JP6648030B2 - Surgical instrument with interactive system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to surgical instruments and, in various situations, to surgical stapling and cutting instruments, and staple cartridges for these designed to stap and cut tissue.

The features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the manner of achieving them, will become more apparent and a deeper understanding of the invention itself will be obtained by reference to the following description of examples of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. There will be.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a surgical instrument including a handle assembly and a shaft assembly including an end effector. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a handle assembly of the surgical instrument of FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a control system of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a module for use with the surgical instrument of FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a module for use with the surgical instrument of FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a module for use with the surgical instrument of FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the interface of the surgical instrument of FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the interface of FIG. 7 actuated to articulate the end effector. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the interface of FIG. 7 operated to return the end effector to the joint home state position. FIG. 2 is a partial schematic view of the handle assembly of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1 showing a display. 2 shows a module of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a screen orientation of the display of FIG. 10. FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a screen orientation of the display of FIG. 10. FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a screen orientation of the display of FIG. 10. FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a screen orientation of the display of FIG. 10. 2 shows a module of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1. FIG. 11 is a side view of the handle assembly of FIG. 10 in an upright position. FIG. 11 is a side view of the handle assembly of FIG. 10 in an upside down position. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the display of FIG. 10 showing a plurality of icons. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the display of FIG. 10 showing a navigation menu. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the indicator system of the surgical instrument of FIG. 2 is a module of the surgical instrument of FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1 coupled to a remote control unit. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1 coupled to a remote control unit. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1 in wireless communication with a remote operating unit. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a first surgical instrument with a remote operating unit for controlling a second surgical instrument. 1 is a perspective view of a modular surgical instrument according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 24 is an exploded perspective view of the modular surgical instrument of FIG. 23. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a control system of a modular surgical system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for updating components of a modular surgical system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for updating components of a modular surgical system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a control circuit according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a control circuit according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a control circuit according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a control circuit according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for processing data recorded by a surgical instrument according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for processing data recorded by a surgical instrument according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 5 is a flowchart illustrating various methods of processing data recorded by a surgical instrument according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 5 is a flowchart illustrating various methods of processing data recorded by a surgical instrument according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 5 is a flowchart illustrating various methods of processing data recorded by a surgical instrument according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a surgical system having wireless communication capabilities according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a front view of an external screen showing an end effector at a surgical site, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 35 is a front view of the external screen of FIG. 34 showing notifications according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 35 is a front view of the external screen of FIG. 34 showing a selection menu according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

The applicant of the present application owns the following patent applications filed on March 1, 2013, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety:
-U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 782,295 entitled "ARTICULABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH CONDUCTIVE PATHWAYS FOR SIGNAL COMMUNICATION";
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 782,323, entitled "ROTARY POWERED ARTICULATION JOINTS FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS";
-U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 782,338, entitled "THUMMBHEEL SWITCH ARRANGEMENTS FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS";
-U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 782,499, entitled "ELECTROMECHANICAL SURGICAL DEVICE WITH SIGNAL RELAY ARRANGEMENT";
-U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 782,460, entitled "MULTIPLE PROCESSOR MOTOR CONTROL FOR MODULAR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS";
-U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 782,358, entitled "JOYSTICK SWITCH ASSEMBLYES FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS";
-U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 782,481, entitled "SENSOR STRAIGHTened END EFFECTOR DURING REMOVAL THROUGH TROCAR";
-U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 782,518, entitled "CONTROL METHODS FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH REMOABLE IMPLEMENT PORTIONS";
-U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 782,375, entitled "ROTARY POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH MULTIPLE DEGREES OF FREEDOM", and
-U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 782,536, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SOFT STOP," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The applicant of the present application owns the following patent applications filed on March 14, 2013, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety:
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 803,097, entitled "ARTICULABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A FIRING DRIVE";
-U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 803,193, entitled "CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS FOR A DRIVE MEMBER OF A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT";
-U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 803,053 entitled "INTERCHANGEABLE SHAFT ASSEMBLYES FOR USE WITH A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT";
US Patent Application No. 13 / 803,086, entitled "ARTICULABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING AN ARTICULATION LOCK";
-U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 803,210, entitled "SENSOR ARRANGEMENTS FOR ABSOLUTE POSITIONING SYSTEM FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS";
US patent application Ser. No. 13 / 803,148, entitled "MULTI-FUNCTION MOTOR FOR A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT";
US Patent Application No. 13 / 803,066, entitled "DRIVE SYSTEM LOCKOUT ARRANGEMENTS FOR MODULAR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS";
-U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 803,117, entitled "ARTICULATION CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ARTICULABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS";
-U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 803,130 entitled "DRIVE TRAIN CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS FOR MODULAR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS" and
-U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 803,159 entitled "METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPERATING A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT".

