional strength to the left proximal link 10430 while facilitating further articulation. See FIG. 19. The left articulation rib segment 10433 provides additional pivotal support to the left proximal link 10430 as it pivots relative to the left link pin 10478. However, the left articulation rib segment 10433 extends only partially around the left link pin 10478 to provide additional pivot clearance for the left proximal link 10430 to pivot about the left link pin 10478.

[0052] The above articulation joint configurations, as well as other articulation joint configurations disclosed herein, may represent a significant improvement over conventional articulation joint configurations that include relatively planar articulation links located between or attached to a shaft portion of a device and a surgical end effector on only one side of the shaft axis. The lateral stability of such articulation joints may be improved because the right proximal link is located on the right side of the shaft axis SA, the left proximal link is located on the left side of the shaft axis SA, and the second link spans the shaft axis SA as connected to the right and left proximal links. For example, such articulation joints may provide improved resistance to external lateral loads experienced by the end effector when interacting with adjacent tissue or organs or other external forces applied to the end effector during use.

[0053] In various examples, as seen in FIGS. 4, 22, and 23, the surgical end effector 10200 includes a first jaw 10250 and a second jaw 10270. The first jaw 10250 and the second jaw 10270 are each pivotally supported on the end effector frame assembly 10210 and are movable between an open position and a closed position upon application of an axial control motion applied to one of the jaws 10250, 10270. The first jaw 10250 and the second jaw 10270 may include, for example, any of the jaw configurations disclosed herein. With particular reference to FIGS. 22 and 23, the end effector frame assembly 10210 includes a distal frame member 10220 that is rotatably supported within a proximal frame housing 10230 that is fixedly attached to a proximal end effector frame member 10320. For example, the proximal frame housing 10230 may be attached to the proximal end effector frame member 10320 by welding, adhesive, etc. In the illustrated example, the distal frame member 10220 includes a proximal barrel portion 10222 configured to rotate within the proximal frame housing 10230, as discussed in further detail below.

[0054] In various examples, the first jaw 10250 is pivotally pinned to the distal frame member 10220 for selective pivotal movement therewith about a first jaw axis FJA defined by a first jaw pin 10221. See FIG. 23. The second jaw 10270 is pivotally pinned to the first jaw 10250 for selective pivotal movement therewith about a second jaw axis SJA defined by a second jaw pin 10271. In certain examples, the second jaw axis SJA is parallel to the first jaw axis FJA. The first jaw axis FJA and the second jaw axis SJA are both transverse to the shaft axis SA. In at least one configuration, as shown in FIG. 23, the second jaw 10270 is configured to receive axial jaw control motion from the end effector drive member 10600. In certain examples, the end effector drive member 10600 comprises a flexible rotation shaft 10602 that is rotatable while maintaining the ability to bend and flex to accommodate articulation of the surgical end effector 10200 in the methods described herein. As seen in FIG. 24 , the distal end formation 10474 of the articulation shaft 10472 includes an arcuate support surface 10479 and the proximal end portion 10327 of the proximal end effector frame member 10320 includes an arcuate support surface 10328. The arcuate support surfaces 10479 and 10328 function to support the flexible rotation drive shaft 10602 as the surgical end effector 10200 articulates through its full range of articulation on either side of the shaft axis SA.

[0055] 22 and 23, the proximal end 10272 of the second jaw 10270 includes a second jaw mounting pin 10274 configured to operatively interface with an actuator yoke assembly 10610. In the illustrated example, the actuator yoke assembly 10610 includes a proximal yoke housing segment 10612 and a distal yoke housing segment 10614 coupled together to facilitate relative rotation therebetween. For example, the proximal yoke housing segment 10612 and the distal yoke housing segment 10614 may be coupled by a spring clip 10613 or other faster configuration such that the proximal yoke housing segment 10612 is rotatable relative to the distal yoke housing segment 10614 while remaining attached thereto. As seen in FIGS. 22 and 26, the distal yoke housing segment 10614 includes an elongated slot 10615 that facilitates vertical movement of the second jaw mounting pin 10274 therein. The first jaw 10250 includes a cam surface 10252 configured to cam with the distal yoke housing segment 10614 when the actuator yoke assembly 10610 is driven distally to cam the first jaw 10250 into an open position about the first jaw pin 10221. The distal end 10604 of the flexible drive shaft 10602 is rotatably coupled to the actuator yoke 10610 to facilitate rotation of the flexible drive shaft 10602 relative to the actuator yoke assembly 10610. In one configuration, the distal end 10604 includes a ball feature 10606 that is rotatably housed within a rotation housing 10616 formed in the distal yoke housing segment 10614 and the proximal yoke housing segment 10612. The actuator yoke assembly 10610 is received within a bore 10224 in the proximal barrel portion 10222 to facilitate axial movement of the distal yoke housing segment 10614 therein, and axial and rotational movement of the proximal yoke housing segment 10612 therein.

[0056] To facilitate locking of the surgical end effector 10200 in a desired rotational position about the shaft axis SA, a series of radial locking grooves 10226 are formed in the proximal end of the barrel portion 10222. See FIGS. 25 and 26. The series of radial locking grooves 10226 are configured to be locked and engaged by a lock insert 10340 received between the upstanding support surfaces 10322 and 10324 of the proximal effector frame member 10320. In various configurations, the lock insert 10340 is biased distally into locking engagement with the locking grooves 10226 by a biasing member or spring (not shown). A flexible unlocking cable 10342 or other flexible actuator is coupled to the lock insert 10340 and extends through the proximal shaft segment 10100 to interface with a control system within the housing. In various examples, for example, the flexible unlocking cable 10342 can be coupled with a motor or other control arrangement configured to selectively pull the unlocking cable proximally to move the locking insert out of locking engagement with the locking groove 10226 on the proximal barrel portion 10222.

[0057] 22, the threaded member 10630 is attached to a bushing 10620 that is non-rotatably attached to the flexible rotary drive shaft 10602. The threaded member 10630 is also attached to the proximal yoke housing segment 10612 by welding, adhesive, molding, or the like. Thus, rotation of the flexible rotary drive shaft 10602 results in rotation of the threaded member 10630 as well as the proximal yoke housing segment 10612, but not the distal yoke housing segment 10614. The threaded member 10630 threadingly engages a plurality of internal threads 10229 formed in the proximal barrel portion 10222 of the distal frame member 10220. When the lock insert 10340 is lockingly engaged with the locking groove 10226 in the proximal barrel portion 10222, rotation of the rotating drive shaft 10602 and the threaded member 10630 in a first direction drives the actuator yoke assembly 10610 in a distal direction DD, moving the first jaw 10250 and the second jaw 10270 to an open position. Because the lock insert 10340 is lockingly engaged with the locking groove 10226, it prevents the proximal barrel portion 10222 (and the surgical end effector 10200) from rotating about the shaft axis SA as the rotating flexible drive shaft 10602 rotates. Instead, the threaded drive nut 10630 rotates within the proximal barrel portion 10222 and moves distally, driving the actuator yoke assembly 10610 in a distal direction as well. While the proximal yoke housing segment 10612 rotates, the distal yoke housing segment 10614 does not rotate.

[0058] The surgical end effector 10200 of the illustrated example is also selectively rotatable about the shaft axis SA to further enhance the positioning characteristics of the surgical end effector 10200 during use. To rotate the surgical end effector 10200 about the shaft axis SA, the unlocking cable 10342 is pulled proximally to disengage the locking insert 10340 from the locking groove 10226 of the proximal barrel portion 10222. The flexible rotational drive shaft 10602 is then rotated in a desired direction. In such a case, there is sufficient friction between the threaded member 10630 and the internal threads 10229 formed in the proximal barrel portion 10222 of the distal frame member 10220, such that rotation of the threaded member 10630 rotates the proximal barrel portion 10222 (and the surgical end effector 10200) about the shaft axis SA.

[0059] In one application, the surgical instrument 10000 may be used in connection with performing a laparoscopic procedure in which a trocar is placed on a patient, as follows: To insert the surgical end effector 10200 through the trocar cannula 10010, the clinician (or robotic control system) may first need to actuate the articulation drive system to move the articulation shaft 10472 to a non-articulated position, if it is not currently in that position. See FIG. 4. Also, in certain instances, it may be necessary to actuate the drive system controlling the flexible rotating drive shaft 10602 to move the first jaw 10250 and the second jaw 10270 to a fully closed position, if they are not currently in that position. Once the surgical end effector 10200 is in a non-articulated position with the first jaw 10250 and the second jaw 10270 in a closed position, the surgical end effector 10200 may be inserted into the surgical site through the trocar cannula 10010. Once the surgical end effector 10200 is inserted into the surgical site, the clinician or the robotic control system may then actuate the articulation drive system in an appropriate manner to articulate the surgical end effector 10200 to a desired articulated position relative to the tissue to be treated (target tissue). Additionally, if desired, the unlocking cable 10342 may be actuated to unlock the surgical end effector 10200 to allow the surgical end effector 10200 to be rotated about the shaft axis SA to a desired rotational position. Once in the desired rotational position, the unlocking cable 10342 may then be deactivated to allow the locking insert 10340 to return to the locked position and hold the end effector 10200 in the desired rotational position. The surgical end effector 10200 can be rotated before and / or after the surgical end effector 10200 is articulated. The drive system can then be actuated to rotate the flexible rotational drive shaft 10602 in a first rotational direction and drive the actuator yoke assembly 10610 distally to open the first and second jaws 10250, 10270.Once the jaws 10250, 10270 are open and the target tissue is positioned therein, the drive system can again be actuated to rotate the flexible rotary drive shaft 10602 in a second rotational direction and drive the actuator yoke assembly 10610 proximally to pull the first and second jaws 10250, 10270 to a closed position and clamp the target tissue therebetween. Once the tissue is treated, the jaws 10250, 10270 are opened to disengage the treated tissue and then returned to the closed position. The surgical end effector 10200 is returned to a non-articulated position to allow the surgical end effector 10200 to be withdrawn from the patient through the trocar cannula.

[0060] To facilitate the transmission of electrical signals / power between the housing and the surgical end effector 10200, and more specifically, one or both of the first and second jaws, conductors may be provided through the proximal shaft segment 10100, throughout the articulation joint 10300, and terminate in a series of contacts supported within the proximal frame housing 10230. In the example shown in FIG. 25, three fixed contacts 10240, 10242, 10244 are attached to the proximal frame housing 10230. The annular contact 10223 is supported around the circumference of the proximal barrel portion 10222 of the distal frame member 10220. The fixed contact 10240 is in electrical contact with the annular contact 10223 as the distal frame member 10220 rotates about the shaft axis SA. The annular contact 10225 is supported around the circumference of the proximal barrel portion 10222 of the distal frame member 10220. As the distal frame member 10220 rotates about the shaft axis SA, the fixed contact 10242 is supported in electrical contact with the annular contact 10225. The annular contact 10227 is supported around the circumference of the proximal barrel portion 10222 of the distal frame member 10220. As the distal frame member 10220 rotates about the shaft axis SA, the fixed contact 10244 is in electrical contact with the annular contact 10227. The fixed contacts 10240, 10242, 10244 may also extend into one or both of the first and second jaws 10250, 10270 to transmit signals / power thereto.

[0061] 28 and 29 show portions of the surgical instrument 10000 for facilitating the transfer of electrical signals / power between the housing 10900 and the surgical end effector 10200 (FIG. 4). As seen in FIG. 29, the proximal shaft segment 10100 may include a U-shaped hollow tube 10910 that supports a right shaft frame segment 10920 and a left shaft frame segment 10930. The right shaft frame segment 10920 and the left shaft frame segment 10930 function to rotatably support the rotational drive shaft 10602, the articulation shaft 10472, and the locking cable arrangement 10342 within the U-shaped hollow tube 10910. The right shaft frame segment 10920 and the left shaft frame segment 10930 also support a flex circuit 10940 that may communicate with various control components / power sources within the housing 10900 and across the articulation joint 10300. The flex circuit 10940 may be coupled to three fixed contacts 10240, 10242, 10244 attached to the proximal frame housing 10230. Such a configuration facilitates the transfer of power between the housing 10900 and the surgical end effector 10200 while facilitating articulation and rotation of the surgical end effector 10200 relative to the proximal shaft segment 10100. As also seen in FIGS. 28 and 29, the shaft segment 10100 may be held together by a layer of shrink wrap 10950, which may also prevent infiltration of fluids therein.

