Abstract: A method for adjusting control parameters of a clip applier using a surgical hub is disclosed. The method comprises gathering data during a first surgical procedure, evaluating the gathered data to determine the appropriate operation of a clip applier in a subsequent surgical procedure, gathering data during the operation of the clip applier in the subsequent surgical procedure, determining if the operation of the clip applier needs to be adjusted based on the data gathered during the subsequent surgical procedure, and adjusting the operation of the clip applier based on the data gathered during the subsequent surgical procedure.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure are presented for a single surgical instrument configured to grasp, seal, and/or cut tissue through application of therapeutic energy, and also detect nerves through application of non-therapeutic electrical energy. A medical device may include two jaws at an end effector, used to apply therapeutic energy and to perform surgical procedures. The therapeutic energy may be in the form of ultrasonic vibrations or higher voltage electrosurgical energy. One of the jaws may be configured to cut tissue through application of the blade. In addition, one or both of the two jaws may be configured to apply nontherapeutic energy for nerve stimulation probing. The application of therapeutic energy may be disabled while the nontherapeutic nerve stimulation energy is applied, and vice versa. The nontherapeutic nerve stimulation energy may be applied to the use of one or more probes positioned near one or both of the jaws.

Abstract: A surgical apparatus includes a body assembly, a shaft, an acoustic waveguide, an articulation section, an end effector, and a rigidizing member. The shaft extends distally from the body assembly and defines a longitudinal axis. The acoustic waveguide includes a flexible portion. The articulation section is coupled with the shaft. A portion of the articulation section encompasses the flexible portion of the waveguide. The articulation section includes a first member and a second member. The second member is longitudinally translatable relative to the first member. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the waveguide. The rigidizing member is configured to selectively engage at least a portion of the articulation section to thereby selectively provide rigidity to the articulation section.

Abstract: A surgical apparatus includes a body assembly, a shaft, an acoustic waveguide, an articulation section, an end effector, and a rigidizing member. The shaft extends distally from the body assembly and defines a longitudinal axis. The acoustic waveguide includes a flexible portion. The articulation section is coupled with the shaft. A portion of the articulation section encompasses the flexible portion of the waveguide. The articulation section includes a first member and a second member. The second member is longitudinally translatable relative to the first member. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the waveguide. The rigidizing member is configured to selectively engage at least a portion of the articulation section to thereby selectively provide rigidity to the articulation section.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a body assembly, a shaft, an acoustic waveguide, an articulation section, an end effector, and an articulation drive assembly. The shaft extends distally from the body assembly and defines a longitudinal axis. The acoustic waveguide comprises a flexible portion. The articulation section is coupled with the shaft. A portion of the articulation section encompasses the flexible portion of the waveguide. The articulation section comprises a plurality of body portions aligned along the longitudinal axis and a flexible locking member. The flexible locking member is operable to secure the body portions in relation to each other and in relation to the shaft. The end effector comprises an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the waveguide. The articulation drive assembly is operable to drive articulation of the articulation section to thereby deflect the end effector from the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A surgical apparatus comprises a body, a user input feature, a shaft assembly, an end effector, and a blade cooling system. The end effector comprises a clamp arm and an ultrasonic blade that may be coupled with an ultrasonic transducer. The clamp arm is configured to pivot toward and away from the ultrasonic blade. The cooling system is operable to deliver liquid coolant to the ultrasonic blade to thereby cool the ultrasonic blade. The user input feature is operable to both actuate the clamp arm and actuate the cooling system.

Abstract: An ultrasonic instrument includes a housing, an ultrasonic transducer support by the housing, and an integrated usage indicator. The housing is configured to removably connect to a shaft assembly. The ultrasonic transducer is configured to be acoustically connected to a waveguide and operated a predetermined number of use cycles. The integrated usage indicator is operatively connected to the housing and includes a used state indicator. The used state indicator is configured to indicate to a clinician in a used state when the ultrasonic transducer has been operated at least the predetermined number of use cycles for limiting usage of the ultrasonic transducer to the predetermined number of use cycles.