Applicants also own the following patent applications, filed on the same day as the present application, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety:
U.S. Patent Application No. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A SENSOR SYSTEM" (Attorney Docket No. END7386USNP / 130458);
U.S. Patent Application No. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ entitled "POWER MANAGEMENT CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS" (Attorney Docket No. END7387USNP / 130459);
US Patent Application No. ___________________, entitled "STERIZATION VERIFICATION CIRCUIT" (Attorney Docket No. END7388USNP / 130460);
U.S. Patent Application No. "________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ of" VERIFICATION OF NUMBER OF BATTERY EXCHANGES / PROCEDURE COUNT ";
United States Patent Application No. ____________________________________________________________________________ entitled "POWER MANAGEMENT THROUGH SLEEP OPTIONS OF SEGMENTED CIRCUIT AND WAKE UP CONTROL" (Attorney Docket No. END7390USNP / 13046)
U.S. Patent Application No. _____________________________________________________________________________ entitled "MODULAR POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH WITH DETACHABLE SHAFT ASSEMBLIES" (Attorney Docket No. END 7391 USNP / 130463);
United States Patent Application No. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ entitled "FEEDBACK ALGORITHMS FOR MANUAL BAILOUT SYSTEMS FOR SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS";
U.S. Patent Application No. "______________________________________________________________ containing" SURGICAL INSTRUMENT UTILIZING SENSOR ADAPTATION "(Attorney Docket No. END 7393 USNP / 130465);
U.S. Patent Application No. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT CONTROL CIRCUIT HAVING A SAFETY PROCESSOR";
U.S. Patent Application No. "___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ entitled" INTERFACE SYSTEMS FOR USE WITH WITH SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS "(Attorney Docket No. END7396USNP / 130468);
US Patent Application No. _________________, entitled "MODULAR SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEM" (Attorney Docket No. END7397USNP / 130469);
U.S. Patent Application No. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROL A SEGMENTED CIRCUIT", (Attorney Docket No. END7399USNP / 130471),
United States Patent Application No. _____________________________________________________________________ entitled "POWER MANAGEMENT THROUGH SEGMENTED CIRCUIT AND VARIABLE VOLTAGE PROTECTION" (Attorney Docket No. END7400USNP / 130472)
U.S. Patent Application No. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ <BR><BR><BR> according to SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT SYSTEM, and
United States Patent Application No. ____________________________________________________________________________ entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A ROTATABLE SHAFT" (Attorney Docket No. END7402USNP / 130474).

  Certain exemplary embodiments will now be described to provide an overall understanding of the principles of structure, function, manufacture, and use of the devices and methods disclosed herein. One or more examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the devices and methods described in detail herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting and exemplary embodiments. Features illustrated or described in connection with one exemplary embodiment may be combined with features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

  Throughout this specification, references to "different embodiments", "particular embodiments", "one embodiment", or "embodiments" etc. refer to particular features described in connection with that embodiment, A structure, or characteristic, is meant to be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, throughout the specification, where appropriate, phrases such as "in various embodiments", "in some embodiments", "in one embodiment", or "in one embodiment" appear, They do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Thus, the particular features, structures, or characteristics illustrated or described with respect to one embodiment, without limitation, in whole or in part, with the features, structures, or characteristics of one or more other embodiments. May be combined. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

  The terms "proximal" and "distal" are used herein with reference to a physician operating the handle portion of a surgical instrument. The term "proximal" refers to the portion closest to the physician, and the term "distal" refers to the portion remote from the physician. It is further understood that for convenience and clarity, spatial terms such as "vertical", "horizontal", "above", and "below" may be used herein with respect to the drawings. Would. However, surgical instruments are used in many directions and positions, and these terms are not intended to be limiting and / or absolute.