[0062] 30 and 31 show an alternative actuator yoke 10610' rotatably attached to a flexible rotary drive shaft 10602'. In one configuration, the flexible rotary drive shaft 10602' comprises a torque cable having a diameter of about 0.039 inches. In a particular example, the threaded member 10630' comprises a coupler portion 10632 configured to snap into a cavity 10618 in the actuator yoke 10610'. When the coupler portion 10632 is attached to the actuator yoke 10610', the coupler portion 10632 is rotatable relative to the actuator yoke 10610'. Thus, rotation of the flexible rotary drive shaft 10602' and the threaded member 10630' does not rotate the actuator yoke 10610'. The actuator yoke 10610' operates in the manner otherwise described above.

[0063] 32 and 33 show another actuator yoke 10610" that is rotatable relative to a flexible rotary drive shaft 10602". In this arrangement, the distal end of the flexible rotary drive shaft 10602" is inserted into an insert assembly 10629" that includes a threaded member 10630" and a proximal yoke portion 10612" having a retainer head 10615" formed thereon that defines an annular yoke groove 10617". The insert assembly 10629" may be molded or crimped onto the distal end of the rotary drive shaft 10602". As seen in FIGS. 32 and 33, the actuator yoke 10610" includes a clip 10619 that extends into the yoke groove 10617". Such a configuration facilitates relative rotation between the actuator yoke 10610" and the insert assembly 10629". The actuator yoke 10610" may operate in the manner otherwise described above.

[0064] 34-37 show an alternative configuration for rotatably supporting the proximal barrel portion 10222' of the distal frame member 10220' within the proximal frame housing 10230'. As seen in FIGS. 34-36, the spring clip 10260 is received within a clip groove 10232' provided on a portion of the circumference of the proximal frame housing 10230'. The clip groove 10232' opens into a pair of diametrically opposed clip notches 10234' configured to receive portions of the clip ends 10262 of the spring clip 10260 therein. The clip ends 10262 ride on the outer periphery of the proximal barrel portion 10222' to rotatably support the proximal barrel portion 10222' within the proximal frame housing 10230'. Such a configuration may also help to reduce the amount of rotational friction between the proximal frame housing 10230' and the proximal barrel portion 10222'.

[0065] FIG. 38 illustrates an alternative proximal barrel portion 10222″ and locking cable configuration 10342′. In the example shown in FIGS. 38 and 39 , the proximal end of the proximal barrel portion 10222″ includes a plurality of radially arranged locking cavities 10226′ therein configured for locking engagement by a locking cable or locking member 10342′ in the manner described above. In this configuration, the flexible locking cable or locking member 10342′ is attached to a locking insert 10340′ that is slidably supported within the proximal effector frame member 10320. See FIG. 38 . The distal end of the locking cable or locking member 10342′ projects distally from the locking insert 10340′ which is distally biased to a locked position by a spring (not shown). A flexible unlocking cable or unlocking member 10342′ extends through the proximal shaft segment 10100 and interfaces with a control system within the housing. For example, in certain instances, the flexible unlocking cable or unlocking member 10342' can be interfaced with a motor or other control arrangement to selectively pull the unlocking cable or unlocking member 10342' proximally to move a distal end of the unlocking cable or unlocking member 10342' out of locking engagement with the locking cavity 10226' on the proximal barrel portion 10222".

[0066] As seen in FIG. 39, in this example, three fixed contacts 10240′, 10242′, 10244′ are attached to the proximal frame housing 10230′. The annular contact 10223′ is supported about a stepped portion of the periphery of the proximal barrel portion 10222″ of the distal frame member 10220″. When the distal frame member 10220″ rotates about the shaft axis SA, the fixed contact 10240′ is in contact with the annular contact 10223′. The annular contact 10225′ is supported about a stepped portion of the periphery of the proximal barrel portion 10222″ of the distal frame member 10220″. When the distal frame member 10220″ rotates about the shaft axis SA, the fixed contact 10242′ is in contact with the annular contact 10225′. The annular contact 10227' is supported around a stepped circumference of the proximal barrel portion 10222" of the distal frame member 10220". As the distal frame member 10220" rotates about the shaft axis SA, the fixed contact 10244' is in contact with the annular contact 10227'. In various examples, the contacts 10240', 10242', 10244' can also extend to one or both of the first and second jaws 10250, 10270 to transmit signals / power thereto. Such a configuration facilitates the transfer of power / signals between the housing and the surgical end effector 10200 while facilitating articulation and rotation of the surgical end effector 10200 relative to the proximal shaft segment 10100.

[0067] 40-44 show an alternative articulation joint 10300' that is actuated by a right articulation actuation cable or push rod 10480 and a left articulation actuation cable or push rod 10482. In various examples, the cables / push rods 10480, 10482 must be stiff enough to apply a pushing action to the articulation joint, but flexible enough to accommodate full joint articulation. These cables / push rods may be configured to move in opposite directions during articulation of the end effector. In other examples, the cables may be fully flexible, such that articulation is achieved by pulling one of the cables, allowing the opposing cable to move with the articulation joint to accommodate the articulation. To return the end effector to a non-articulated position, the opposing cable is pulled and the first cable is allowed to move with the joint to a non-articulated position.

[0068] The right articulation actuation cable 10480 extends through the proximal shaft frame 10310' and the proximal outer shaft tube (not shown). The right articulation cable 10480 is attached to a right articulation rib segment 10413' projecting from the right proximal link 10410'. The left articulation cable 10482 has proximally extending attachment arms 10312', 10314' and extends through the proximal shaft frame 10310' attached to a left articulation rib 10433' projecting from the left proximal link 10430'. The right articulation cable 10480 extends around a right support member 10315' projecting inwardly from the attachment arm 10312' and the left articulation actuation cable 10482 extends around a left support member 10316' projecting inwardly from the attachment arm 10314'. In various examples, the right articulation actuation cable 10480 and the left articulation actuation cable 10482 may be controlled, for example, by a motor control drum or other control arrangement supported by the housing. As seen in FIG. 41 , a right undercut 10453′ is provided in the second link proximal end 10452′ of the centrally disposed second link 10450′ to accommodate the right articulation actuation cable 10480 during articulation. Similarly, a left undercut 10455′ is also provided in the second link proximal end 10452′ of the centrally disposed second link 10450′ to accommodate the left articulation actuation cable 10482 during articulation. See FIG. 42. FIGS. 42-44 illustrate articulation of the articulation joint 10300′ using the cables 10480, 10482. 45 and 46 show an alternative articulation joint 10300″ in which a left articulation actuation cable 10482 is routed on the outside of the proximal shaft frame 10310′ and received in and attached to a recess 10484 in the left proximal link 10430′. This embodiment uses only one articulation actuation cable 10482, although a right articulation cable (not shown) can also be used.

[0069] 47-49 show another surgical instrument 10000' comprising a surgical end effector 10200'. In various examples, the surgical end effector 10200' can be identical to the surgical end effector 10200, except for the differences discussed below. The surgical end effector 10200' comprises an end effector frame assembly 10210' including a distal frame member 10720 rotatably supported within a proximal frame housing 10230. The proximal frame housing 10230 is fixedly attached to the proximal end effector frame member 10320. For example, the proximal frame housing 10230 can be attached to the proximal end effector frame member 10320 by welding, adhesive, or the like. In the illustrated example, the distal frame member 10720 is non-rotatably attached to a proximal barrel member 10722 configured to rotate within the proximal frame housing 10230, as discussed in further detail below. The distal end of the proximal barrel member 10722 includes a plurality of radial grooves or recesses therein configured to be lockingly engaged by a lock insert (not shown) and / or an unlocking cable (not shown) in various manners described herein.

[0070] In the illustrated example, the first jaw 10250 is pivotally pinned to the distal frame member 10720 for selective pivotal movement relative thereto about a first jaw axis FJA defined by a first jaw pin 10221. The second jaw 10270 is pivotally pinned to the first jaw 10250 for selective pivotal movement relative thereto about a second jaw axis SJA defined by a second jaw pin 10271. In the illustrated example, the surgical end effector 10200' employs an actuator yoke assembly 10710 that differs in several aspects from the actuator yoke assembly 10610. In the illustrated example, the actuator yoke assembly 10710 includes an elongated slot 10715 that facilitates vertical movement of the second jaw mounting pin 10274 therein. See FIG. 50. The cam surface 10252 of the first jaw 10250 is configured to cam with the actuator yoke assembly 10710 when the actuator yoke assembly 10710 is driven distally to cam the first jaw 10250 into an open position about the first jaw pin 10221.

[0071] In certain examples, the end effector drive member 10600' comprises a flexible rotating shaft 10602' that is rotatable while maintaining the ability to bend and flex to accommodate articulation of the surgical end effector 10200' in the methods described herein. In various examples, the flexible rotating shaft 10602' comprises a laser cut hollow tube that is operatively coupled to a motor or other source of rotational motion supported within the housing and is capable of bending or bending to accommodate articulation of the surgical end effector 10200'. As seen in FIG. 49 , a threaded shaft member 10750 protrudes proximally from the actuator yoke assembly 10710 and is threadably received within a threaded passageway 10729 in the proximal barrel member 10722 and coupled to the flexible rotating shaft 10602'. The threaded shaft member 10750 is rotatably coupled to the actuator yoke assembly 10710 as described herein, allowing the threaded shaft member 10750 to rotate relative to the actuator yoke 10710 assembly while remaining attached thereto.

[0072] In a particular example, the first and second jaws 10250, 10270 are opened and closed as follows: To open and close the jaws 10250, 10270, as discussed in detail above, the lock insert lockingly engages the proximal barrel member 10722 to prevent rotation thereof. Rotation of the rotating drive shaft 10602' in a first direction then rotates the threaded shaft member 10750 within a threaded bore or passageway 10729 in the proximal barrel member 10722, driving the actuator yoke assembly 10710 in a distal direction DD to move the first jaw 10250 and the second jaw 10270 toward an open position. Because the lock insert is in locking engagement with the proximal barrel member 10722, it prevents the surgical end effector 10200' from rotating about the shaft axis SA as the rotating flexible drive shaft 10602' rotates. Thus, rotation of the rotational drive shaft 10602' in a first direction drives the actuator yoke 10710 axially distally when the lock insert is in locking engagement with the proximal barrel member 10722. Rotation of the rotational drive shaft 10602' in a second direction opposite the first direction drives the actuator yoke 10710 axially proximally, pulling the jaws 10250, 10270 toward the closed position.

[0073] To rotate the surgical end effector 10200' about the shaft axis SA, the unlocking cable is pulled proximally to disengage the locking insert from the locking groove of the proximal barrel member 10722. The flexible rotational drive shaft 10602' is then rotated in a desired direction. In such a case, sufficient friction exists between the threaded shaft 10750 and the internal threads 10729 defined in the proximal barrel member 10722 such that rotation of the threaded shaft 10750 rotates the proximal barrel portion 10722 (and the surgical end effector 10200') about the shaft axis SA.

[0074] In certain examples, conductors can be provided throughout the articulation joint 10300, through the proximal shaft segment 10100, and terminated in a series of contacts supported within the proximal frame housing 10230 to facilitate transmission of electrical signals / power from the housing to the surgical end effector 10200′, and more specifically, to one or both of the first and second jaws 10250, 10270. In various examples, three fixed contacts 10240, 10242, 10244 are attached to the proximal frame housing 10230. See, for example, FIG. 25. The annular contact 10223 is supported around the circumference of the proximal barrel member 10722 of the distal frame member 10720. The fixed contact 10240 is configured to make electrical contact with the annular contact 10223 as the distal frame member 10720 rotates about the shaft axis SA. The annular contact 10225 is supported around the periphery of the proximal barrel member 10722 of the distal frame member 10720. The fixed contact 10242 is configured to make electrical contact with the annular contact 10225 when the distal frame member 10720 rotates about the shaft axis SA. The annular contact 10227 is supported around the periphery of the proximal barrel member 10722 of the distal frame member 10720. The fixed contact 10244 is configured to make electrical contact with the annular contact 10227 when the distal frame member 10720 rotates about the shaft axis SA. The contacts 10240, 10242, 10244 can also extend into one or both of the first and second jaws 10250, 10270 to transmit signals / power thereto. Such a configuration facilitates the transfer of power / signals between the housing and the surgical end effector 10200' while facilitating articulation and rotation of the surgical end effector 10200' relative to the proximal shaft segment 10100.

