Abstract: A health data management system may obtain a consent key for accessing health information associated with a patient. The system may determine that at least some of the health information associated with the patient is stored in an external system, different from the health data system. The external system may be, for example, a second health data management system or a secure storage container associated with the patient. The health data system may send a request to access the health information associated with the patient. The access request may include a consent key associated with the patient's consent data. The consent key may be, may include, and/or may indicate the patient's consent data. The health data system may access the health information associated with the patient from the external system (e.g., upon the external system authorizing access based on the consent key).

Abstract: A surgical instrument is disclosed including an end effector, a firing member movable from an unfired position toward a fired position during a firing stroke, a firing system comprising a motor, and a control system. The end effector comprises a first jaw, a second jaw moveable relative to the first jaw, and a staple cartridge. The firing system is configured to drive the firing member through the firing stroke. The control system is configured to drive the firing member from the unfired position toward the fired position with the firing system, detect a force to fire the firing member toward the fired position, predict a future force to fire the firing member, based on the detected force to fire, and dynamically adjust a firing algorithm of the firing system, based on the prediction.

Abstract: A surgical instrument comprising an end effector, a firing member movable from an unfired position toward a fired position during a firing stroke, a firing system comprising a motor, and a control system. The firing system is configured to drive the firing member through the firing stroke. The control system is configured to drive the firing member from the unfired position toward the fired position with the firing system, detect a force to fire the firing member toward the fired position, pause advancement of the firing member for a first amount of time, based on the detected force to fire, resume advancement of the firing member after the first amount of time, and pause advancement of the firing member for a second amount of time, wherein the second amount of time is based on the first amount of time.

Abstract: Disclosed is a surgical system for use with a surgical device. The surgical system comprises a remote processing device comprising a device control circuit and a surgical hub configured to communicably couple to the remote processing device and the surgical device. The surgical hub comprises a hub control circuit, wherein the hub control circuit and the device control circuit perform distributed processing. The surgical hub control circuit is configured to transmit a synchronization feature to the remote processing device, transmit a first subset of data associated with the surgical device to the remote processing device, perform a second analysis on a second subset of the data, determine a second result based on the second analysis, receive a first result from the remote processing device and synchronization data of the first result, assess a synchronicity of the first result and the second result based on the synchronization data.

Abstract: Disclosed is a surgical instrument for treating tissue in a surgical procedure. The surgical instrument comprises an end effector, comprising an anvil, and a staple cartridge. The surgical instrument further comprises a drive train operably coupled to the end effector, a motor configured to motivate the drive train based on a default control algorithm to affect a tissue treatment motion of the end effector, and a sensor configured to monitor an independent parameter of the surgical procedure. The independent parameter is independent of the motion of the end effector. The surgical instrument further comprises a control circuit coupled to the motor and the sensor. The control circuit is configured to receive an input from the sensor indicative of the independent parameter, and adjust the default control algorithm based on the independent parameter.

Abstract: A surgical instrument is disclosed including an end effector configurable between an open state and a clamped state, a firing member movable from an unfired position toward a fired position during a firing stroke, a manually-driveable closure system, a motor-powered firing system, and a control system. The motor-powered firing system is configured to drive the firing member through the firing stroke. The control system is configured to detect, at a first time point, the end effector reaching the clamped state with the manually-driveable closure system, detect, at a second time point, the actuation of the motor-powered firing system, set a firing motion parameter of the motor-powered firing system based on an elapsed time from the first time point to the second time point, and drive the firing member through the firing stroke with the motor-powered firing system using the firing motion parameter.

Abstract: A surgical system is disclosed including a surgical instrument and a control system. The surgical instrument comprises an end effector, a first drive system, and a second drive system. The control system is configured to detect the actuation of the first drive system of the surgical instrument, drive a first function of the end effector using the first drive system, monitor a first parameter associated with a first function, set a second parameter associated with a second function of the end effector based on the monitored first parameter, and drive the second function of the end effector using the second drive system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a surgical system, comprising an end effector configurable between an open state and a clamped state. The end effector comprises a first jaw and a second jaw moveable relative to the first jaw. The surgical system further comprises a drive system, comprising a motor and a drive assembly movable by the motor to effect a tissue-treatment motion at the end effector. The surgical system further comprises a motor control system comprising motor control electronics. The motor control system is configured to transmit a motor drive signal that causes the motor to move the drive assembly to effect the tissue-treatment motion at the end effector and control the motor control electronics to modify the tissue-treatment motion independent of the motor drive signal.

Abstract: A fastener cartridge can include, one, a cartridge body comprising a deck and a plurality of fastener cavities and, two, a plurality of fasteners positioned in the fastener cavities. The cartridge body can further comprise extensions extending from the deck having different sizes and/or configurations. The extensions can control the flow of tissue relative to the deck and/or support the fasteners as they are ejected from the fastener cavities.

Abstract: A staple cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapling instrument includes a staple cartridge including a plurality of staples and a cartridge deck. The staple cartridge assembly also includes a compressible adjunct positionable against the cartridge deck, wherein the staples are deployable into tissue captured against the compressible adjunct, and wherein the compressible adjunct comprises a first biocompatible layer comprising a first portion, a second biocompatible layer comprising a second portion, and crossed spacer fibers extending between the first portion and the second portion.

