Surgical instrument with adaptive control system - Patents.com

Abstract

To provide a surgical instrument.SOLUTION: A surgical instrument comprises: a cartridge jaw including staples; a staple firing system including an electric motor, a motor control system and a firing member; and an anvil jaw including staple forming pockets configured to deform the staples during a staple firing stroke, and electrical circuits in communication with the motor control system, where the motor control system is configured to detect when the staple has been malformed against the anvil jaw via the electrical circuits, and where the motor control system is configured to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke when the staple has been malformed against the anvil jaw.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 821,677, filed March 21, 2019, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING AN ADAPTIVE CONTROL SYSTEM," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 807,310, filed February 19, 2019, entitled "METHODS FOR CONTROLLING A POWERED SURGICAL STAPLER THAT HAS SEPARATE ROTARY CLOSURE AND FIRING SYSTEMS," U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 807,319, filed February 19, 2019, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING DEVICES WITH IMPROVED LOCKOUT SYSTEMS," and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 807,309, filed February 19, 2019, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING DEVICES WITH IMPROVED ROTARY DRIVEN CLOSURE SYSTEMS," the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 650,887, filed March 30, 2018, entitled "SURGICAL SYSTEMS WITH OPTIMIZED SENSING CAPABILITIES," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,302, filed March 28, 2018, entitled "INTERACTIVE SURGICAL SYSTEMS WITH ENCRYPTED COMMUNICATION CAPABILITIES," U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,294, filed March 28, 2018, entitled "DATA STRIPPING METHOD TO INTERROGATE PATIENT RECORDS AND CREATE ANONYMIZED RECORD," and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,No. 300, entitled "SURGICAL HUB SITUATIONAL AWARENESS"; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,309, filed March 28, 2018, entitled "SURGICAL HUB SPATIAL AWARENESS TO DETERMINE DEVICES IN OPERATING THEATER"; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,310, filed March 28, 2018, entitled "COMPUTER IMPLEMENTED INTERACTIVE SURGICAL SYSTEMS"; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,291, filed March 28, 2018, entitled "USE OF LASER LIGHT AND RED-GREEN-BLUE COLORATION TO DETERMINE PROPERTIES OF BACK SCATTERED No. 62 / 649,296, filed March 28, 2018, entitled "ADAPTIVE CONTROL PROGRAM UPDATES FOR SURGICAL DEVICES," U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,333, filed March 28, 2018, entitled "CLOUD-BASED MEDICAL ANALYTICS FOR CUSTOMIZATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO A USER," U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,327, filed March 28, 2018, entitled "CLOUD-BASED MEDICAL ANALYTICS FOR SECURITY AND AUTHENTICATION TRENDS AND REACTIVE MEASURES," U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,315, filed March 28, 2018, entitled "DATA HANDLING AND PRIORITIZATION IN A "CLOUD ANALYTICS NETWORK" U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,313, filed March 28, 2018, entitled "CLOUD INTERFACE FOR COUPLED SURGICAL DEVICES" U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649, filed March 28, 2018, entitled "CLOUD INTERFACE FOR COUPLED SURGICAL DEVICES"No. 320, entitled "DRIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS," filed March 28, 2018, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,307, entitled "AUTOMATIC TOOL ADJUSTMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS," and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,323, entitled "SENSING ARRANGEMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS," filed March 28, 2018, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] The present invention relates to surgical instruments and to surgical stapling and severing instruments and staple cartridges for use therewith that are designed to staple and sever tissue in a variety of situations. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0003] The various features of the embodiments described herein, together with their advantages, may be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a powered surgical stapling system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an interchangeable surgical shaft assembly of the powered surgical stapling system of FIG. 1 . [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded assembly view of a portion of a handle assembly of the powered surgical stapling system of FIG. 1 . [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the exchangeable surgical shaft assembly of FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is another exploded view of a portion of the exchangeable surgical shaft assembly of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another powered surgical stapling system; [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded assembly view of a portion of a shaft assembly of the powered surgical stapling system of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is an exploded assembly view of a portion of a handle assembly of the powered surgical stapling system of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of an anvil jaw including a formed pocket and a sensor system according to at least one embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a detailed view of a portion of the molded pocket and sensor system of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the anvil jaw of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is an elevational view of an end effector of a surgical stapling instrument in accordance with at least one embodiment; [Figure 12A] 13 shows the forming pockets in the anvil of the end effector of FIG. 12 and the staple pattern created by the end effector of FIG. 12 . [Figure 12B] 13 includes graphs relating to the operation of the surgical stapling system of FIG. 12 . [Figure 13A] 1 shows a formed staple in a B-shaped configuration. [Figure 13B] 1 shows a staple in a partially misshapen configuration. [Figure 13C] 1 shows a staple in a completely misshapen configuration. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is an elevational view of an end effector of a surgical stapling instrument in accordance with at least one embodiment; [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the anvil of the end effector of FIG. [Figure 16] 15 includes graphs relating to the operation of the surgical stapling system of FIG. 14 . [Figure 17] 1 includes a graph of the operation of a surgical stapling system in accordance with at least one embodiment. [Figure 18] 1 includes a graph of the operation of a surgical stapling system in accordance with at least one embodiment. [Figure 19]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a control system for use with any of the surgical instruments disclosed herein.

[0004] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set forth herein are illustrative of various embodiments of the invention in one form only, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0005] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. patent applications, filed on February 21, 2019, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 16 / 281,658, entitled "METHODS FOR CONTROLLING A POWERED SURGICAL STAPLER THAT HAS SEPARATE ROTARY CLOSURE AND FIRING SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 281,675, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLERS WITH ARRANGEMENTS FOR MAINTAINING A FIRING MEMBER THEREOF IN A LOCKED CONFIGURATION UNLESS A COMPATIBLE CARTRIDGE HAS BEEN INSTALLED THEREIN"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 281,685, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING CO-OPERATING LOCKOUT FEATURES"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 281,693, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A LOCKOUT AND AN EXTERIOR ACCESS ORIFICE TO PERMIT ARTIFICIAL UNLOCKING OF THE LOCKOUT"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 281,704, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING DEVICES WITH FEATURES FOR BLOCKING ADVANCEMENT OF A CAMMING ASSEMBLY OF AN INCOMPATIBLE CARTRIDGE INSTALLED THEREIN"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 281,707, entitled "STAPLING INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A DEACTIVATABLE LOCKOUT"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 281,741, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A JAW CLOSURE LOCKOUT"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 281,762, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING DEVICES WITH CARTRIDGE COMPATIBLE CLOSURE AND FIRING LOCKOUT ARRANGEMENTS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 281,660, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLE CARTRIDGE WITH FIRING MEMBER DRIVEN CAMMING ASSEMBLY THAT HAS AN ONBOARD TISSUE CUTTING FEATURE"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 281,666, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING DEVICES WITH IMPROVED ROTARY DRIVEN CLOSURE SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 281,672, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING DEVICES WITH ASYMMETRIC CLOSURE FEATURES"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 281,678, entitled "ROTARY DRIVEN FIRING MEMBERS WITH DIFFERENT ANVIL AND CHANNEL ENGAGEMENT FEATURES"; and -U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 281,682, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING DEVICE WITH SEPARATE ROTARY DRIVEN CLOSURE AND FIRING SYSTEMS AND FIRING MEMBER THAT ENGAGES BOTH JAWS WHILE FIRING."

[0006] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. patent applications, filed on February 19, 2019, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein: - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 807,310, entitled "METHODS FOR CONTROLLING A POWERED SURGICAL STAPLER THAT HAS SEPARATE ROTARY CLOSURE AND FIRING SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 807,319, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING DEVICES WITH IMPROVED LOCKOUT SYSTEMS," and -U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 807,309, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING DEVICES WITH IMPROVED ROTARY DRIVEN CLOSURE SYSTEMS."

[0007] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. patent applications, filed on December 14, 2018, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 220,281, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH A HARDWARE-ONLY CONTROL CIRCUIT"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 220,301, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH ACOUSTIC-BASED MOTOR CONTROL"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 220,313, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF DRIVE SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 220,296, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A CONTROL CIRCUIT"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 220,309, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS COMPRISING BUTTON CIRCUITS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 220,318, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A CONTROL SYSTEM THAT USES INPUT FROM A STRAIN GAGE ​​CIRCUIT"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 220,273, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH A SENSING ARRAY"; and -U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 220,280, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH ENVIRONMENT SENSING."

[0008] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. patent applications, filed on December 12, 2018, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 778,571, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 778,572, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS," and -U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 778,573, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS."

[0009] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. patent applications, filed on October 26, 2018, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety: - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,130, entitled "CLIP APPLIER COMPRISING INTERCHANGEABLE CLIP RELOADS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,066, entitled "CLIP APPLIER COMPRISING A MOVABLE CLIP MAGAZINE"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,078, entitled "CLIP APPLIER COMPRISING A ROTATABLE CLIP MAGAZINE"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,087, entitled "CLIP APPLIER COMPRISING CLIP ADVANCING SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,094, entitled "CLIP APPLIER COMPRISING A CLIP CRIMPING SYSTEM"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,128, entitled "CLIP APPLIER COMPRISING A RECIPROCATING CLIP ADVANCING MEMBER"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,168, entitled "CLIP APPLIER COMPRISING A MOTOR CONTROLLER"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,164, entitled "SURGICAL SYSTEM COMPRISING A SURGICAL TOOL AND A SURGICAL HUB"; and -U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,303, entitled "METHOD FOR OPERATING A POWERED ARTICULATING MULTI-CLIP APPLIER."

[0010] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. patent applications, filed on October 26, 2018, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety: - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,328, entitled "METHOD OF HUB COMMUNICATION WITH SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,280, entitled "METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A SMART ELECTRICAL SYSTEM"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,219, entitled "METHOD OF HUB COMMUNICATION WITH SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,248, entitled "METHOD FOR COMMUNICATING WITH SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,198, entitled "METHOD OF HUB COMMUNICATION WITH SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS"; and -U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 172,155, entitled "METHOD OF HUB COMMUNICATION WITH SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS."

[0011] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. patent applications, filed on August 24, 2018, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety: - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,129, entitled "SURGICAL SUTURING INSTRUMENT CONFIGURED TO MANIPULATE TISSUE USING MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL POWER"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,155, entitled "SURGICAL SUTURING INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A CAPTURE WIDTH WHICH IS LARGER THAN TROCAR DIAMETER"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,168, entitled "SURGICAL SUTURING INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A NON-CIRCULAR NEEDLE"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,180, entitled "ELECTRICAL POWER OUTPUT CONTROL BASED ON MECHANICAL FORCES"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,193, entitled "REACTIVE ALGORITHM FOR SURGICAL SYSTEM"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,099, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING AN ADAPTIVE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,112, entitled "CONTROL SYSTEM ARRANGEMENTS FOR A MODULAR SURGICAL INSTRUMENT"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,119, entitled "ADAPTIVE CONTROL PROGRAMS FOR A SURGICAL SYSTEM COMPRISING MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF CARTRIDGE"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,097, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS COMPRISING BATTERY ARRANGEMENTS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,109, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS COMPRISING HANDLE ARRANGEMENTS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,114, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS COMPRISING FEEDBACK MECHANISMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,117, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS COMPRISING LOCKOUT MECHANISMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,095, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS COMPRISING A LOCKABLE END EFFECTOR SOCKET"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,121, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS COMPRISING A SHIFTING MECHANISM"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,151, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS COMPRISING A SYSTEM FOR ARTICULATION AND ROTATION COMPENSATION"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,154, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS COMPRISING A BIASED SHIFTING MECHANISM"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,226, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS COMPRISING AN ARTICULATION DRIVE THAT PROVIDES FOR HIGH ARTICULATION ANGLES"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,062, entitled "SURGICAL DISSECTORS AND MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,098, entitled "SURGICAL DISSECTORS CONFIGURED TO APPLY MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENERGY"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,237, entitled "SURGICAL CLIP APPLIER CONFIGURED TO STORE CLIPS IN A STORED STATE"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,245, entitled "SURGICAL CLIP APPLIER COMPRISING AN EMPTY CLIP CARTRIDGE LOCKOUT"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,249, entitled "SURGICAL CLIP APPLIER COMPRISING AN AUTOMATIC CLIP FEEDING SYSTEM"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,253, entitled "SURGICAL CLIP APPLIER COMPRISING ADAPTIVE FIRING CONTROL"; and -U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 112,257, entitled "SURGICAL CLIP APPLIER COMPRISING ADAPTIVE CONTROL IN RESPONSIBILITY TO A STRAIN GAUGE CIRCUIT."

[0012] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. patent applications, filed on May 1, 2018, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 665,129, entitled "SURGICAL SUTURING SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 665,139, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS COMPRISING CONTROL SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 665,177, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS COMPRISING HANDLE ARRANGEMENTS"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 665,128, entitled "MODULAR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 665,192, entitled "SURGICAL DISSECTORS," and -U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 665,134, entitled "SURGICAL CLIP APPLIER."

[0013] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. patent applications, filed on February 28, 2018, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 908,021, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH REMOTE RELEASE"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 908,012, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING DUAL ROTATABLE MEMBERS TO EFFECT DIFFERENT TYPES OF END EFFECTOR MOVEMENT"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 908,040, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH ROTARY DRIVE SELECTIVELY ACTUATING MULTIPLE END EFFECTOR FUNCTIONS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 908,057, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH ROTARY DRIVE SELECTIVELY ACTUATING MULTIPLE END EFFECTOR FUNCTIONS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 908,058, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH MODULAR POWER SOURCES"; and -U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 908,143, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH SENSOR AND / OR CONTROL SYSTEMS."

[0014] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. patent applications, filed on October 30, 2017, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 578,793, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH REMOTE RELEASE"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 578,804, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING DUAL ROTATABLE MEMBERS TO EFFECT DIFFERENT TYPES OF END EFFECTOR MOVEMENT"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 578,817, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH ROTARY DRIVE SELECTIVELY ACTUATING MULTIPLE END EFFECTOR FUNCTIONS"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 578,835, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH ROTARY DRIVE SELECTIVELY ACTUATING MULTIPLE END EFFECTOR FUNCTIONS"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 578,844, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH MODULAR POWER SOURCES"; and -U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 578,855, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH SENSOR AND / OR CONTROL SYSTEMS."

[0015] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. provisional patent applications, filed on December 28, 2017, the entire disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 611,341, entitled "INTERACTIVE SURGICAL PLATFORM"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 611,340, entitled "CLOUD-BASED MEDICAL ANALYTICS"; and -U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 611,339, entitled "ROBOT ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORM."

[0016] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. provisional patent applications, filed on March 28, 2018, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,302, entitled "INTERACTIVE SURGICAL SYSTEMS WITH ENCRYPTED COMMUNICATION CAPABILITIES"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,294, entitled "DATA STRIPPING METHOD TO INTERROGATE PATIENT RECORDS AND CREATE ANONYMIZED RECORD"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,300, entitled "SURGICAL HUB SITUATIONAL AWARENESS"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,309, entitled "SURGICAL HUB SPATIAL AWARENESS TO DETERMINE DEVICES IN OPERATING THEATER"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,310, entitled "COMPUTER IMPLEMENTED INTERACTIVE SURGICAL SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,291, entitled "USE OF LASER LIGHT AND RED-GREEN-BLUE COLORATION TO DETERMINE PROPERTIES OF BACK SCATTERED LIGHT"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,296, entitled "ADAPTIVE CONTROL PROGRAM UPDATES FOR SURGICAL DEVICES"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,333, entitled "CLOUD-BASED MEDICAL ANALYTICS FOR CUSTOMIZATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO A USER"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,327, entitled "CLOUD-BASED MEDICAL ANALYTICS FOR SECURITY AND AUTHENTICATION TRENDS AND REACTIVE MEASURES"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,315, entitled "DATA HANDLING AND PRIORITIZATION IN A CLOUD ANALYTICS NETWORK"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,313, entitled "CLOUD INTERFACE FOR COUPLED SURGICAL DEVICES"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,320, entitled "DRIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,307, entitled "AUTOMATIC TOOL ADJUSTMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS"; and -U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 649,323, entitled "SENSING ARRANGEMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS."

[0017] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. patent applications, filed on March 29, 2018, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,641, entitled "INTERACTIVE SURGICAL SYSTEMS WITH ENCRYPTED COMMUNICATION CAPABILITIES"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,648, entitled "INTERACTIVE SURGICAL SYSTEMS WITH CONDITION HANDLING OF DEVICES AND DATA CAPABILITIES"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,656, entitled "SURGICAL HUB COORDINATION OF CONTROL AND COMMUNICATION OF OPERATING ROOM DEVICES"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,666, entitled "SPATIAL AWARENESS OF SURGICAL HUBS IN OPERATING ROOMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,670, entitled "COOPERATIVE UTILIZATION OF DATA DERIVED FROM SECONDARY SOURCES BY INTELLIGENT SURGICAL HUBS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,677, entitled "SURGICAL HUB CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,632, entitled "DATA STRIPPING METHOD TO INTERROGATE PATIENT RECORDS AND CREATE ANONYMIZED RECORD"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,640, entitled "COMMUNICATION HUB AND STORAGE DEVICE FOR STORING PARAMETERS AND STATUS OF A SURGICAL DEVICE TO BE SHARED WITH CLOUD BASED ANALYTICS SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,645, entitled "SELF DESCRIBING DATA PACKETS GENERATED AT AN ISSUING INSTRUMENT"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,649, entitled "DATA PAIRING TO INTERCONNECT A DEVICE MEASURED PARAMETER WITH AN OUTCOME"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,654, entitled "SURGICAL HUB SITUATIONAL AWARENESS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,663, entitled "SURGICAL SYSTEM DISTRIBUTED PROCESSING"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,668, entitled "AGGREGATION AND REPORTING OF SURGICAL HUB DATA"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,671, entitled "SURGICAL HUB SPATIAL AWARENESS TO DETERMINE DEVICES IN OPERATING THEATER"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,686, entitled "DISPLAY OF ALIGNMENT OF STAPLE CARTRIDGE TO PRIOR LINEAR STAPLE LINE"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,700, entitled "STERILE FIELD INTERACTIVE CONTROL DISPLAYS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,629, entitled "COMPUTER IMPLEMENTED INTERACTIVE SURGICAL SYSTEMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,704, entitled "USE OF LASER LIGHT AND RED-GREEN-BLUE COLORATION TO DETERMINE PROPERTIES OF BACK SCATTERED LIGHT"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,722, entitled "CHARACTERIZATION OF TISSUE IRREGULARITIES THROUGH THE USE OF MONO-CHROMATIC LIGHT REFRACTIVITY"; and -U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,742, entitled "DUAL CMOS ARRAY IMAGING."

[0018] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. patent applications, filed on March 29, 2018, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,636, entitled "ADAPTIVE CONTROL PROGRAM UPDATES FOR SURGICAL DEVICES"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,653, entitled "ADAPTIVE CONTROL PROGRAM UPDATES FOR SURGICAL HUBS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,660, entitled "CLOUD-BASED MEDICAL ANALYTICS FOR CUSTOMIZATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO A USER"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,679, entitled "CLOUD-BASED MEDICAL ANALYTICS FOR LINKING OF LOCAL USAGE TRENDS WITH THE RESOURCE ACQUISITION BEHAVIORS OF LARGER DATA SET"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,694, entitled "CLOUD-BASED MEDICAL ANALYTICS FOR MEDICAL FACILITY SEGMENTED INDIVIDUALIZATION OF INSTRUMENT FUNCTION"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,634, entitled "CLOUD-BASED MEDICAL ANALYTICS FOR SECURITY AND AUTHENTICATION TRENDS AND REACTIVE MEASURES"; -U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,706, entitled "DATA HANDLING AND PRIORITIZATION IN A CLOUD ANALYTICS NETWORK"; and -U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,675, entitled "CLOUD INTERFACE FOR COUPLED SURGICAL DEVICES."

[0019] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. patent applications, filed on March 29, 2018, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,627, entitled "DRIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,637, entitled "COMMUNICATION ARRANGEMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,642, entitled "CONTROLS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,676, entitled "AUTOMATIC TOOL ADJUSTMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,680, entitled "CONTROLLERS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,683, entitled "COOPERATIVE SURGICAL ACTIONS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS"; - U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,690, entitled "DISPLAY ARRANGEMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS"; and -U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 940,711, entitled "SENSING ARRANGEMENTS FOR ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGICAL PLATFORMS."

[0020] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. provisional patent applications, filed on March 30, 2018, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 650,887, entitled "SURGICAL SYSTEMS WITH OPTIMIZED SENSING CAPABILITIES"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 650,877, entitled "SURGICAL SMOKE EVACUATION SENSING AND CONTROLS"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 650,882, entitled "SMOKE EVACUATION MODULE FOR INTERACTIVE SURGICAL PLATFORM"; and -U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 650,898, entitled "CAPACITIVE COUPLED RETURN PATH PAD WITH SEPARABLE ARRAY ELEMENTS."

[0021] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. provisional patent applications, filed on April 19, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference: -U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 659,900, entitled "METHOD OF HUB COMMUNICATION."

[0022] The applicant of this application owns the following U.S. provisional patent applications, filed on October 25, 2018, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 750,529, entitled "METHOD FOR OPERATING A POWERED ARTICULATING MULTI-CLIP APPLIER"; - U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 750,539, entitled "SURGICAL CLIP APPLIER"; and -U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 750,555, entitled "SURGICAL CLIP APPLIER."

[0023] As described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the overall structure, function, manufacture, and use of the embodiments. Well-known operations, components, and elements are not described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described herein. The reader will understand that the embodiments described and illustrated herein are non-limiting examples, and thus the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein may be representative and exemplary. Variations and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0024] The terms "comprise" (and any form of comprise, such as "comprises" or "comprising"), "have" (and any form of have, such as "has" or "having"), "include" (and any form of include, such as "includes" or "including"), and "contain" (and any form of contain, such as "contains" or "containing") are open-ended linking verbs. As a result, a surgical system, device, or apparatus that "comprises," "has," "includes," or "contains" one or more elements has those one or more elements, but is not limited to having only those one or more elements. Similarly, a system, device, or apparatus element that "comprises," "has," "includes," or "contains" one or more features has those one or more features, but is not limited to having only those one or more features.

[0025] 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," "upper," and "lower" 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.

[0026] Various exemplary devices and methods are provided for performing laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgical procedures. However, the reader will readily appreciate that the various methods and devices disclosed herein may be used in many surgical procedures and applications, including, for example, those associated with open surgical procedures. As the reader proceeds through the Detailed Description of the Invention section of this specification, the reader will further appreciate that the various instruments disclosed herein may be inserted into the body in any manner, such as through a natural opening, through an incision or puncture made in tissue, etc. The working or end effector portions of these instruments may be inserted directly into the patient's body or through an access device having a working channel through which the end effector and elongate shaft of the surgical instrument may be advanced.