[0075] 50 and 51 illustrate another surgical instrument 10000" comprising a surgical end effector 10200". In a particular example, the surgical end effector 10200" is identical to the surgical end effector 10200, except for the differences discussed below. The surgical end effector 10200" comprises an end effector frame assembly 10210" including a distal frame member 10720". The distal frame member 10720" includes a proximally extending proximal end portion 10722" that is rotatably supported within a bore 10231" in a proximal frame housing 10230". A plurality of recesses 10726" are provided at a proximal end of the proximal end portion 10722". In various examples, the recesses 10726" are adapted to be engaged by a flexible unlocking cable or unlocking rod 10342" in various manners as described herein. Please refer to Figure 50.

[0076] 50 and 51, the surgical end effector 10200" includes a first jaw 10250 and a second jaw 10270. The first jaw 10250 is pivotally pinned to a distal frame member 10720" for selective pivotal movement relative thereto about a first jaw axis FJA defined by a first jaw pin 10221. The second jaw 10270 is pivotally pinned to the first jaw 10250 for selective pivotal movement relative thereto about a second jaw axis SJA defined by a second jaw pin 10271. In certain examples, the surgical end effector 10200" uses an actuator yoke assembly 10710" that differs in several manners from the actuator yoke assembly 10610. In the illustrated example, the actuator yoke assembly 10710" is pivotally connected to the second jaw 10270 by a second jaw mounting pin 10274. The first jaw 10250 includes a cam surface 10252 configured to cam with the actuator yoke assembly 10710" when the actuator yoke assembly 10710" is driven distally to cam the first jaw 10250 into an open position about the first jaw pin 10221.

[0077] The surgical instrument 10000" comprises an end effector drive member 10600". In certain examples, the end effector drive member 10600" comprises a flexible rotating shaft 10602" that is rotatable while being capable of bending and flexing to accommodate articulation of the surgical end effector 10200" in the methods described herein. In various examples, the flexible rotating shaft 10602" is operatively coupled to a motor or other source of rotational motion supported, for example, within a housing. As seen in FIGS. 50 and 51, a threaded nut 10730" is fixedly attached to the flexible rotating drive shaft 10602". The threaded nut 10730" is threadably received in a threaded bore 10729" in the distal frame member 10720" for rotatable threaded movement therein. The threaded nut 10730" is also attached to the actuator yoke assembly 10710" to allow relative rotation therebetween. For example, a distally protruding rotation hub 10732" is formed on the threaded nut 10730" and rotatably received in a bore 10711" in the actuator yoke assembly 10710". The rotation hub 10732" may be rotatably retained in the bore 10711" by a split ring 10713" or other retention mechanism.

[0078] In certain examples, the first and second jaws 10250, 10270 are opened and closed as follows: To open or close the jaws 10250, 10270, the unlocking cable or unlocking rod 10342" must lockingly engage with a corresponding one of the recesses 10726" in the proximal end of the proximal end portion 10722" to prevent its rotation. See FIG. 50. As mentioned above, in certain examples, the unlocking cable or unlocking rod 10342" may be biased to the locked position by a spring or other biasing arrangement. When the unlocking cable or unlocking rod 10342" is in the locked position, rotation of the rotational drive shaft 10602" in a first direction rotates the threaded nut 10730" within the threaded bore 10729" in the distal frame member 10720" driving the actuator yoke assembly 10710" in the distal direction DD. The unlocking cable or unlocking rod 10342" is in locking engagement with the proximal end portion 10729" of the distal frame member 10720" thereby preventing the surgical end effector 10200" from rotating about the shaft axis SA when the rotational drive shaft 10602" rotates. Rotation of the rotational drive shaft 10602" drives the actuator yoke assembly 10710" axially distally, pivoting the jaws 10250, 10270 towards the open position. Rotation of the rotational drive shaft 10602" in a second direction opposite the first direction drives the actuator yoke assembly 10710" axially proximally, pulling the jaws 10250, 10270 towards the closed position.

[0079] To rotate the surgical end effector 10200" about the shaft axis SA, the unlocking cable or unlocking rod 10342" is pulled proximally to disengage it from a corresponding recess 10726" in the proximal end portion 10729" of the distal frame member 10720". The rotational drive shaft 10602" is then rotated in the desired direction. In such a case, there is sufficient friction between the threaded nut 10730" and the internal threads 10729" of the distal frame member 10720" such that rotation of the threaded nut 10730" rotates the distal frame member 10720" (and the surgical end effector 10200") about the shaft axis SA.

[0080] 52-54 illustrate another surgical instrument 11000 including a surgical end effector 11200 coupled to a proximal shaft segment 10100 by an articulation joint 10300 in various manners described herein. In certain examples, a flexible cover 10301 can be provided over the articulation joint 10300 to inhibit blocking movement of the articulation joint 10300 due to fluids and debris. As also seen in FIG. 52, such a configuration can facilitate articulation of the surgical end effector 11200 relative to the shaft axis SA through an articulation angle AL. In at least one configuration, for example, the articulation angle AL can be slightly below 50 degrees.

[0081] In certain examples, the surgical end effector 11200 comprises an end effector frame assembly 11210 including a distal frame member 11220 rotatably supported in a proximal frame housing 11230 fixedly attached to the proximal end effector frame member 10320. For example, the proximal frame housing 11230 may be attached to the proximal end effector frame member 10320 by welding, adhesives, or the like. In various examples, the distal frame member 11220 is rotatably attached to the proximal frame housing 11230 by an annular rib 11221 on the distal frame member 11220 that is received in an annular groove 11231 in the proximal frame housing 11230.

[0082] In various examples, the surgical instrument 11000 further comprises an end effector locking system 11225 including a plurality of radial grooves or recesses 11226 formed in the distal frame member 11220. The locking system 11225 further comprises a lock insert 11340 adapted to lockingly engage the radial grooves 11226 in the distal frame member 11220. The lock insert 11340 is coupled to an unlocking cable or rod 11342 that extends through the articulation joint 10300 and is flexible to accommodate articulation of the surgical end effector 11200. As discussed herein, the unlocking cable 11342 is operatively associated with a motor or other control system within the housing to pull the unlocking cable or rod 11342 in a proximal direction. The lock spring 11343 functions to bias the lock insert 11340 into locking engagement with the groove 11226 in the distal frame member 11220 to prevent the distal frame member 11220 (and the surgical end effector 11200) from rotating about the shaft axis SA.

[0083] In one example, the first jaw 11250 is pivotally pinned to the distal frame member 11220 for selective pivotal movement relative to the first jaw 11250 about a first jaw axis FJA defined by a first jaw pin 11221. The second jaw 11270 is pivotally pinned to the first jaw 11250 for selective pivotal movement relative to the first jaw 11250 about a second jaw axis SJA defined by a second jaw pin 11272. In the illustrated example, the surgical end effector 11200 uses an actuator yoke assembly 11610 pivotally coupled to the second jaw 11270 by a second jaw mounting pin 11273 for pivotal movement relative to the first jaw 11250 about a jaw actuation axis JAA that is proximal and parallel to the first jaw axis FJA and the second jaw axis SJA. The actuator yoke assembly 11610 is coupled to a threaded member 11630. In the illustrated example, the threaded member 11630 essentially comprises a worm gear 11632 configured to threadably engage corresponding threads in a threaded bore 11229 in the distal frame member 11220. As the threaded member 11630 rotates about the shaft axis SA, the worm gear 11632 also causes the threaded member 11630 to translate axially.

[0084] The surgical instrument 11000 comprises an end effector drive member 11600. In at least one configuration, the end effector drive member 11600 comprises a flexible rotating shaft 11602 that is rotatable while being able to bend and flex to accommodate articulation of the surgical end effector 11200 in the methods described herein. In a particular example, the flexible rotating shaft 11602 comprises a laser cut hollow tube that can be operatively coupled to a motor or other source of rotational motion supported within a housing and bendable or flexible to accommodate articulation of the surgical end effector 11200. A distal end 11604 of the flexible rotating drive shaft 11602 has diametrically opposed slots 11606 formed therein. The slots 11606 are each configured to receive a corresponding fin 11636 formed on a proximally extending hub 11634 on the threaded member 11630 therein. Such a configuration allows the flexible rotating shaft 11602 to transmit rotational control motion to the threaded member 11630 while allowing the threaded member 11630 to translate axially relative to the distal end 11604 of the flexible rotating shaft 11602.

[0085] In a particular example, the first and second jaws 11250, 11270 are opened and closed as follows: As discussed in detail above, to open and close the jaws, the lock insert 11340 lockingly engages with a corresponding radial groove 11226 in the distal frame member 11220 to prevent rotation of the end effector 11200 about the shaft axis SA. Rotation of the rotational drive shaft 11602 in a first direction then rotates the threaded member 11630 within a threaded bore or passageway 11229 in the distal frame member 11220, driving the actuator yoke assembly 11610 in a distal direction DD to move the first jaw 11250 and the second jaw 11270 toward an open position. The lock insert 11340 is in locking engagement with the distal frame member 11220, thereby preventing the surgical end effector 11200 from rotating about the shaft axis SA when the rotating flexible drive shaft 110602 is rotated. Rotation of the rotating drive shaft 11602 in a second direction opposite the first direction drives the actuator yoke assembly 11610 axially proximally, pulling the jaws 11250, 11270 toward a closed position.

[0086] In various examples, to rotate the surgical end effector 11200 about the shaft axis SA, the unlocking cable 11342 is pulled proximally causing the locking insert 11340 to disengage from the locking groove 11226 of the distal frame member 11220. The flexible rotational drive shaft 11602 is then rotated in the desired direction, thereby rotating the distal frame member 11220 (and the surgical end effector 11200) about the shaft axis SA.

[0087] 55 illustrates another surgical instrument 12000 including a surgical end effector 12200 that may be coupled to a proximal shaft segment 10100 by an articulation joint 10300 in various manners described herein. In a particular example, the surgical end effector 12200 includes an end effector frame assembly 12210 including a distal frame member 12220 rotatably supported within a proximal frame housing (not shown) that is attached to the articulation joint (not shown).

[0088] The surgical end effector 12200 includes a first jaw 12250 and a second jaw 12270. In the illustrated example, the first jaw 12250 is pivotally pinned to the distal frame member 12220 for selective pivotal movement relative thereto about a first jaw axis FJA defined by a first jaw pin 12221. The second jaw 12270 is pivotally pinned to the first jaw 12250 for selective pivotal movement relative thereto about a second jaw axis SJA defined by a second jaw pin 12272. In the illustrated example, the surgical end effector 12200 employs an actuator yoke assembly 12610 pivotally coupled to the second jaw 12270 by a second jaw mounting pin 12273 for pivotal movement about a jaw actuation axis JAA that is proximal and parallel to the first jaw axis FJA and the second jaw axis SJA. The actuator yoke assembly 12610 includes a proximal threaded drive shaft 12614 that is threadably received within a threaded bore 12632 in the distal locking plate 12630. The threaded drive shaft 12614 is attached to the actuator yoke assembly 12610 for relative rotation therebetween. The distal locking plate 12630 is supported for rotational movement within the distal frame member 12220. Thus, rotation of the distal locking plate 12630 results in axial movement of the actuator yoke assembly 12610.

[0089] In a particular example, the distal locking plate 12630 comprises a portion of an end effector locking system 12225. The end effector locking system 12225 further comprises a two-acting rotational locking head 12640 attached to a rotational drive shaft 12602 of various types disclosed herein. The locking head 12640 comprises a first plurality of radially disposed distal locking features 12642 adapted to lockingly engage with a plurality of proximally facing radial grooves or recesses 12634 formed in the distal locking plate 12630. When the distal locking features 12642 lockingly engage with the radial grooves 12634 in the distal locking plate 12630, rotation of the rotational locking head 12640 rotates the distal locking plate 12630 within the distal frame member 12220. Also, in at least one example, the rotating lock head 12640 further comprises a second series of proximally facing proximal locking features 12644 adapted to lockingly engage a corresponding series of locking grooves (not shown) provided in the distal frame member 12220. The locking spring 12646 functions to distally bias the rotating lock head into locking engagement with the distal locking plate 12630. In various examples, the rotating lock head 12640 can be pulled proximally by an unlocking cable or other member (not shown) in the manner described herein. In another configuration, the rotating drive shaft 12602 can also be configured to move axially to move the rotating lock head 12640 axially within the distal frame member 12220. When the proximal locking feature 12644 of the rotational locking head 12640 lockingly engages with a series of locking grooves in the distal frame member 12220, rotation of the rotational drive shaft 12602 will result in rotation of the surgical end effector 12200 about the shaft axis SA.