Abstract: An end-effector is disclosed including an ultrasonic blade configured to acoustically couple to an ultrasonic transducer and electrically couple to a pole of an electrical generator and a clamp arm including a clamp jaw and a cantilever electrode fixed to the clamp jaw. The cantilever electrode is configured to electrically couple to an opposite pole of the electrical generator. The clamp arm may include an I-beam shaped clamp arm pad and the cantilever electrode is disposed between the I-beam. The clamp jaw, the cantilever electrode, and the clamp arm pad may define recesses along a length coinciding with the ultrasonic blade. The clamp arm pad may be fixed to the clamp jaw and disposed between the clamp jaw and the cantilever electrode and may extend beyond the surface of the cantilever electrode. The clamp arm may include a stationary gap setting pad and movable floating gap setting pads.

Abstract: A modular surgical instrument system, comprising a handle assembly, comprising a disposable outer housing configured to define a sterile barrier. The disposable outer housing comprises a first housing-portion and a second housing-portion movable relative to the first housing-portion between an open configuration and a closed configuration. The handle assembly further comprises a control inner core receivable inside the disposable outer housing in the open configuration. The disposable outer housing is configured to isolate the control inner core in the closed configuration.

Abstract: An anvil-attachable layer for use with a surgical stapler, or fastening instrument, wherein a proximal end portion of the layer is attached to a staple cartridge assembly, for example. The layer may be attached to the staple cartridge assembly by an adhesive, weld, or a staple-cartridge-based clamp, wherein the attachment is weak enough to allow the layer to pull away from the staple cartridge assembly with stapled tissue. Alternatively, the layer can include two or more lateral slits that define a connector region that can be cut by a knife of a surgical stapler to release the layer.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an end effector, a motor, and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to activate the motor to distally advance a firing member within a body of the end effector. The processing unit is further configured to detect an initiation condition. In response to detecting the initiation condition, the processing unit is configured to activate an algorithmic bumping mode. The bumping mode includes activating the motor to advance the firing member distally with a first plurality starting and stopping motions at a first rate and a first power level. The bumping mode further includes activating the motor to retract the firing member proximally with a second plurality of starting and stopping motions at a second rate and a second power level. The first rate is different than the second rate. The first power level is different than the second power level.

Abstract: A surgical instrument. The surgical instrument has a force delivery system which communicates a changing force to a user of the surgical instrument when a limit of a surgical function is reached. A sensor senses position of a moving element to communicate a signal to the force delivery system. In various embodiments, the system generates a vibratory force to signal the user.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electrosurgical instrument including an end effector with a cartridge having an asymmetric cartridge body.

Abstract: Various shaft guide embodiments are disclosed and may comprise a shaft guide body that comprises a proximal end that may have an oval shape aligned on a proximal long axis and a distal end that may have a distal oval shape aligned on a distal long axis that is transverse to the proximal long axis. The shaft guide body may further comprise a first passage that defines a first passage proximal opening oriented in a first orientation and a second passage that defines a second passage distal opening that is oriented in a second orientation that differs from the first orientation.

Abstract: Thresholds can be assigned for one or more parameters in connection with the operation of a surgical device. An ultimate threshold can trigger a desired action, including cessation of operations or modification of operations, if the ultimate threshold is reached, or predicted to be reached. In addition, a marginal threshold can trigger a desired action, including improving operations such as slowing operations where the value of a parameter is measured to be between the values defined by a marginal threshold and an ultimate threshold. Multiple thresholds, based on multiple parameters, can be defined, further enabling calibrated usage, such as slowing operations based on exceeding both a marginal threshold based on number of sterilization cycles and exceeding a marginal threshold based on extent to which current draw exceeds a certain value.

Abstract: A surgical instrument including a stapling assembly and an anvil configured to selectively couple with the stapling assembly to compress tissue and form staples in the tissue. The stapling assembly includes a housing extending distally along a central axis, a deck member having a plurality of staple openings configured to receive a plurality of staples, and a knife member at least partially disposed within the housing. The deck member includes an exterior perimeter having a first shape and an interior perimeter enclosed by the exterior perimeter and having a second shape different than the first shape. The knife member includes a distal end having a cutting edge that defines an edge plane that intersects the central axis. The cutting edge has a non-circular shape in the edge plane.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a shaft assembly and an end effector. The shaft assembly includes an outer sheath and a staple driving mechanism. The end effector includes a staple deck, an anvil, a first staple driver, and a second staple driver. The staple deck defines a plurality of staple openings in at least one annular array. Each staple opening in the plurality of staple openings houses a staple. The anvil is configured to actuate relative to the staple deck to compress tissue between the staple deck and the anvil. The staple driving mechanism is configured to actuate the first staple driver to fire a first staple of the plurality of staples against the anvil. The staple driving mechanism is further configured to actuate the second staple driver independently of the first staple driver to fire a second staple of the plurality of staples against the anvil.