[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates a surgical instrument 1010 including an interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 operably coupled to a housing 1012. FIG. 2 illustrates the interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 removed from the housing 1012 or handle 1014. As shown in FIG. 3, the handle 1014 may include a pair of interconnectable handle housing segments 1016 and 1018 that may be interconnected by screws, snap mechanisms, adhesives, or the like. In the illustrated configuration, the handle housing segments 1016, 1018 cooperate to form a pistol grip portion 1019. FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrate a motorized surgical cutting and fastening instrument 1010 that may or may not be reusable. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 1012 includes a handle 1014 configured to be grasped, manipulated, and actuated by a clinician. The housing 1012 is configured to be operably attached to the interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 to which a surgical end effector 1300 configured to perform one or more surgical tasks or procedures is operably coupled. As one proceeds through the detailed description, it will be understood that the various forms of interchangeable shaft assemblies disclosed herein may also be effectively used in conjunction with a robotically controlled surgical system. Thus, the term "housing" may also encompass a housing or similar portion of a robotic system that houses or otherwise operably supports at least one drive system configured to generate and apply at least one control motion that can be used to actuate the interchangeable shaft assemblies disclosed herein and their respective equivalents. In addition, various components may be "housed" or included within the housing, or various components may be "associated" with the housing. In such instances, the components may not be included within the housing or directly supported by the housing. The term "frame" may refer to a portion of a handheld surgical instrument. The term "frame" may also refer to a portion of a robotically controlled surgical instrument and / or a portion of a robotic system that may be used to operably control the surgical instrument.The interchangeable shaft assemblies disclosed herein may be used with various robotic systems, instruments, components, and methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,072,535, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENTS WITH ROTATABLE STAPLE DEPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENTS," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0028] The housing 1012 depicted in FIG. 1 is shown connected to an interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 (FIGS. 2, 4, and 5) including an end effector 1300 with a surgical cutting and fastening device configured to operably support a surgical staple cartridge 4000 therein. The housing 1012 may be configured for use in connection with interchangeable shaft assemblies having various shaft lengths, sizes, and types, including end effectors adapted to support staple cartridges of various sizes and types. In addition, the housing 1012 may also be effectively used in connection with a variety of other interchangeable shaft assemblies, including assemblies configured to apply, for example, motion and other forms of energy, such as radio frequency (RF) energy, ultrasonic energy, and / or motion, to end effector configurations adapted for use in connection with various surgical applications and procedures. As described in more detail below, the handle 1014 operably supports a number of drive systems therein, which are configured to generate and apply a variety of controlled motions to corresponding portions of the interchangeable shaft assemblies operably attached to the handle.

[0029] 3, the handle 1014 may further include a frame 1020 that operably supports a number of drive systems. For example, the frame 1020 may operably support a "first" or closure drive system, generally designated 1030, that may be used to apply an opening and closing motion to an operably attached or coupled interchangeable shaft assembly 1200. In at least one form, the closure drive system 1030 may include an actuator in the form of a closure trigger 1032 that is pivotally supported by the frame 1020. As shown in FIG. 3, the closure trigger 1032 is pivotally coupled to the handle 1014 by a pin 1033. Such an arrangement allows the closure trigger 1032 to be manipulated by a clinician such that, when the clinician grasps the pistol grip portion 1019 of the handle 1014, the closure trigger 1032 may be easily pivoted from a starting or "unactuated" position to an "actuated" position, and more particularly, to a fully compressed or fully actuated position. The closure trigger 1032 may be biased to the inactivated position by a spring or other biasing device. In various forms, the closure drive system 1030 further includes a closure linkage assembly 1034 pivotally coupled to the closure trigger 1032. As shown in FIG. 3 , the closure linkage assembly 1034 may include a first closure link 1036 and a second closure link 1038 pivotally coupled to the closure trigger 1032 by a pin 1035. The second closure link 1038, sometimes referred to herein as a “mounting member,” includes a lateral mounting pin 1037.

[0030] With continued reference to FIG. 3, it can be observed that the first closure link 1036 may have a locking wall or end 1039 thereon configured to cooperate with a closure release assembly 1060 pivotally coupled to the frame 1020. In at least one form, the closure release assembly 1060 may include a release button assembly 1062 having a distally projecting locking pawl 1064 formed thereon. The release button assembly 1062 may be pivoted in a counterclockwise direction by a release spring (not shown). When the clinician depresses the closure trigger 1032 from its unactuated position towards the pistol grip portion 1019 of the handle 1014, the first closure link 1036 pivots upwardly towards a point where the locking pawl 1064 comes into retaining engagement with the locking wall 1039 on the first closure link 1036, thereby preventing the closure trigger 1032 from returning to the unactuated position. The closure release assembly 1060 thus acts to lock the closure trigger 1032 in a fully actuated position. When the clinician wishes to unlock the closure trigger 1032 so that it can be biased to the unactuated position, the clinician simply pivots the release button assembly 1062, thereby moving the locking pawl 1064 out of engagement with the locking wall 1039 on the first closure link 1036. Once the locking pawl 1064 is moved out of engagement with the first closure link 1036, the closure trigger 1032 may pivot back to the unactuated position. Other closure trigger lock and release configurations may be used.

[0031] An arm 1061 may extend from the release button assembly 1062. A magnetic element 1063, such as, for example, a permanent magnet, may be attached to the arm 1061. When the release button assembly 1062 is rotated from its first position to its second position, the magnetic element 1063 may move toward the circuit board 1100. The circuit board 1100 may include at least one sensor configured to detect the movement of the magnetic element 1063. In at least one embodiment, a Hall effect sensor, for example, may be attached to a bottom surface of the circuit board 1100. The Hall effect sensor may be configured to detect a change in a magnetic field surrounding the Hall effect sensor caused by the movement of the magnetic element 1063. The Hall effect sensor, for example, can be capable of signal communication with a microcontroller to determine whether the release button assembly 1062 is in its first position associated with an unactuated position of the closure trigger 1032 and an open configuration of the end effector, in its second position associated with an actuated position of the closure trigger 1032 and a closed configuration of the end effector, and / or in any position between the first and second positions.

[0032] In at least one form, the handle 1014 and frame 1020 may operatively support another drive system, referred to herein as a firing drive system 1080, configured to apply a firing motion to a corresponding portion of an attached interchangeable shaft assembly. The firing drive system 1080 may also be referred to herein as a "second drive system." The firing drive system 1080 may employ an electric motor 1082 located within the pistol grip portion 1019 of the handle 1014. In various forms, the motor 1082 may be a brushed DC drive motor having a maximum rotational speed of, for example, about 25,000 RPM. In other configurations, the motor may include a brushless motor, a cordless motor, a synchronous motor, a stepper motor, or any other suitable electric motor. The motor 1082 may be powered by a power source 1090, and in one form, may include a removable power pack 1092. For example, as can be seen in FIG. 3 , the power pack 1092 may include a proximal housing portion 1094 configured to attach to a distal housing portion 1096. The proximal housing portion 1094 and the distal housing portion 1096 are configured to operably support a plurality of batteries 1098 therein. The batteries 1098 may each include, for example, Lithium Ion (LI) or other suitable batteries. The distal housing portion 1096 is configured to be removably and operably attached to a circuit board 1100 that is also operably coupled to the motor 1082. Multiple batteries 1098, which may be connected in series, may be used as a power source for the surgical instrument 1010. Additionally, the power source 1090 may be replaceable and / or rechargeable.

[0033] As generally described above in relation to various other configurations, the electric motor 1082 may include a rotatable shaft (not shown) in operative communication with a gear reducer assembly 1084 mounted in meshing engagement with a set or rack of drive teeth 1122 on the longitudinally movable drive member 1120. In use, the voltage polarity provided by the power source 1090 may cause the electric motor 1082 to operate in a clockwise direction, but the voltage polarity applied to the electric motor by the battery may be reversed to cause the electric motor 1082 to operate in a counterclockwise direction. When the electric motor 1082 is rotated in one direction, the drive member 1120 will be driven axially in a distal direction "DD". When the motor 1082 is driven in the opposite rotational direction, the drive member 1120 will be driven axially in a proximal direction "PD". The handle 1014 may include a switch that may be configured to reverse the polarity applied to the electric motor 1082 by the power source 1090. As with other configurations described herein, the handle 1014 may also include a sensor configured to detect the position of the drive member 1120 and / or the direction in which the drive member 1120 is being moved.

[0034] Actuation of the motor 1082 may be controlled by a firing trigger 1130 pivotally supported on the handle 1014. The firing trigger 1130 may pivot between an inactivated position and an activated position. The firing trigger 1130 may be biased to the inactivated position by a spring 1132 or other biasing arrangement, and when the clinician releases the firing trigger 1130, the firing trigger 1130 may pivot or otherwise return to the inactivated position by the spring 1132 or biasing arrangement. In at least one form, the firing trigger 1130 may be located "outside" the closure trigger 1032, as described above. In at least one form, a firing trigger safety button 1134 may be pivotally attached to the closure trigger 1032 by a pin 1035. The safety button 1134 may have a pivot arm 1136 positioned between and projecting from the firing trigger 1130 and the closure trigger 1032. See FIG. 3. When the closure trigger 1032 is in the unactuated position, the safety button 1134 is housed in the handle 1014 and is not easily accessible to the clinician, nor can it be moved between a safety position which prevents actuation of the firing trigger 1130, and a firing position in which the firing trigger 1130 may be fired. When the clinician presses the closure trigger 1032, the safety button 1134 and the firing trigger 1130 pivot down, allowing them to then be operated by the clinician.

[0035] As shown above, in at least one form, the longitudinally movable drive member 1120 has a rack of teeth 1122 formed thereon for meshing engagement with a corresponding drive gear 1086 of the gear reducer assembly 1084. At least one form also includes a manually actuated “emergency breakaway” assembly 1140 configured to allow a clinician to manually retract the longitudinally movable drive member 1120 if the motor 1082 is disabled. The emergency breakaway assembly 1140 may include a lever or emergency breakaway handle assembly 1142 configured to be manually pivoted into ratcheting engagement with teeth 1124 also provided on the drive member 1120. Thus, a clinician can manually retract the drive member 1120 by using the emergency breakaway handle assembly 1142 to ratchet the drive member 1120 in the proximal direction “PD”. U.S. Patent No. 8,608,045, entitled "POWERED SURGICAL CUTTING AND STAPLING APPARATUS WITH MANUALLY RETRACTABLE FIRING SYSTEM," discloses emergency release devices, as well as other components, devices, and systems that may also be used with the various instruments disclosed herein. U.S. Patent Application No. 8,608,045, entitled "POWERED SURGICAL CUTTING AND STAPLING APPARATUS WITH MANUALLY RETRACTABLE FIRING SYSTEM," is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0036] 2 and 5, the surgical end effector 1300 includes an elongated channel 1310 configured to operably support a staple cartridge 4000 therein. The end effector 1300 may further include an anvil 2000 pivotally supported relative to the elongated channel 1310. The interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 may further include an articulation joint 3020 and an articulation lock 2140 that may be configured to releasably hold the end effector 1300 in a desired position relative to the shaft axis SA. Details regarding the structure and operation of the end effector 1300, articulation joint 3020, and articulation lock are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 803,086, filed March 14, 2013, entitled "ARTICULATABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING AN ARTICULATION LOCK," now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0263541. The entire disclosure of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 803,086, filed March 14, 2013, entitled "ARTICULATABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING AN ARTICULATION LOCK," now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0263541, is incorporated herein by reference. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 can further include a proximal housing or nozzle 1201 comprised of nozzle portions 1202 and 1203.

[0037] The interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 can further include a closure tube 3000 that can be utilized to open and close the anvil 2000 of the end effector 1300. The shaft assembly 1200 can include a spine 1210 configured to (1) slidably support a firing member therein and (2) slidably support a closure member assembly 3000 extending therearound. As shown in FIG. 5, the distal end 1212 of the spine 1210 terminates in an upper lug attachment mechanism 1270 and a lower lug attachment mechanism 1280. The upper lug attachment mechanism 1270 defines a lug slot 1272 within which an upper mounting link 1274 can be fixedly supported. Similarly, the lower lug attachment mechanism 1280 defines a lug slot 1282 within which a lower mounting link 1284 can be fixedly supported therein. The upper mounting link 1274 includes a pivot socket 1276 therein rotatably receiving a pivot pin 1292 formed on a channel cap or anvil retainer 1290 attached to the proximal end portion 1312 of the elongated channel 1310. The lower mounting link 1284 includes a lower pivot pin 1286 receivable in a pivot hole 1314 formed in the proximal end portion 1312 of the elongated channel 1310. See FIG. 5. The lower pivot pin 1286 is vertically aligned with the pivot socket 1276 to define an articulation axis AA about which the surgical end effector 1300 may articulate relative to the shaft axis SA. See FIG. 2.

[0038] In the illustrated example, the surgical end effector 1300 is selectively articulatable about an articulation axis AA by an articulation system 2100. In one form, the articulation system 2100 includes a proximal articulation drive 2102 pivotally coupled to an articulation link 2120. As seen in FIG. 5 , an offset mounting lug 2114 is formed at a distal end 2110 of the proximal articulation drive 2102. A pivot hole 2116 is formed in the offset mounting lug 2114 and configured to pivotally receive a proximal link pin 2124 formed at a proximal end 2122 of the articulation link 2120 therein. A distal end 2126 of the articulation link 2120 includes a pivot hole 2128 configured to pivotally receive a channel pin 1317 formed at a proximal end portion 1312 of the elongated channel 1310 therein. Thus, axial movement of the proximal articulation drive 2102 imparts articulation to the elongated channel 1310, which causes the surgical end effector 1300 to articulate about articulation axis AA relative to the spine assembly 1210. Details regarding the construction and operation of the articulation system 2100 can be found in U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 635,631, filed June 28, 2017, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH AXIALLY MOVABLE CLOSURE MEMBER," now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0000464. The entire disclosure of U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 635,631, filed June 28, 2017, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH AXIALLY MOVABLE CLOSURE MEMBER," now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0000464 is incorporated herein by reference. In various circumstances, when the proximal joint drive 2102 is not moving proximally or distally, the proximal joint drive 2102 may be maintained in place by a joint lock 2140. Further details regarding examples of the joint lock 2140 can be found in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15 / 635,631, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0000464, as well as other references incorporated by reference herein.

[0039] In various circumstances, the spine 1210 can include a proximal end 1211 that is rotatably supported within the chassis 1240. In one configuration, for example, the proximal end 1211 of the spine 1210 is threaded 1214 for threaded attachment to a spine bearing 1216 configured to be supported within the chassis 1240. See FIG. 4. Such a configuration facilitates rotatable attachment of the spine 1210 to the chassis 1240, and may selectively rotate the spine 1210 about the shaft axis SA relative to the chassis 1240.

[0040] 4, the interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 includes a closure shuttle 1250 slidably supported therein for axial movement relative to the chassis 1240. The closure shuttle 1250 includes a pair of proximally projecting hooks 1252 that are configured to attach to a mounting pin 1037 (FIG. 3) that is attached to the second closure link 1038, as described in further detail below. In at least one example, the closure member assembly 3000 includes a proximal closure member segment 3010 having a proximal end 3012 coupled to the closure shuttle 1250 for rotation relative thereto. A U-shaped connector 1263 is inserted into an annular slot 3014 in the proximal end 3012 of the proximal closure member segment 3010 and is retained in a vertical slot 1253 of the closure shuttle 1250. Such an arrangement allows the proximal closure member segment 3010 and the closure shuttle 1250 to rotate relative to the closure shuttle 1250 about the shaft axis SA while the proximal closure member segment 3010 is journalled on the proximal closure member 3010 and serves to bias the proximal closure member 3010 in the proximal direction "PD" and thereby pivot the closure trigger 1032 to an unactuated position when the shaft assembly is operably coupled to the handle 1014.

[0041] In at least one form, the interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 may further include an articulation joint 3020. However, other interchangeable shaft assemblies may not be articulatable. As shown in FIG. 5, for example, a distal closure member or distal closure tube segment 3030 is coupled to a distal end of a proximal closure member segment 3010. The articulation joint 3020 includes a dual pivoting closure sleeve assembly 3022. According to various forms, the dual pivoting closure sleeve assembly 3022 includes an end effector closure tube 3050 having an upper distally protruding tang 3052 and a lower distally protruding tang 3054. An upper dual pivot link 3056 includes upwardly protruding distal and proximal pivot pins that respectively engage with upper distal and upper proximal pin holes of the upper proximal protruding tang 3052 and 3032 on the distal closure tube segment 3030. The lower double pivot link 3058 includes upwardly projecting distal and proximal pivot pins that engage lower distal and proximal pin holes, respectively, of the lower proximal projecting tang 3054 and the lower distal projecting tang 3034. See Figures 4 and 5. As described in more detail below, the closure member assembly 3000 is translated distally (direction DD) to close the anvil 2000, for example, in response to actuation of the closure trigger 1032. The anvil 2000 is opened by translating the closure member assembly 3000 proximally, which causes the end effector closure tube 3050 to interact with the anvil 2000 and pivot the anvil 2000 to an open position.

[0042] The interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 further includes a firing member 1900 supported for axial movement within the spine 1210. The firing member 1900 includes an intermediate firing shaft portion 1222 configured to be attached to a distal cutting portion or knife bar 1910. The intermediate firing shaft portion 1222 may include a longitudinal slot 1223 at its distal end that may be configured to receive a tab 1912 at a proximal end of the distal knife bar 1910. The longitudinal slot 1223 and the proximal end tab 1912 may be sized and configured to permit relative movement therebetween and may include a slip joint 1914. The slip joint 1914 may permit the intermediate firing shaft portion 1222 of the firing member 1900 to move to articulate the end effector 1300 without moving, or at least substantially without moving, the knife bar 1910. Once the end effector 1300 is properly oriented, the intermediate firing shaft portion 1222 can be advanced distally until the proximal sidewall of the longitudinal slot 1223 contacts the tab 1912 to advance the knife bar 1910 and fire the staple cartridge 4000 located within the channel 1310. The knife bar 1910 includes a knife portion 1920 that includes a blade or tissue cutting edge 1922, and includes an upper anvil engagement tab 1924 and a lower channel engagement tab 1926. The configurations and operation of the various firing members are disclosed in various other references, which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0043] As seen in FIG. 4, the shaft assembly 1200 further includes a switch drum 1500 rotatably received on the proximal closure member segment 3010. The switch drum 1500 includes a hollow shaft segment 1502 having a shaft boss formed therein for receiving an outwardly projecting actuation pin. Under various circumstances, the actuation pin extends through the slot into a longitudinal slot provided in the locking sleeve to assist in axial movement of the locking sleeve when engaged with an articulation driver. The rotational torsion spring 1420 is configured to engage a boss on the switch drum 1500 and a portion of the nozzle housing 1203 to apply a biasing force to the switch drum 1500. The switch drum 1500 may further include an at least partially circumferential opening 1506 defined therein that may be configured to receive a circumferential mount extending from the nozzle portions 1202, 1203 and to permit relative rotation but not translation between the switch drum 1500 and the nozzle 1201. The mount also extends through an opening 3011 in the proximal closure member segment 3010 to fit within a recess 1219 in the spine 1210. Rotation of the switch drum 1500 about the shaft axis SA ultimately rotates the actuation pin and locking sleeve between their engaged and disengaged positions. In one configuration, rotation of the switch drum 1500 may be coupled to axial advancement of the closure tube or closure member. Thus, in essence, actuation of the closure system may operatively engage and disengage the firing drive system and the articulation drive system in a variety of manners as described in further detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 803,086, entitled "ARTICULATABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING AN ARTICULATION LOCK," now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0263541, and U.S. Patent No. 9,913,642, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A SENSOR SYSTEM," the entire disclosures of each of which are incorporated by reference herein.When the closure member segment 3010 is in its proximal most position corresponding to the "jaws open" position, it positions the switch drum 1500 to couple the articulation system with the firing drive system. When the closure tube is moved to its distal position corresponding to the "jaws closed" position, it rotates the switch drum 1500 to a position where the articulation system is disengaged from the firing drive system.

[0044] 4, the shaft assembly 1200 can include a slip ring assembly 1600 that can be configured to, for example, conduct power to and / or communicate signals to the end effector 1300. The slip ring assembly 1600 can include a proximal connector flange 1604 mounted to a chassis flange 1242 extending from the chassis 1240 and a distal connector flange positioned in a slot defined in the shaft housing. The proximal connector flange 1604 can include a first surface and the distal connector flange can include a second surface positioned adjacent to and movable relative to the first surface. The distal connector flange can rotate relative to the proximal connector flange 1604 about the shaft axis SA. The proximal connector flange 1604 can include a plurality of concentric, or at least substantially concentric, conductors defined in its first surface. The connector can be mounted on a proximal face of the connector flange and can have a number of contacts, each corresponding to and in electrical contact with one of the conductors. Such a configuration allows the proximal connector flange 1604 and the distal connector flange to rotate relative to each other while maintaining electrical contact therebetween. The proximal connector flange 1604 can include an electrical connector 1606 that can place conductors in signal communication with, for example, a shaft circuit board 1610 mounted to the shaft chassis 1240. In at least one example, a wiring harness comprising a number of conductors can extend between the electrical connector 1606 and the shaft circuit board 1610. The electrical connector 1606 can extend proximally through a connector opening 1243 defined in the chassis flange 1242. See FIG. 4.Further details regarding the slip ring assembly 1600 can be found, for example, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 803,086, entitled "ARTICULATABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING AN ARTICULATION LOCK," now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0263541, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 800,067, filed Mar. 13, 2013, entitled "STAPLE CARTRIDGE TISSUE THICKNESS SENSOR SYSTEM," now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0263552, and U.S. Patent No. 9,345,481, entitled "STAPLE CARTRIDGE TISSUE THICKNESS SENSOR SYSTEM." U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 803,086, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0263541, U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 800,067, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0263552, and U.S. Patent No. 9,345,481, entitled "STAPLE CARTRIDGE TISSUE THICKNESS SENSOR SYSTEM," are each incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.