[0090] In a particular example, the first and second jaws 12250, 12270 are opened and closed as follows: As discussed in detail above, to open and close the jaws, the rotary lock head 12640 is in locking engagement with the distal lock plate 12630. Rotation of the rotary drive shaft 12602 in a first direction then rotates the distal lock plate 12630, thereby axially driving the actuator yoke assembly 12610 in a distal direction DD, moving the first jaw 12250 and the second jaw 12270 toward an open position. Rotation of the rotary drive shaft 12602 in an opposite second direction drives the actuator yoke assembly 12610 axially proximally, pulling the jaws 12250, 12270 toward a closed position. To rotate the surgical end effector 12200 about the shaft axis SA, the locking cable or member is pulled proximally causing the rotational lock head 12640 to disengage from the distal locking plate 12630 and engage the distal frame member 12220. As the rotational drive shaft 12602 is then rotated in the desired direction, the distal frame member 12220 (and the surgical end effector 12200) rotates about the shaft axis SA.

[0091] 56-67 illustrate another surgical instrument 13000 including a surgical end effector 13200 that may be coupled to a proximal shaft segment 10100 by an articulation joint 10300 in various manners described herein. In certain examples, the surgical end effector 13200 includes an end effector frame assembly 13210 that defines an end effector axis EA. As seen in FIGS. 57 and 58, the articulation joint 10300 may facilitate selective articulation of the surgical end effector 13200 relative to the shaft axis SA through an articulation angle AL on either side of the shaft axis SA. In various examples, the angle AL may be approximately 60 degrees, for example.

[0092] 59 and 60, in a particular example, the end effector frame assembly 13210 includes a distal frame member 13220 and a distal retainer assembly 13700. In the illustrated example, the first jaw 13250 is pivotally pinned to the distal frame member 13220 for selective pivotal movement relative thereto about a first jaw axis FJA. See FIG. 60. The second jaw 13270 is pivotally pinned to the first jaw 13250 for selective pivotal movement relative thereto about a second jaw axis SJA. See FIG. 59. In various examples, the surgical end effector 13200 employs an actuator yoke assembly 13610 pivotally coupled to the second jaw 13270 by a second jaw mounting pin 13273 for pivotal movement about a jaw actuation axis JAA that is proximal and parallel to the first jaw axis FJA and the second jaw axis SJA. The actuator yoke assembly 13610 is coupled to a threaded nut member 13630 for relative rotation therebetween. For example, as seen in FIGS. 59 and 60 , the threaded nut member 13630 includes a retainer head 13632 that is rotatably received within a cavity 13612 of the actuator yoke assembly 13610. Such a configuration allows the threaded nut member 13630 to rotate without rotating the actuator yoke assembly 13610. The threaded nut member 13630 further includes a threaded segment 13634 that is threadably received in the threaded passage 13222 of the distal frame member 13220. The flexible rotational drive shaft 13602 is attached to the threaded nut member 13630.

[0093] In a particular example, the distal frame member 13220 further includes a proximally projecting central shaft portion 13226. The central shaft portion 13226 is hollow to facilitate rotational passage of the rotary drive shaft 13602 therethrough. The central shaft portion 13226 is rotatably supported within the distal retainer assembly 13700 by a bushing 13710. The distal retainer assembly 13700 is supported on a proximal hub portion 13228 of the distal frame member 13220. See FIG. 60. The friction ring 13704 is journaled on the proximal hub portion 13228 between the proximal hub portion 13228 and the distal retainer assembly 13700. The end effector housing member 13706 extends over the distal retainer assembly 13700 and is attached to a portion of the distal frame member 13220 by welding, adhesive, press fit, or the like. In various examples, the proximal end of the distal retainer assembly 13700 includes a pair of upright support arms 13702 pivotally coupled to the proximal shaft frame member 10310 to facilitate articulation of the surgical end effector 13200 about an articulation axis in various manners described herein.

[0094] In at least one configuration, the surgical end effector 13200 further comprises an end effector locking system 13730 including a distal locking member 13732 supported for axial and non-rotational movement on the central shaft portion 13226 of the distal frame member 13220. Thus, the distal locking member 13732 is axially movable between locked and unlocked positions on the central shaft portion 13226, but rotates with the central shaft portion 13226. The distal locking member 13732 comprises a plurality of proximally extending locking features 13734 configured to lockingly engage corresponding locking grooves (not shown) in the distal retainer assembly 13700 when the distal locking member 13732 is in the locked position. An unlocking spring 13736 is provided to distally bias the distal locking member 13732 to the unlocked position. The distal locking member 13732 is selectively movable from an unlocked position to a locked position by a locking cable or locking member 13738 that extends through the proximal shaft segment 10100 to the housing. When the locking cable or locking member 13738 is pulled proximally, the distal locking member 13732 is moved proximally to the locked position. In the illustrated configuration, the distal locking member 13732 is hollow such that the rotational drive shaft 13602 can extend therethrough. The distal locking member 13732 is axially movable and the rotational drive shaft 13602 is rotatable within the distal locking member 13732.

[0095] In a particular example, the first and second jaws 13250, 13270 are opened and closed as follows: To open or close the jaws, the distal locking member 13732 is moved to a locked position by pulling the locking cable or locking member 13738 in a proximal direction. Rotation of the rotational drive shaft 13602 in a first direction then rotates the threaded nut member 13630, thereby axially driving the actuator yoke assembly 13610 in a distal direction, moving the first jaw 13250 and the second jaw 13270 toward an open position. Rotation of the rotational drive shaft 13602 in a second direction opposite the first direction drives the actuator yoke assembly 13610 axially proximally, pulling the jaws 13250, 13270 toward a closed position. To rotate the surgical end effector 13200 about the shaft axis SA, the locking cable or locking member 13738 is released allowing the distal locking member 13732 to be biased distally to an unlocked position by the spring 13736. The rotational drive shaft 13602 is then rotated in the desired direction, thereby rotating the distal frame member 13220 (and the surgical end effector 13200) about the shaft axis SA.

[0096] As described above, the surgical instrument 13000 may include an articulation joint 10300 controlled by an articulation system 10400. In various examples, the articulation system 10400 employs a rotary drive articulation actuator 13470 configured to apply a rotational joint control motion to the right proximal link 10410 and the left proximal link 10430. See FIG. 62. In the illustrated configuration, the articulation actuator 13470 includes a distal articulation shaft 13472 including a distal end formation 13474 pivotally coupled to the right proximal link 10410 and the left proximal link 10430 in the manner described above. As seen in FIGS. 62-65, the distal articulation shaft 13472 further includes an axial articulation drive member 13476 that is threadably received within a threaded passage 13482 in a rotatable articulation driver 13480. See FIG. 63. The rotatable articulation driver 13480 further includes a ball-shaped support feature 13484 that rotatably supports the rotatable articulation driver 13480 within the proximal shaft segment 10100 while also facilitating limited off-axis tilt of the articulation driver 13480 during articulation of the surgical end effector 13200.

[0097] The rotatable articulation driver 13480 is rotatably supported in a proximal shaft frame member 10310' which is supported in a proximal outer shaft tube 10110 which may extend from or otherwise interface with the housing. In the illustrated example, for assembly purposes, the proximal shaft frame member 10310' comprises a right proximal frame segment 13312 and a left proximal frame segment 13314. A rotary articulation drive shaft or cable 13490 is attached to the rotatable articulation driver 13480 and is configured to receive rotary joint control motion from an articulation motor or other control arrangement supported by the housing.

[0098] FIG. 63 is a side cross-sectional view of the articulation joint 10300 in a non-articulated position. As seen in FIG. 63, when the articulation joint 10300 is in a non-articulated position, the articulation drive shaft axis ADA is approximately parallel to the shaft axis SA. FIG. 64 shows the articulation joint 10300 articulated approximately 60 degrees to the right. In such a case, the rotary articulation drive shaft or cable 13490 rotates in a first rotational direction. As seen in FIG. 64, the rotatable articulation driver 13480 can make a first angle FAA1 with respect to the articulation drive shaft axis ADA to accommodate articulation of the surgical end effector 13200 through a full range of articulation to the right of the shaft axis SA. In one example, the surgical end effector can be articulated through an angle of approximately 60 degrees to the right of the shaft axis SA. FIG. 65 shows the articulation joint 10300 articulated to the left. In such a case, the rotary articulation drive shaft or cable 13490 rotates in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction. As seen in FIG. 65 , the rotatable articulation driver 13480 can also form a second angle SAA2 with respect to the articulation drive axis ADA to accommodate articulation of the surgical end effector 13200 through a full range of articulation to the left of the shaft axis SA. In one example, the full range of articulation can span an angle of approximately 60 degrees to the left of the shaft axis SA.

[0099] In certain examples, a flexible circuit 10940 (FIGS. 66, 67) can be provided through the proximal shaft segment 10100 and across the articulation joint 10300 to facilitate transmission of electrical signals / power between the housing and the surgical end effector 13200, and more specifically, one or both of the first and second jaws. In various examples, as seen in FIGS. 66 and 67, the flexible circuit 10940 includes a left contact end 10942 that can be secured to the distal retainer assembly 13700, for example, by an adhesive. The flexible circuit 10940 can further include a right helical portion 10944. An end 10946 of the right helical portion 10944 is attached to the shaft portion 13226 of the distal frame member 13220, for example, by an adhesive. The end 10946 may include or be coupled to a distally extending flexible circuit 10948 supported within the distal frame member 13220 and coupled to first and second jaws (not shown). Such a configuration may allow the distal frame member 13220 to be rotated 180 degrees in either direction about the shaft axis SA before the right-handed helical portion 10944 travels its entire length.

[0100] In certain examples, the surgical end effector 13200 employs curved jaws 13250 and 13270 designed to facilitate better access and manipulation of tissue. For example, FIG. 68 illustrates a first jaw 13250 including a first jaw body 13251 defining a first jaw clamping surface 13252. The first jaw body 13251 further comprises a first proximal end 13253 and a first distal tip 13254. In various examples, as seen in FIG. 68, the first jaw 13250 defines a first jaw central axis FJCA1, and the first distal tip 13254 is displaced laterally to a first side 13255 of the first jaw central axis FJCA1. In one example, the first jaw 13250 supports a first monopolar electrode 13290 and a first bipolar electrode 13291.

[0101] In various examples, the second jaw 13270 includes a second jaw body 13271 defining a second jaw clamping surface 13272. In one example, the portion of the second jaw body 13271 defining the second clamping surface 13272 may essentially comprise a mirror image of a portion of the first jaw body 13251 defining the first jaw clamping surface 13252. In certain examples, the second jaw body 13271 further comprises a second proximal end 13273 and a second distal tip 13274. As seen in FIG. 69 , the second jaw 13270 defines a second jaw central axis SJCA2, and the second distal tip 13274 is displaced laterally to a first side 13275 of the second jaw central axis SJCA2. In the illustrated example, the second jaw 13270 supports a second bipolar electrode 13292 .

[0102] In various examples, during use, when the first jaw 13250 and the second jaw 13270 move from an open position to a fully closed position without clamping tissue, the first jaw 13250 and the second jaw 13270 are nearly perfectly aligned with one another. When in that position, for example, the first jaw central axis FJCA1 and the second jaw central axis SJCA2 are both on a common plane. The second distal tip 13274 is aligned with the first distal tip 13254. When the first jaw 13250 and the second jaw 13270 are clamped on tissue, the tissue may tend to distort portions of the first jaw 13250 and the second jaw 13270 out of alignment. This misalignment may be greatest at the distal tips of the jaws. Such misalignment of the jaws may increase distal to the jaw midpoint MP. For example, because the distal tips 13254 and 13274 are laterally displaced (curved) from the jaw central axes FJCA1 and SJCA2, as the jaws 13254, 13274 continue to clamp or close on tissue, the distal tips 13254, 13274 are susceptible to further misalignment, which is generally undesirable.