Abstract: An ultrasonic instrument includes a body, a shaft assembly, and an end effector. The shaft assembly extends distally from the body. The shaft assembly includes an acoustic waveguide configured to acoustically couple with an ultrasonic transducer. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade, a clamp arm and a clamp pad. The ultrasonic blade is in acoustic communication with the waveguide. The clamp arm is pivotally coupled with the shaft assembly. The clamp pad is configured to removably couple with the clamp arm while the clamp arm is pivotally coupled to the shaft assembly.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an ultrasonic medical device is presented. The method includes machining a surgical tool from a flat metal stock, contacting a face of a first transducer with a first face of the surgical tool, and contacting a face of a second transducer with an opposing face of the surgical tool opposite the first transducer. The first and second transducers are configured to operate in a D31 mode with respect to the longitudinal portion of the surgical tool. Upon activation, the first transducer and the second transducer are configured to induce a standing wave in the surgical tool and the induced standing wave comprises a node at a node location in the surgical tool and an antinode at an antinode location in the surgical tool.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a body assembly, a shaft, an acoustic waveguide, an articulation section, an end effector, and an articulation drive assembly. The shaft extends distally from the body assembly and defines a longitudinal axis. The acoustic waveguide comprises a flexible portion. The articulation section is coupled with the shaft. A portion of the articulation section encompasses the flexible portion of the waveguide. The articulation section comprises a plurality of body portions aligned along the longitudinal axis and a flexible locking member. The flexible locking member is operable to secure the body portions in relation to each other and in relation to the shaft. The end effector comprises an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the waveguide. The articulation drive assembly is operable to drive articulation of the articulation section to thereby deflect the end effector from the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: An ultrasonic instrument includes a housing, an ultrasonic transducer support by the housing, and an integrated usage indicator. The housing is configured to removably connect to a shaft assembly. The ultrasonic transducer is configured to be acoustically connected to a waveguide and operated a predetermined number of use cycles. The integrated usage indicator is operatively connected to the housing and includes a used state indicator. The used state indicator is configured to indicate to a clinician in a used state when the ultrasonic transducer has been operated at least the predetermined number of use cycles for limiting usage of the ultrasonic transducer to the predetermined number of use cycles.

Abstract: An instrument includes an ultrasonic blade, a first fluid port, an irrigation member, a second fluid port, and a fluid communication assembly. The ultrasonic blade defines a distal opening. The ultrasonic blade is operable in a first mode to emulsify tissue that is distally positioned relative to the ultrasonic blade. The ultrasonic blade is further operable in a second mode to transect and seal tissue that is transversely positioned relative to the ultrasonic blade. The first fluid port is in communication with the distal opening of the ultrasonic blade. The irrigation member is positioned adjacent to the distal end of the ultrasonic blade. The second fluid port is in communication with the irrigation member. The fluid communication assembly is configured to couple the first fluid port with a fluid source, couple the first fluid port with a suction source, and couple the second fluid port with the fluid source.