  Various exemplary devices and methods are provided for performing laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgical procedures. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the various methods and devices disclosed herein can be used in a number of surgical procedures and applications, including, for example, open surgery. As the 'Detailed Description of the Invention' is read herein, various devices disclosed herein may be used, for example, from a natural orifice or from an incision or puncture formed in tissue. It will be further recognized by those skilled in the art that it can be inserted into the body in any manner, such as. The working or end effector portion of these instruments may be inserted directly into the patient's body, or an access device having a working passageway through which the end effector and elongate shaft of the surgical instrument may be advanced. It may be inserted through.

  FIG. 1 generally illustrates a motor-driven surgical instrument 2200. In certain situations, the surgical instrument 2200 can include a handle assembly 2202, a shaft assembly 2204, and a power assembly 2206 (or "power supply" or "power pack"). The shaft assembly 2204 may include an end effector 2208, which, in certain circumstances, may be configured to function as an end cutter for clamping, cutting, and / or stapling tissue, but In different situations, such as, for example, end effectors for other types of surgical devices, capture instruments, cutters, staplers, clip tools, access devices, drug / gene therapy devices, ultrasound, RF, and / or laser devices Different types of end effectors may be used. Some RF devices are referred to as U.S. Patent No. 5,403,312, issued April 4, 1995, entitled "ELECTROSURGICAL HEMOSTAIC DEVICE", and "SURGICAL FASTENING AND CUTTING INSTRUMENT HAVING RF ELECTRODES". No. 12 / 031,573, filed Feb. 14, 2008. U.S. Patent No. 5,403,312 (issued April 4, 1995) entitled "ELECTROSURGICAL HEMOSTATIC DEVICE", and U.S. Patent Application / No. 12 entitled "SURGICAL FASTENING AND CUTTING INSTRUMENT HAVING RF ELECTRODES". No. 031,573 (filed Feb. 14, 2008) is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

  Referring again to FIG. 1, handle assembly 2202 may include a housing 2210 that includes a handle 2212 that may be configured to be grasped, manipulated, and / or actuated by a physician. However, it will be appreciated that various unique and novel configurations of the housing 2210 can also be used effectively in connection with a robotically controlled surgical system. Accordingly, the term “housing” also refers to at least one control motion configured to generate and apply at least one control motion available to operate the shaft assemblies 2204 and their equivalents disclosed herein. It may also include a housing or similar part of a robotic system that houses or otherwise supports two drive systems. For example, the housing 2210 disclosed herein includes a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 118,241 (current U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0298719) entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENTS WITH ROTABLE STAPLE DEPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENTS". May be used with the various robotic systems, instruments, components and methods disclosed in US Pat. The disclosure of U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 118,241, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENTS WITH ROTATABLE STAPLE DEPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENTS" (current U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0298719) is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Will be incorporated into the book.

  In certain cases, the surgical instrument 2200 may include a number of operable systems extending at least partially through the shaft 2204 and in operable engagement with the end effector 2208. For example, the surgical instrument 2200 includes a closure assembly that can transition the end effector 2208 between an open configuration and a closed configuration, a joint assembly that can articulate the end effector 2208 relative to the shaft 2204, and And / or may have a firing assembly capable of fastening and / or cutting tissue captured by the end effector 2208. In addition, the housing 2210 can be detachably coupled to the shaft 2204 and provide a complementary closure, articulation, and / or firing drive system for operating the closure, articulation, and firing assemblies, respectively. May be provided.

  In use, the operator of the surgical instrument 2200 resets the surgical instrument 2200 and returns one or more of the assemblies of the surgical instrument 2200 to a default position. You may want. For example, an operator can insert the end effector 2208 into a surgical site within the patient's body through the access port, and then articulate and / or close the end effector 2208 to capture tissue in the cavity. . The operator may then undo some or all of the previous procedure and may choose to remove surgical instrument 2200, for example, from a cavity. Surgical instrument 2200 is another system configured to facilitate reliably returning one or more of the above-described assemblies to a home state with minimal effort by an operator. To allow the operator to remove the surgical instrument from the cavity.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, a surgical instrument 2200 may include a control system 3000. The operator can utilize the control system 3000 to articulate the end effector 2208 with respect to the shaft 2204, for example, between a joint home state position and an articulated position. In certain cases, the surgeon may utilize the control system 3000 to reset or return the articulated end effector 2208 to the articulated home position. Control system 3000 may be at least partially disposed within handle 2210. In certain cases, as shown in FIG. 3, control system 3000 may include a microcontroller 3002 (“controller”), which receives an input signal and activates motor 2216 in response thereto. For example, the end effector 2208 can be configured to articulate in response to such an input signal.