[0045] As described above, the shaft assembly 1200 may include a proximal portion fixably attached to the handle 1014 and a distal portion rotatable about a longitudinal axis. The rotatable distal shaft portion may be rotated relative to the proximal portion about the slip ring assembly 1600, as described above. The distal connector flange of the slip ring assembly 1600 may be positioned within the rotatable distal shaft portion. In addition to the above, the switch drum 1500 may also be positioned within the rotatable distal shaft portion. Rotation of the rotatable distal shaft portion may cause the distal connector flange and the switch drum 1500 to rotate synchronously with one another. Additionally, the switch drum 1500 may be rotated between a first position and a second position relative to the distal connector flange. When the switch drum 1500 is in its first position, the articulation drive system may be operatively disengaged from the firing drive system, such that the end effector 1300 of the shaft assembly 1200 cannot be articulated by operation of the firing drive system. When the switch drum 1500 is in its second position, the articulation drive system may be operatively engaged with the firing drive system such that operation of the firing drive system can articulate the end effector 1300 of the shaft assembly 1200. Moving the switch drum 1500 between its first position and its second position causes the switch drum 1500 to move relative to the distal connector flange. In various examples, the shaft assembly 1200 can include at least one sensor configured to detect the position of the switch drum 1500.

[0046] Referring again to FIG. 4, the chassis 1240 includes at least one, and preferably two, tapered mounting portions 1244 formed thereon that are receivable into corresponding dovetail slots 1702 formed in the distal mounting flange portion 1700 of the frame 1020. See FIG. 3. Each dovetail slot 1702 may be tapered, or in other words somewhat V-shaped, to nest and receive the mounting portion 1244 therein. As further shown in FIG. 4, a shaft mounting lug 1226 is formed at the proximal end of the intermediate firing shaft portion 1222. As will be described in more detail below, when the interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 is coupled to the handle 1014, the shaft mounting lug 1226 is received in a firing shaft mounting cradle 1126 formed at the distal end 1125 of the longitudinal drive member 1120. See FIG. 3.

[0047] Various shaft assembly embodiments employ a latch system 1710 for releasably coupling the shaft assembly 1200 to the housing 1012, and more specifically, to the frame 1020. As shown in FIG. 4, the latch system 1710 includes a locking member or locking yoke 1712 that is movably coupled to the chassis 1240. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the locking yoke 1712 has a U-shape with two spaced apart downwardly extending legs 1714. Each of the legs 1714 is formed with a pivot lug 1715 that is receivable within a corresponding hole 1245 formed in the chassis 1240. Such an arrangement facilitates pivotally mounting the locking yoke 1712 to the chassis 1240. The locking yoke 1712 may include two proximally projecting locking lugs 1716 that are configured to releasably engage corresponding locking detents or grooves 1704 of the distal mounting flange 1700 of the frame 1020. See FIG. 3. In various configurations, the locking yoke 1712 is biased proximally by a spring or biasing member. Actuation of the locking yoke 1712 may be accomplished by a latch button 1722 slidably mounted on a latch actuator assembly 1720 mounted to the chassis 1240. The latch button 1722 may be biased proximally relative to the locking yoke 1712. As described in more detail below, biasing the latch button distally may move the locking yoke 1712 to an unlocked position, which also pivots the locking yoke 1712 out of retaining engagement with the distal mounting flange 1700 of the frame 1020. When the locking yoke 1712 is in “retaining engagement” with the distal mounting flange 1700 of the frame 1020, the locking lugs 1716 are retainingly received within corresponding locking detents or grooves 1704 of the distal mounting flange 1700.

[0048] When using interchangeable shaft assemblies, including end effectors of the type described herein adapted to cut and fasten tissue, as well as other types of end effectors, it may be desirable to prevent the interchangeable shaft assembly from being inadvertently separated from the housing during actuation of the end effector. For example, in use, a clinician may actuate the closure trigger 1032 to grasp and manipulate the target tissue into a desired position. Once the target tissue is positioned in the end effector 1300 at a desired orientation, the clinician may then fully actuate the closure trigger 1032 to close the anvil 2000 and clamp the target tissue in place for cutting and stapling. In that case, the first drive system 1030 is fully actuated. After the target tissue is clamped to the end effector 1300, it may be desirable to prevent the shaft assembly 1200 from being inadvertently separated from the housing 1012. The latch system 1710 is configured to prevent such inadvertent separation.

[0049] 4, the locking yoke 1712 includes at least one, and preferably two, locking hooks 1718 adapted to contact a corresponding locking protrusion portion 1256 formed on the closure shuttle 1250. When the closure shuttle 1250 is in an inactivated position (i.e., the first drive system 1030 is inactivated and the anvil 2000 is open), the locking yoke 1712 may be pivoted distally to unlock the interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 from the housing 1012. In that position, the locking hooks 1718 are not in contact with the locking protrusion portion 1256 of the closure shuttle 1250. However, moving the closure shuttle 1250 to an activated position (i.e., the first drive system 1030 is activated and the anvil 2000 is in a closed position) prevents the locking yoke 1712 from pivoting to the unlocked position. In other words, if a clinician attempts to pivot the locking yoke 1712 to the unlocked position, or if, for example, the locking yoke 1712 is inadvertently pushed or contacted in a manner that causes it to pivot distally, the locking hook 1718 of the locking yoke 1712 will contact the locking protrusion portion 1256 of the closure shuttle 1250, preventing the locking yoke 1712 from moving to the unlocked position.

[0050] The attachment of the interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 to the handle 1014 is described below. To begin the coupling process, the clinician may position the chassis 1240 of the interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 above or adjacent to the distal mounting flange portion 1700 of the frame 1020 such that the tapered mounting portion 1244 formed on the chassis 1240 is aligned with the dovetail slot 1702 of the frame 1020. The clinician may then move the shaft assembly 1200 along a mounting axis perpendicular to the shaft axis SA to seat the mounting portion 1244 in "operable engagement" with the corresponding dovetail receiving slot 1702. In doing so, the shaft mounting lugs 1226 on the intermediate firing shaft portion 1222 are also seated within the cradle 1126 of the longitudinally movable drive member 1120, and portions of the pins 1037 on the second closure link 1038 are seated within corresponding hooks 1252 of the closure shuttle 1250. As used herein, the term "operably engaged" in the context of two components means that the two components are sufficiently engaged with one another such that, upon application of an actuation motion thereto, the components can perform an intended action, function, and / or procedure.

[0051] As discussed above, at least five systems of the interchangeable shaft assembly 1200 can be operably coupled to at least five corresponding systems of the handle 1014. A first system can include a frame system that couples and / or aligns a frame or spine of the shaft assembly 1200 with a frame 1020 of the handle 1014. Another system can include a closure drive system 1030 that can operably connect a closure trigger 1032 of the handle 1014, a closure tube 1260, and an anvil 2000 of the shaft assembly 1200. As generally described above, a closure shuttle 1250 of the shaft assembly 1200 can be engaged with a pin 1037 of a second closure link 1038. Another system can include a firing drive system 1080 that can operably connect a firing trigger 1130 of the handle 1014 with an intermediate firing shaft portion 1222 of the shaft assembly 1200. As outlined above, the shaft mounting lugs 1226 can be operatively connected to the cradle 1126 of the longitudinal drive member 1120. Another system can include an electrical system capable of signaling to a controller in the handle 1014, such as, for example, a microcontroller, that a shaft assembly, such as, for example, the shaft assembly 1200, is operatively engaged with the handle 1014, and / or secondly, capable of conducting power and / or communication signals between the shaft assembly 1200 and the handle 1014. As an example, the shaft assembly 1200 can include an electrical connector 1810 operatively mounted to the shaft circuit board 1610. The electrical connector 1810 is configured for mating engagement with a corresponding electrical connector 1800 on the handle control board 1100. Further details regarding the circuitry and control systems can be found in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 803,086, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0263541, and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14 / 226,142, now U.S. Patent No. 9,913,642, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. A fifth system may consist of a latching system that releasably locks the shaft assembly 1200 to the handle 1014.

[0052] The anvil 2000 in the illustrated example includes an anvil body 2002 terminating in an anvil mounting portion 2010. The anvil mounting portion 2010 is movably or pivotally supported on the elongated channel 1310 for selective pivotal movement relative to the anvil mounting portion 2010 about a fixed anvil pivot axis PA transverse to the shaft axis SA. In the illustrated configuration, a pivot member or anvil trunnion 2012 extends laterally from each lateral side of the anvil mounting portion 2010 and is received in a corresponding trunnion cradle 1316 formed in an upstanding wall 1315 of the proximal end portion 1312 of the elongated channel 1310. The anvil trunnion 2012 is pivotally retained in the corresponding trunnion cradle 1316 by a passage cap or anvil retainer 1290. The channel cap or anvil retainer 1290 has a pair of mounting lugs configured to be retained and received within corresponding protruding grooves or notches formed in the upstanding wall 1315 of the proximal end portion 1312 of the elongated channel 1310. See FIG.

[0053] 5, in at least one configuration, the distal closure member or end effector closure tube 3050 employs two axially offset proximal and distal positive jaw opening mechanisms 3060 and 3062 configured to interact with corresponding release areas and stepped portions formed on the anvil mounting portion 2010, as described in further detail in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15 / 635,631, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH AXIALLY MOVABLE CLOSURE MEMBER," now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0000464, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other jaw opening configurations may be used.

[0054] 6-8 show a surgical cutting and fastening instrument 5010 configured to generate a rotational drive motion for operating a surgical end effector 5012. The surgical instrument 5010 includes a handle 5006, a shaft 5008, and an articulating surgical end effector 5012 pivotally coupled to the shaft 5008 at an articulation pivot point 5014. An articulation control 5016 may be provided adjacent the handle 5006 to rotate the end effector 5012 about the articulation pivot point 5014. Various alternative embodiments may include a non-pivoting end effector and thus may not include an articulation pivot point 5014 or an articulation control 5016.

[0055] The handle 5006 of the instrument 5010 may include a closure trigger 5018 and a firing trigger 5020 for actuating the end effector 5012. It will be understood that instruments including end effectors intended for different surgical procedures may have a different number or type of triggers or other suitable controls for manipulating the end effector 5012. In one embodiment, a clinician or operator of the instrument 5010 can articulate the end effector 5012 relative to the shaft 5008 by utilizing an articulation control 5016, as described in more detail in co-pending U.S. Patent No. 7,670,334, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING AN ARTICULATING END EFFECTOR," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The end effector 5012 includes, among other things, staple channels 5022 and a pivotally translatable clamping member, such as an anvil 5024, which are held at a fixed distance to ensure effective stapling and severing of tissue clamped by the end effector 5012. The handle 5006 has a pistol grip 5026 that allows a clinician to pivot and pull a closure trigger 5018 toward the pistol grip 5026 to clamp or close the anvil 5024 toward the staple channel 5022 of the end effector 5012, thereby pinching tissue located between the anvil 5024 and the channel 5022.

[0056] 7, the end effector 5012 can include, in addition to the channel 5022 and anvil 5024 described above, a cutting instrument 5032, a sled 5033, a staple cartridge 5034 removably received within the channel 5022, and a helically threaded shaft 5036. The cutting instrument 5032 can be, for example, a knife. The anvil 5024 includes a pivot pin 5025 movably supported within a corresponding slot in the channel 5022. In one configuration, the anvil 5024 also includes a tab 5027 at its proximal end that is inserted into an element of a mechanical closure system (described in more detail below) to open and close the anvil 5024.

[0057] 7, the shaft 5008 may include a proximal closure tube 5040 and a distal closure tube 5042 pivotally connected by a pivot connection 5044. The distal closure tube 5042 has an opening 5045 into which a tab 5027 of the anvil 5024 is inserted to open and close the anvil 5024, as described in more detail below. A proximal spine tube 5046 may be disposed within the closure tubes 5040, 5042. A main rotating (or proximal) drive shaft 5048 may be disposed within the proximal spine tube 5046 in communication with a secondary (or distal) drive shaft 5050 via bevel gear assemblies 5052a-c. The secondary drive shaft 5050 is connected to a drive gear 5054 that engages a proximal drive gear 5056 of the helical threaded shaft 5036. The vertical bevel gear 5052b may be positioned and pivoted within an opening 5057 at the distal end of the proximal spine tube 5046. The distal spine tube 5058 may be used to house the secondary drive shaft 5050 and the drive gears 5054, 5056. The main drive shaft 5048, secondary drive shaft 5050 and articulation assemblies (e.g., bevel gear assemblies 5052a-c) may be collectively referred to herein as the "main drive shaft assembly."

[0058] A bearing 5038 positioned at the distal end of the staple channel 5022 receives the helical threaded shaft 5036, allowing the helical threaded shaft 5036 to rotate freely relative to the channel 5022. The helical threaded shaft 5036 interferes with a threaded opening (not shown) in the knife 5032, such that rotation of the helical threaded shaft 5036 causes the knife 5032 to translate distally or proximally (depending on the direction of rotation) within the staple channel 5022.

[0059] 8, the handle 5006 has exterior lower side pieces 5059, 5060 and exterior upper side pieces 5061, 5062 that mate together to generally form the exterior surface of the handle 5006. A battery 5064, such as a lithium ion battery, may be provided in the pistol grip 5026 of the handle 5006. The battery 5064 powers a motor 5065 located in an upper portion of the pistol grip portion 5026 of the handle 5006. The motor 5065 may drive a 90° bevel gear assembly 5066 including a first bevel gear 5068 and a second bevel gear 5070. The bevel gear assembly 5066 may drive a planetary gear assembly 5072. The planetary gear assembly 5072 may include a pinion gear 5074 coupled to a drive shaft 5076. The pinion gear 5074 can drive a mating ring gear 5078, which drives a helical gear drum 5080 via a drive shaft. A ring 5084 can be threaded onto the helical gear drum 5080. Thus, as the motor 5065 rotates, the ring 5084 moves along the helical gear drum 5080 by way of the intervening bevel gear assembly 5066, planetary gear assembly 5072, and ring gear 5078.

[0060] The handle 5006 may include a central handle piece 5104 adjacent an upper portion of the firing trigger 5020. The handle 5006 may also include a biasing spring 5112 coupled between the central handle piece 5104 and the post of the firing trigger 5020. The biasing spring 5112 may bias the firing trigger 5020 to its fully open position such that when an operator releases the firing trigger 5020, the biasing spring 5112 pulls the firing trigger 5020 to its open position. The distal end of the helical gear drum 5080 includes a distal drive shaft 5120 that drives a ring gear 5122 that mates with a pinion gear 5124. The pinion gear 5124 is coupled to the main drive shaft 5048 of the main drive shaft assembly such that rotation of the motor 5065 rotates the main drive shaft assembly to actuate the end effector 5012. A ring 5084 threaded onto the helical gear drum 5080 may have a post 5086 that sits in a slot 5088 in a slotted arm 5090. The slotted arm 5090 has an opening 5092 at its opposite end 5094 that receives a pivot pin 5096 that is connected between the outer side pieces 5059, 5060 of the handle. The pivot pin 5096 is also disposed through an opening 5100 in the firing trigger 5020 and an opening 5102 in the central handle piece 5104.

[0061] The central handle piece 5104 includes a rear shoulder 5106 that engages the slotted arm 5090. The central handle piece 5104 further includes a forward motion stop 5107 that engages the firing trigger 5020. The movement of the slotted arm 5090 is controlled by the rotation of the motor 5065 as described above. As the slotted arm 5090 rotates counterclockwise as the ring 5084 moves from the proximal end to the distal end of the helical gear drum 5080, the central handle piece 5104 is free to rotate counterclockwise. Thus, when a user pulls the firing trigger 5020, the firing trigger 5020 engages the forward motion stop 5107 of the central handle piece 5104, causing the central handle piece 5104 to rotate counterclockwise. However, because the rear shoulder 5106 engages the slotted arm 5090, the central handle piece 5104 can only rotate counterclockwise to the extent permitted by the slotted arm 5090. This means that if the motor 5065 stops rotating for any reason, the slotted arm 5090 will stop rotating and the user will not be able to further pull the firing trigger 5020 because the slotted arm 5090 will prevent the central handle piece 5104 from freely rotating counterclockwise.

[0062] Components of an exemplary closure system for closing (or clamping) the anvil 5024 of the end effector 5012 by retracting the closure trigger 5018 are also shown in FIG. 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the closure system includes a yoke 5250 connected to the closure trigger 5018. A pivot pin 5252 is inserted through aligned openings in both the closure trigger 5018 and the yoke 5250 such that both rotate about the same point. The distal end of the yoke 5250 is coupled to a first closure bracket 5256 via a pin 5254. The first closure bracket 5256 is coupled to a second closure bracket 5258. The closure brackets 5256, 5258 together define an opening within which a proximal end of the proximal closure tube 5040 (see FIG. 7 ) is mounted and retained such that longitudinal movement of the closure brackets 5256, 5258 results in longitudinal movement by the proximal closure tube 5040. The instrument 5010 further includes a closure drive shaft 5260 disposed within the proximal closure tube 5040. The closure drive shaft 5260 may include a window 5261 having a post 5263 of one of the handle outer pieces, such as the outer lower side piece 5059 of the illustrated embodiment, disposed therein to fixedly couple the closure drive shaft 5260 to the handle 5006. This allows the proximal closure tube 5040 to move longitudinally relative to the closure drive shaft 5260. The closure drive shaft 5260 may further include a distal collar 5267 that fits into a cavity in the proximal spine tube 5046 and is retained in the cavity by a cap.

[0063] In operation, rotation of the yoke 5250 by pulling the closure trigger 5018 causes the closure brackets 5256, 5258 to move the proximal closure tube 5040 distally (i.e., away from the handle end of the instrument 5010), which in turn moves the distal closure tube 5042 distally and rotates the anvil 5024 about the pivot pin 5025 to a clamped or closed position. When the closure trigger 5018 is released from the locked position, the proximal closure tube 5040 slides proximally, which in turn slides the distal closure tube 5042 proximally and, due to the tab 5027 being inserted into the window 5045 of the distal closure tube 5042, the anvil 5024 pivots about the pivot pin 5025 to an open or unclamped position. In this manner, an operator can clamp tissue between the anvil 5024 and the channel 5022 by pulling and locking the closure trigger 5018, and unclamp the tissue after the cutting / stapling operation by releasing the closure trigger 5018 from the locked position. Further details regarding the configuration and operation of the surgical instrument 5010 can be found in U.S. Patent Application No. 7,845,537, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING RECORDING CAPABILITIES," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other rotary drive mechanisms configured for use with various forms of robotic systems are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 2016 / 0287251, entitled "STAPLING END EFFECTOR CONFIGURED TO COMPENSATE FOR AN UNEVEN GAP BETWEEN A FIRST JAW AND A SECOND JAW," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0064] The surgical stapling system may include a shaft and an end effector extending from the shaft. The end effector includes a first jaw and a second jaw. The first jaw includes a staple cartridge. The staple cartridge is insertable into and removable from the first jaw, although other embodiments are envisioned in which the staple cartridge is not removable from the first jaw, or at least not easily replaceable from the first jaw. The second jaw includes an anvil configured to deform staples ejected from the staple cartridge. Other embodiments are envisioned in which the second jaw is pivotable relative to the first jaw about a closure axis, while the first jaw is pivotable relative to the second jaw. The surgical stapling system further includes an articulation joint configured to allow the end effector to rotate, i.e., articulate, relative to the shaft. The end effector is rotatable about an articulation axis extending through the articulation joint. Other embodiments are contemplated that do not include an articulation joint.

[0065] The staple cartridge includes a cartridge body. The cartridge body includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a deck extending between the proximal and distal ends. In use, the staple cartridge is positioned on a first side of tissue to be stapled and the anvil is positioned on a second side of the tissue. The anvil is moved toward the staple cartridge to compress and clamp the tissue against the deck. Staples removably stored within the cartridge body can then be deployed into the tissue. The cartridge body includes staple cavities defined therein, and the staples are removably stored within the staple cavities. The staple cavities are arranged in six longitudinal rows. Three rows of staple cavities are positioned on a first side of the longitudinal slot and three rows of staple cavities are positioned on a second side of the longitudinal slot. Other arrangements of staple cavities and staples may be possible.

[0066] The staples are supported by staple drivers within the cartridge body. The drivers are movable between a first, or unfired, position and a second, or fired, position that ejects the staples from the staple cavities. The drivers are retained within the cartridge body by a retainer that extends around a bottom of the cartridge body and includes a resilient member configured to grip the cartridge body and hold the retainer against the cartridge body. The drivers are movable between their unfired and fired positions by a sled. The sled is movable between a proximal position adjacent a proximal end and a distal position adjacent a distal end. The sled includes a plurality of angled surfaces configured to slide under the drivers and lift the drivers, on which the staples are supported, toward the anvil.

[0067] In addition to the above, the sled is moved distally by a firing member. The firing member is configured to contact the sled and urge the sled toward the distal end. A longitudinal slot defined in the cartridge body is configured to receive the firing member. The anvil also includes a slot configured to receive the firing member. The firing member further includes a first cam that engages the first jaw and a second cam that engages the second jaw. Upon distally advancing the firing member, the first cam and the second cam can control the distance between the deck of the staple cartridge and the anvil, i.e., the tissue gap. The firing member also includes a knife configured to cut tissue captured intermediate the staple cartridge and the anvil. It is desirable for the knife to be positioned at least partially proximally relative to the ramp such that the staples are ejected forward of the knife.

[0068] The jaw assembly 10000 is illustrated in FIG. 9. The jaw assembly 10000 includes an anvil 10100 configured to deform staples ejected from the staple cartridge 10100 positioned opposite the anvil 10100. The anvil 10100 is rotatable relative to the staple cartridge between an open or unclamped position and a closed or fully clamped position. In alternative embodiments, the staple cartridge is movable relative to the anvil 10100. In various other embodiments, at least one of the staple cartridge and the anvil 10100 is slidable in place relative to the other. In any event, the anvil 10100 includes a proximal end 10110, a distal end 10120, and a longitudinal slot 10150 extending from the proximal end 10110 toward the distal end 10120. The longitudinal slot 10150 is configured to receive the staple firing member as the staple firing member advances distally during a staple firing stroke. In at least one example, the staple firing member comprises a cam member configured to engage and position the anvil 10100 relative to the staple cartridge and a knife configured to cut patient tissue positioned between the staple cartridge and the anvil 10100.

[0069] The anvil 10100 further comprises a tissue compression surface extending between the proximal end 10110 and the distal end 10120. The tissue compression surface comprises a first side 10130 at a first side of the longitudinal slot 10150 and a second side 10140 at a second, or opposite, lateral side of the longitudinal slot 10150. The tissue compression surface is flat. However, in certain embodiments, the tissue compression surface may be cambered or contoured such that the distal end 10120 of the anvil 10100 is closer to the staple cartridge than the proximal end 10110 when the anvil 10100 is in a fully clamped position. Additionally, the tissue compression surface may include a longitudinal step extending along the length of the anvil 10100. The tissue compression surface is configured to directly contact tissue positioned between the staple cartridge and the anvil 10100 when an implantable attachment is not positioned on or attached to the anvil 10100. When an implantable attachment is positioned on or attached to the anvil 10100, the tissue compression surface may not directly contact tissue but still compresses tissue when the anvil 10100 is closed.