Abstract: An end effector of an instrument is positioned in a patient. An ultrasonic blade of the end effector is positioned against tissue in the patient. The ultrasonic blade is activated to vibrate ultrasonically while the ultrasonic blade is positioned against tissue. At least one electrode of the end effector is positioned against tissue in the patient. The at least one electrode is activated to apply RF electrosurgical energy to tissue against which the at least one electrode is positioned against tissue.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a body, a shaft assembly, and an end effector. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade and a clamp arm assembly. The ultrasonic blade is in acoustic communication with an acoustic waveguide of the shaft assembly. The clamp arm assembly is pivotable toward and away from the ultrasonic blade. The clamp arm assembly includes a clamp pad and an electrode. The clamp pad is configured to compress tissue against the ultrasonic blade. The clamp pad has a proximal end, a distal end, and a pair of lateral sides extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The electrode is operable to apply RF energy to tissue. The electrode extends along both lateral sides of the clamp pad. The electrode further extends around the distal end of the clamp pad.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes an ultrasonic transducer, a shaft defining a longitudinal axis, and an end effector at a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade driven by the ultrasonic transducer to treat tissue with ultrasonic energy. A tissue treatment portion of the ultrasonic blade includes a linear blade region extending parallel to the longitudinal axis, a curved blade region extending distally from the linear blade region along a curved path that deflects laterally from the longitudinal axis, an upper treatment side, a lower treatment side, a first lateral side having a first sweeping side surface, and a second lateral side having a second sweeping side surface. The sweeping side surfaces define respective first and second side edges of a transverse cross-section of the tissue treatment portion, and are configured such that the first and second side edges are parallel to one another.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes an ultrasonic transducer, a distally extending shaft, and an end effector at a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade and a clamp arm. The ultrasonic blade includes an upper treatment side, a lower treatment side, a first lateral side, and a second lateral side. The clamp arm is movable relative to the ultrasonic blade for clamping tissue therebetween, and it provides an RF electrode operable to seal tissue with RF energy. The RF electrode includes first and second electrode side portions. The first electrode side portion is spaced laterally outward from the first lateral side of the ultrasonic blade by a first lateral gap distance. The second electrode side portion spaced from the first electrode side portion and is spaced laterally outward from the second lateral side of the ultrasonic blade by a second lateral gap distance.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes an ultrasonic transducer, a shaft extending distally along a shaft axis, a waveguide acoustically coupled with the ultrasonic transducer and extending distally through the shaft, and an end effector at a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade acoustically coupled with the waveguide. A nodal support element is arranged within a distal portion of the shaft and encircles the waveguide at a distal-most acoustic node of the waveguide. The nodal support element includes a support portion aligned with the distal-most acoustic node, and a sealing portion extending axially from the support portion. The support portion engages an inner surface of the shaft and is configured to support the waveguide in coaxial alignment with the shaft axis. The sealing portion sealingly engages the inner surface of the shaft and is configured to prevent proximal ingress of fluid through the shaft.

Abstract: Disclosed is a surgical instrument with an end-effector adapted and configured to deliver a plurality of energy modalities to tissue at a distal end thereof. The energy modalities may be applied simultaneously, independently, or sequentially. A generator is electrically coupled to the surgical instrument and is configured to supply a plurality of energy modalities to the end-effector. In one aspect, the generator is configured to supply electrosurgical energy (e.g., monopolar or bipolar radio frequency (RF) energy) and ultrasonic energy to the end-effector to allow the end-effector to interact with the tissue. The energy modalities may be supplied to the end-effector by a single generator or multiple generators.

Abstract: An end-effector and a surgical instrument including the end-effector are disclosed. The end-effector includes a clamp arm and an ultrasonic blade configured to acoustically couple to an ultrasonic transducer and to electrically couple to a pole of an electrical generator. The clamp arm incudes a clamp jaw, a cantilever electrode, and a clamp arm. The cantilever electrode is biased in a direction toward the clamp jaw and the clamp arm includes a retainer to oppose a biasing force and maintain the cantilever electrode in a substantially flat configuration relative to the ultrasonic blade. A skirt may be disposed around the clamp jaw. The clamp arm pad may include multiple support elements arranged in multiple rows to support the cantilever electrode.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes an ultrasonic transducer, a shaft defining a longitudinal axis, and an end effector at a distal end of the shaft. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade driven by the ultrasonic transducer to treat tissue with ultrasonic energy. A tissue treatment portion of the ultrasonic blade includes a linear blade region extending parallel to the longitudinal axis, a curved blade region extending distally from the linear blade region along a curved path that deflects laterally from the longitudinal axis, an upper treatment side, a lower treatment side, a first lateral side having a first sweeping side surface, and a second lateral side having a second sweeping side surface. The sweeping side surfaces define respective first and second side edges of a transverse cross-section of the tissue treatment portion, and are configured such that the first and second side edges are parallel to one another.