  In addition to the above, the end effector 2208 can be placed in sufficient alignment with the shaft 2204 in an articulated home position, also referred to herein as a non-articulated flexion position, so that the end effector 2208 and the shaft 2204 At least a portion can be inserted into or retracted from a patient's lumen without damage to the access port, for example, through an access port such as a trocar located on the wall of the lumen. In certain cases, the end effector 2208 is aligned or at least substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis “LL” passing through the shaft 2204 when the end effector 2208 is in the articulated home position, as shown in FIG. May be aligned. In at least one case, the articulated home position may be at any angle less than or equal to the longitudinal axis "LL" on either side of the longitudinal axis "LL", including, for example, 5 degrees. In other cases, the articulated home position may be at any angle less than or equal to the longitudinal axis "LL" on either side of the longitudinal axis "LL", including, for example, 3 degrees. In yet another case, the articulated home position may be at any angle less than or equal to 7 ° with respect to the longitudinal axis “LL” on either side of the longitudinal axis “LL”.

  The control system 3000 controls the shaft 2004 in a plane extending along the longitudinal axis "LL" in a first direction, e.g., clockwise, and / or in a second direction, e.g., counterclockwise. The end effector 2208 may be manipulated to articulate. In at least one case, control system 3000 may cause end effector 2208 to articulate clockwise from an articulated home position to an articulated position that is 10 degrees to the right of longitudinal axis "LL". Can be manipulated. In another example, the articulation control system 3000 operates to articulate the end effector 2208 counterclockwise from an articulation position that is 10 degrees to the right of the longitudinal axis "LL" to an articulation home position. Can be done. In yet another example, control system 3000 may move end effector 2208 counterclockwise with respect to shaft 2204 from an articulated home position to an articulated position that is 10 degrees to the left of longitudinal axis “LL”. Can be manipulated to flex the joint. It should be understood by the reader that the end effector may be articulated to various angles in a clockwise and / or counterclockwise direction.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 2210 of the surgical instrument 2200 may include an interface 3001 that may include a number of controls available to an operator to operate the surgical instrument 2200. In certain cases, interface 3001 may include a plurality of switches that may be coupled to controller 3002, for example, via electrical circuitry. In a particular case, as shown in FIG. 3, the interface 3001 comprises three switches 3004A-C, each of which is coupled to the controller 3002 by an electrical circuit, such as, for example, an electrical circuit 3006A-C. Have been. As will be appreciated by the reader, other combinations of switches and circuits may be utilized with interface 3001.

  With reference to FIG. 3, the controller 3002 may generally include a microprocessor 3008 (“processor”) and one or more memory devices 3010 operably coupled to the processor 3008. By executing the instruction codes stored in memory 3010, processor 3008 can control various components of surgical instrument 2200, such as, for example, motor 2206, various drive systems, and / or a user display. Controller 3002 may be implemented using integrated and / or individual hardware elements, software elements, and / or a combination of both. Examples of integrated hardware elements include processors, microprocessors, microcontrollers, integrated circuits, dedicated integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) , Logic gates, registers, semiconductor devices, chips, microchips, chip sets, microcontrollers, system-on-chip (SoC), and / or system-in-package (SIP). Examples of discrete hardware elements can include circuits and / or circuit elements such as logic gates, field effect transistors, bipolar transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, and / or relays. In certain cases, the controller 3002 may include a hybrid circuit that includes discrete circuit elements or components and integrated circuit elements or components, for example, on one or more substrates.

  In certain cases, microcontroller 3002 may be, for example, an LM 4F230H5QR available from Texas Instruments. In certain cases, Texas Instruments' LM 4F230H5QR offers on-chip memory of up to 40 MHz, 256 KB of single-cycle flash memory or other non-volatile memory, and performance above 40 MHz, among other features that can be easily identified. Prefetch buffer for improvement, 32 KB single cycle serial random access memory (SRAM), internal read only memory (ROM) with StellarisWare® software, and 2 KB electrically erasable programmable read only Memory (EEPROM), one or more pulse width modulation (PWM) modules, one or more analog quadrature encoder inputs (QEI), one with twelve analog input channels Or an ARM Cortex-M4F processor core comprising two or more 12-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Other microcontrollers may be readily substituted for use with the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be limited to this contextual condition.