[0070] The anvil 10100 further comprises an array of staple forming pockets 10160 defined within the tissue compressing surface. Each staple forming pocket 10160 is configured to deform a staple. In at least one example, each staple forming pocket 10160 comprises a first forming cup configured to receive and deform a first leg of a substantially U-shaped or V-shaped staple and a second forming cup configured to receive and deform a second leg of a substantially U-shaped or V-shaped staple. However, any suitable staple may be used. The entire disclosure of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0297232, filed June 30, 2014, entitled "FASTENER CARTRIDGE COMPRISING NON-UNIFORM FASTENERS," is incorporated herein by reference. The first forming cup is positioned proximally relative to the second forming cup. However, the forming cups may be arranged in any suitable manner. The staple forming pockets 10160 are arranged in three longitudinal rows on the first side 10130 and three longitudinal rows on the second side 10140. However, the staple forming pockets 10160 may be constructed of any suitable material. The entire disclosure of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0089142, filed Sep. 26, 2014, and entitled "METHOD FOR CREATING A FLEXIBLE STAPLE LINE," is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0071] In addition to the above, a U-shaped staple generally includes a base including a first end and a second end, a first leg extending upward from the first end of the base, and a second leg extending upward from the second end of the base, the first and second legs being parallel or substantially parallel to each other, i.e., appearing to be parallel under non-magnified observation. A V-shaped staple generally includes a base including a first end and a second end, a first leg extending upward from the first end of the base, and a second leg extending upward from the second end of the base, the first and second legs extending away from each other. In various examples, the legs of the V-shaped staple contact the sidewalls of a staple cavity defined in the staple cartridge such that the legs of the V-shaped staple resiliently flex inward. Such a configuration creates a retention force between the V-shaped staple and the cartridge body until the staple is fired. In any event, each of the forming pockets 10160 is configured to deform the legs of a U-shaped or V-shaped staple into a substantially B-shaped configuration, as shown in FIG. 13A.

[0072] In addition to the above, the formed B-shaped configuration may be planar, with the base and the deformed legs being in the same plane, or substantially flat, with the deformed legs slightly twisted out of the plane of the base. Staples formed in a planar B-shaped configuration may compress and / or tightly clinch tissue captured therein. Blood flow through such staples is restricted, and as a result, bleeding through the longitudinal tissue incision made between the longitudinal staple lines is limited, if not prevented. Staples formed in a substantially planar B-shaped configuration may also compress and / or tightly clinch tissue captured therein. The out-of-plane deformed staple configuration may compress and hold tissue in a third dimension, thereby allowing the deformed staple to restrict in situ blood flow with less clinching pressure compared to staples deformed in a planar configuration. The entire disclosure of U.S. Patent Application No. 2018 / 0008260, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT," filed June 26, 2017, is incorporated herein by reference. As noted above, some out-of-plane twisting may be advantageous, while other out-of-plane twisting may be tolerated. However, as added below, instances may arise in which it is desirable to limit and / or prevent out-of-plane twisting.

[0073] In addition to the above, the forming cups of the forming pocket 10160 are configured to bend the legs of the staple inwardly toward one another to create a modified B-shaped configuration. As shown in FIG. 13A, the staple 10360 includes a base 10361, a first leg 10362 extending from the base 10361, and a second leg 10363 extending from the base 10361. The first leg 10362 contacts the first forming cup 10162 of the forming pocket 10160 and is curled inwardly toward the second leg 10363. Similarly, the second leg 10363 contacts the second forming cup 10163 of the forming pocket 10160 and is curled inwardly toward the first leg 10362. However, the forming pockets, and / or any other forming surfaces, may be configured to bend the staple legs in any suitable manner and in any suitable direction.

[0074] In various instances, referring to FIGS. 13B and 13C, one or both of the staple legs can miss the forming cup of the forming pocket 10160. In many such instances, the staple legs contact a tissue compression surface and bend in the wrong direction (FIG. 13B) and / or buckle (FIG. 13C). While such misshapen staples can often perform their intended function of sealing and securing the patient's tissue, this is not always the case. Furthermore, one misshapen staple may not be problematic. However, several misshapen staples placed close to each other may require additional steps during the surgical procedure for the clinician to seal and secure the tissue. For example, the clinician may need to suture such areas of tissue, but such steps require additional time and the clinician typically does not need to strive to lengthen them in order to shorten the surgical procedure.

[0075] In view of the above, by maintaining alignment between the staples and the forming pockets 10160, the staples can be deformed in a desired manner. When a stapler with one or more rotatable jaws is used, the anvil jaws and / or staple cartridge jaws are rotated into parallel alignment such that the staples in the staple cartridge are aligned with the forming pockets 10160 of the anvil. However, if one or both of the jaws are not fully closed, the staples and the forming pockets 10160 can be at least partially out of alignment. With this in mind, the stapling instrument can include a sensor system configured to detect whether the jaws are sufficiently closed and / or in suitable alignment relative to one another to perform a staple firing stroke. The sensor system is in signal communication with a control system of the stapling instrument configured to enable a motorized staple firing drive to operate when the jaws are detected as closed, or at least suitably closed. In at least one example, the sensor system includes a Hall Effect sensor attached to the staple cartridge jaws that, for example, emits a magnetic field and detects a change in the magnetic field when the anvil is closed.

[0076] When the jaws of the stapling instrument are properly closed, further to the above, the staple firing drive can be operated to advance the firing member and staple pusher sled of the staple firing drive through a staple firing stroke to staple the patient's tissue. In various examples, the stapling instrument includes a handle including a firing trigger or actuator and a firing trigger sensor in signal communication with a control system, which when closed sends a signal to the control system to operate the electric motor of the staple firing drive in a first direction. When the staple firing stroke is completed, the control system no longer supplies power to the electric motor, resulting in the firing member stopping. When the clinician releases the firing trigger, the control system applies the opposite or reverse polarity to the electric motor to operate it in the opposite direction and retract the firing member. In various embodiments, the handle includes a different actuator in communication with the control system that when actuated reverses the electric motor to retract the firing member.

[0077] During the staple firing stroke, in addition to the above, the firing member and sled move from the proximal end of the end effector toward the distal end of the end effector. When the firing member and sled reach the distal end of the end effector, the staple firing stroke is complete. However, the staple firing stroke can be stopped and then retracted at any suitable point. During the staple firing stroke, the tissue cutting edge of the firing member contacts the tissue, applies a force to the tissue, and then cuts the tissue as the firing member advances in a distal direction. In alternative embodiments, the sled includes a tissue cutting edge. In either case, the tissue cutting edge can push the tissue at least slightly distally as the firing member moves distally, even though the tissue is clamped between the anvil and the staple cartridge jaws. Stated differently, the tissue can flow distally during the staple firing stroke. In such instances, the distal tissue flow can urge, rotate, and / or shift the staples distally as they are ejected from the staple cartridge and / or formed against the anvil. In many instances, the legs of the staples will nevertheless be captured by the forming cups of the forming pockets 10160 and deformed into a suitable configuration. In some cases, however, distal tissue flow can allow the staple legs to miss the corresponding forming cups in the anvil.

[0078] In addition to the above, distal tissue flow is more likely to occur when the tissue cutting edge of the firing member becomes dull or dull compared to when the tissue cutting edge is sharp and clean. When a stapling instrument is used to perform more than one staple firing stroke, the tissue cutting edge may become dull over the life of the stapling instrument. In many cases, the stapling instrument is used, for example, at least 12 times. In some cases, however, the tissue cutting edge may become dull during a single staple firing stroke. Furthermore, distal tissue flow is more likely to occur when the tissue cutting edge is damaged, such as, for example, when the tissue cutting edge passes through a previously implanted staple. Distal tissue flow is also more likely to occur when the tissue being cut is thick and / or dense and / or when the staple firing member is moving rapidly. Whatever the cause of distal tissue flow, the surgical stapling instrument may include a system for determining if the staples are misshapen and / or underformed and adapting the operation of the surgical stapling instrument to improve the deformation of the staples to a desired shape.

[0079] 9, the jaw assembly 10000 further includes a staple formation sensing system 10200 attached to the anvil 10100. The staple formation sensing system 10200 includes a first portion 10230 attached to a first side 10130 of the anvil 10100 and a second portion 10240 attached to a second side 10140 of the anvil 10100. The first portion 10230 of the staple forming system 10200 includes a flex circuit including a flexible insulating substrate and conductors 10270 extending through the substrate. The second portion 10240 of the staple forming system 10200 also includes a flex circuit including a flexible insulating substrate and conductors 10270 extending through the substrate. The flexible insulating substrate of the staple formation sensing system 10200 is attached to the anvil 10100, for example, by one or more adhesives, but may be attached to the anvil 10100 in any suitable manner. Alternatively, the conductors 10270 may be attached directly to the anvil 10100 without being embedded in a substrate. In at least one such example, each conductor 10270 includes, for example, a conductive core surrounded by an insulating jacket, which is attached to the anvil 10100, for example, by one or more adhesives. In any event, the staple formation sensing system 10200 includes a longitudinal opening 10250 defined therein that is aligned with a longitudinal slot 10150 defined in the anvil 10100 and is configured to allow the staple firing member and / or tissue cutting edge to move relative to the staple formation sensing system 10200 without traversing it.

[0080] 10, the staple formation sensing system 10200 includes contacts or electrical traces 10260 aligned with and positioned within the staple forming pockets 10160. Each forming cup of the staple forming pockets 10160 includes a distal end wall 10165, a proximal end wall 10166, a side wall 10167, and a bottom wall 10164 extending between the distal end wall 10165, the proximal end wall 10166, and the side wall 10167. The end walls 10165 and 10166 guide the staple legs into and out of the forming cup, and the bottom wall 10164 turns the tips of the staple legs back toward the staple cartridge. The side wall 10167 cooperates to hold the staple legs in a longitudinal plane and keep the staple legs in contact with the bottom wall 10164. The electrical traces 10260 are attached to the bottom wall 10164 such that the staple legs deformed by the forming cup contact the electrical traces 10260. Each electrical trace 10260 comprises a base 10264 attached to the bottom wall 10164 of the forming cup and an electrical contact 10266 supported by the base 10264. The base 10264 is comprised of an electrically insulating material, such as, for example, plastic, and the electrical contacts 10266 are comprised of a conductive material, such as, for example, copper and / or stainless steel. The base 10264 electrically isolates the electrical contacts 10266 from the anvil 10100, which is made from stainless steel and / or any other suitable metal.

[0081] As noted above, the forming cup may have any suitable configuration and may include one or more electrical traces in any suitable configuration. The entire disclosure of U.S. Patent No. 9,220,502, issued December 29, 2015, and entitled "STAPLE FORMATION RECOGNITION FOR A SURGICAL DEVICE," is incorporated herein by reference.

[0082] In addition to the above, the electrical contacts 10266 of each electrical trace 10260 can form an electrically conductive interface with the electrical contacts 10266 when the legs of the staple are exposed and the legs are deformed within the forming cup. When both legs of the metal staple are in electrical communication with the respective electrical contacts 10266, the staple completes or closes an electrical circuit of the staple formation sensing system 10200. In various examples, the metal staples are constructed of stainless steel and / or titanium, for example. The staple formation system 10200 includes a plurality of separate and independent electrical sensor circuits, one for each staple forming pocket 10160, that communicate with a control system or control circuit of the surgical stapling system. With reference to FIG. 9, the staple formation sensing system includes an electrical connector 10280 including a housing and a plurality of electrical contacts. The electrical connector 10280 is configured to mate with a corresponding electrical connector of a surgical instrument system to place the electrical traces 10260 in signal communication with a controller of the control system. The controller can include a microprocessor configured to, for example, evaluate the independent electrical sensor circuit, i.e., whether the independent electrical sensor circuit is closed by a staple. In addition to or instead of the controller's microprocessor, the electrical connector 10280 can include a microprocessor configured to communicate with the controller.

[0083] During the staple firing stroke, in addition to the above, the staples of the staple cartridge are progressively ejected by the firing member. Stated another way, the firing member ejects the proximal staples of the staple cartridge at the beginning of the staple firing stroke and the distal staples at the end of the staple firing stroke. The control system of the surgical stapling instrument is configured to evaluate the independent electrical sensor circuits during the staple firing stroke. If all of the staples of the staple cartridge properly contact the staple forming pockets 10160 during the staple firing stroke, the staples progressively close all of the independent electrical sensor circuits. In such an example, the control system does not modify the speed of the staple firing stroke due to the misaligned staples, since the staples are not misaligned, or at least not detected as being misaligned. However, in such an example, the control system may change the speed of the staple firing stroke for other reasons, such as, for example, when the magnitude of the current to the firing drive electric motor exceeds a threshold value and / or when the firing member reaches the end of the staple firing stroke. In various examples, the surgical tool system includes a firing drive electric motor circuit and / or a current sensor circuit configured to detect one or more sensors, such as an encoder configured to detect the position of the firing member relative to the end of the staple firing stroke.

[0084] In addition to the above, the control system includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) control circuit configured to control the speed of the firing drive electric motor. The PWM control circuit applies voltage pulses to the firing drive electric motor to execute a staple firing stroke. In various examples, the PWM control circuit increases the duration of the voltage pulses applied to the firing drive electric motor to increase the speed of the firing drive electric motor and, accordingly, the speed of the staple firing stroke. The PWM control circuit decreases the duration of the voltage pulses applied to the firing drive electric motor to decrease the speed of the firing drive electric motor and, accordingly, the speed of the staple firing stroke. The PWM control circuit applies the voltage pulses to the firing drive electric motor at regular intervals. However, the control system can include a frequency modulation (FM) control circuit to vary the frequency of the voltage pulse intervals. In various examples, the FM control circuit decreases the interval between the voltage pulses to increase the speed of the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke. In response, the FM control circuit increases the interval between the voltage pulses to decrease the speed of the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke. Additionally or alternatively, the control system can increase the magnitude of voltage applied to the firing drive electric motor to increase the speed of the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke, and / or decrease the magnitude of voltage applied to the firing drive electric motor to decrease the speed of the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke.

[0085] As discussed above, the control system of the stapling instrument associated with the staple formation sensing system 10200 is configured to sense whether a staple is properly formed in each of the staple forming pockets 10160. More specifically, as also discussed above, the control system determines that a staple is properly formed in a staple forming pocket 10160 when a staple closes the sensor circuit of that staple forming pocket 10160. Correspondingly, the control system determines that a staple is not properly formed in a staple forming pocket 10160 when a staple does not close the sensor circuit of that staple forming pocket 10160. A staple may not close a sensor circuit when one or both of its staple legs miss its corresponding staple forming pocket 10160. A staple also does not close its corresponding sensor circuit before the staple is fired, which of course occurs in a longitudinally fired stapling instrument. To distinguish between these two events, the control system is configured to evaluate the sensor circuit of a staple that has been and / or is currently being driven by the firing member. These sensor circuits are used by the control system to adapt the speed of the firing member, and not the sensor circuits of the staples that have not yet been fired. Thus, the control system performs a simultaneous evaluation of the staples being formed to evaluate whether to slow down, speed up, and / or maintain the speed of the staple firing stroke. For example, if the control system evaluates that the staples are not properly deforming, the control system slows down the firing system electric motor in an attempt to cause better staple formation. If the control system then evaluates that the subsequent staples are properly deformed, the control system can return the staple firing stroke to its normal speed. Alternatively, the control system can maintain the staple firing stroke at its slower speed even though the subsequent staples are properly deformed. In either case, however, if the subsequent staples are not properly deformed, the control system further slows the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke.As described in more detail below, the control system can pause the staple firing stroke if the staple is misaligned.

[0086] As discussed above, the deformability of a single staple triggers the control system to slow down the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke. Other criteria can be used to slow down the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke. In at least one example, the deformability of two staples triggers the control system to slow down the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke. In certain examples, the deformability of two consecutive staples triggers the control system to slow down the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke. In various examples, the deformability of two staples in the same longitudinal staple row triggers the control system to slow down the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke. In at least one example, the deformability of two consecutive staples in the same longitudinal staple row triggers the control system to slow down the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke. In at least one example, the misalignment of two consecutive staple legs in the same longitudinal row triggers the control system to slow down the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke. In various examples, a single formed staple in the innermost longitudinal staple row, i.e., the staple row adjacent the longitudinal incision made by the stapling instrument, triggers the control system and a single misaligned staple in the outermost longitudinal staple row does not trigger the control system but slows down the firing drive electric motor. In such examples, it takes two or more misaligned staples in the outermost staple row to trigger the control system to slow down the firing drive electric motor depending on the criteria set for the control algorithm. Other permutations of misaligned staples in consecutive or non-consecutive, same, different, and / or adjacent longitudinal staple rows can trigger the control system to slow down the firing drive of the stapling instrument. In at least one example, a triggering event occurs when three laterally aligned staples in the staple pattern are misaligned, hi such an example, the misaligned staples are in three adjacent staple rows that allow blood to flow through the incision in the tissue.

[0087] In addition to the above, fully misshapen staples are processed differently than partially misshapen staples. As noted above, fully misshapen staples are staples that have both legs that miss the corresponding forming cups, while partially misshapen staples are staples that have one leg that contacts the corresponding forming cups and one leg that misses the corresponding forming cups. In various examples, a partially misshapen staple will not trigger the control system to slow down the firing drive electric motor, while a fully misshapen staple will trigger the control system to slow down the firing drive electric motor. In other examples, a single partially misshapen staple will not trigger the control system, while two consecutive partially misshapen staples will trigger the control system to slow down the firing drive electric motor. In at least one example, the control system maintains an operating count of fully awkward and partially awkward staples and slows down the firing drive electric motor when the count reaches a predetermined threshold. In at least one such example, the trigger count is, for example, 2.0 where the fully awkward staple count is 1.0 and the partially awkward staple count is 0.5. In such a case, the control system is triggered after one fully awkward staple and two partially awkward staples are detected by the control system. Other permutations and trigger counts are possible.

[0088] As discussed above, the control system is configured to reduce the speed of the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke when a trigger event is identified by the control system's algorithm. In various examples, the control system is configured to reduce the speed of the firing drive electric motor by half or approximately half, for example, each time the control system is triggered. For example, the normal speed of the firing member during the staple firing stroke may be 30 mm / sec, and when the control system is triggered, the control system cuts the firing member speed to 15 mm / sec. In this example, a subsequent trigger of the control system reduces the firing member speed to 7.5 mm / sec, etc. In various examples, the control system has a minimum speed or floor below which the firing member speed will not decrease unless the firing member is stopped or stopped. In various other embodiments, the control system reduces the speed of the staple firing stroke by, for example, 75% or approximately 75% when triggered. Thereafter, in this embodiment, the firing stroke speed is not further reduced until the firing stroke is paused or stopped.

[0089] 10 and 11, as described above, when the staples 10360 are ejected from their staple cartridges during a staple firing stroke, the legs of the staples 10360 contact the traces 10260 positioned in the forming cups of the forming pockets 10160. As also described above, the traces 10260 are part of a sensor circuit in communication with a control system of the surgical stapling system, which is configured to evaluate whether the staple legs have entered into the forming cups and, with this information, follow an algorithm to determine whether to modify one or more operating parameters of the surgical stapling system. However, a properly deformed staple 10360 will remain in contact with the traces 10260 throughout the staple firing stroke, and thus the control system may be further configured to evaluate the quality of contact between the staples 10360 and the traces 10260 to evaluate the shape of the staples 10360 after they have been deformed. When the staple 10360 is deformed into a planar, or at least substantially flat, shape, a large surface area on the staple 10360 will contact the trace 10260. When the staple 10360 is deformed out of plane, i.e., in the third dimension as described above, a relatively small surface area on the staple 10360 will contact the trace 10260. The larger contact area results in a lower resistance through the sensor circuit when the staple 10360 is deformed into a substantially flat shape compared to when the staple 10360 is deformed into a 3D shape. If such a 3D staple shape is desired or acceptable, the control system can be programmed to remain in its normal operating mode unless a different triggering event causes the control system to enter a different operating mode. If such a 3D formed staple shape is not desired, the control system can be programmed to enter a second operating mode when a 3D formed staple shape is detected by the control system. In the second mode of operation, the control system can alter one or more operating parameters of the surgical stapling system.For example, the control system can reduce the speed of the stapling firing stroke as a slower staple firing stroke, reducing deformation of the staples into out-of-plane 3D shapes.

[0090] Additionally or alternatively, other staple formation sensing systems can be used to detect staple misalignment during the staple firing stroke. In at least one example, the staple formation sensing system includes a flex circuit and an array of Hall effect sensors attached to the flex circuit. Each Hall effect sensor is part of a sensor circuit in communication with a control system of the surgical stapling system. The flex circuit is attached to a tissue-facing surface of the staple cartridge and / or a tissue-facing surface of the anvil. In various examples, each Hall effect sensor emits a magnetic field between a cartridge staple pocket and its corresponding anvil forming pocket. During the staple firing stroke, the magnetic field generated by the Hall effect sensor is disturbed by a staple being ejected from the staple cartridge. Each Hall effect sensor is configured to evaluate the magnetic field generated when detectably disturbed by, for example, the position and / or shape of a deformed staple. When a staple is properly formed by a staple forming pocket, the corresponding Hall effect sensor detects a first magnetic field disturbance consistent with a properly formed staple and, in such case, generates a first voltage output. However, if the staple is misshapen, the corresponding Hall effect sensor detects a second magnetic field disturbance different from the first magnetic field disturbance and in such case generates a second voltage output different from the first voltage output. When the control system receives a second voltage output from one of the Hall effect sensor circuits, the control system may enter a second operating mode in which at least one performance characteristic of the surgical stapling system is modified by the control system - assuming all of the other control system algorithm criteria for entering the second operating mode are met. In particular, two or more formed deformed staple positions and / or two or more deformed staple shapes may be acceptable. In such case, the voltage output of the Hall effect sensor is compared to a range of acceptable outputs. If the voltage output falls within the acceptable range, the control system continues to operate in its normal or default operating mode. If the voltage output is outside the acceptable range, the control system enters a second, or different, operating mode.

