Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a first and second jaw, a firing assembly, a first buttress assembly, and a second buttress assembly. The first and second jaw actuate relative to each other between an open and closed position to grasp tissue. The second jaw includes a fastening assembly having a deck defining a plurality of openings and a plurality of fasteners housed within the openings. The firing assembly drives the plurality of fasteners out of the plurality of openings against a plurality of fastening forming features of the first jaw. The first buttress assembly and the second buttress assembly are associated with the first and second jaw, respectively. The first buttress assembly includes a first material and a first thickness. The second buttress assembly includes a second material and a second thickness. The first material and the second material differ in rigidity. The first thickness and the second thickness are different.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a body with a first body portion, a second body portion opposed from the first body portion, and a connecting portion that couples a proximal end of the first body portion with a proximal end of the second body portion. The connecting portion is configured to permit the first and second body portions to move toward and away from one another between a plurality of angular orientations. The first and second body portions define a distally opening angle. A first adjunct element and a second adjunct element are disposed on outwardly facing surfaces of the first and second body portions. The first and second body portions may be fixed in each of the angular orientations and may simultaneously apply the first and second adjunct elements to first and second jaws, respectively, of a surgical stapler end effector.

Abstract: Methods for providing and using a surgical instrument system are disclosed.

Abstract: A surgical stapling anvil is disclosed comprising an anvil body including a tissue-facing surface, a plurality of staple forming pockets, and a longitudinal slot. The longitudinal slot comprises a first portion configured to receive a cutting edge of a firing member therethrough and a second portion configured to receive an anvil-camming portion of the firing member therethrough. The anvil further comprises an anvil cap welded to the anvil body, wherein the anvil cap comprises a welded portion and a non-welded portion, wherein the non-welded portion comprises a non-welded width, and wherein the non-welded width is less than or equal to about 105% of the width of the second portion.

Abstract: A surgical stapling assembly that comprises a stapling device is disclosed. The stapling device includes an authentication lockout that is movable between a locked position wherein the stapling device is inoperable and an unlocked position wherein the stapling device is operable. The assembly further includes a deactivator tool that includes a deactivation key that is configured to move the authentication lockout into the unlocked position prior to seating a staple cartridge into the device.

Abstract: A surgical instrument, operable to compress, staple, and cut tissue, includes a body, a shaft, and an end effector with a pair of jaws. A placement tip that is bent, angled, or curved and extends distally from one of the jaws of the end effector. The placement tip is elastically deformable when the placement tip is subject to a clamping force, such as when the end effector is closed with the jaws in contact or when tissue is clamped between the jaws of the end effector. When the placement tip deflects, relative angles defined in part by the placement tip vary compared to an initial state without the clamping force. Furthermore, a distal end of the placement tip may change position based on the state of deflection of the placement tip in response to the clamping force.

Abstract: A staple cartridge configured to defeat a staple firing lockout is disclosed. Also disclosed is a staple cartridge configured to defeat a jaw closure lockout.

Abstract: A method is provided for applying an adjunct element to a surgical stapler end effector having first and second stapling surfaces using an applicator. The method includes providing the end effector in an open state in which the first and second stapling surfaces are spaced apart. With the end effector in the open state, at least a portion of the applicator is positioned between the first and second stapling surfaces. Without engaging a closure system input feature of the surgical stapler, a portion of the end effector is compressively engaged by the applicator to thereby secure the adjunct element to one of the first or second stapling surfaces. The applicator and the end effector are withdrawn relatively away from one another so that the adjunct element remains attached to the one of the first or second stapling surfaces of the end effector.

Abstract: A method of surgical stapling that uses a surgical instrument operable to compress, staple, and cut tissue. The instrument includes a body, a shaft, and an end effector with a pair of jaws. A placement tip extends distally from one of the jaws of the end effector. The method includes positioning the end effector at a desired site for surgical stapling. The method also includes controlling one or more of the jaws of the end effector to place the end effector in an open position. The method also includes positioning the end effector such that tissue is located between the jaws. The method also includes clamping the tissue between the jaws by moving at least one of the jaws toward the other jaw. The method also includes advancing a firing beam of the apparatus from a proximal position to a distal position.

Abstract: Methods for operating a surgical instrument are disclosed. In various instances, the methods include preventing the operation of the surgical instrument in some capacity if an unspent staple cartridge is not seated in the surgical instrument. Moreover, in various instances, the methods include preventing the operation of the surgical instrument in some capacity if the surgical instrument cannot identify and/or authenticate the staple cartridge seated in the surgical instrument.