  In various embodiments, the motor 2216 may be a brushed DC drive motor having a maximum speed of, for example, about 25,000 RPM. In other configurations, motor 2216 may include a cordless motor, a synchronous motor, a stepper motor, or any other suitable electric motor. For example, a battery 2218 (or “power supply” or “power pack”), such as a lithium-ion battery, for example, may be coupled to the housing 2212 to power the motor 2216.

  Referring again to FIG. 3, the surgical instrument 2200 may include a motor controller 3005 in operable communication with the controller 3002. Motor controller 3005 can be configured to control the direction of rotation of motor 2216. In certain cases, motor controller 3005 may be configured to determine the voltage polarity applied to motor 2216 by battery 2218 and to determine the direction of rotation of motor 2216 based on input from controller 3002. Good. For example, when the voltage polarity applied to the motor 2216 by the battery 2218 is reversed by the motor controller 3005 based on input from the controller 3002, the motor 2216 changes its rotation direction from clockwise to counterclockwise. And can be reversed. In addition, motor 2216 may be operatively coupled to an articulation drive that may be driven distally or proximally by motor 2216, for example, depending on the direction in which motor 2216 rotates. In addition, the articulation drive can be operatively coupled to the end effector 2208, for example, such that movement of the articulation drive proximally causes the end effector 2208 to articulate counterclockwise. And / or the axial movement of the articulation drive can cause the end effector 2208 to articulate, for example, clockwise.

  In various cases, with reference to FIGS. 1-3, the interface 3001 can, for example, cause the switch 3004A to be articulated for the clockwise articulation of the end effector 2208 and, for example, the switch 3004B to the counterclockwise articulation of the end effector 2208. It can be configured so that it can be used for articulation. In such a case, the operator can jointly bend the end effector 2208 clockwise by turning on the switch 3004A, and bend the end effector 2208 counterclockwise by turning on the switch 3004B. In various cases, switches 3004A-C can comprise open-biased dome switches, as shown in FIG. Other types of switches, such as, for example, capacitive switches, can also be used.

  Referring to FIG. 7, dome switches 3004A and 3004B may be controlled by rocker 3012. Other means for controlling switches 3004A and 3004B are contemplated by the present disclosure. In the neutral position shown in FIG. 7, both switches 3004A and 3004B are biased to the open position. As shown in FIG. 8, the operator can articulate the end effector 2208 in a clockwise direction, for example, by tilting the rocker forward, thereby depressing the dome switch 3004A. As a result, as described above, the circuit 3006A (FIG. 3) can be closed and a signal can be sent to the controller 3002 to activate the motor 2216 to cause the end effector 2208 to articulate in a clockwise direction. Motor 2216 can continue to articulate end effector 2208 until the operator releases rocker 3012, thereby returning dome switch 3004A to the open position and rocker 3012 to the neutral position. In some situations, the controller 3002 determines when the end effector 2208 has reached a predetermined maximum degree of articulation and at such time, regardless of whether the dome switch 3004A is depressed or not, the motor 2216 It may be possible to interrupt the power supply to the device. In a sense, controller 3002 can be configured to override operator input and stop motor 2216 when maximum safe joint flexion is achieved. Alternatively, the operator can articulate the end effector 2208 counterclockwise, for example, by tilting the rocker 3012 rearward, thereby depressing the dome switch 3004B. As a result, as described above, the circuit 3006B can be closed and a signal can be sent to the controller 3002 to activate the motor 2216 to cause the end effector 2208 to articulate in a counterclockwise direction. The motor 2216 can continue to articulate the end effector 2208 until the operator releases the rocker 3012, thereby returning the dome switch 3004B to the open position and returning the rocker 3012 to the neutral position. In some situations, the controller 3002 determines when the end effector 2208 has reached a predetermined maximum degree of articulation, and at that point the motor 2216 regardless of whether the dome switch 3004B is depressed or not. It may be possible to interrupt the power supply to the power supply. In a sense, controller 3002 can be configured to override operator input and stop motor 2216 when maximum safe joint flexion is achieved.