[0091] In various examples, the staple formation sensing system can utilize tissue impedance analysis to assess whether the staples implanted in or on the tissue are properly formed. Tissue impedance analysis can assess electrical properties of the patient's tissue, which can vary as a function of the stress, strain, and / or pressure to which the tissue is subjected. Uncompressed or unclamped, the tissue has a first set of electrical properties. Clamped tissue has a second set of electrical properties that are different from the first set of electrical properties. Properly stapled tissue has a third set of electrical properties that are different from the first and second sets, and tissue stapled with ill-formed staples has a set of electrical properties that are different from the first, second, and third sets. In various examples, the electrical properties of the tissue are a function of the amount of water, fluid, and / or blood in the tissue. When the tissue is compressed by the anvil, an amount of water, fluid, and / or blood flows from the compressed tissue into the surrounding tissue due to the pressure applied by the end effector. In such a case, the compressed tissue will have fewer ions and / or iron atoms contained therein, for example, which will change the impedance and / or capacitance of the tissue. Such changes in impedance and / or capacitance can be detected by the control system and compared to a set of criteria to assess whether these electrical properties are within their respective ranges. Similarly, a certain amount of water, fluid, and / or blood will flow out of the tissue when the tissue is properly stapled. As above, such changes in impedance and / or capacitance can be detected by the control system and compared to criteria to assess whether these electrical properties are then within their respective ranges. In particular, a poorly formed staple will not drain the same amount of water, fluid, and / or blood flow out of the tissue as compared to a properly formed staple. Thus, the electrical properties of the tissue will not change as much as they do when the tissue is properly stapled. These differences are detectable by the control system, which is configured to enter a different mode of operation upon detecting that the staple is not properly formed.

[0092] In various embodiments, further to the above, the staple formation sensing system includes each sensor circuit including a pair of electrodes, i.e., electrodes on the anvil and electrodes on the staple cartridge, that are aligned, or at least substantially aligned, with one another when the end effector is in a closed configuration. The sensor circuits are in communication with a control system, and when the control system applies a voltage potential to one of the electrodes of the sensor circuit, a signal current passes through tissue between the pair of electrodes of the sensor circuit. The control system may, for example, include one or more ammeter circuits configured to measure the current flowing through the sensor circuit, and with this information, the control system can calculate the impedance of the tissue between the electrodes and assess whether the tissue is properly stapled.

[0093] In various embodiments, further to the above, the staple formation detection system comprises one or more spectrometer circuits configured to evaluate one or more characteristics of tissue to evaluate whether the tissue is properly stapled. In at least one example, the spectrometer circuits are configured to evaluate electromagnetic waves, e.g., emanating from and / or reflected from the tissue. In various examples, each spectrometer circuit includes, e.g., one or more CCD and / or CMOS image sensors. Properly stapled tissue may have a different color than improperly stapled tissue, for example, and such differences may be detected by the control system to evaluate whether to operate in the first or second operating mode. Such color differences may result from, for example, the amount and / or density of water, fluid, and / or blood in the tissue.

[0094] In various embodiments, further to the above, the staple formation detection system can utilize a magnetic impedance sensor to assess whether the tissue is properly stapled. As discussed above, the electrical properties of the patient's tissue change when exposed to stress, strain, and / or pressure. The magnetic impedance of the tissue is another detectable electrical property, and the magnetic impedance sensor is configured to detect changes in the magnetic impedance of the tissue and compare those variations to the magnetic impedance of properly stapled tissue. If the control system determines that the tissue is not properly stapled, the control system can adjust the position of the anvil jaws and / or adjust the speed of the staple firing system, etc.

[0095] In various examples, as described above, the staple forming system can be configured to evaluate the formation of all staples ejected from the staple cartridge. Such a configuration can provide very detailed information regarding tissue flow and staple formation. However, embodiments are envisioned in which the formation of only some staples is evaluated. With reference to FIG. 15, evaluating one staple in each of Zone A, Zone B, Zone C, Zone D, Zone E, and Zone F is sufficient to adequately evaluate tissue flow and staple formation in at least some embodiments. In at least one embodiment, evaluating two staples in each of Zone A, Zone B, Zone C, Zone D, Zone E, and Zone F is sufficient to adequately evaluate tissue flow and staple formation. In at least one such embodiment, for example, a staple on each side of the longitudinal tissue incision in each zone can be evaluated.

[0096] In various examples, the control system is configured to evaluate the firing force experienced by the firing member during the staple firing stroke to evaluate whether the staples formed by the firing member are misaligned. During the staple firing stroke, the firing member experiences an average firing force during which the staple is properly formed, but the firing member does not necessarily experience a constant force. Instead, the firing member experiences force peaks and force valleys during the staple firing stroke. Each force peak corresponds to a deformation of the staple, or more specifically, the deformation of the staple into its fully formed configuration. Properly formed staples typically produce force peaks. However, misaligned staples typically produce even greater force peaks. With this in mind, the stapling instrument can be configured to detect large force peaks consistent with staple misalignment compared to normal force peaks consistent with properly formed staples, as described in more detail below, and to slow down the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke.

[0097] In various embodiments, further to the above, the staple firing drive of the surgical instrument includes a firing member that is translated longitudinally during the staple firing stroke. One or more stain gauges can be attached to the firing member and arranged to communicate with the control system via one or more strain gauge circuits that can extend, for example, through the drive components of the staple firing system and / or the housing of the stapling system. The strain detected in the firing member is directly related to the firing force experienced by the firing member. As a result, the firing member experiences strain peaks and strain valleys that correspond, respectively, to the force peaks and force valleys generated during the staple firing stroke. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the rotating members of the staple firing drive can include an attached strain gauge that communicates with the control system via one or more strain gauge circuits. When the strain of the firing member and / or any other component of the staple firing drive exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control system slows down the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke if the conditions of the trigger algorithm are otherwise met. Additionally or alternatively, the staple firing drive can include one or more load cells positioned intermediate an intermediate component of the staple firing drive. The load cells are configured to communicate with the control system and generate a voltage potential that is detected by a microprocessor of the control system. In at least one example, each load cell includes a piezoelectric transducer configured to convert a loading force in the firing drive system to a voltage potential proportional to the loading force. When the potential exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control system slows down the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke if a condition of a trigger algorithm is otherwise satisfied.

[0098] Additionally or alternatively, the force generated by the firing drive electric motor during the staple firing stroke is a function of the current drawn by the electric motor. As the firing member experiences a force peak, the electric motor current also draws a peak in a corresponding or proportional manner. When the staple is malformed, the peak of the current drawn by the firing drive electric motor detectably exceeds the peak of the current drawn by the firing drive electric motor when the staple is properly formed. In various examples, the control system includes a current sensor circuit or ammeter circuit configured to detect the current drawn by the firing drive electric motor, for example. When the current peak exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control system slows down the firing drive electric motor and the staple firing stroke if the conditions of the trigger algorithm are otherwise met.

[0099] 12, 12A and 12B, the end effector 11000 includes an anvil jaw 11100 and a staple cartridge jaw 11300. The anvil jaw 11100 is rotatable relative to the staple cartridge jaw 11300 between an open, unclamped position and a closed, clamped position. In other embodiments, the staple cartridge jaw 11300 is rotatable relative to the anvil jaw 11100 between an open, unclamped position and a closed, clamped position. The staple cartridge jaw includes a plurality of staples 11360 removably stored therein that are fired during a staple firing stroke to secure tissue T captured between the anvil jaw 11100 and the cartridge jaw 11300. FIG. 12 illustrates the end effector 11000 in a fully fired configuration, i.e., after a complete staple firing stroke. Figure 12A diagrammatically illustrates the formation of a staple 11360 by forming a pocket 11160. A properly formed staple 11360 is depicted as a grey rectangle 11360' in Figure 12A. A completely misshapen staple 11360 is depicted as a white rectangle 11360'' in Figure 12A, while a partially misshapen staple 11360 is shown as a half-white / half-grey rectangle 11360''', indicating that one of the staple legs is properly formed but the other is not.

[0100] Referring again to FIG. 12A, the beginning of the illustrated staple firing stroke is represented by reference numeral 11110, the middle of the illustrated staple firing stroke is represented by reference numeral 11120, and the end of the illustrated staple firing stroke is represented by reference numeral 11130. The tissue cut line is represented by line 11170. As shown in FIG. 12A, some staples 11360 were completely misaligned and some staples 11360 were partially misaligned during the beginning 11110 of the staple firing stroke. Referring to the firing force graph 11400 of FIG. 12B, the complete and partial misalignment of these staples 11360 created several large peaks 11460 in the firing force transmitted through the staple firing drive. Indeed, three large peaks 11460 can be seen at the beginning 11410 of the firing force curve which corresponds to the beginning 11110 of the staple firing stroke in FIG. 12A. Further to the above, these high force peaks 11460 generate a trigger event A within the control system of the stapling instrument, which causes the control system to slow down the electric motor of the firing drive during the intermediate portion 11120 of the staple firing stroke. Referring again to FIG. 12B, as a result of the slowed down speed, the average firing force of the firing drive is reduced, as is the force peak 11460. The lower firing force during the intermediate portion 11120 of the staple firing stroke is illustrated in the intermediate portion 11420 of the firing force curve. The change in staple firing drive speed is illustrated in the speed graph 11500 of FIG. 12B. More specifically, the intermediate portion 11520 of the speed curve is lower than the beginning 11510 of the speed curve. As outlined above, the slower speed of the staple firing drive reduces distal flow of the tissue being stapled, resulting in improved formation of the staples 11360. This reduction in distal tissue flow is shown in graph 11700 of FIG. 12B, where tissue flow 11710 at the beginning 11110 of the staple firing stroke exceeds the 2 mm / sec threshold and tissue flow 11720 during the middle 11120 of the staple firing stroke falls below the 2 mm / sec threshold.The slower speed of the staple firing drive also reduces the power required by the firing drive electric motor to execute a staple firing stroke, as shown by power curve 11600 in FIG. 12B.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 12A, some staples 11360 become unsheathed during the middle portion 11120 of the staple firing stroke, again triggering the control system during trigger event B. Further to the above, and referring again to the tissue flow graph 11700 of FIG. 12B, the unsheathing of these staples occurred because the distal tissue flow again exceeded the 2 mm / sec threshold. Referring again to the firing force graph 11400 of FIG. 12B, the complete and partial unsheathing of these staples 11360 created a large peak 11460 in the firing force transmitted through the staple firing drive. In response, the control system slows down the electric motor of the firing drive during the end 11130 of the staple firing stroke. Referring again to FIG. 12B, as a result of the reduced speed, the average firing force of the firing drive decreases, and so does the force peak 11460. The lower force to fire during the end 11130 of the staple firing stroke is depicted at the end 11430 of the force vs. firing curve. The change in staple firing drive speed is shown in the speed graph 11500 of FIG. 12B. More specifically, the end 11530 of the speed curve is lower than the end 11520 of the speed curve. As outlined above, the slower staple firing drive speed reduces the distal flow of the tissue being stapled, resulting in improved formation of the staples 11360. This reduction in distal tissue flow is shown in the graph 11700 of FIG. 12B, where the tissue flow 11730 at the end 11130 of the staple firing stroke is lower than the tissue flow 11720 during the middle portion 11120 of the staple firing stroke. The slower staple firing drive speed also reduces the power required by the firing drive electric motor to execute the staple firing stroke, as shown by the power curve 11600 of FIG. 12B.

[0102] As discussed above, distal flow of tissue within the end effector can be reduced by slowing down the staple firing stroke. Distal flow of tissue can also be reduced by increasing the clamping pressure or force applied to the tissue by the jaws of the end effector. In some methods, a higher clamping force between the anvil jaws and the staple cartridge jaws holds the tissue in place and prevents or at least reduces tissue flow distally. As a result, staples driven through the tissue during the staple firing stroke are less likely to miss the corresponding forming pockets. Generally, the clamping force applied to tissue captured between the anvil jaws and the staple cartridge jaws increases as the tissue gap between the anvil jaws and the staple cartridge jaws decreases. When the anvil jaws are movable relative to the staple cartridge jaws, the anvil jaws are moved closer to the staple cartridge jaws to increase the clamping force on the tissue. Correspondingly, when the staple cartridge jaws are movable relative to the anvil jaws, the staple cartridge jaws are moved closer to the anvil jaws to increase the clamping force on the tissue.

[0103] In various examples, a surgical stapling system includes a motor-driven jaw closure system configured to close an end effector of the surgical stapling system and an independently operated motor-driven staple firing system configured to perform a staple firing stroke. During the staple firing stroke, the closure system holds the jaws in a closed configuration. After the staple firing stroke is completed, or at least sufficiently completed, the firing member is retracted. Once the firing member has been sufficiently retracted, the closure system is operated to drive the end effector to its open configuration and / or to allow the end effector to open in response to an opening force from one or more biasing members. As a result of the above, the closure drive and the staple firing drive are operated in separate and unique manners. Thus, the clamping force applied to tissue by the closure drive can be adjusted based on one or more operating parameters of the staple firing drive, as described in more detail below.

[0104] In various examples, further to the above, the surgical stapling system is used to perform more than one staple firing stroke, i.e., multiple firings. In at least one such example, the surgical stapling system may be used to perform, for example, the firing of 12 staples before the tissue-cutting knife of the surgical stapling system becomes too dull to adequately cut the patient's tissue. However, the tissue-cutting knife does not suddenly become dull after the firing of the 12th staple. Rather, the tissue-cutting knife becomes gradually dull as a result of firing each staple. As the tissue-cutting knife becomes duller, the force required to cut the patient's tissue may increase from one staple firing stroke to the next, which in turn may increase the distal flow of tissue during the staple firing stroke. Thus, the distal tissue flow during the 12th staple firing stroke of the surgical stapling instrument may be greater, if not much greater, than the distal tissue flow during the first staple firing stroke of the surgical stapling instrument.

[0105] With the above in mind, and referring to FIG. 18, a control system of a surgical stapling system is configured to increase the clamping force applied by the end effector to the tissue from one staple firing stroke to the next. The clamping force applied to the tissue is illustrated by curve 12800 in FIG. 18. From FIG. 18, it can be seen that the clamping force applied to the tissue during the second firing stroke is greater than the clamping force applied to the tissue during the first firing stroke. It can also be seen that the clamping force applied to the tissue during the third firing stroke is greater than the clamping force applied to the tissue during the second firing stroke, and so on. The control system includes a counting circuit configured to count the number of firings performed by the surgical stapling system. In at least one example, the microprocessor of the control system includes a digital counting circuit that is incremented each time a staple firing stroke is initiated. After each firing, the count is indexed by one, and when the next firing is performed, the control system applies a greater clamping force to the tissue. The increase in clamping force can be, for example, a ratio increase. For example, the control system can increase the clamp force by 10% of the original clamp force for each fire. Such a configuration results in a linear increase in clamp force over the entire 12 fires. If the surgical stapling system is used for more than 12 fires, the control system can continue to increase the clamp force linearly from one fire to the next. In at least one configuration, the slope of the clamp force curve 12800 increases beyond the 12th fire, and / or any other suitable fire, such that the clamp force thereafter increases at a higher rate from one fire to the next.

[0106] As described above, the closure drive of the surgical stapling system comprises an electric motor operably coupled to a longitudinally translatable closure member. The closure member is movable in a proximal direction when the electric motor is rotated in a first direction and when the electric motor is rotated in a second or opposite direction. When the closure member advances in a distal direction, it engages the movable end effector jaw and moves the jaw toward its closed or clamped position. When the closure member retracts proximally, it moves the end effector jaw to its open position. Alternatively, proximal movement of the closure member can close the end effector and distal movement of the closure member can open the end effector. Throughout the closing and opening strokes, the closure member remains in contact with the jaw to control the position of the jaw. The electric motor comprises a brushless electric motor and is controllable by a control system to position the jaw in the closed position. In such an example, the control system can track the position of the movable jaw. However, the closed position of the jaws is a function of the clamping force applied to the tissue by the control system. As the control system increases the clamping force on the tissue, the control system moves the moveable jaw closer to the other jaw to reach the closed position. Correspondingly, as the control system decreases the clamping force on the tissue, the control system positions the moveable jaw further away from the other jaw to reach the closed position. In various alternative embodiments, further to the above, the closure drive of the surgical stapling system includes a brushed motor and is configured to drive the moveable jaws to the closed position.

[0107] The surgical stapling system further comprises one or more strain gauges attached to the movable jaw and / or the fixed jaw in communication with the control system to detect a clamping force applied to tissue by the closure drive. Additionally or alternatively, the surgical stapling system further comprises one or more load cells in the closure drive in communication with the control system to detect the clamping force being applied to tissue. Additionally or alternatively, the control system comprises a current circuit configured to measure a current drawn by the closure drive electric motor. The current drawn by the closure drive electric motor is proportional to the clamping force applied to tissue captured between the jaws. Regardless of the means used to detect the clamping force applied to tissue, the control system is configured to stop the closure drive once the clamping force reaches its intended level.

[0108] In addition to, or instead of, increasing the clamping force applied to the tissue from one firing stroke to the next to reduce distal flow of the tissue, the control system is configured to reduce the velocity of the staple firing stroke from one firing stroke to the next. As previously established, the distal flow of the tissue can be reduced by reducing the velocity of the staple firing stroke. With reference to the curve 12500 of FIG. 18, the velocity of the fourth firing is slower than the velocity of the third firing, for example. Similarly, the velocity of the fifth firing is slower than the velocity of the fourth firing, for example. The reduction in velocity between firings is linear. However, any suitable velocity reduction algorithm can be used. In at least one example, the velocity of the staple firing stroke is reduced, for example, by 5% for each firing. However, it is not necessary that the velocity of the staple firing stroke be reduced after each firing. For example, with reference again to the velocity curve 12500 of FIG. 18, the velocity of the staple firing stroke is not reduced, for example, between the first and second firing, as well as between the second and third firing.

[0109] As discussed above, the control system of the surgical stapling system can be configured to adjust the clamp force applied to the patient's tissue from one firing to the next. Additionally or alternatively, with reference to FIG. 17, the control system is configured to increase the clamp force during the staple firing stroke in response to a trigger event, such as, for example, trigger event C. In at least one example, trigger event C causes the tissue-cutting knife of the surgical stapling system to, for example, cut through a previously implanted staple, thereby causing a large force peak 13460' in the firing force curve 13400 of FIG. 17. In addition to the above, the control system is configured to distinguish between the large force peak 13460' that occurs during a typical staple firing stroke and the normal staple firing peak 13460, such that only the large force peak 13460' and / or any other abnormal force peaks trigger the control system to adapt the operation of the surgical stapling system. The increase in jaw clamp force after trigger event C is shown in the jaw clamp force curve 13800 of FIG. 17. The amount that the jaw clamp force is increased is a function of the magnitude and / or duration of the major force peak 13460'. If the magnitude of the major force peak 13460' is twice the normal force peak 13460, the control system may, for example, increase the jaw clamp force by 10%. Along these lines, the control system may, for example, increase the jaw clamp force by 20% when the magnitude of the major force peak 13460' is four times the normal force peak 13460. Similarly, if the duration of the major force peak 13460' is twice the normal force peak 13460 for a given staple firing velocity, the control system may, for example, increase the jaw clamp force by 10%. Along these lines, the control system may, for example, increase the jaw clamp force by 20% when the duration of the major force peak 13460' is four times the normal force peak 13460 for a given staple firing velocity.In any event, the control system of the surgical stapling system is configured to adapt the clamp force applied to the patient's tissue during the staple firing stroke in response to one or more events that occur during the staple firing stroke.

[0110] Further to the above, the large force peak 13460' indicates that the tissue-cutting blade may have been damaged or dulled in some way. As discussed above, the control system is programmed to respond to this potential damage to the tissue-cutting blade by squeezing the harder tissue on the tissue to prevent, or at least reduce, distal flow of the tissue during the staple firing stroke. In addition, the control system can be programmed to respond to this potential damage to the tissue-cutting blade by slowing down the staple firing stroke to prevent, or at least reduce, distal flow of the tissue during the staple firing stroke. Thus, a trigger event during the staple firing stroke can cause the control system to simultaneously clamp the harder tissue on the tissue and slow down the staple firing stroke.

[0111] As discussed above, the firing force curve experienced during a staple firing stroke can be characterized by an average firing force and a force peak corresponding to the deformation of an individual staple. However, the control system of the surgical stapling system can be configured to evaluate the height or magnitude of the force peak relative to the average firing force curve. If the magnitude of the force peak relative to the average force is within a predetermined range, the control system executes a first mode of operation. However, if the magnitude of the force peak relative to the average force is below the predetermined range, the control system executes a second mode of operation since the low force peak may indicate that the staple is not fully formed. In the second mode of operation, the control system moves the anvil jaw toward the staple cartridge jaw to reduce the staple forming gap between the two jaws. In such an instance, the magnitude of the force peak should increase, thereby indicating that the staple is fully formed. Correspondingly, the control system is configured to move the anvil jaw away from the staple cartridge jaw to increase the staple forming gap between the two jaws when the control system senses that the force peak relative to the average force is above the predetermined range.

[0112] As discussed above, various surgical stapling systems are configured to implant longitudinal rows of staples into the patient's tissue and to incise the patient's tissue along a tissue incision path extending between two of the longitudinal rows of staples. In various examples, the implantable appendage is releasably attached to the staple cartridge jaws such that the staples capture the implantable appendage against the patient's tissue as the staples are fired during a staple firing stroke. When the jaws of the surgical stapling system are released from the patient's tissue, the appendage remains implanted against the tissue. In addition to or instead of the implantable appendage of the staple cartridge, the surgical stapling system may include an implantable appendage releasably attached to the anvil jaws. In such examples, the staples pierce the tissue and then capture the implantable appendage against the tissue as the staples are deformed against the anvil. In either case, the material of the implanted appendage may provide some benefit, such as, for example, mechanical support for the tissue and / or delivery of a therapeutic agent, e.g., a drug, to the tissue. However, the tissue-cutting edge of the surgical stapling instrument may need to traverse the implanted appendage during the staple firing stroke, which may affect the performance of the surgical stapling system in various examples. As described in more detail below, the control system of the surgical stapling system may be configured to sense the presence of one or more implanted appendages attached to the jaws and adapt the operation of the surgical stapling system to account for the presence of the one or more implanted appendages. In various examples, the implanted appendages may comprise, for example, a layer, a buttress, and / or a tissue thickness compensator. The entire disclosure of U.S. Patent Application No. 2009 / 0001122, filed June 27, 2007, and entitled "BUTTRESS AND STAPLING APPARATUS" is incorporated herein by reference.The entire disclosure of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 0374374, filed June 29, 2015, and entitled "STAPLE CARTRIDGE COMPRISING STAPLES POSITIONED WITHIN A COMPRESSIBLE PORTION THEREOF," is hereby incorporated by reference.