Abstract: A staple cartridge assembly is disclosed comprising one or more wire staples and one or more staples formed from a sheet of material.

Abstract: A surgical assembly comprising a distal connector portion, a stapling assembly, and a sensor is disclosed. The stapling assembly comprises an end effector and a proximal connector portion configured to releasably connect to the distal connector portion. The end effector comprises an anvil and an elongate channel adapted to receive a staple cartridge. At least one of the anvil and the elongate channel is movable to a clamped configuration. The proximal connector portion comprises first bayonet-mount lugs and second bayonet-mount lugs. The sensor is configured to detect connections by the proximal connector portion. The surgical assembly further comprises an end-of-life indicator for the stapling assembly based on connections by the proximal connector portion.

Abstract: Surgical instruments with articulatable surgical end effectors and rotary driven flexible drive members.

Abstract: A surgical instrument insertable through a trocar comprising a shaft including a frame, an end effector, and an articulation joint, wherein the end effector is rotatable about the articulation joint. The shaft further comprises an outer housing slidable relative to the shaft frame including a distal non-round housing portion adjacent the articulation joint and a longitudinal round housing portion extending proximally from the distal housing portion, wherein the longitudinal round housing portion comprises a first diameter, and wherein the distal housing portion comprises a second diameter which is less than the first diameter. The surgical instrument further comprises an articulation lock configured to prevent the rotation of the end effector, wherein the articulation lock is positioned within the distal non-round housing portion.

Abstract: A method for controlling an output of an energy module of a modular energy system. The energy module can comprise a plurality of amplifiers configured to generate a drive signal at a frequency range and a plurality of ports coupled to the plurality of amplifiers. The method includes determining to which port of the plurality of ports the surgical instrument is connected, selectively coupling an amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers to the port of the plurality of ports to which the surgical instrument is connected, and controlling the amplifier to deliver the drive signal for driving the energy modality to the surgical instrument through the port.

Abstract: A cloud based analytics medical system comprises a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, an input/output interface to access data from medical hub communication devices, each coupled to a surgical instrument, and a database to store the data. The processor aggregates medical resource usage data from the medical hubs. The medical resource usage data comprises data pertaining to medical products and indication of efficiency based on usage, disposal records, and location data describing which medical facility the medical product was allocated to and patient outcome data pertaining to a procedure that utilized the medical product. The processor can determine a correlation between positive outcomes from the outcome data and location data of the medical product, generate a medical recommendation to change a medical resource usage practice based on the correlation, and display the medical recommendation to a medical hub at the local facility.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a sled and an end effector. The end effector includes a first jaw, a second jaw movable relative to the first jaw, an anvil, and a cartridge channel. The staple cartridge includes a proximal end, a distal end, a cartridge body, and staples supported in the cartridge body, wherein the sled is movable to deploy the staples from the cartridge body against tissue captured between the staple cartridge and the anvil. The cartridge channel is configured to removably retain the staple cartridge, wherein a load is required to remove the staple cartridge from the cartridge channel, and wherein the sled is configured to reduce the cartridge removal load.

Abstract: A method for constructing a modular surgical system is disclosed. The method comprises providing a header module comprising a first power backplane segment, providing a surgical module comprising a second power backplane segment, assembling the header module and the surgical module to electrically couple the first power backplane segment and the second power backplane segment to each other to form a power backplane, and applying power to the surgical module through the power backplane.

Abstract: A surgical stapling instrument includes an anvil defining a plurality of staple forming pockets and a stapling head assembly configured to drive a plurality of staples against the staple forming pockets of the anvil. The stapling head assembly comprises a coupling member configured to actuate the anvil relative to the stapling head assembly, a firing assembly configured to drive the plurality of staples against the staple forming pockets of the anvil, and a deck member. The deck member includes a deck surface extending radially between an inner circular edge and an outer circular edge, and a plurality of staple openings extending through the deck surface. The plurality of staple openings define at least one cross shape.

Abstract: A method is provided for applying an adjunct element to a surgical stapler end effector having first and second stapling surfaces using an applicator. The method includes providing the end effector in an open state in which the first and second stapling surfaces are spaced apart. With the end effector in the open state, at least a portion of the applicator is positioned between the first and second stapling surfaces. Without engaging a closure system input feature of the surgical stapler, a portion of the end effector is compressively engaged by the applicator to thereby secure the adjunct element to one of the first or second stapling surfaces. The applicator and the end effector are withdrawn relatively away from one another so that the adjunct element remains attached to the one of the first or second stapling surfaces of the end effector.