  As detailed above, for example, to retract surgical instrument 2200 from a patient's lumen, the operator returns end effector 2208 to the articulated home position and aligns end effector 2208 with shaft 2204. May be desired, or at least substantially aligned. In various cases, control system 3000 may include a virtual detent that can notify an operator that end effector 2208 has reached the joint home state position. In certain cases, control system 3000 may be configured, for example, to stop articulation of end effector 2208 upon reaching a joint home state position. In certain cases, control system 3000 may be configured to provide feedback to an operator, for example, when end effector 2208 reaches a joint home state position.

  In certain cases, control system 3000 may include various executable modules, such as, for example, software, programs, data, drivers, application program interfaces (APIs), and the like. FIG. 4 shows an exemplary virtual detent module 10000 that can be stored, for example, in memory 3010. The module 10000, when executed, causes the processor 3008 to provide an operator of the surgical instrument 2200 with the processor 3008 during the articulation of the end effector 2208, for example, when the end effector 2208 reaches the joint home state position from the articulation position. , For example, which can be communicated.

  As discussed above, referring primarily to FIGS. 3, 7, and 8, the operator can use the rocker 3012 to articulate, for example, the end effector 2208. In certain cases, the operator can depress the dome switch 3004A of the rocker 3012 to articulate the end effector 2208 in a first direction, for example, clockwise to the right, and depress the dome switch 3004B to depress the end effector The 2208 can be articulated in a second direction, for example, counterclockwise to the left. In various cases, as shown in FIG. 4, module 10000 can adjust the response of processor 3008 to input signals from dome switches 3004A and / or 3004B. For example, the processor 3008 may be configured to activate the motor 2216 while the dome switch 3004A is being depressed, causing the end effector 2208 to articulate, for example, to the right, and the processor 3008 may be configured to depress the dome switch 3004B. During operation, the motor 2216 may be activated to cause the end effector 2208 to articulate, for example, to the left. In addition, the processor 3008 may stop the motor 2216 by stopping the input signal from the dome switch 3004A and / or 3004B, for example, when the operator releases the dome switch 3004A and / or 3004B, respectively. , End effector 2208 may be configured to stop articulation.

  In various cases, as described above, the joint home state position may include a range of positions. In certain cases, the processor 3008 may be configured to detect when the end effector 2208 enters a range of positions that define a joint home state position. In certain cases, surgical instrument 2200 may include one or more position determination systems (not shown) for detecting and recording the articulation position of end effector 2208. Processor 3008 may be configured to utilize one or more position determination systems that detect when end effector 2208 enters a joint home state position.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in certain cases, upon reaching the joint home state position, the processor 3008 may stop articulating the end effector 2208 and warn the operator that the joint home state position has been reached. In certain cases, processor 3008 can stop articulation within the articulated home state position even if the operator continues to depress rocker 3012. In certain cases, the operator may release the rocker 3012 and then incline again to restart articulation to continue beyond the joint home state position. In at least one such case, the operator presses rocker 3012 and depresses dome switch 3004A until, for example, end effector 2208 reaches a home state position and processor 3008 stops articulating flex of end effector 2208. The effector 2208 may be rotated toward the home position, at which point the operator subsequently releases the rocker 3012 and then pushes the rocker 3012 to push the dome in order to continue articulating the end effector 2208 in the same direction. The switch 3004A can be pressed again.

  In certain cases, as shown in FIG. 5, module 10000 may include a feedback mechanism to alert the operator when the joint home state position is reached. Various feedback devices 2248 (FIG. 3) can be utilized by processor 3008 to provide sensory feedback to an operator. In certain cases, device 2248 may include, for example, a visual feedback device, such as, for example, a display screen and / or LED indicators. In certain cases, device 2248 may include an audio feedback device, such as, for example, a speaker and / or a buzzer. In certain cases, device 2248 may comprise a haptic feedback device, such as, for example, a mechanical detent that provides haptic feedback. In some cases, haptic feedback may be provided, for example, by a vibration motor, which may, for example, provide a vibration pulse to the handle of the surgical instrument. In certain cases, device 2248 may comprise, for example, a combination of a visual feedback device, an audio feedback device, and / or a haptic feedback device.