[0113] 14 and 15, the end effector 14000 of the surgical stapling system comprises an anvil jaw 14100 and a staple cartridge jaw 14300. The anvil jaw 14100 is rotatable relative to the staple cartridge jaw 14300 between an open, unclamped position and a closed, clamped position. However, the staple cartridge jaw 14300 may be rotatable toward the anvil 14100 in other embodiments. The end effector 14000 further comprises a sensor and sensor circuit in communication with the control system that detects whether an implantable appendage is attached to the staple cartridge jaw 14300 and / or the anvil jaw 14100. The end effector 14000 comprises a distal electrode 14210 at a distal end of the anvil jaw 14100 and a proximal electrode 14220 at a proximal end of the anvil jaw 14100. The end effector 14000 further comprises a distal electrode 14230 at a distal end of the staple cartridge jaw 14300 and a proximal electrode 14240 at a proximal end of the staple cartridge jaw 14300. In various examples, the distal anvil electrode 14210 and the distal staple cartridge electrode 14230 are part of a sensor circuit. When the anvil jaw 14100 is closed without tissue positioned between the anvil jaw 14100 and the staple cartridge jaw 14300, and there is no implantable appendage between the anvil jaw 14100 and the staple cartridge jaw 14300, the distal anvil electrode 14210 and the distal staple cartridge electrode 14230 contact each other. In such a case, closure of the anvil jaw 14100 closes the sensor circuit. However, when the implantable accessory is positioned between the anvil jaw 14100 and the staple cartridge jaw 14300, the distal anvil electrode 14210 is not in direct contact with the distal cartridge electrode 14230, resulting in a higher resistance in the sensor circuit.The control system is configured to operate in a first mode of operation when it detects via the sensor circuit that there is no implantable appendage between the anvil jaw 14100 and the staple cartridge jaw 14300, and in a second or different mode of operation when it detects via the sensor circuit that there is an implantable appendage between the anvil jaw 14100 and the staple cartridge jaw 14300. In one sense, the control system is configured to operate in the first mode of operation when the sensor circuit impedance is below a threshold value, and in the second mode of operation when the sensor circuit impedance is above the threshold value. A continuity curve 14700 is shown in FIG. 16. The control system is in its first mode of operation when the sensor circuit impedance is below a threshold value 14710. The control system is in its second mode of operation when the sensor circuit impedance is below a second threshold value 14720, but not below the threshold value 14710. When the sensor circuit impedance is above the second threshold value 14720, the control system interprets such an event as when the anvil jaw is in an open position. In various examples, the impedance of the sensor circuit may be different when two or more implanted accessories are used compared to when only one accessory is used, and if the impedance of the sensor circuit exceeds a second threshold due to the additional implanted accessories, the control system can operate in a third operating mode different from the first and second operating modes.

[0114] In addition to the above, referring again to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, the proximal anvil electrode 14220 and the proximal cartridge electrode 14240 are part of a second sensor circuit. The second sensor circuit operates in the same manner as the sensor circuit described above. However, the proximal anvil electrode 14220 and the proximal cartridge electrode 14240 do not directly contact each other, regardless of whether an implantable accessory is present in the end effector 14000. However, the relative impedance between the proximal anvil electrode 14220 and the proximal cartridge electrode 14240 changes when one or more implantable accessories are attached to the end effector 14000 and the control system can detect this relative change through the second sensor circuit. Although the end effector 14000 includes two sensor circuits, the end effector may include only one sensor circuit or more than two sensor circuits.

[0115] As noted above, any suitable sensor circuit can be used to detect the presence of an implantable appendage attached to the anvil jaw and / or the staple cartridge jaw. In various examples, the sensor circuit can include one or more magnetic sensors configured to detect the presence of an implantable appendage attached to the anvil jaw and / or the staple cartridge jaw. In at least one such example, the magnetic sensor is positioned on the staple cartridge jaw and a magnetic element, such as a permanent magnet, is positioned on the anvil jaw. When the anvil jaws are closed and the implantable appendage is not positioned between the anvil jaw and the staple cartridge jaw, the magnetic element interferes with the magnetic field generated by the magnetic sensor and this distortion of the magnetic field is detected by the control system. When the implantable appendage is positioned intermediate the anvil jaw and the staple cartridge jaw and the anvil jaws are closed, the implantable appendage and the magnetic element distort the magnetic field of the magnetic sensor in a manner different than the magnetic element alone. As a result, the magnetic sensor generates a different voltage output when the implantable accessory is present compared to when the implantable accessory is not present, and the control system enters the second mode of operation upon detecting the different voltage output from the magnetic sensor. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor circuit can include one or more optical sensors configured to detect the presence of an implantable accessory attached to the anvil jaw and / or the staple cartridge jaw. In at least one such example, the optical sensor is positioned on the staple cartridge jaw, and the implantable accessory includes a distinguishably different color than the anvil. Alternatively, the optical sensor is positioned on the anvil jaw, and the implantable accessory is a distinguishably different color than the staple cartridge. In either case, the optical sensor is in communication with the control system and configured to generate a first signal when the implantable accessory is not positioned on the end effector and a second or different signal when the implantable accessory is positioned on the end effector. In at least one example, the optical sensor includes, for example, an RGB (red-green-blue) sensor with an IR (infrared) filter.

[0116] The above sensors can detect the implantable attachment of the anvil jaws and / or staple cartridge jaws before the end effector is positioned within the patient. In various examples, the end effector is opened and closed one or more times before the end effector is finally clamped on the patient's tissue. In such examples, the tissue does not prevent or impede sensing whether the implantable attachment is attached to the anvil jaws and / or staple cartridge jaws. Graph 14800 in FIG. 16 illustrates the jaw opening between the anvil jaws and the staple cartridge jaws, or more specifically, the angle between the anvil jaws and the staple cartridge jaws when the end effector is positioned on the patient and when a staple firing stroke is being performed. As seen in FIG. 16, the anvil jaws are moved between a fully open position where an angle of about 20 degrees exists between the anvil jaws and the staple cartridge jaws, and a fully closed position where the anvil jaws and the staple cartridge jaws are parallel or at least substantially parallel. In particular, the anvil jaws may be partially closed and / or partially opened several times to properly position the end effector on the patient, and in particular, the end effector is fully closed during the staple firing stroke and then opened after the staple firing stroke has been performed to release the tissue.

[0117] As noted above, the patient's tissue may prevent the sensor from detecting one of the implantable appendages when the patient's tissue is positioned between the anvil jaw and the staple cartridge jaw. For example, the patient's tissue may block the sensor of the anvil jaw from detecting the implantable appendage of the staple cartridge jaw. Similarly, the patient's tissue may block the sensor of the cartridge jaw from detecting the implantable appendage of the anvil jaw. However, some sensors may detect the presence of an implantable appendage on the other side of the tissue. In such an example, the control system is configured to ignore the effect that the patient's tissue has on the signal or voltage potential generated by the sensor. In at least one such example, the patient's tissue between the anvil electrode and the staple cartridge electrode affects the impedance and / or continuity between the electrodes and the control system and is still configured to evaluate the presence of one or more implantable appendages positioned between the electrodes.

[0118] In various examples, the anvil jaw includes a first IR sensor and the staple cartridge jaw includes a second IR sensor and is configured to detect heat of the patient's tissue. The anvil IR sensor is configured to generate a first range of voltage potentials when the implantable appendage is not attached to the anvil jaw and generate a second or different range of voltage potentials when the implantable appendage is attached to the anvil jaw. In other words, the implantable appendage at least partially blocks heat from the patient's tissue measured by the anvil IR sensor that affects the signal generated by the anvil IR sensor. The anvil IR sensor communicates signals with the control system via a conductor and / or wireless signal transmitter / receiver arrangement, and the control system determines that an implantable appendage is present on the anvil when the voltage potential is within the second range of voltage potentials. The cartridge IR sensor is configured to generate a first range of voltage potentials when the implantable appendage is not attached to the staple cartridge jaw and generate a second or different range of voltage potentials when the implantable appendage is attached to the staple cartridge jaw. In other words, the implantable appendage at least partially blocks heat from the patient's tissue measured by the cartridge IR sensor which affects the signal generated by the cartridge IR sensor. The cartridge IR sensor communicates signals with the control system via a conductor and / or wireless signal transmitter / receiver arrangement, and when the voltage potential is within a second range of voltage potentials, the control system determines that an implantable appendage is present in the staple cartridge.

[0119] Regardless of how the control system determines that an implantable appendage is present on the end effector, in various examples, the control system is configured to modify operation of the surgical stapling system upon detecting the presence of an implantable appendage on the end effector. For example, the control system may reduce the rate at which the anvil jaws are closed when an implantable appendage is present on the anvil jaws and / or staple cartridge jaws compared to when no implantable appendage is present on the end effector. In at least one such example, the control system operates the closure drive motor at a first slower speed when the control system detects one implantable appendage on the end effector and at a second slower speed - slower than the first slower speed - when the control system detects two implantable appendages on the end effector. Additionally or alternatively, and referring to FIG. 16 , the control system is configured to reduce the rate at which the staple firing stroke is reduced when the control system detects one or more implantable appendages on the end effector compared to when the control system does not detect an implantable appendage on the end effector. A slower speed of the staple firing stroke can be seen when comparing the jaw opening and closing curve 14800 (no implantable appendage detected) to the alternative jaw opening and closing curve 14800' (implantable appendage detected) when the jaws remain closed for a longer period of time in curve 14800'. In at least one such example, the control system operates the firing drive motor at a first slower speed when the control system detects one implantable appendage on the end effector and at a second slower speed - slower than the first slower speed - when the control system detects two implantable appendages on the end effector. Additionally or alternatively, and referring again to FIG. 16, the control system is configured to increase the current to the firing drive motor to increase the force applied to the firing member during the staple firing stroke.In comparing the force curve 14400 (no implantable appendage detected) to the alternative force curve 14400' (implantable appendage detected), the higher order forces of the staple firing stroke can be seen. Notably, the duration over which the force is applied is also increased in the force curve 14400' due to the slower staple firing stroke. Additionally or alternatively, the control system can be configured to increase the clamping force applied to the patient's tissue when the implantable appendage is present at the end effector compared to when the implantable appendage is not present at the end effector. In such an example, the control system can position the anvil jaws closer to the staple cartridge jaws when the appendage is present at the end effector. In various examples, the implantable appendage can be slippery or have a low coefficient of friction on its surface, which tends to allow for greater tissue flow during the staple firing stroke, and thus a harder clamp on the tissue in such a case can reduce tissue flow.

[0120] As described above, the end effector of the surgical stapling system is clamped onto the patient's tissue and then the staple firing drive is operated to staple and cut the tissue. When the end effector is initially clamped onto the tissue, depending on the thickness of the tissue being clamped, the jaws of the end effector may bend and / or otherwise load in a manner that prevents the jaws from aligning perfectly or parallel to one another. However, once the tissue is clamped, fluid within the clamped tissue may begin to flow laterally and / or longitudinally into the surrounding connected tissue that is not clamped. In such instances, the tissue captured between the end effector jaws may become thinner, or at least slightly thinner, 10-15 seconds after the initial clamping, allowing the jaws to align with one another or at least move closer to aligning. With this in mind, the control system of the surgical stapling system includes a timer circuit configured to count the time after the end effector is clamped onto the tissue. The control system communicates with a display and / or indicator of the surgical stapling system, and when the timer circuit counts through a predetermined amount of time, such as 10 seconds, the control system activates a display and / or indicator that indicates to the clinician that the surgical stapling system is ready to perform a staple firing stroke, but the staple firing drive is operable by the clinician before the display and / or indicator is activated. Such an arrangement does not prevent the clinician from taking emergency action if necessary. However, the staple firing stroke can be prevented if there is a malfunction in the surgical stapling system. For example, the staple firing stroke can be prevented if the staple cartridge positioned in the end effector has already been at least partially used and / or if the anvil jaws have not been sufficiently closed to perform the staple firing stroke, etc.U.S. Patent No. 7,143,923, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT HAVING A FIRING LOCKOUT FOR AN UNCLOSED ANVIL" (issued December 5, 2006); U.S. Patent No. 7,044,352, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT HAVING A SINGLE LOCKOUT MECHANISM FOR PREVENTION OF FIRING" (issued May 16, 2006); U.S. Patent No. 7,000,818, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT HAVING SEPARATE DISTINCT CLOSING AND FIRING SYSTEMS" (issued February 21, 2006); U.S. Patent No. 6,988,649, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT HAVING A SPENT CARTRIDGE No. 6,978,921, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT INCORPORATING AN E-BEAM FIRING MECHANISM," issued on Dec. 27, 2005, are incorporated herein by reference.

[0121] In many instances, in addition to the above, actuating the staple firing drive early, i.e., before the armed indicator is actuated, produces a satisfactory staple formation. However, in such cases, a clumsy staple may result since the end effector jaws may not reach their final position before the staple firing stroke is initiated. As discussed above, the control system disclosed herein can evaluate whether the staple is properly formed or clumsy. If the control system detects that the staple firing stroke is initiated early, the control system can slow the staple firing stroke until a predetermined time has elapsed and then return the staple firing stroke to its normal speed upon detecting that one or more staples have become clumsy. In other embodiments, the control system is configured to return the staple firing stroke to its normal speed after the predetermined time has elapsed such that the staples are no longer clumsy. However, any suitable algorithm can be used to adjust the operation of the surgical stapling system during the staple firing stroke to produce a satisfactory staple formation when the staple firing stroke is initiated early.

[0122] In various examples, further to the above, the control system is configured to pause the staple firing stroke if the control system detects that the staple has become misaligned. In such examples, fluid within the clamped tissue is given more time to flow into adjacent tissue, and as a result, the jaws may be better aligned for the remainder of the staple firing stroke, reducing the occurrence of misaligned staples. After the pause time has elapsed, the control system resumes the staple firing stroke and continues to monitor for misaligned staples. The control system includes a timer circuit configured to count the time until a predetermined pause time is reached, e.g., about 2 seconds. In other examples, the predetermined pause time may be, e.g., 1 second, 3 seconds, or 5 seconds. If the control system detects more staples are misaligned after the recommendation of the staple firing stroke, the control system is configured to pause the staple firing stroke once more. As above, the control system resumes the staple firing stroke after the predetermined pause time has elapsed. In at least one alternative embodiment, the second pause time is longer than the first pause time. In any event, the control system is configured to pause the staple firing stroke any suitable number of times, although alternative embodiments are envisioned in which the clinician is required to resume the staple firing stroke after the staple firing stroke has been paused. Such embodiments may be preferred for clinicians who prefer their surgical instrument not to perform automatic actions. The entire disclosure of U.S. Patent No. 8,499,992, filed August 6, 2013, and entitled "DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING COMPRESSION OF TISSUE," is incorporated herein by reference.

[0123] Additionally or alternatively, the control system is configured to adjust the predetermined wait time from one firing stroke to another. In at least one example, the control system is configured to evaluate whether one or more malformed staples were created within the beginning of the first staple firing stroke, even if the staple firing stroke was initiated after the predetermined wait time has elapsed. If the number of malformed staples at the beginning of the first staple firing stroke exceeds a predetermined amount, e.g., one malformed staple or two malformed staples, the control system increases the predetermined wait time of the second staple firing stroke. In at least one such example, the control system increases the predetermined wait time, e.g., 10 seconds to 12 seconds. If the number of malformed staples at the beginning of the second staple firing stroke, or any subsequent staple firing stroke, exceeds a predetermined amount, the control system increases the predetermined wait time of the next staple firing stroke. In at least one such example, the control system increases the predetermined wait time, e.g., 12 seconds to 15 seconds.

[0124] Many of the examples provided herein are discussed in connection with a surgical stapling system. However, the teachings provided herein may be adapted to any suitable surgical system, such as, for example, an ultrasonic surgical instrument configured to seal and / or cut a patient's tissue using standing vibrational waves, and / or an RF surgical instrument configured to seal and / or cut a patient's tissue using electrical energy.

[0125] Examples of ultrasonic surgical instruments include HARMONIC ACE® Ultrasonic Shears, HARMONIC WAVE® Ultrasonic Shears, HARMONIC FOCUS® Ultrasonic Shears, and HARMONIC SYNERGY® Ultrasonic Blades, all manufactured by Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Cincinnati, Ohio).Further examples of such devices and related concepts are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,055, entitled "CLAMP COAGULATOR / CUTTING SYSTEM FOR ULTRASONIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS," issued Jun. 21, 1994, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference; U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,873, entitled "ULTRASONIC CLAMP COAGULATOR APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED CLAMP MECHANISM," issued Feb. 23, 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,510, entitled "ULTRASONIC CLAMP COAGULATOR APPARATUS HAVING IMPROVED CLAMP ARM PIVOT METHOD AND METHOD FOR ULTRASONIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS," issued Feb. 23, 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. No. 6,325,811, entitled "BLADES WITH FUNCTIONAL BALANCE ASYMMETRIES FOR USE WITH ULTRASONIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS," issued Nov. 9, 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference; U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,444, entitled "BLADES WITH FUNCTIONAL BALANCE ASYMMETRIES FOR USE WITH ULTRASONIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS," issued Aug. 10, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,524, entitled "ROBOTIC SURGICAL TOOL WITH ULTRASOUND CAUTERIZING AND CUTTING INSTRUMENT," issued Aug. 31, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0126] Still further examples of ultrasonic surgical instruments include U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006 / 0079874, entitled "TISSUE PAD FOR USE WITH AN ULTRASONIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENT," published April 13, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007 / 0191713, entitled "ULTRASONIC DEVICE FOR CUTTING AND COAGULATING," published August 16, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007 / 0282333, entitled "ULTRASONIC WAVEGUIDE AND BLADE," published December 6, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0200940, entitled "ULTRASONIC DEVICE FOR No. 2009 / 0105750, published on April 23, 2009, entitled "ERGONOMIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS" (U.S. Patent No. 8,623,027, issued on January 7, 2014), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0069940, published on March 18, 2010, entitled "ULTRASONIC DEVICE FOR FINGERTIP CONTROL" (U.S. Patent No. 9,023,071, issued on May 5, 2015), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011, published on January 20, 2011, entitled "ROTATING TRANSDUCER MOUNT FOR ULTRASONIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS,” U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011 / 0015660 (U.S. Patent No. 8,461,744, issued June 11, 2013);and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0029546, published Feb. 2, 2012 and entitled "ULTRASONIC SURGICAL INSTRUMENT BLADES," the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference;

[0127] Some ultrasonic surgical instruments may include cordless transducers such as those disclosed in the following patent documents: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0112687, entitled "RECHARGE SYSTEM FOR MEDICAL DEVICES," published May 10, 2012, issued July 5, 2016 as U.S. Patent No. 9,381,058, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0116265, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH CHARGING DEVICES," published May 10, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference; and / or U.S. Patent Application No. 61 / 410,603, entitled "ENERGY-BASED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS," published November 5, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0128] Additionally, some ultrasonic surgical instruments may include an articulating shaft portion. Examples of such ultrasonic surgical instruments are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 13 / 538,588, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH ARTICULATING SHAFTS," filed June 29, 2012 (U.S. Patent No. 9,393,037, issued July 19, 2016), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 13 / 657,553, entitled "FLEXIBLE HARMONIC WAVEGUIDES / BLADES FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS," filed October 22, 2012 (U.S. Patent No. 9,095,367, issued August 4, 2015), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0129] In various circumstances, the surgical instrument may be configured to apply energy to tissue to treat and / or destroy the tissue. In certain circumstances, the surgical instrument may include one or more electrodes that may be positioned against and / or relative to the tissue such that an electrical current may flow from one electrode to the other through the tissue. The surgical instrument may include an electrical input, a powered conductor electrically coupled to the electrode, and / or a return conductor that may be configured, for example, such that the electrical current flows from the electrical input through the powered conductor, through the electrode and tissue, and then through the return conductor to the electrical output. Alternatively, the surgical instrument may include an electrical input, a powered conductor electrically coupled to the electrode, and / or a return conductor that may be configured such that the electrical current flows from the electrical input through the powered conductor, through the active electrode and tissue, and then through the return electrode and then through the return conductor to the electrical output. In various circumstances, the electrical current flowing through the tissue may generate heat, which may cause one or more hemostatic seals to form in and / or between the tissues. Such embodiments may be particularly useful for sealing blood vessels, for example.The surgical instrument may further comprise a cutting member, which may be moved relative to the tissue and the electrode to transcribe the tissue.

[0130] By way of example, the energy applied by the surgical instrument may be in the form of radio frequency ("RF") energy. RF energy is a form of electrical energy that may range in frequency from 300 kilohertz (kHz) to 1 megahertz (MHz). In use, RF surgical instruments transmit low frequency radio waves through an electrode, causing ionic agitation, or friction, in effect resistive heating, to increase the temperature of the tissue. Because a sharp boundary is formed between the diseased tissue and the surrounding tissue, the surgeon can operate with great precision and control without sacrificing much of the adjacent healthy tissue. The low operating temperature of RF energy allows the surgeon to remove, shrink, or erode soft tissue while simultaneously sealing blood vessels. RF energy works particularly well on connective tissue, which is composed primarily of collagen and which shrinks when exposed to heat.

[0131] Additionally, in various open and laparoscopic procedures, it is necessary to coagulate, seal, or fuse tissue. One preferred means of tissue sealing utilizes the application of electrical energy to the captured tissue to create a thermal effect within the tissue for sealing purposes. A variety of monopolar and bipolar RF jaw configurations have been developed for such purposes. In general, delivery of RF energy to the captured tissue volume increases the tissue temperature, thereby at least partially denaturing proteins within the tissue. Such proteins, including collagen, denature into an indomitable amalgam that mixes and fuses together as the proteins denature or form new crosslinks. As the treatment area heals over time, this biological "weld" is resorbed by the body's wound healing process.

[0132] In a basic bipolar RF jaw configuration, each of the opposing first and second jaw faces includes an electrode, and RF current flows between the opposing polarity electrodes across the captured tissue. Such currently available prior art RF jaws that engage opposing sides of tissue typically fail to produce a uniform thermal effect within the tissue, whether the captured tissue is thin or substantially thick. As the RF energy density increases within the tissue, the tissue surface dries out and becomes resistant to further ohmic heating. Localized tissue desiccation and charring can occur almost instantly as tissue impedance increases, which can result in non-uniform sealing within the tissue. Typical prior art RF jaws can produce further undesirable effects by propagating RF density laterally from the engaged tissue, thereby producing undesirable collateral thermal damage.