[0103] FIG. 70 includes a cross-sectional end view of the first jaw 13250 and the second jaw 13270 during closure (no tissue) where the first jaw 13250 and the second jaw 13270 are vertically aligned. While the jaws 13250, 13270 are clamping tissue T, the jaws 13250, 13270 may tend to skew laterally and become misaligned (FIG. 71). This misalignment may begin, or at least increase, in the portion of the jaw distal to the jaw midpoint MP. Such an undesirable occurrence may result in the formation of an RF short circuit. FIGS. 72 and 73 show the clamping force F experienced by the jaws 13250, 13270 that tends to distort the jaws and move them out of the aligned position. C and the resulting bias force F B The diagram of the quantity of jaw clamping force F C The amount (lbs) of jaw clamping force F necessarily increases as the jaws move from an open position to a fully closed or clamped position on the target tissue. As the jaws 13250, 13270 move towards each other in the closing direction, the amount of misalignment force the jaws experience tends to increase due to tissue resistance. FIG. 75 shows the jaw clamping force F during the jaw closing process. C and the amount of force required to realign the jaws (jaw bias force F B) This is a graphical comparison of the above.

[0104] In a particular example, at least one of the jaws 13250, 13270 includes at least one alignment mechanism configured to engage a corresponding portion of the other jaw to "axially align" the jaws with one another during closure. As used herein, the term "axially aligned" means that a centerline of one jaw is generally axially aligned with a centerline of the other jaw during closure. Furthermore, when the second distal tip 13274 is "aligned" with the first distal tip 13254, when fully closed or clamped on tissue, an outer periphery of the second jaw clamping surface 13272 generally aligns with an outer periphery of the first jaw clamping surface 13252. In another configuration, when the second distal tip 13274 is "aligned" with the first distal tip 13254, when the jaws 13250, 13270 are fully closed or clamped on tissue, no portion of the first jaw clamping surface 13252 extends laterally beyond the second jaw clamping surface 13272. This definition of "aligned" is of course applicable to jaws 13250, 13270 having the same size and shape. For example, if one of the jaws has a protrusion or formation extending from an outer surface of the jaw, where the protrusion is not found on a corresponding surface of the other jaw, but the jaw having the protrusion is otherwise identical in shape to the other jaw (except perhaps for the clamping surface of the jaw), then the jaws may be aligned with one another when the centerlines of the jaw lines lie in a common plane. Thus, another definition of "aligned" in the context of a second jaw 13270 being aligned with a first jaw 13250 may consist of the first jaw 13250 and the second jaw 13270 being aligned with one another such that the first jaw central axis FJCA1 and the second jaw central axis SJCA2 lie along a common alignment plane AP. See FIG. 70.

[0105] In the illustrated example, the first jaw 13250 and the second jaw 13270 each have a toothed surface including a series of radially aligned teeth. FIG. 77 shows a plurality of first alignment features including "radially aligned" first teeth 13256 formed on the first jaw clamping surface 13252. Similarly, the second jaw 13270 includes a plurality of second alignment features including radially aligned second teeth 13276 on the second jaw clamping surface 13272. See FIG. 76. As used in this context, the term "radially aligned" means that each tooth lies along a corresponding axis, and each axis intersects with a common point that is laterally displaced from the central axis of the jaw.

[0106] FIG. 76 illustrates in cross section a portion of the first jaw 13250 and a corresponding portion of the second jaw 13270. As seen in FIG. 76, each first tooth 13256 has a first tooth tip 13257, and each first tooth 13256 is separated by a first valley 13258. Similarly, the second jaw 13270 has a second toothed surface 13274 configured to mate with the first toothed surface 13254 on the first jaw 13250. As further seen in FIG. 76, each second tooth 13276 has a second tooth tip 13277, and each second tooth 13276 is separated by a second valley 13278. In one configuration, when the first jaw 13250 and the second jaw 13270 are properly aligned and moved to the closed position, the second tooth tip 13277 of each second tooth 13278 is configured to align with a corresponding first valley 13258, and each first tooth tip 13257 is configured to align with a corresponding second valley 13278. In at least one configuration, the second tooth 13276 is similarly radially aligned on the second jaw 13270. In use, as the first jaw 13250 and the second jaw 13270 move toward one another, at least some of the first tips 13257 and second tips 13277 eventually come into engagement. In one configuration, for example, the respective height of each first tine 13256 and each second tine 13257 is greater than the amount of tissue gap formed between the first jaw clamp surface 13252 and the second jaw clamp surface 13272 necessary to accommodate the electrodes 13290, 13291, 13292. For example, each of the first tine tips 13257 (or at least a portion thereof) extends beyond the first electrodes 13290, 13291 on the first jaw 13250. Similarly, each of the second tine tips 13277 (or at least a portion thereof) extends beyond the electrodes 13292 on the second jaw 13270. As the jaws 13250, 13270 continue to move toward each other, interaction between at least a portion of the first tooth 13256 and at least a portion of the corresponding second tooth 13276 acts to align the first distal tip 13254 and the second distal tip 13274.In the illustrated example, the first tooth 13256 occupies substantially the entire first jaw clamping surface 13252 and the second tooth 13276 occupies the entire second jaw clamping surface 13272, however, due to the curved nature of the first jaw 13250 and the second jaw 13270, in certain instances, at least some of the first tooth 13256 and corresponding second tooth 13276 distal to the jaw midpoint MP interact, which generally serves to align the first distal tip 13254 and the second distal tip 13274 during closure / clamping. This alignment gradually increases as the jaws continue to clamp on the tissue. Stated another way, the clamping or closing force F of the jaws. C As increases, the biasing force acting to align the jaws 13250, 13270 increases the alignment.

[0107] In certain instances, the first teeth 13256 only encompass portions of the first jaw clamp surface 13252 that are not occupied by either of the electrodes 13290, 13291. Those portions of the first jaw clamp surface 13252 may include an insulating material. Similarly, in such embodiments, the second teeth 13276 only encompass portions of the second jaw clamp surface 13272 that are not occupied by the electrode 13292. In other configurations, the first teeth 13256 also extend over the conductive portions of the electrodes 13290, 13291 and the second teeth 13276 also extend over the conductive portions of the electrode 13292.

[0108] In at least one example, the first jaw 13250 and the second jaw 13270 each include somewhat linear segments that cooperate to form a general curve such that the distal tip 13254, 13274 of each jaw is laterally displaced to a common side of the jaw central axis FJCA1, SJCA2. See FIGS. 68 and 69. FIG. 77 shows a radial tooth arrangement that is aligned with the average maximum curvature of the jaw even when the jaw includes a straight portion. FIG. 78 shows an alternative first jaw embodiment 13250′ with a gradual curve formed without any linear segments / sidewalls.

[0109] 79-81 show a surgical end effector configuration 13200' comprising a first jaw 13250' and a second jaw 13270'. In a particular example, the second jaw 13270' comprises at least one, preferably two, lateral alignment features 13280, 13282 that function to laterally engage corresponding sides of the first jaw 13250' during clamping to align the first and second jaws 13250', 13270' during the clamping process. In an end effector comprising bipolar electrodes, the jaws may comprise multiple jaw features that interact within two or more isolation zones within the jaws to induce physical forces to realign the misaligned jaws and realign the electrodes of the first jaw with the electrodes of the second jaw. In one configuration, for example, the DLC of the first jaw / electrode set is laterally offset from the electrodes in the second jaw / electrode. However, the teeth of each jaw extend into the electrode portion and the insulating portion, and the overlap is large enough so that the distal tips of the jaws are not initially misaligned by the tissue as the radially disposed teeth begin to engage one another. For example, in one configuration, the insulating portion of a first jaw tooth engages a conductive portion of a second jaw tooth, forcing the distal tips of the first and second jaws to realign along the contour of the teeth.

[0110] In various configurations, it may be advantageous to use a surgical end effector having a jaw closure configuration that provides distal to proximal jaw closure. For example, FIG. 82 shows a surgical end effector 14200 including a first jaw 14250 and a second jaw 14270 movably coupled together to induce initial contact between the distal tips 14254 and 14274 of the first and second jaws 14250, 14270, respectively. Such a configuration may include an offset pivot between the first jaw 14250 and the second jaw 14270 to deflect one of the jaws upward toward the other jaw. FIGS. 83 and 84 show a surgical end effector 14200' including a first jaw 14250' and a second jaw 14270' movably coupled together. The first and second jaws 14250', 14270' elastically deform gradually as the jaws are clamped towards one another. A deflectable proximal actuation mechanism may be employed that allows the jaw clamping load to be increased while minimizing jaw deflection and delivering a uniform load between the jaws. As shown in FIG. 84, the jaws 14250', 14270' may establish a uniform pressure profile when fully clamped.

[0111] 85 illustrates another surgical instrument 15000 including a surgical end effector 15200 that may be coupled to a proximal shaft segment 10100 by an articulation joint 15300. In the illustrated configuration, the articulation joint 15300 includes a proximal shaft frame member 15310 extending distally from a distal end 10102 of the proximal shaft segment 10100. The proximal shaft frame member 15310 may be attached to the proximal outer shaft tube 10110 by, for example, welding, adhesives, or the like. In a particular example, the proximal shaft frame member 15310 includes a U-shaped cradle portion including distally extending mounting arms 15312, 15314, the mounting arm 15312 being located on one side of the shaft axis SA and the mounting arm 15314 being located on the opposite side of the shaft axis SA.

[0112] The articulation joint 15300 further includes a proximal end effector frame member 15320 which also comprises a portion of the end effector frame assembly 15210. The proximal end effector frame member 15320 includes two upright support surfaces 15322, 15324 which define a U-shaped cradle 15326. The proximal end effector frame member 15320 is received between the mounting arms 15312 and 15314 and is pivotally supported therein by an articulation pin 15330 which defines an articulation axis AA. The articulation joint 15300 facilitates selective articulation of the proximal end effector frame member 15320 through a range of articulation on either side of the shaft axis SA. For example, the articulation joint 15300 facilitates articulation of the proximal end effector frame member 15320 from a non-articulated position to a first maximum articulation position in a first articulation direction on one side of the shaft axis SA, and to a second maximum articulation position in a second articulation direction on the opposite side of the shaft axis SA.

[0113] The surgical end effector 15200 is selectively articulated about an articulation axis AA relative to the proximal shaft segment 10100 by an articulation system generally shown as 15400. In the illustrated example, the articulation system 15400 includes a right proximal link 15410 and a right distal link 15440 located on the right side of the shaft axis SA, and a left proximal link 15430 and a left distal link 15460 located on the left side of the shaft axis SA. The right proximal link 15410 includes a right proximal link body 15412 that is generally L-shaped and includes a right proximal link proximal end (not shown) and a right proximal link distal end 15416. Similarly, the left proximal link 15430 includes a left proximal link body 15432 that is generally L-shaped and includes a left proximal link proximal end 15434 and a left proximal link distal end 15436. In the illustrated example, the right proximal link proximal end is pivotally supported relative to the mounting arm 15312 and the left proximal link proximal end 15434 is pivotally supported relative to the mounting arm 15314. The right proximal link proximal end is pivotally coupled to the mounting arm 15312 and the left proximal link proximal end 15434 is pivotally coupled to the mounting arm 15314 by a first link pin 15420. The first link pin 15420 defines a first link axis FLA that transverses the shaft axis SA and facilitates pivotal movement of the right proximal link 15410 and the left proximal link 15430 about the first link axis FLA relative to the proximal shaft frame member 15310.

[0114] In at least one configuration, a proximal end of the right distal link 15440 is pivotally pinned to the right proximal link distal end 10416. A distal end of the right distal link 15440 is pivotally coupled to the support side 15322 of the effector frame member 15320. Similarly, a proximal end of the left distal link 15460 is pivotally pinned to the left proximal link distal end 15436. A distal end of the left distal link 15460 is pivotally pinned to the upright support side 15324 of the end effector frame member 15320. The proximal end of the right distal link 15440 is pivotally connected to the right proximal link distal end 15416 for pivotal movement about the third link axis TLA, and the proximal end of the left distal link 15460 is pivotally connected to the left proximal link 15430 for pivotal movement about the third link axis TLA. The distal end of the right distal link 15440 is pinned to the upright support side 15322 of the end effector frame member 15320 for pivotal movement about the fourth link axis FRLA, and the distal end of the left distal link 15460 is pivotally pinned to the upright support side 15324 of the end effector frame member 15320 for pivotal movement about the fourth link axis FRLA.