[0133] Commercially available RF sealing instruments typically use one of two approaches to "control" RF energy delivery to tissue. In the first, "power regulation" approach, the RF system controller can rapidly adjust the level of total power delivered to the engagement faces of the jaws in response to a feedback circuit coupled to the active electrode that measures tissue impedance or electrode temperature. In the second, "current path directing" approach, the instrument jaws have an electrode arrangement in which the opposing polarity electrodes are separated by an insulating material, which allows current to flow within a path extending through the captured tissue, rather than simply between the surfaces of the first and second jaws. Electrosurgical grasping instruments with jaws, an arrangement of electrically insulated electrodes on the cooperating jaw faces, have been proposed by Yates et al. in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,403,312, 5,735,848, and 5,833,690. The entire disclosures of U.S. Patent Nos. 5,403,312, 5,735,848, and 5,833,690 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0134] In various embodiments, further to the above, the tissue-cutting knife comprises a sharp cutting edge. In certain instances, the tissue-cutting knife may be energized with electrical energy to improve the tissue-cutting mechanism and / or to improve tissue sealing. In at least one instance, an electrical potential from a power source is applied to the tissue-cutting knife, or at least to the metallic cutting edge of the tissue-cutting knife, causing an electrical current to flow through the tissue-cutting knife, between the end effector jaws, through the captured tissue, and then to one or both of the end effector jaws as part of a return path in an electrical circuit. Such instruments may be referred to as bipolar instruments, although monopolar instruments are also envisioned. In such embodiments, a return path for the electrical current is provided, for example, via a ground pad that the patient contacts on the operating table. In any event, energized tissue-cutting knives may be used, for example, in surgical stapling systems and / or RF surgical systems, among others.

[0135] In addition to the above, the control system of the surgical stapling system may be configured to modify or alter the voltage potential and / or power supplied to the tissue-cutting knife as a result of one or more parameters sensed by the control system during a previous staple firing stroke and / or a current staple firing stroke. For example, the control system is configured to increase the magnitude of the voltage applied to the tissue-cutting knife when one or more implantable appendages are present at the end effector. In at least one such example, the voltage potential is applied to the tissue-cutting knife as a voltage waveform, with the peak of the voltage waveform increasing when the implantable appendage is being traversed during the staple firing stroke. Thus, the control system comprises a first mode of operation when no implantable appendage is detected at the end effector and a second mode of operation when an implantable appendage is detected at the end effector. In various examples, the second mode of operation is used when only one implantable appendage is detected and a third mode of operation is used when two or more implantable appendages are detected. The peak of the voltage waveform in the third mode of operation is higher than the peak of the waveform in the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation.

[0136] In addition to the above, the control system can be configured to vary the magnitude of the voltage waveform during the staple firing stroke in response to a trigger event. For example, the control system can increase the magnitude of the voltage waveform when the control system detects that a staple is misaligned. In at least one such example, the control system increases the magnitude of the waveform after a predetermined number of staples become misaligned during the staple firing stroke. The predetermined number can be one staple or two or more staples.

[0137] 19 is a logic diagram of a control system 75000 for use with any of the various surgical instruments described herein. The control system 75000 comprises a control circuit. The control circuit includes a microcontroller 75040 with a processor 75020 and a memory 75030. One or more sensors, such as sensor 75080, sensor 75090, sensor 71502, and sensor array 71940, for example, provide real-time feedback to the processor 75020. The control system 75000 further comprises a motor driver 75050 configured to control the electric motor 75010 and a tracking system 75060 configured to determine a position of one or more longitudinally movable components of the surgical instrument. The tracking system 75060 is also configured to determine a position of one or more rotating components in the surgical instrument. The tracking system 75060 provides position information to the processor 75020, which may be programmed or configured to determine the position of one or more components. The motor driver 75050 may be, for example, an A3941 available from Allegro Microsystems, Inc. However, other motor drivers may be readily substituted for use in the tracking system 75060. A detailed description of the absolute positioning system is set forth in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0296213, entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING A SURGICAL STAPLING AND CUTTING INSTRUMENT," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0138] The microcontroller 75040 may be any single-core or multi-core processor, such as, for example, those known under the trade name ARM Cortex manufactured by Texas Instruments. In at least one example, the microcontroller 75040 may include, for example, an LM4F230H5QR ARM available from Texas Instruments, including 256 KB of on-chip memory of single-cycle flash memory or other non-volatile memory up to 40 MHz, a pre-fetch buffer to improve performance above 40 MHz, 32 KB of single-cycle serial random access memory (SRAM), internal read-only memory (ROM) loaded with StellarisWare® software, 2 KB of electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), one or more pulse width modulation (PWM) modules and / or frequency modulation (FM) modules, one or more quadrature encoder input (QEI) analog, one or more 12-bit Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) with 12 analog input channels, details of which are available from the product data sheet. It may be a Cortex-M4F processor core.

[0139] In various examples, the microcontroller 75040 includes a safety controller, including two controller families such as TMS570 and RM4x, also known under the trade name Hercules ARM Cortex R4, manufactured by Texas Instruments. The safety controller may be specifically configured for IEC 61508 and ISO 26262 safety limiting applications to provide advanced integrated safety mechanisms while offering scalable performance, connectivity and memory options.

[0140] The microcontroller 75040 is programmed to perform various functions, such as, for example, precisely controlling the speed and / or position of a staple firing member or closure tube. The microcontroller 75040 is also programmed to precisely control the rotational speed and position of the end effector of the surgical instrument, as well as the articulation speed and position of the end effector of various embodiments. In various examples, the microcontroller 75040 calculates a response in the microcontroller 75040 software. The calculated response is compared to the measured response of the actual system to obtain an "observed" response, which is used to determine the actual feedback. The observed response is a suitable adjusted value that balances the smooth, continuous nature of the simulated response with the measured response, which can detect external influences on the system.

[0141] The motor 75010 is controlled by a motor driver 75050. In various forms, the motor 75010 is a brushed DC drive motor having a maximum rotational speed of, for example, approximately 25,000 RPM. In other configurations, the motor 75010 may include a brushless motor, a cordless motor, a synchronous motor, a stepper motor, or any other suitable electric motor. The motor driver 75050 may comprise, for example, an H-bridge driver including field effect transistors (FETs). The motor driver 75050 may be an A3941 available from Allegro Microsystems, Inc. The A3941 motor driver 75050 is a full bridge controller for use with external N-channel power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) specifically designed for inductive loads such as brushed DC motors. In various examples, the motor driver 75050 includes an intrinsic charge pump regulator that provides full (>10V) gate drive for battery voltages up to 7V, allowing the A3941 motor driver 75050 to operate with reduced gate drive down to 5.5V. A bootstrap capacitor may be used to provide the required battery supply voltage above that required for the N-channel MOSFETs. An internal charge pump for the high-side drive allows DC (100% duty cycle) operation. The full bridge can be driven in fast or slow decay mode with diode or synchronous rectification. In slow decay mode, current recirculation can be done by either the high-side or low-side FETs. The power FETs are protected from shoot-through by resistor adjustable dead time. Integrated diagnostics indicate undervoltage, overtemperature, and power bridge faults and can be configured to protect the power MOSFETs under most short circuit conditions. Other motor drivers can be easily substituted.

[0142] The tracking system 75060 includes controlled motor drive circuitry including one or more position sensors, such as sensor 75080, sensor 75090, sensor 71502, and sensor array 71940. The position sensors for the absolute positioning system provide unique position signals corresponding to the position of the displacement member. As used herein, the term "displacement member" is used generally to refer to any movable member of any of the surgical instruments disclosed herein. In various examples, the displacement member may be coupled to any position sensor suitable for measuring linear or rotational displacement. The linear displacement sensor may include a contact displacement sensor or a non-contact displacement sensor. The displacement sensor may include a Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT), a Differential Variable Reluctance Transformer (DVRT), a slide potentiometer, a magnetic sensing system with a movable magnet and Hall effect sensors arranged in a series of lines, a magnetic sensing system with a fixed magnet and Hall effect sensors arranged in a series of movable lines, an optical sensing system with a movable light source and photodiodes or photodetectors arranged in a series of lines, an optical sensing system with a fixed light source and photodiodes or photodetectors arranged in a series of movable lines, or any combination thereof.

[0143] For example, position sensors 75080, 75090, 71502, and 71940 may include any number of magnetic sensing elements, such as magnetic sensors classified based on whether they measure a total magnetic field or vector components of a magnetic field. The technology used to produce both types of magnetic sensors involves many aspects of physics and electronics. Technologies used for magnetic field detection include search coils, fluxgates, optical pumping, nuclear perturbation, SQUIDs, Hall effect, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance, magnetic tunnel junctions, giant magnetoimpedance, magnetostrictive / piezoelectric composites, magnetodiodes, magnetotransistors, optical fiber, magneto-optical, and microelectromechanical systems based magnetic sensors, among others.

[0144] In various examples, one or more of the position sensors of the tracking system 75060 comprise a magnetic rotation absolute positioning system. Such a position sensor may be implemented as an AS5055EQFT single chip magnetic rotation position sensor available from Austria Microsystems, AG, and can be interfaced with the controller 75040 to provide an absolute positioning system. In a particular example, the position sensor comprises low voltage and low power components and includes four Hall effect elements in the area of ​​the position sensor located adjacent to the magnet. Additionally, a high resolution ADC and a smart power management controller are provided on the chip. A CORDIC (short for Coordinate Rotation Digital Computer), also known as the digit-by-digit method and Volder's algorithm, is provided to implement simple and efficient algorithms for calculating hyperbolic and trigonometric functions, requiring only addition, subtraction, bit shifting, and table lookup operations. The angular position, alarm bits, and magnetic field information are transmitted to the controller 75040 via a standard serial communication interface, such as an SPI interface. The position sensor may provide, for example, 12-bit or 14-bit resolution. The position sensor may be, for example, an AS5055 chip provided in a small QFN 16-pin 4x4x0.85mm package.

[0145] The tracking system 75060 may include and / or be programmed to implement a feedback controller, such as PID, state feedback, and adaptive controllers. A power supply converts a signal from the feedback controller into a physical input to the system, in this case a voltage. Other examples include pulse width modulation (PWM) and / or frequency modulation (FM) of voltage, current, and force. In addition to position, other sensor(s) may be provided to measure physical parameters of the physical system. In various examples, the other sensor(s) may include sensor configurations such as those described in U.S. Patent No. 9,345,481, entitled "STAPLE CARTRIDGE TISSUE THICKNESS SENSOR SYSTEM," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0263552, entitled "STAPLE CARTRIDGE TISSUE THICKNESS SENSOR SYSTEM," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 15 / 628,175, entitled "TECHNIQUES FOR ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF MOTOR VELOCITY OF A SURGICAL STAPLING AND CUTTING INSTRUMENT," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In a digital signal processing system, the absolute positioning system is coupled to a digital data acquisition system, where the output of the absolute positioning system has a finite resolution and sampling frequency. The absolute positioning system may include comparison and combination circuitry to combine the calculated response with the measured response using algorithms such as weighted average and theoretical control loops that drive the calculated response towards the measured response. The calculated response of a physical system takes into account properties such as mass, inertia, viscous friction, induced resistance, etc., in order to predict what the state and output of the physical system will be given knowing the inputs.

[0146] The absolute positioning system provides the absolute position of the displacement member when the instrument is powered on without retracting or advancing the displacement member to a reset (zero or home) position, as may be required with conventional rotary encoders that simply count the number of steps the motor 75010 takes forward or backward to estimate the position of the device actuator, firing member, feeder drive, crimp drive, closure tube, etc.

[0147] The sensor 75080, comprising a strain gauge or micro strain gauge, is configured to measure one or more parameters of the end effector of the surgical instrument, such as, for example, the strain experienced by the jaws and / or staple firing member during a staple firing stroke. The measured strain is converted to a digital signal and provided to the processor 75020. In addition to or instead of the sensor 75080, a sensor 75090, comprising, for example, a load sensor, can measure the closure force applied to the jaws of the surgical instrument by the closure drive system. In various examples, a current sensor 75070 can be used to measure the current draw by the motor 75010. The force required to clamp the first and second jaws and / or fire the staple cartridge can correspond to, for example, the current drawn by the motor 75010. The measured force is converted to a digital signal and provided to the processor 75020. A magnetic field sensor can be used to measure the thickness of the captured tissue. The measurements of the magnetic field sensor can also be converted to a digital signal and provided to the processor 75020.

[0148] Measurements of tissue compression, tissue thickness, and / or force required to close the end effector and / or execute a staple firing stroke as measured by the sensor may be used by the controller 75040 to characterize the position and / or velocity of the tracked movable member. In at least one example, the memory 75030 may store techniques, equations, and / or look-up tables that may be used by the microcontroller 75040 in the evaluation. In various examples, the controller 75040 may provide a user of the surgical instrument with a selection of how the surgical instrument should be operated. To this end, the display 75044 may display various operating conditions of the surgical instrument and may include touch screen functionality for data entry. Additionally, information displayed on the display 75044 may be overlaid with images acquired via the imaging modules of one or more endoscopes and / or one or more additional surgical instruments used during the surgical procedure.

[0149] As mentioned above, the surgical instruments disclosed herein may include a control system. Each of the control systems may include a circuit board having one or more processors and / or memory devices. Among other things, the control systems may be configured to store, for example, sensor data. They may also be configured to store data identifying, for example, the type of staple cartridge attached to the stapling instrument. More specifically, the type of staple cartridge may be identified by a sensor when attached to the stapling instrument, and the sensor data may be stored in the control system. This information may be obtained by the control system to evaluate whether the staple cartridge is suitable for use.

[0150] The surgical tool systems described herein are powered by electric motors. However, the surgical tool systems described herein may be powered in any suitable manner. In certain examples, the motors disclosed herein may comprise one or more portions of a robotically controlled system. For example, U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13 / 118,241, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENTS WITH ROTATABLE STAPLE DEPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENTS," now U.S. Patent No. 9,072,535, discloses several examples of robotic surgical tool systems in more detail, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. International Publication No. 2017 / 083125, published May 18, 2017, entitled "STAPLER WITH COMPOSITE CARDAN AND SCREW DRIVE"; International Publication No. 2017 / 083126, published May 18, 2017, entitled "STAPLE PUSHER WITH LOST MOTION BETWEEN RAMPS"; International Publication No. 2015 / 153642, published October 8, 2015, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH SHIFTABLE TRANSMISSION"; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0265954, filed March 17, 2017, entitled "STAPLER WITH CABLE-DRIVEN ADVANCEABLE CLAMPING ELEMENT AND DUAL DISTAL No. 2017 / 0265865, filed Feb. 15, 2017, entitled "STAPLER WITH CABLE-DRIVEN ADVANCEABLE CLAMPING ELEMENT AND DISTAL PULLEY," and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0290586, filed Mar. 29, 2017, entitled "STAPLING CARTRIDGE," are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

[0151] The surgical instrument systems described herein have been described in connection with deploying and deforming staples. However, the embodiments described herein are not so limited. Various embodiments are contemplated that deploy fastening elements other than staples, such as, for example, clamps or tacks. Additionally, various embodiments are contemplated that utilize any suitable means for sealing tissue. For example, end effectors according to various embodiments may include electrodes configured to heat and seal tissue. Also for example, end effectors according to certain embodiments may apply vibrational energy to seal tissue.

[0152] The entire contents of the following disclosures are incorporated herein by reference. - U.S. Patent No. 5,403,312, entitled "ELECTROSURGICAL HEMOSTATIC DEVICE," issued April 4, 1995; - U.S. Patent No. 7,000,818, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT HAVING SEPARATE DISTINCT CLOSING AND FIRING SYSTEMS," issued on February 21, 2006; - U.S. Patent No. 7,422,139, entitled "MOTOR-DRIVEN SURGICAL CUTTING AND FASTENING INSTRUMENT WITH TACTILE POSITION FEEDBACK," issued on September 9, 2008; - U.S. Patent No. 7,464,849, entitled "ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH CLOSURE SYSTEM AND ANVIL ALIGNMENT COMPONENTS," issued on December 16, 2008; - U.S. Patent No. 7,670,334, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING AN ARTICULATING END EFFECTOR", issued on March 2, 2010; - U.S. Patent No. 7,753,245, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENTS," issued on July 13, 2010; - U.S. Patent No. 8,393,514, entitled "SELECTIVELY ORIENTABLE IMPLANTABLE FASTENER CARTRIDGE," issued on March 12, 2013; - 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, entitled "SURGICAL CUTTING AND FASTENING INSTRUMENT HAVING RF ELECTRODES," filed on February 14, 2008; - U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 031,873, entitled "END EFFECTORS FOR A SURGICAL CUTTING AND STAPLING INSTRUMENT," filed Feb. 15, 2008, 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 Serial 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, entitled "STAPLE CARTRIDGE," filed on September 29, 2012, now U.S. Patent No. 8,733,613; - U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 036,647, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT," filed Feb. 28, 2011, 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 March 13, 2013, entitled "STAPLE CARTRIDGE TISSUE THICKNESS SENSOR SYSTEM," now U.S. Patent No. 9,345,481; 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, entitled "SURGICAL CUTTING AND FASTENING INSTRUMENT WITH CLOSURE TRIGGER LOCKING MECHANISM," filed on January 31, 2006; and -U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010 / 0264194, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT WITH AN ARTICULATABLE END EFFECTOR," filed on April 22, 2010, now U.S. Patent No. 8,308,040.

[0153] 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(s), according to various embodiments. It is intended that the foregoing description and the following claims cover all such modifications and variations.

[0154] 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 parts 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 parts 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. Use of such techniques, and the resulting reconditioned devices, are all within the scope of the present application.

[0155] 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 may kill bacteria on the instruments and in the container. The sterilized instruments may then be stored in the sterile container. The sealed container may 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.

[0156] While the invention has been described as having an exemplary design, the invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles.

[0157] [Embodiment] (1) A surgical instrument, A cartridge jaw, comprising: A cartridge body; a cartridge jaw including a staple removably stored in the cartridge body; 1. A staple firing system comprising: An electric motor; a motor control system in communication with the electric motor, the motor control system configured to control a speed of the electric motor; a staple firing system including a firing member movable by the electric motor through a staple firing stroke to eject the staples from the cartridge body; An anvil jaw comprising: a staple forming pocket configured to deform the staple during the staple firing stroke, each of the staple forming pockets configured to deform the staple; and an anvil jaw including an electrical trace for each of the staple forming pockets in communication with the motor control system, the motor control system configured to detect when the staple has missed the staple forming pocket, the motor control system configured to slow down the electric motor when the staple has missed the staple forming pocket. (2) The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the motor control system is configured to slow down the electric motor even further when the motor control system detects that a second staple has missed a staple forming pocket. (3) The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the motor control system is configured to stop the electric motor when the motor control system detects that the third staple has missed a staple forming pocket. (4) The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the anvil jaw further comprises a tissue compression surface and a flexible substrate attached to the tissue compression surface, the electrical traces being embedded in the flexible substrate. (5) The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the motor control system is configured to detect when the staple becomes awkward against the anvil jaw, and the motor control system is configured to slow down the electric motor when the staple becomes awkward against the anvil jaw.

[0158] (6) The surgical instrument of claim 5, wherein the motor control system is configured to slow down the electric motor even further when the motor control system detects that a second staple has become awkward against the anvil jaw. (7) The surgical instrument of claim 6, wherein the motor control system is configured to stop the electric motor when the motor control system detects that the third staple has become awkward against the anvil jaw. (8) A surgical instrument, A cartridge jaw, comprising: A cartridge body; a cartridge jaw including a staple removably stored in the cartridge body; 1. A staple firing system comprising: An electric motor; a motor control system in communication with the electric motor, the motor control system configured to control a speed of the electric motor; a staple firing system comprising a firing member movable by the electric motor through a staple firing stroke to eject the staples from the cartridge body; An anvil jaw comprising: a staple forming pocket configured to deform the staple during the staple firing stroke, each of the staple forming pockets configured to deform the staple; 11. A surgical instrument comprising: an anvil jaw; and an electrical circuit in communication with the motor control system, the motor control system configured to detect when the staple becomes awkward against the anvil jaw via the electrical circuit, the motor control system configured to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke when the staple becomes awkward against the anvil jaw. (9) The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein the motor control system is configured to slow down the electric motor even further when the motor control system detects that a second staple has become awkward against the anvil jaw. (10) The surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the motor control system is configured to stop the electric motor when the motor control system detects that the third staple has become awkward against the anvil jaw.

[0159] (11) The surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the staple is configured to contact the electrical circuit during the staple firing stroke. (12) The surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the electrical circuit includes a Hall effect sensor configured to detect whether the staple enters the staple forming pocket. (13) The surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the motor control system includes a pulse width modulation control circuit configured to control the speed of the electric motor. (14) The surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the motor control system includes a frequency modulation control circuit configured to control the speed of the electric motor. (15) A surgical instrument, A cartridge jaw, comprising: A cartridge body; a cartridge jaw including a staple removably stored in the cartridge body; 1. A staple firing system comprising: An electric motor; a motor control system in communication with the electric motor, the motor control system configured to control a speed of the electric motor; a staple firing system comprising a firing member movable by the electric motor through a staple firing stroke to eject the staples from the cartridge body; An anvil jaw comprising: a staple forming pocket configured to deform the staple during the staple firing stroke, each of the staple forming pockets configured to deform the staple; 11. A surgical instrument comprising: an anvil jaw; and an electrical circuit in communication with the motor control system, the staples being aligned with the electrical circuit such that the staples contact the electrical circuit as they are ejected from the cartridge body during the staple firing stroke, the motor control system configured to detect when a predetermined number of the staples have become unfit against the anvil jaw via the electrical circuit, the motor control system configured to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke when the predetermined number of the staples have become unfit against the anvil jaw.

[0160] (16) The surgical instrument of claim 15, wherein the anvil comprises a metal frame, the staple forming pockets are defined in the metal frame, and the electrical circuit is part of a flex circuit attached to the metal frame. (17) The surgical instrument of claim 16, wherein the flex circuit includes an electrical connector configured to place the electrical circuit in electrical communication with the motor control system. (18) A surgical instrument, A cartridge jaw, comprising: A cartridge body; a cartridge jaw including a staple removably stored in the cartridge body; 1. A staple firing system comprising: An electric motor; a motor control system in communication with the electric motor, the motor control system configured to control a speed of the electric motor; a staple firing system including a firing member movable by the electric motor through a staple firing stroke to eject the staples from the cartridge body; An anvil jaw comprising: a staple forming pocket configured to deform the staple during the staple firing stroke, the staple forming pocket comprising a first forming cup configured to receive a first leg of the staple and a second forming cup configured to receive a second leg of the staple; a first electrical circuit in communication with the motor control system, the first electrical circuit extending into the first forming cup, the motor control system configured to detect whether the first leg of the staple is properly deformed during the staple firing stroke; and a second electrical circuit in communication with the motor control system, the second electrical circuit extending into the second forming cup, the motor control system configured to detect whether the second legs of the staple are properly deformed during the staple firing stroke, the motor control system configured to slow down the electric motor when the motor control system detects that one of the first legs and the second legs is not properly formed. (19) The surgical instrument of claim 18, wherein a motor control system is configured to slow the electric motor even further when both the first leg and the second leg of the staple are not properly formed. (20) A surgical instrument, A cartridge jaw, comprising: A cartridge body; a cartridge jaw including staples removably stored in the cartridge body, the staples including a proximal staple, an intermediate staple, and a distal staple; 1. A staple firing system comprising: An electric motor; a motor control system in communication with the electric motor, the motor control system configured to control a speed of the electric motor; a staple firing system comprising a firing member movable by the electric motor through a staple firing stroke to eject the staples from the cartridge body; An anvil jaw comprising: a proximal group of proximal staple forming pockets configured to deform the staples during the staple firing stroke, each of the proximal staple forming pockets configured to deform a proximal staple, and the motor control system configured to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke when the motor control system detects that a predetermined number of the proximal staples have become misaligned against the anvil jaws; an intermediate group of proximal staple forming pockets configured to deform the staples during the staple firing stroke, each of the intermediate staple forming pockets configured to deform an intermediate staple, the intermediate group being distal to the proximal group, and the motor control system configured to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke when the motor control system detects that a predetermined number of the intermediate staples have become misaligned against the anvil jaws; and a distal group of proximal staple forming pockets configured to deform the staples during the staple firing stroke, each of the distal staple forming pockets configured to deform the distal staples, the distal group being distal to the intermediate group, and the motor control system configured to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke when the motor control system detects that a predetermined number of the distal staples have become awkward against the anvil jaw.

[0161] (21) The surgical instrument of claim 20, wherein the motor control system is configured to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke to a first speed when the motor control system detects that a predetermined number of the proximal staples have become awkward against the anvil jaw, and the motor control system is configured to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke to a second speed when the motor control system detects that a predetermined number of the intermediate staples have become awkward against the anvil jaw, the first speed being different from the second speed. (22) The surgical instrument of claim 21, wherein the motor control system is configured to slow the electric motor and the staple firing stroke to a third speed when the motor control system detects that a predetermined number of the distal staples have become awkward against the anvil jaw, the third speed being different from the first speed and the second speed. (23) The surgical instrument of claim 20, wherein the motor control system is configured to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke to a first speed when the motor control system detects that a predetermined number of the intermediate staples have become awkward against the anvil jaw, and the motor control system is configured to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke to a second speed when the motor control system detects that a predetermined number of the distal staples have become awkward against the anvil jaw, the first speed being different from the second speed. (24) The surgical instrument of claim 20, wherein the proximal staples include a first configuration, the intermediate staples include a second configuration, and the distal staples include a third configuration, and the first configuration, the second configuration, and the third configuration are different. (25) The surgical instrument of claim 20, wherein the proximal staples include a first configuration, the intermediate staples include a second configuration, and the distal staples include a third configuration, and the first configuration, the second configuration, and the third configuration are the same.

[0162] (26) A surgical instrument, A cartridge jaw, comprising: A cartridge body; a cartridge jaw including staples removably stored in the cartridge body, the staples including a proximal staple and a distal staple; 1. A staple firing system comprising: An electric motor; a motor control system in communication with the electric motor, the motor control system configured to control a speed of the electric motor; a staple firing system comprising a firing member movable by the electric motor through a staple firing stroke to eject the staples from the cartridge body; An anvil jaw comprising: a proximal zone of proximal staple forming pockets configured to deform the staples during the staple firing stroke, each of the proximal staple forming pockets configured to deform the proximal staples; and a distal zone of a proximal staple forming pocket configured to deform the staple during the staple firing stroke, each of the distal staple forming pockets configured to deform the distal staple, the distal zone being distal to the proximal zone, and the motor control system configured to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke when the motor control system detects that the proximal and distal staples have become awkward against the anvil jaw. (27) The surgical instrument of claim 26, wherein the proximal staples have a first configuration and the distal staples have a second configuration, and the first configuration and the second configuration are different. (28) The surgical instrument of embodiment 26, wherein the proximal staples have a first configuration and the distal staples have a second configuration, the first configuration and the second configuration being the same. (29) A surgical instrument comprising: A cartridge jaw, comprising: A cartridge body; a cartridge jaw comprising: staples removably stored in the cartridge body, the staples including a first longitudinal row of staples and a second longitudinal row of staples; 1. A staple firing system comprising: An electric motor; a motor control system in communication with the electric motor, the motor control system configured to control a speed of the electric motor; a firing member movable by the electric motor through a staple firing stroke to eject the staples from the cartridge body; An anvil jaw comprising: a longitudinal row of first staple forming pockets configured to deform the first staple during the staple firing stroke; a longitudinal row of second staple forming pockets configured to deform the second staples during the staple firing stroke; and and means for detecting when a first staple becomes awkward against said anvil jaw and for detecting when a second staple becomes awkward against said anvil jaw, said means in communication with said motor control system, said motor control system configured to slow down said electric motor and said staple firing stroke when said motor control system detects that the first staple and the second staple become awkward against said anvil jaw. (30) The surgical instrument of embodiment 29, wherein the first staple has a first configuration, the second staple has a second configuration, and the first configuration and the second configuration are different.

[0163] (31) The surgical instrument of embodiment 29, wherein the first staple has a first configuration and the distal staple has a second configuration, and the first configuration and the second configuration are the same. (32) A surgical instrument comprising: A cartridge jaw, comprising: A cartridge body; a cartridge jaw including a staple removably stored in the cartridge body; 1. A staple firing system comprising: An electric motor; a motor control system in communication with the electric motor, the motor control system configured to control a speed of the electric motor; a firing member movable by the electric motor through a staple firing stroke to eject the staples from the cartridge body; an anvil jaw including staple forming pockets configured to deform the staples during the staple firing stroke, each staple forming pocket configured to deform the staples; and means for detecting when the staple becomes misaligned against the anvil jaw and detecting when the staple misses the anvil jaw, wherein the motor control system is configured to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke when the staple becomes misaligned against the anvil jaw and to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke when the staple misses the anvil jaw. (33) The surgical instrument of claim 32, wherein the motor control system includes a pulse width modulation control circuit configured to control the speed of the electric motor. (34) The surgical instrument of claim 32, wherein the motor control system includes a frequency modulation control circuit configured to control the speed of the electric motor. (35) The surgical instrument of claim 32, wherein the motor control system comprises a current sensor circuit configured to detect spikes in the current drawn by the electric motor, compare a magnitude of the detected current spike to a magnitude of an expected current spike, and slow down the electric motor if a difference between the magnitude of the detected current spike and the magnitude of the expected current spike exceeds a predetermined threshold.

[0164] (36) The surgical instrument of claim 35, wherein the motor control system is configured to slow down the electric motor after two consecutive detected current spikes exceed the predetermined threshold. (37) The surgical instrument of claim 35, wherein the motor control system is configured to slow down the electric motor after three consecutive detected current spikes exceed the predetermined threshold. (38) The surgical instrument of embodiment 35, wherein the motor control system is configured to slow down the electric motor after a first detected current spike exceeds a first threshold above a first expected current spike and a second detected current spike exceeds a second threshold above a second expected current spike. (39) The surgical instrument of embodiment 38, wherein the first expected current spike and the second detected current spike have different magnitudes. (40) The surgical instrument of embodiment 38, wherein the first threshold is different from the second threshold.

[0165] (41) A surgical instrument comprising: A first jaw; a second jaw, the first jaw being rotatable relative to the second jaw; and 1. A tissue cutting system comprising: An electric motor; a motor control system in communication with the electric motor, the motor control system configured to control a speed of the electric motor; a firing member movable by the electric motor through a staple firing stroke to eject the staples from the cartridge body; and an anvil jaw including staple forming pockets configured to deform the staples during the staple firing stroke, each staple forming pocket configured to deform the staples; and means for detecting when the staple becomes misaligned against the anvil jaw and detecting when the staple misses the anvil jaw, wherein the motor control system is configured to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke when the staple becomes misaligned against the anvil jaw and to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke when the staple misses the anvil jaw. (42) A surgical instrument comprising: A first jaw; a second jaw, the first jaw being movable toward the second jaw from an unclamped position to a clamped position during a jaw closing stroke; A closed system, A closing motor; a closure system comprising: a closure member operatively coupled to the closure motor, the closure member being movable by the closure motor through the jaw closing stroke to move the first jaw to the clamping position and apply a clamping pressure to tissue captured between the first jaw and the second jaw; 1. A tissue cutting system comprising: A drive motor; a cutting member operably coupled to the drive motor, the cutting member being movable by the drive motor through a tissue-cutting stroke after the first jaw is moved to the clamping position to cut the tissue captured between the first jaw and the second jaw, the surgical instrument being reusable to perform a second tissue-cutting stroke; a motor control system in communication with the closing motor and the drive motor, the motor control system configured to control operation of the closing motor and the drive motor, the motor control system configured to increase the clamping pressure applied by the first jaw during the second tissue cutting stroke compared to the clamping pressure applied by the first jaw during the tissue cutting stroke. (43) The surgical instrument of claim 42, wherein the motor control system is configured to increase the jaw closing stroke during the second tissue cutting stroke compared to the tissue cutting stroke to increase the clamping pressure applied by the first jaw during the second tissue cutting stroke. (44) The surgical instrument of embodiment 43, wherein the motor control system is configured to reduce the speed of the drive motor during the second tissue cutting stroke. (45) The surgical instrument of embodiment 42, wherein the surgical instrument is reusable to perform a third tissue cutting stroke, and the motor control system is configured to increase the clamping pressure applied by the first jaw during the third tissue cutting stroke compared to the clamping pressure applied by the first jaw during the second tissue cutting stroke.

[0166] (46) The surgical instrument of embodiment 45, wherein the motor control system is configured to increase the jaw closing stroke during the third tissue cutting stroke and to increase the clamping pressure applied by the first jaw during the third tissue cutting stroke. (47) A surgical instrument comprising: A first jaw; a second jaw, the first jaw being movable toward the second jaw from an unclamped position to a clamped position during a jaw closing stroke; A closed system, A closing motor; a closure system comprising: a closure member drivable by the closure motor, the closure member being movable by the closure motor through the jaw closing stroke to move the first jaw to the clamping position and apply a clamping pressure to tissue captured between the first jaw and the second jaw; 1. A tissue cutting system comprising: A drive motor; a cutting member drivable by the drive motor, the cutting member being movable by the drive motor through a tissue-cutting stroke after the first jaw is moved to the clamping position to cut the tissue captured between the first jaw and the second jaw, the surgical instrument being reusable to perform subsequent tissue-cutting strokes; a motor control system in communication with the closing motor and the drive motor, the motor control system configured to control operation of the closing motor and the drive motor, the motor control system configured to increase the clamping pressure applied by the first jaw during the subsequent tissue cutting stroke compared to the clamping pressure applied by the first jaw during the tissue cutting stroke. (48) The surgical instrument of embodiment 47, wherein the motor control system is configured to increase the jaw closing stroke during the subsequent tissue cutting stroke compared to the tissue cutting stroke to increase the clamping pressure applied by the first jaw during the subsequent tissue cutting stroke. (49) The surgical instrument of embodiment 48, wherein the motor control system is configured to reduce the speed of the drive motor during the subsequent tissue cutting stroke. (50) A surgical instrument comprising: A first jaw; a second jaw, the first jaw being movable toward the second jaw from an unclamped position to a clamped position during a jaw closing stroke; A closed system, A closing motor; a closure system comprising: a closure member drivable by the closure motor, the closure member being movable by the closure motor through the jaw closing stroke to move the first jaw to the clamping position and apply a clamping pressure to tissue captured between the first jaw and the second jaw; 1. A tissue cutting system comprising: A drive motor; a cutting member drivable by the drive motor, the cutting member being movable by the drive motor through a tissue cutting stroke to cut the tissue captured between the first and second jaws after the first jaw is moved to the clamping position; and detection means for detecting the cutting force exerted by the cutting member during the tissue cutting stroke; and a motor control system in communication with the closing motor, the drive motor, and the detection means, the motor control system configured to control operation of the closing motor and the drive motor, the motor control system configured to increase the clamping pressure applied by the first jaw during the tissue cutting stroke when the detection means detects an increase in the cutting force above a predetermined threshold.

[0167] (51) The surgical instrument of embodiment 50, wherein the motor control system is configured to increase the jaw closing stroke during the tissue cutting stroke and to increase the clamping pressure applied by the first jaw during the tissue cutting stroke. (52) The surgical instrument of embodiment 51, wherein the motor control system is configured to reduce the speed of the drive motor as the jaw closing stroke increases. (53) The surgical instrument of claim 52, wherein the motor control system comprises a pulse width modulation circuit configured to control the speed of the drive motor. (54) The surgical instrument of claim 50, wherein the detection means comprises a current sensor configured to detect the current drawn by the drive motor. (55) A surgical instrument comprising: A first jaw; a second jaw, the first jaw being movable toward the second jaw from an unclamped position to a clamped position during a jaw closing stroke; A closed system, A closing motor; a closure system comprising: a closure member drivable by the closure motor, the closure member being movable by the closure motor through the jaw closing stroke to move the first jaw to the clamping position and apply a clamping pressure to tissue captured between the first jaw and the second jaw; 1. A tissue cutting system comprising: A drive motor; a cutting member drivable by the drive motor, the cutting member being movable by the drive motor through a tissue cutting stroke to cut the tissue captured between the first and second jaws after the first jaw is moved to the clamping position; and a sensor circuit configured to sense the cutting force applied by the cutting member during the tissue cutting stroke; and a motor control system in communication with the closing motor, the drive motor, and the sensor circuit, the motor control system configured to control operation of the closing motor and the drive motor, the motor control system configured to compare the cutting force sensed by the sensor circuit to a cutting force profile, and configured to increase the clamping pressure applied by the first jaw during the tissue cutting stroke when the motor control system detects an increase in the sensed cutting force above the cutting force profile.

[0168] (56) The surgical instrument of embodiment 55, wherein the motor control system is configured to increase the jaw closing stroke during the tissue cutting stroke and to increase the clamping pressure applied by the first jaw during the tissue cutting stroke. (57) The surgical instrument of claim 55, wherein the motor control system is configured to reduce the speed of the drive motor as the jaw closing stroke increases. (58) The surgical instrument of claim 57, wherein the motor control system comprises a pulse width modulation circuit configured to control the speed of the drive motor. (59) A surgical instrument comprising: A first jaw; a second jaw, the first jaw being movable toward the second jaw from an unclamped position to a clamped position during a jaw closing stroke; A closed system, A closing motor; a closure system comprising: a closure member drivable by the closure motor, the closure member being movable by the closure motor through the jaw closing stroke to move the first jaw to the clamping position and apply a clamping pressure to tissue captured between the first jaw and the second jaw; 1. A tissue cutting system comprising: A drive motor; a cutting member drivable by the drive motor, the cutting member being movable by the drive motor through a tissue cutting stroke to cut the tissue captured between the first and second jaws after the first jaw is moved to the clamping position; and a sensor circuit configured to detect the presence of an implantable accessory positioned intermediate the first jaw and the second jaw; a motor control system in communication with the closing motor, the drive motor, and the sensor circuit, the motor control system configured to control operation of the closing motor and the drive motor, the motor control system configured to increase the clamping pressure applied by the first jaw during the tissue cutting stroke when the sensor circuit detects the presence of an implantable appendage intermediate the first jaw and the second jaw. (60) A staple cartridge positioned on the first jaw, the staple cartridge comprising: A cartridge body; a staple removably stored in the cartridge body; 60. The surgical instrument of embodiment 59, comprising an implantable accessory removably attached to the cartridge body.

[0169] (61) A staple cartridge positioned on the second jaw, the staple cartridge comprising: A cartridge body; a staple removably stored in the cartridge body; 60. The surgical instrument of embodiment 59, comprising an implantable accessory removably attached to the cartridge body. (62) The surgical instrument of embodiment 59, further comprising an implantable appendage releasably attached to the first jaw portion. (63) The surgical instrument of embodiment 59, further comprising an implantable appendage releasably attached to the second jaw. (64) The surgical instrument of embodiment 59, wherein the motor control system is configured to reduce the speed of the drive motor as the jaw closing stroke increases. (65) The surgical instrument of claim 64, wherein the motor control system comprises a pulse width modulation circuit configured to control the speed of the drive motor.

[0170] (66) The surgical instrument of embodiment 59, wherein the sensor circuit comprises an electrode configured to contact the implantable accessory. (67) The surgical instrument of embodiment 66, wherein the electrode is positioned on the first jaw. (68) The surgical instrument of embodiment 59, wherein the sensor circuit includes an electrode configured to be positioned near the implantable appendage. (69) The surgical instrument of embodiment 68, wherein the first jaw includes an anvil containing a staple forming pocket, and the electrode is positioned in the staple forming pocket. (70) A surgical instrument comprising: A first jaw; a second jaw, the first jaw being movable toward the second jaw from an unclamped position to a clamped position during a jaw closing stroke; A closed system, A closing motor; a closure system comprising: a closure member drivable by the closure motor, the closure member being movable by the closure motor through the jaw closing stroke to move the first jaw to the clamping position and apply a clamping pressure to tissue captured between the first jaw and the second jaw; 1. A tissue cutting system comprising: A drive motor; a cutting member drivable by the drive motor, the cutting member being movable by the drive motor through a tissue cutting stroke to cut the tissue captured between the first and second jaws after the first jaw is moved to the clamping position; and a sensor circuit configured to detect the presence of an implantable accessory positioned intermediate the first jaw and the second jaw; a motor control system in communication with the closure motor, the drive motor, and the sensor circuit, the motor control system configured to control operation of the closure motor and the drive motor, the motor control system configured to reduce a speed of the drive motor and the tissue cutting stroke when the sensor circuit detects the presence of an implantable appendage intermediate the first jaw and the second jaw.

[0171] (71) A staple cartridge positioned on the first jaw, the staple cartridge comprising: A cartridge body; a staple removably stored in the cartridge body; 71. The surgical instrument of embodiment 70, comprising an implantable accessory removably attached to the cartridge body. (72) A staple cartridge positioned on the second jaw, the staple cartridge comprising: A cartridge body; a staple removably stored in the cartridge body; 71. The surgical instrument of embodiment 70, comprising an implantable accessory removably attached to the cartridge body. (73) The surgical instrument of embodiment 70, further comprising an implantable appendage releasably attached to the first jaw portion. (74) The surgical instrument of embodiment 70, further comprising an implantable appendage releasably attached to the second jaw portion. (75) The surgical instrument of claim 70, wherein the motor control system comprises a pulse width modulation circuit configured to control the speed of the drive motor.

[0172] (76) The surgical instrument of claim 70, wherein the motor control system comprises a frequency modulation circuit configured to control the speed of the drive motor. (77) The surgical instrument of embodiment 70, wherein the sensor circuit comprises an electrode configured to contact the implantable accessory. (78) The surgical instrument of embodiment 77, wherein the electrode is positioned on the first jaw. (79) The surgical instrument of embodiment 70, wherein the sensor circuit includes an electrode configured to be positioned near the implantable appendage. (80) The surgical instrument of embodiment 79, wherein the first jaw includes an anvil containing a staple forming pocket, and the electrode is positioned in the staple forming pocket.

Claims

1. 1. A surgical instrument comprising: A cartridge jaw, comprising: A cartridge body; a cartridge jaw including a staple removably stored in the cartridge body; 1. A staple firing system comprising: An electric motor; a motor control system in communication with the electric motor, the motor control system configured to control a speed of the electric motor; a staple firing system comprising a firing member movable by the electric motor through a staple firing stroke to eject the staples from the cartridge body; An anvil jaw comprising: a staple forming pocket configured to deform the staple during the staple firing stroke, each of the staple forming pockets configured to deform the staple; an anvil jaw comprising: an electrical circuit in communication with the motor control system, the motor control system configured to detect when the staple becomes awkward against the anvil jaw via the electrical circuit, the motor control system configured to slow down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke when the staple becomes awkward against the anvil jaw; the motor control system is configured to slow the electric motor even further when the motor control system detects that a second of the staples has become misaligned against the anvil jaw; the motor control system is configured to pause the electric motor and the staple firing stroke when the motor control system detects that a third staple has become awkward against the anvil jaw and to resume the staple firing stroke after a predetermined pause time has elapsed.

2. The predetermined pause time is a first predetermined pause time, 2. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein if the motor control system detects that the plurality of staples become awkward against the anvil jaws after resuming the staple firing stroke, the motor control system is configured to again pause the staple firing stroke and resume the staple firing stroke after a second predetermined pause time has elapsed.

3. A surgical instrument as described in claim 2, wherein the second predetermined pause time is longer than the first predetermined pause time.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the staple is configured to contact the electrical circuit during the staple firing stroke.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the electrical circuit comprises a Hall effect sensor configured to detect whether the staple enters the staple forming pocket.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the motor control system includes a pulse width modulation control circuit configured to control the speed of the electric motor.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the motor control system includes a frequency modulation control circuit configured to control the speed of the electric motor.

8. 1. A surgical instrument comprising: A cartridge jaw, comprising: A cartridge body; a cartridge jaw including a staple removably stored in the cartridge body; 1. A staple firing system comprising: An electric motor; a motor control system in communication with the electric motor, the motor control system configured to control a speed of the electric motor; a staple firing system comprising a firing member movable by the electric motor through a staple firing stroke to eject the staples from the cartridge body; An anvil jaw comprising: a staple forming pocket configured to deform the staple during the staple firing stroke, each of the staple forming pockets configured to deform the staple; an anvil jaw comprising: an electrical circuit in communication with said motor control system, said staples being aligned with said electrical circuit such that said staples contact said electrical circuit as they are ejected from said cartridge body during said staple firing stroke, said motor control system configured to detect when a predetermined number of said staples have become unfit against said anvil jaw via said electrical circuit, said motor control system configured to slow down said electric motor and said staple firing stroke when said predetermined number of said staples have become unfit against said anvil jaw; the motor control system is configured to pause the electric motor and the staple firing stroke when the motor control system detects that a plurality of staples have become awkward against the anvil jaws after slowing down the electric motor and the staple firing stroke, and to resume the staple firing stroke after a predetermined pause time has elapsed.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein the anvil jaws include a metal frame, the staple forming pockets are defined in the metal frame, and the electrical circuit is part of a flex circuit attached to the metal frame.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 9, wherein the flex circuit includes an electrical connector configured to place the electrical circuit in electrical communication with the motor control system.

11. The predetermined pause time is a first predetermined pause time, 9. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein if the motor control system detects that the plurality of staples become awkward against the anvil jaws after resuming the staple firing stroke, the motor control system is configured to again pause the staple firing stroke and resume the staple firing stroke after a second predetermined pause time has elapsed.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 11, wherein the second predetermined pause time is longer than the first predetermined pause time.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 8, wherein the predetermined number of staples is two consecutive staples.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the predetermined pause time is 1 to 5 seconds.

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