[0115] In a particular example, the articulation system 15400 further comprises an axially movable articulation actuator 15470 configured to apply axial articulation to the right proximal link 15410 and the left proximal link 15430. In the illustrated configuration, the articulation actuator 15470 comprises a distal articulation shaft segment 15472 in threaded engagement with an articulation drive nut 15480. The articulation drive 15480 comprises a threaded portion 15482 configured to rotate about an articulation drive axis ADA and a mounting portion 15484 pivotally coupled to the proximal shaft frame member 15310. The mounting portion 15484 facilitates pivotal movement of the articulation drive 15480 about an articulation mounting axis AMA transverse to the articulation drive axis ADA. A rotationally driven proximal articulation drive shaft 15490 is coupled to the threaded portion 15482 of the mounting portion 15480 such that the threaded portion 15482 is rotatable by the proximal articulation drive shaft 15490 relative to the mounting portion 15484. Rotation of the threaded portion 15482 results in axial translation of the distal articulation shaft segment 15472.

[0116] In the illustrated example, the distal articulation shaft segment 15472 includes a distal end formation 15474 pivotally coupled to the right proximal link 15410 and the left proximal link 15430 about a second link axis SLA. The surgical end effector 15200 can be selectively articulated about the articulation axis AA by moving the distal end formation 15474 in a proximal direction PD or a distal direction DD. The surgical instrument 15000 further includes a flexible rotating shaft 10602 that is rotatable while being capable of bending and flexing to correspond to articulation of the surgical end effector 15200 in the methods described herein. The flexible rotating shaft 10602 is configured to open and close the jaws (not shown) of the surgical end effector 15200 in various manners disclosed herein. Similarly, rotation of the flexible rotating drive shaft 10602 rotates the surgical end effector 15200 about the shaft axis SA in various manners disclosed herein. 88 and 89 include a finite element analysis of the components of one form of articulation system 15300 described above.

[0117] 89 and 90 illustrate another articulation system configuration 16300 configured to selectively articulate a surgical end effector 16200. In this configuration, the surgical end effector 16200 is pivotally coupled to a shaft (not shown) at an articulation point 16302 for articulation therewith. The articulation system configuration 16300 includes a right articulation member 16310 and a left articulation member 16320. The right articulation member 16320 is pivotally coupled to the surgical end effector 16200 and operatively associated with an articulation drive within a housing (not shown) configured to apply axial articulation control motion thereto. Similarly, the left articulation member 16320 is pivotally coupled to the surgical end effector 16200 and operatively associated with an articulation drive within a housing configured to apply axial articulation control motion thereto. FIG. 810 illustrates articulation of the surgical end effector 16200 to the left, with the right articulation member 16310 axially advanced in a distal direction DD and the left articulation member 16320 axially advanced in a proximal direction PD.

[0118] 91 illustrates another articulation system configuration 17300 configured to selectively articulate a surgical end effector 17200. In this configuration, the surgical end effector 17200 is pivotally coupled to a shaft (not shown) at an articulation point 17302 for articulation relative thereto. The articulation system configuration 17300 includes a winch-type drive mechanism 17310 including a worm gear 17312 in meshing engagement with a worm wheel 17304 operably coupled to the surgical end effector 17200. The winch-type drive mechanism 17310 interfaces with a control system, motor, or the like operably supported within a housing (not shown). Operation of the winch-type drive mechanism 17310 will result in articulation of the surgical end effector 17200 about the articulation point 17302.

[0119] 92 illustrates another articulation system arrangement 18300 configured to selectively articulate a surgical end effector 18200. In this arrangement, the surgical end effector 18200 is pivotally coupled to a shaft (not shown) at an articulation point 18302 for articulation relative thereto. The articulation system arrangement 18300 comprises an articulation drive member 18310 including a threaded rod 18312 attached to the surgical end effector 18200 by a ball and socket arrangement 18314. The threaded rod 18312 is in threaded engagement with a threaded nut 18320 fixedly supported within the shaft. The threaded rod 18312 is in operative association with an articulation drive within a housing (not shown) configured to apply a rotational joint control motion. Rotation of the threaded rod 18312 imparts axial articulation to the surgical end effector 18200, causing the surgical end effector 18200 to pivot relative to the shaft assembly about the articulation point 18302.

[0120] 93 illustrates another articulation system configuration 19300 configured to selectively articulate a surgical end effector 19200. In this configuration, the surgical end effector 19200 is pivotally coupled to a shaft (not shown) at an articulation point 19302 for articulation relative thereto. The articulation system configuration 19300 includes a closed-loop tungsten cable 19310 attached to the surgical end effector 19200 at an attachment point 19312. Rotating the cable 19310 in a clockwise direction CW articulates the surgical end effector 19200 in a right direction RD and rotating the cable 19310 in a counterclockwise direction CCW articulates the surgical end effector 19200 in a left direction LD. FIG. 94 illustrates the use of a spring 19330 to apply an opposing force to the cable 19310 to return the surgical end effector 19200 to a non-articulated position when articulation tension is relaxed in the cable 19310.

[0121] Various aspects of the subject matter described herein are illustrated in the following examples.

[0122] Example 1 - A surgical instrument comprising a first jaw including a first proximal end and a first distal tip, wherein a first jaw midpoint is defined between the first proximal end and the first distal tip. The surgical instrument further comprises a second jaw including a second proximal end and a second distal tip, wherein a second jaw midpoint is defined between the second proximal end and the second distal tip. The first proximal end and the second proximal end are movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position. The first jaw further comprises at least one first alignment mechanism distal to the first jaw midpoint and configured to engage a corresponding portion of the second jaw when the first jaw and the second jaw are moved to the closed position to align the first distal tip with the second distal tip.

[0123] Example 2 - The surgical instrument of Example 1, wherein the second jaw further includes at least one second alignment mechanism distal to the second jaw midpoint, the at least one second alignment mechanism configured to engage a corresponding portion of the first jaw when the first jaw and the second jaw are moved to a closed position to align the first distal tip with the second distal tip.

[0124] Example 3 - The surgical instrument of example 2, wherein the first alignment feature includes at least one first tooth and the at least one second alignment feature includes at least one second tooth.

[0125] Example 4 - The surgical instrument of Example 3, wherein the first jaw includes a straight first jaw body, the second jaw includes a straight second jaw body, the at least one first tooth includes a plurality of radially spaced first teeth on the first jaw body, and the at least one second tooth includes a plurality of radially spaced second teeth on the second jaw body.

[0126] Example 5 - The surgical instrument of Examples 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the surgical instrument further comprises at least one electrode on at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw.

[0127] Example 6 - The surgical instrument of Example 5, wherein the at least one electrode comprises a monopolar electrode on the first jaw.

[0128] Example 7 - The surgical instrument of example 5, wherein the at least one electrode includes a first electrode on the first jaw protruding from a portion of a first jaw surface, the first electrode protruding from a portion of the first jaw surface at a first electrode height, and the at least one first alignment feature includes at least one first tooth protruding from another portion of the first jaw surface, the at least one first tooth protruding from such another portion of the first jaw surface at a first tooth height that is greater than the first electrode height.

[0129] Example 8 - The surgical instrument of example 5, wherein the at least one electrode includes a first electrode protruding from a first portion of a first jaw surface on the first jaw and a second electrode protruding from a second portion of a second jaw surface on the second jaw, the second electrode being laterally offset from the first electrode.

[0130] Example 9 - The surgical instrument of Example 8, wherein the first electrode protrudes from a first portion of the first jaw surface at a first electrode height and the at least one first alignment feature protrudes from another portion of the first jaw surface at a first alignment height that is greater than the first electrode height.

[0131] Example 10 - A surgical instrument comprising a first jaw including a first jaw body defining a first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first proximal end and a first distal tip, the first distal tip terminating at a first point laterally displaced from the first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first jaw clamping surface. The surgical instrument further comprises a second jaw including a second jaw body defining a second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second proximal end and a second distal tip, the second distal tip terminating at a second point laterally displaced from the second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second jaw clamping surface, the first proximal end and the second proximal end being movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position. The first jaw further includes at least one first alignment feature on a portion of the first jaw clamping face closer to the first distal tip than the first proximal end, and the second jaw further includes a second alignment feature on the second jaw clamping face corresponding to each first alignment feature, each first alignment feature configured to interact with a corresponding second alignment feature when the first and second jaws move to the closed position, whereby interaction between the first alignment feature and the corresponding second alignment feature moves the first and second distal tips into the aligned position.

[0132] Example 11 - The surgical instrument of example 10, wherein the first point is aligned with the second point when the first distal tip and the second distal tip are in the aligned position.

[0133] Example 12 - The surgical instrument of example 10, wherein when the first distal tip and the second distal tip are in an aligned position, the first jaw axis and the second jaw axis lie in a common plane.

[0134] Example 13 - A surgical instrument as described in Example 10, 11 or 12, wherein at least one first alignment mechanism includes a plurality of radially arranged first teeth protruding from a first jaw clamp surface, and a corresponding second alignment mechanism includes second teeth corresponding to each first tooth, and each second tooth protruding from the second jaw clamp surface in a second radial arrangement.

[0135] Example 14 - The surgical instrument of Example 10, 11, 12 or 13, wherein the surgical instrument further comprises at least one electrode on at least one of the first jaw clamp surface and the second jaw clamp surface.

[0136] Example 15 - The surgical instrument of Example 14, wherein the at least one electrode comprises a monopolar electrode on the first jaw clamp surface.

[0137] Example 16 - A surgical instrument as described in Example 14, wherein the at least one electrode includes a first electrode protruding from the first jaw clamp surface at a first electrode height, and the at least one first alignment mechanism includes at least one first tooth protruding from another portion of the first jaw clamp surface, and the at least one first tooth protruding from another portion of the first jaw clamp surface at a first tooth height that is greater than the first electrode height.

[0138] Example 17 - The surgical instrument of Example 14, wherein the at least one electrode includes a first electrode protruding from a first portion of a first jaw clamping surface on the first jaw and a second electrode protruding from a second portion of a second jaw clamping surface on the second jaw, the second electrode being laterally offset from the first electrode.

[0139] Example 18 - The surgical instrument of Example 18, wherein the first electrode comprises a first bipolar electrode, the second electrode comprises a second bipolar electrode, and the at least one electrode further comprises a monopolar electrode supported on the first jaw.

[0140] Example 19 - A surgical instrument comprising a first jaw including a first jaw body defining a first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first proximal end and a first distal tip, the first distal tip terminating at a first point laterally displaced from the first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first jaw clamping surface. The surgical instrument further comprises a second jaw including a second jaw body defining a second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second proximal end and a second distal tip, the second distal tip terminating at a second point laterally displaced from the second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second jaw clamping surface, the first proximal end and the second proximal end being movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position. The surgical instrument further includes means for applying an alignment motion to the first and second jaws as they move from the open position toward the closed position, the degree of alignment motion increasing as the first and second jaw clamping surfaces approach one another, whereby the first and second distal tips move into the aligned position as the first and second jaws reach the closed position.

[0141] Example 20 - A surgical instrument comprising a first jaw including a first jaw body defining a first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first proximal end and a first distal tip, the first distal tip terminating at a first point laterally displaced from the first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first jaw clamping surface. The surgical instrument further comprises a second jaw including a second jaw body defining a second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second proximal end and a second distal tip, the second distal tip terminating at a second point laterally displaced from the second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second jaw clamping surface, the first proximal end and the second proximal end being movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position. The surgical instrument further includes at least one jaw alignment mechanism on at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw, the at least one jaw alignment mechanism applying an alignment motion to at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw as the first jaw and the second jaw move from the open position toward the closed position, the degree of alignment motion increasing as the first jaw and the second jaw clamping surfaces approach each other, whereby the first distal tip and the second distal tip move into the aligned position as the first jaw and the second jaw reach the closed position.

[0142] While several embodiments have been shown and described, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or limit the scope of the appended claims to such details. Numerous modifications, variations, changes, substitutions, combinations, and equivalents of these embodiments can be implemented and will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, the structure of each element associated with the described embodiments can be alternatively described as a means for providing the function performed by that element. Also, although materials are disclosed with respect to specific components, other materials may be used. It is therefore to be understood that the above description and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications, combinations, and variations as falling within the scope of the disclosed embodiments. The appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications, variations, changes, substitutions, modifications, and equivalents.

[0143] The above detailed description has set forth various aspects of the apparatus and / or processes via the use of block diagrams, flow diagrams and / or examples. To the extent that such block diagrams, flow diagrams and / or examples include one or more functions and / or operations, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that each function and / or operation included in such block diagrams, flow diagrams and / or examples can be individually and / or collectively implemented by various hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. Those skilled in the art will understand that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein may be equivalently implemented in whole or in part on an integrated circuit as one or more computer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., one or more programs running on one or more computer systems), as one or more programs running on one or more processors (e.g., one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors), as firmware, or as substantially any combination thereof, and that designing circuitry and / or writing software and / or firmware code is within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art in view of this disclosure. In addition, those skilled in the art will understand that the subject mechanisms described herein may be distributed as one or more program products in a variety of forms, and that the specific forms of the subject matter described herein apply regardless of the particular type of signal-bearing medium used to actually effect the distribution.

[0144] The instructions used to program the logic to implement the various disclosed aspects may be stored in a system memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), cache, flash memory, or other storage. Additionally, the instructions may be distributed over a network or by other computer-readable media. Machine-readable media may therefore include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer), including but not limited to floppy diskettes, optical disks, compact disks, read-only memories (CD-ROMs), as well as magneto-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, flash memories, or tangible machine-readable storage used to transmit information over the Internet via electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.). Non-transitory computer-readable media may therefore include any type of tangible machine-readable media suitable for storing or transmitting electronic instructions or information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer).

[0145] The term "control circuitry" as used in any aspect of the present specification may refer to, for example, hardwired circuitry, programmable circuitry (e.g., a computer processor including one or more individual instruction processing cores, a processing unit, a processor, a microcontroller, a microcontroller unit, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a programmable logic device (PLD), a programmable logic array (PLA), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), a state machine circuit, firmware that stores instructions executed by the programmable circuit, and any combination thereof. The control circuitry may be embodied, collectively or individually, as circuits that form part of a larger system, such as, for example, an integrated circuit (IC), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system on a chip (SoC), a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a server, a smartphone, etc. Thus, as used herein, "control circuitry" includes, but is not limited to, electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electrical circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integrated circuit, electrical circuitry forming a general purpose computing device configured by a computer program (e.g., a general purpose computer configured by a computer program that at least partially executes the processes and / or devices described herein, or a microprocessor configured by a computer program that at least partially executes the processes and / or devices described herein), electrical circuitry forming a memory device (e.g., a form of random access memory) and / or electrical circuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem, a communications switch, or an optical-electrical facility). Those skilled in the art will recognize that the subject matter described herein may be implemented in analog or digital form, or some combination thereof.

[0146] As used in any aspect herein, the term "logic" may refer to an application, software, firmware, and / or circuitry configured to perform any of the operations described above. Software may be embodied as a software package, code, instructions, instruction sets, and / or data recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Firmware may be embodied as code, instructions, or instruction sets, and / or hard-coded (e.g., non-volatile) data in a memory device.

[0147] As used in any aspect of this specification, the terms "component," "system," "module," etc. may refer to a computer-related entity that is either hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution.

[0148] As used in any aspect of this specification, an "algorithm" refers to a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result, and the "steps" refer to manipulations of physical quantities and / or logical states, which may, but need not, take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It is common practice to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like. These and similar terms may be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities and / or states.

[0149] The network may include a packet-switched network. The communication devices may communicate with each other using a selected packet-switched network communication protocol. One exemplary communication protocol may include an Ethernet communication protocol that may enable communication using Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP). The Ethernet protocol may conform to or be compatible with the Ethernet standard entitled "IEEE 802.3 Standard" published in December 2008 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and / or later versions of this standard. Alternatively or additionally, the communication devices may communicate with each other using an X.25 communication protocol. The X.25 communication protocol may conform to or be compatible with standards promulgated by the International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T). Alternatively or additionally, the communication devices may communicate with each other using a Frame Relay communication protocol. The frame relay communication protocol may conform to or be compatible with standards promulgated by the Consultative Committee for International Telegraph and Telephone (CCITT) and / or the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Alternatively or additionally, the transceivers may be capable of communicating with each other using an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) communication protocol. The ATM communication protocol may conform to or be compatible with the ATM standard published in August 2001 by the ATM Forum entitled "ATM-MPLS Network Interworking 2.0" and / or later versions of this standard. Of course, different and / or later developed connection-oriented network communication protocols are equally contemplated herein.

[0150] Unless expressly specified otherwise, as will be apparent from the foregoing disclosure, discussions throughout the foregoing disclosure using terms such as "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," "displaying," and the like will be understood to refer to the actions and processing of a computer system or similar electronic computing device that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities in the computer system's registers and memory into other data that are similarly represented as physical quantities in the computer system's memory or registers or other such information storage, transmission, or display devices.

[0151] In various aspects, the control circuitry, as used herein, is coupled to one or more feedback systems that may be used by the control circuitry to perform a predetermined function, such as, for example, issuing an alert when one or more predetermined conditions are met. In certain examples, the feedback system may comprise one or more visual feedback systems, such as, for example, a display screen, a backlight, and / or an LED. In certain examples, the feedback system may comprise one or more audio feedback systems, such as, for example, a speaker and / or a buzzer. In certain examples, the feedback system may comprise, for example, one or more tactile feedback systems. In certain examples, the feedback system may comprise a combination of, for example, visual, audio, and / or tactile feedback systems.

[0152] One or more components may be referred to herein as being "configured to," "configurable to," "operable / operative to," "adapted / adaptable," "able to," "conformable / conformed to," etc. Those skilled in the art will understand that "configured to" may generally encompass active and / or inactive and / or standby components, unless the context requires otherwise.

[0153] The terms "proximal" and "distal" are used herein with reference to a clinician manipulating a handle portion of a surgical instrument. The term "proximal" refers to the portion closest to the clinician and the term "distal" refers to the portion located away from the clinician. It will be further understood that for convenience and clarity, spatial terms such as "vertical," "horizontal," "up," and "down" may be used herein with respect to the drawings. However, surgical instruments are used in many orientations and positions, and these terms are not intended to be limiting and / or absolute.

[0154] Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms used herein generally, and in the appended claims in particular (e.g., the body of the appended claims), are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). Moreover, those skilled in the art will understand that where a specific number is intended in an introduced claim recitation, such intention will be clearly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation, no such intention exists. For example, as an aid to understanding, the appended claims below may include the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce the claim recitation. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed as implying that when a claim recitation is introduced by the indefinite article "a" or "an," any particular claim containing such an introduced claim recitation is limited to claims containing only one such recitation, even if the same claim contains an introductory phrase such as "one or more" or "at least one" and the indefinite article "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and / or "an" should normally be construed to mean "at least one" or "one or more"). The same applies when a definite article is used to introduce a claim recitation.

[0155] In addition, even when a particular number is specified in an introduced claim recitation, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., a recitation of simply "two items" without other qualifiers generally means at least two items, or two or more items). Furthermore, when a notation similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, such syntax is generally intended in the sense that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand the notation (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" includes, but is not limited to, systems having only A, only B, only C, both A and B, both A and C, both B and C, and / or all of A, B, and C, etc.). When a notation similar to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, such syntax is generally intended in the sense that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand the notation (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" includes, but is not limited to, systems having only A, only B, only C, both A and B, both A and C, both B and C, and / or all of A, B, and C, etc.). Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that any disjunctive word and / or phrase expressing two or more alternative terms should typically be understood to contemplate the possibility of including one of those terms, either of those terms, or both of those terms, unless the context requires otherwise, whether in the specification, claims, or drawings. For example, the phrase "A or B" will typically be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

[0156] With respect to the appended claims, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the recited operations herein may generally be performed in any order. Also, while flow diagrams of various operations are shown in a sequence, it should be understood that the various operations may be performed in orders other than those shown, or may be performed simultaneously. Examples of such alternative orderings may include overlapping, interleaving, interrupting, reordering, incremental, preliminary, additional, simultaneous, reverse, or other different orderings, unless the context requires otherwise. Moreover, terms such as "responsive to," "related to," or other past tense adjectives are generally not intended to exclude such variations, unless the context requires otherwise.

[0157] It is worth noting that any reference to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example," "an example," or the like means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," "in an example," and "in one example" in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0158] Any patent application, patent, non-patent publication, or other disclosure material referenced herein and / or listed in any Application Data Sheet is incorporated herein by reference to the extent that the incorporated material is not inconsistent with this specification. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure material explicitly set forth in this specification shall take precedence over any conflicting statements incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portions thereof, that is referred to as being incorporated herein by reference but that conflicts with current definitions, opinions, or other disclosure material set forth herein shall be incorporated only to the extent that no conflict arises between the incorporated material and the current disclosure material.

[0159] In summary, many benefits have been described that result from using the concepts described herein. The above description of one or more embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed. Modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The one or more embodiments have been selected and described to illustrate the principles and practical applications, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to utilize the various embodiments, with various modifications, as appropriate for the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the claims presented herewith define the overall scope.

[0160] Many of the surgical tool systems described herein are driven by electric motors. However, the surgical tool systems described herein can be driven in any suitable manner. In various instances, the surgical tool systems described herein can be driven, for example, by a manually operated trigger. In certain examples, the motors disclosed herein can comprise one or more parts of a robotically controlled system. Additionally, any of the end effectors and / or tool assemblies disclosed herein can be utilized with a robotic surgical tool system. For example, U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 118,241, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENTS WITH ROTATABLE STAPLE DEPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENTS" (U.S. Patent No. 9,072,535) discloses several examples of robotic surgical tool systems in more detail.

[0161] The entire contents of the following disclosures are incorporated herein by reference. - U.S. Patent No. 5,403,312, issued April 4, 1995, entitled "ELECTROSURGICAL HEMOSTATIC DEVICE"; - U.S. Patent No. 7,000,818, issued on February 21, 2006, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT HAVING SEPARATE DISTINCT CLOSING AND FIRING SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Patent No. 7,422,139, issued on September 9, 2008, entitled "MOTOR-DRIVEN SURGICAL CUTTING AND FASTENING INSTRUMENT WITH TACTILE POSITION FEEDBACK"; - U.S. Patent No. 7,464,849, issued December 16, 2008, entitled "ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH CLOSURE SYSTEM AND ANVIL ALIGNMENT COMPONENTS"; - U.S. Patent No. 7,670,334, issued March 2, 2010, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING AN ARTICULATING END EFFECTOR"; - U.S. Patent No. 7,753,245, issued on July 13, 2010, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENTS"; -U.S. Patent No. 8,393,514, issued on March 12, 2013, entitled "SELECTIVELY ORIENTABLE IMPLANTABLE FASTENER CARTRIDGE"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 343,803, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING RECORDING CAPABILITIES" (now U.S. Patent No. 7,845,537); -U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 031,573, filed Feb. 14, 2008, entitled "SURGICAL CUTTING AND FASTENING INSTRUMENT HAVING RF ELECTRODES"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 031,873, filed February 15, 2008, entitled "END EFFECTORS FOR A SURGICAL CUTTING AND STAPLING INSTRUMENT" (now U.S. Patent No. 7,980,443); - U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 235,782, entitled "MOTOR-DRIVEN SURGICAL CUTTING INSTRUMENT" (now U.S. Patent No. 8,210,411); - U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 235,972, entitled "MOTORIZED SURGICAL INSTRUMENT" (now U.S. Patent No. 9,050,083); - U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 249,117, entitled "POWERED SURGICAL CUTTING AND STAPLING APPARATUS WITH MANUALLY RETRACTABLE FIRING SYSTEM" (now U.S. Patent No. 8,608,045); -U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 647,100, filed Dec. 24, 2009, entitled "MOTOR-DRIVEN SURGICAL CUTTING INSTRUMENT WITH ELECTRIC ACTUATOR DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ASSEMBLY" (now U.S. Patent No. 8,220,688); -U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 893,461, filed Sep. 29, 2012, entitled "STAPLE CARTRIDGE," (now U.S. Patent No. 8,733,613); -U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 036,647, filed on February 28, 2011, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT," (now U.S. Patent No. 8,561,870); - U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 118,241, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENTS WITH ROTATABLE STAPLE DEPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENTS" (now U.S. Patent No. 9,072,535); -U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 524,049, filed June 15, 2012, entitled "ARTICULATABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A FIRING DRIVE" (now U.S. Patent No. 9,101,358); -U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 800,025, filed on March 13, 2013, entitled "STAPLE CARTRIDGE TISSUE THICKNESS SENSOR SYSTEM" (now U.S. Patent No. 9,345,481); U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 800,067, filed March 13, 2013, entitled "STAPLE CARTRIDGE TISSUE THICKNESS SENSOR SYSTEM" (now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0263552); - U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007 / 0175955, filed January 31, 2006, entitled "SURGICAL CUTTING AND FASTENING INSTRUMENT WITH CLOSURE TRIGGER LOCKING MECHANISM"; and -U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0264194, filed April 22, 2010, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT WITH AN ARTICULATABLE END EFFECTOR" (now U.S. Patent No. 8,308,040);

[0162] Although various devices have been described herein with specific embodiments, modifications and variations may be made to those embodiments. Particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Thus, a particular feature, structure, or characteristic illustrated or described with respect to one embodiment may be combined in whole or in part with the feature, structure, or characteristic of one or more other embodiments, without limitation. Also, although materials are disclosed with respect to particular components, other materials may be used. Furthermore, multiple components may be substituted for a single component, and multiple components may be substituted for a single component, to perform a given function, according to various embodiments. It is intended that the foregoing description and the following claims cover all such modifications and variations.

[0163] The devices disclosed herein can be designed to be disposed of after a single use, or they can be designed to be used multiple times. In either case, however, the device can be reconditioned for reuse after at least one use. Reconditioning can include, but is not limited to, any combination of the steps of disassembly of the device, followed by cleaning or replacement of particular pieces of the device, and then reassembly of the device. Specifically, a reconditioning facility and / or surgical team can disassemble the device, clean and / or replace particular pieces of the device, and then reassemble the device for subsequent use. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that reconditioning of a device can utilize a variety of techniques for disassembly, cleaning / replacement, and reassembly. The use of such techniques, and the resulting reconditioned devices, are all within the scope of the present application.

[0164] The devices disclosed herein may be processed prior to surgery. First, new or used instruments may be obtained and cleaned as necessary. The instruments may then be sterilized. In one sterilization technique, the instruments are placed in a closed and sealed container, such as a plastic bag or a TYVEK bag. The container and instruments may then be placed in a radiation field that can penetrate the container, such as gamma radiation, x-rays, and / or high energy electrons. The radiation can kill bacteria on the instruments and in the container. The sterilized instruments may then be stored in the sterile container. The sealed container can keep the instruments sterile until they are opened in the medical facility. The devices may also be sterilized using any other technique known in the art, including, but not limited to, beta radiation, gamma radiation, ethylene oxide, hydrogen peroxide plasma, and / or water vapor.

[0165] While the invention has been described as having an exemplary design, the invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles.

[0166] [Embodiment] (1) A surgical instrument, a first jaw including a first proximal end and a first distal tip, a first jaw midpoint defined between the first proximal end and the first distal tip; and a second jaw including a second proximal end and a second distal tip, a second jaw midpoint defined between the second proximal end and the second distal tip, the first proximal end and the second proximal end being movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position, the first jaw further including at least one first alignment mechanism distal to the first jaw midpoint, the at least one first alignment mechanism configured to engage a corresponding portion of the second jaw when the first jaw and the second jaw are moved to the closed position to align the first distal tip with the second distal tip. (2) The surgical instrument of embodiment 1, wherein the second jaw further includes at least one second alignment mechanism distal to the second jaw midpoint, the at least one second alignment mechanism configured to engage a corresponding portion of the first jaw when the first jaw and the second jaw are moved to the closed position to align the first distal tip with the second distal tip. (3) The surgical instrument of embodiment 2, wherein the first alignment mechanism includes at least one first tooth and the at least one second alignment mechanism includes at least one second tooth. (4) The surgical instrument of embodiment 3, wherein the first jaw includes a straight first jaw body, the second jaw includes a straight second jaw body, the at least one first tooth includes a plurality of radially spaced first teeth on the first jaw body, and the at least one second tooth includes a plurality of radially spaced second teeth on the second jaw body. (5) The surgical instrument of claim 1, further comprising at least one electrode on at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw.

[0167] (6) The surgical instrument of embodiment 5, wherein the at least one electrode comprises a monopolar electrode on the first jaw. (7) The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein the at least one electrode includes a first electrode protruding from a portion of a first jaw surface on the first jaw, the first electrode protruding from the portion of the first jaw surface at a first electrode height, and the at least one first alignment feature includes at least one first tooth protruding from another portion of the first jaw surface, the at least one first tooth protruding from the other portion of the first jaw surface at a first tooth height that is greater than the first electrode height. (8) The at least one electrode is a first electrode protruding from a first portion of a first jaw surface on the first jaw; a second electrode protruding from a second portion of a second jaw surface on the second jaw, the second electrode being laterally offset from the first electrode. (9) The surgical instrument of embodiment 8, wherein the first electrode protrudes from the first portion of the first jaw surface at a first electrode height and the at least one first alignment feature protrudes from another portion of the first jaw surface at a first alignment height that is greater than the first electrode height. (10) A surgical instrument, a first jaw including a first jaw body defining a first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first proximal end and a first distal tip, the first distal tip terminating at a first point displaced laterally from the first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first jaw clamping surface; a second jaw including a second jaw body defining a second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second proximal end and a second distal tip, the second distal tip terminating at a second point laterally displaced from the second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second jaw clamping surface, the first proximal end and the second proximal end being movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position, the first jaw being forward of the first proximal end; and wherein the second jaw further comprises at least one first alignment feature on a portion of the first jaw clamping face proximate the first distal tip, and the second jaw further comprises a second alignment feature on the second jaw clamping face corresponding to each of the first alignment features, each first alignment feature configured to interact with the corresponding second alignment feature when the first jaw and the second jaw move to the closed position, whereby the interaction between the first alignment feature and the corresponding second alignment feature moves the first distal tip and the second distal tip into an aligned position.

[0168] (11) The surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein when the first distal tip and the second distal tip are in the aligned position, the first point is aligned with the second point. (12) The surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein when the first distal tip and the second distal tip are in the aligned position, the first jaw axis and the second jaw axis lie in a common plane. (13) The surgical instrument of claim 10, wherein the at least one first alignment feature includes a plurality of radially disposed first teeth protruding from the first jaw clamping surface, and the corresponding second alignment feature includes a second tooth corresponding to each of the first teeth, each of the second teeth protruding from the second jaw clamping surface at a second radial arrangement. (14) The surgical instrument of claim 10, further comprising at least one electrode on at least one of the first jaw clamp surface and the second jaw clamp surface. (15) The surgical instrument of embodiment 14, wherein the at least one electrode comprises a monopolar electrode on the first jaw clamp surface.

[0169] (16) The surgical instrument of embodiment 14, wherein the at least one electrode includes a first electrode protruding from the first jaw clamp surface at a first electrode height, and the at least one first alignment feature includes at least one first tooth protruding from another portion of the first jaw clamp surface, the at least one first tooth protruding from the other portion of the first jaw clamp surface at a first tooth height that is greater than the first electrode height. (17) The at least one electrode is a first electrode protruding from a first portion of the first jaw clamping face on the first jaw; a second electrode protruding from a second portion of the second jaw clamping face on the second jaw, the second electrode being laterally offset from the first electrode. (18) The surgical instrument of embodiment 17, wherein the first electrode comprises a first bipolar electrode, the second electrode comprises a second bipolar electrode, and the at least one electrode further comprises a monopolar electrode supported on the first jaw. (19) A surgical instrument comprising: a first jaw including a first jaw body defining a first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first proximal end and a first distal tip, the first distal tip terminating at a first point displaced laterally from the first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first jaw clamping surface; a second jaw including a second jaw body defining a second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second proximal end and a second distal tip, the second distal tip terminating at a second point laterally displaced from the second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second jaw clamping surface, the first proximal end and the second proximal end being movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position; and means for imparting an alignment motion to the first and second jaws as they move from the open position toward the closed position, wherein a degree of the alignment motion increases as the first and second jaw clamping surfaces approach one another, whereby the first and second distal tips move to an aligned position as the first and second jaws reach the closed position. (20) A surgical instrument, a first jaw including a first jaw body defining a first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first proximal end and a first distal tip, the first distal tip terminating at a first point displaced laterally from the first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first jaw clamping surface; a second jaw including a second jaw body defining a second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second proximal end and a second distal tip, the second distal tip terminating at a second point laterally displaced from the second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second jaw clamping surface, the first proximal end and the second proximal end being movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position; at least one jaw alignment mechanism on at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw, the at least one jaw alignment mechanism applying an alignment motion to at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw as the first jaw and the second jaw move from the open position toward the closed position, the degree of the alignment motion increasing as the first jaw and the second jaw clamping surfaces approach each other, whereby the first and second distal tips move to an aligned position when the first jaw and the second jaw reach the closed position.

Claims

1. 1. A surgical instrument comprising: a first jaw including a first jaw body defining a first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first proximal end and a first distal tip, the first distal tip terminating at a first point displaced laterally from the first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first jaw clamping surface; a second jaw including a second jaw body defining a second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second proximal end and a second distal tip, the second distal tip terminating at a second point laterally displaced from the second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second jaw clamping surface, the first proximal end and the second proximal end being movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position, the first jaw being forward of the first proximal end; and wherein the second jaw further comprises at least one first alignment feature on a portion of the first jaw clamping face proximate the first distal tip, and the second jaw further comprises a second alignment feature on the second jaw clamping face corresponding to each of the first alignment features, each first alignment feature configured to interact with the corresponding second alignment feature when the first jaw and the second jaw move to the closed position, whereby the interaction between the first alignment feature and the corresponding second alignment feature moves the first distal tip and the second distal tip into an aligned position.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first point is aligned with the second point when the first and second distal tips are in the aligned position.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein the first jaw axis and the second jaw axis lie in a common plane when the first distal tip and the second distal tip are in the aligned position.

4. 2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the at least one first alignment feature includes a plurality of radially disposed first teeth projecting from the first jaw clamping face, and the corresponding second alignment feature includes a second tooth corresponding to each of the first teeth, each of the second teeth projecting from the second jaw clamping face at a second radial location.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , further comprising at least one electrode on at least one of the first jaw clamp surface and the second jaw clamp surface.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5 , wherein the at least one electrode includes a monopolar electrode on the first jaw clamp surface.

7. 6. The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein the at least one electrode includes a first electrode protruding from the first jaw clamp face at a first electrode height, and the at least one first alignment feature includes at least one first tooth protruding from another portion of the first jaw clamp face, the at least one first tooth protruding from the other portion of the first jaw clamp face at a first tooth height that is greater than the first electrode height.

8. The at least one electrode is a first electrode protruding from a first portion of the first jaw clamping face on the first jaw; a second electrode protruding from a second portion of the second jaw clamping face on the second jaw, the second electrode being laterally offset from the first electrode.

9. 9. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein the first electrode comprises a first bipolar electrode, the second electrode comprises a second bipolar electrode, and the at least one electrode further comprises a monopolar electrode supported on the first jaw.

10. 1. A surgical instrument comprising: a first jaw including a first jaw body defining a first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first proximal end and a first distal tip, the first distal tip terminating at a first point displaced laterally from the first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first jaw clamping surface; a second jaw including a second jaw body defining a second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second proximal end and a second distal tip, the second distal tip terminating at a second point laterally displaced from the second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second jaw clamping surface, the first proximal end and the second proximal end being movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position; and means for imparting an alignment motion to the first and second jaws as they move from the open position toward the closed position, the degree of alignment motion increasing as the first and second jaw clamping surfaces approach one another, whereby the first and second distal tips move to an aligned position as the first and second jaws reach the closed position.

11. 1. A surgical instrument comprising: a first jaw including a first jaw body defining a first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first proximal end and a first distal tip, the first distal tip terminating at a first point displaced laterally from the first jaw axis, the first jaw body defining a first jaw clamping surface; a second jaw including a second jaw body defining a second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second proximal end and a second distal tip, the second distal tip terminating at a second point laterally displaced from the second jaw axis, the second jaw body defining a second jaw clamping surface, the first proximal end and the second proximal end being movably coupled together to facilitate selective movement of the first jaw and the second jaw relative to one another between a closed position and an open position; at least one jaw alignment mechanism on at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw, the at least one jaw alignment mechanism applying an alignment motion to at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw as the first jaw and the second jaw move from the open position toward the closed position, the degree of the alignment motion increasing as the first jaw and the second jaw clamping surfaces approach each other, whereby the first and second distal tips move to an aligned position when the first jaw and the second jaw reach the closed position.

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