  In certain cases, the processor 3008 may be configured to stop articulation of the end effector 2208 and provide feedback to the operator, for example, when a joint home state position is reached. In certain cases, processor 3008 provides feedback to the operator when the joint home state position is reached, but may not stop the articulation of end effector 2208. In at least one case, the end effector 2208 moves from a position on the first side of the home state position toward the home state position, through the home state position, and in the same direction to another side of the home state position. You may continue to move to. During such movement, the operator may be provided with some form of feedback when the end effector 2208 passes the home state position. In certain cases, the processor 3008 stops the articulation of the end effector 2208 when, for example, reaching a joint home state position, but may not provide feedback to the operator. In certain cases, processor 3008 may cause end effector 2208 to stop when passing the center position and then continue past the center position. In at least one case, the end effector 2208 may temporarily remain at its center position, for example, for about two seconds, and then continue articulating as long as the articulation switch 3012 remains depressed.

  In various cases, the operator of the surgical instrument 2200 can use the rocker switch 3012 to attempt to articulate the end effector 2208 back to the non-articulated position. As will be appreciated by the reader, the operator may not be able to accurately and / or repeatedly align the end effector 2208 with the longitudinal axis of the surgical instrument shaft. Nevertheless, in various cases, the operator can easily position the end effector 2208 within a specific range of the center position. For example, when the operator presses the rocker switch 3012 to rotate the end effector 2208 toward the center position, and subsequently when the operator thinks that the end effector 2208 has reached or is approaching the center position. Then, the rocker switch 3012 can be released. Processor 3008 may interpret such a situation as an attempt to re-center end effector 2208, and if end effector 2208 is not centered, processor 3008 may automatically center end effector 2208. Can be. In at least one example, if the operator of the surgical instrument releases the rocker switch 3012 when the end effector 2208 is within, for example, about 10 degrees on either side of the center position, the processor 3008 may automatically activate the end effector 2208. Can be centered again.

  In various cases, referring primarily to FIGS. 3, 6, and 9, module 10000 may include an articulation reset or centering mechanism. In certain cases, the control system 3000 may include a reset input that can reset or return the end effector 2208 to the joint home state position when the end effector 2208 is in the articulated position. For example, upon receiving a reset input signal, the processor 3008 can determine the articulation position of the end effector 2208, and when the end effector 2208 is in the joint home state position, the processor 3008 changes the articulation position of the end effector 2208. There is no need to take any action to do so. However, if the end effector 2208 is in the articulated position when the processor 3008 receives the reset input signal, the processor 3008 may activate the motor 2216 to return the end effector 2208 to the articulated home position. As shown in FIG. 9, the operator can depress the rocker 3012 to close the dome switches 3004A and 3004B simultaneously or at short intervals relative to each other, thereby transmitting a reset input signal to the processor 3008. Then, the end effector 2208 can be reset or returned to the joint home state position. The operator can then release the locker 3012, returning the locker 3012 to the neutral position and returning the switches 3004A and 3004B to the open position. Alternatively, interface 3001 of control system 3000 may include a separate reset switch, such as, for example, another dome switch, that can be closed independently by an operator to transmit a reset input signal to processor 3008.

  Referring again to FIG. 1, the end effector 2208 of the surgical instrument 2200 includes a first jaw having an anvil 10002 and a channel 10004 configured to receive a staple cartridge 10006, which may include a plurality of staples. And a second jaw provided. In certain cases, end effector 2208 may move between an open configuration and a closed configuration, for example, to capture tissue between anvil 10002 and staple cartridge 10006. Further, the surgical instrument 2200 includes a firing member that can move axially between a firing home state position and a firing position, deploys staples from the staple cartridge 10006, and / or has the end effector 2208 in a closed configuration. At times, tissue captured between the anvil 10002 and the staple cartridge 10006 can be cut.

  As described above, end effector 2208 can move between an open configuration and a closed configuration to clamp tissue therein. In at least one embodiment, anvil 10002 can move between an open position and a closed position to compress tissue against staple cartridge 10006. In various cases, the pressure or force that anvil 10002 may apply to tissue may depend on the thickness of the tissue. At a fixed gap distance between the anvil 10002 and the staple cartridge 10006, the anvil 10002 may apply more compressive pressure or force on thick tissue than on thin tissue. The surgical instrument may include a sensor, such as a load cell, capable of detecting the pressure or force applied to the tissue. In certain cases, the thickness and / or composition of the tissue may change while pressure or force is applied. For example, a fluid, such as blood, contained in compressed tissue may flow into adjacent tissue. In such a situation, the tissue may be thinner and / or the compression pressure or force applied to the tissue may be reduced. A sensor configured to detect the pressure being applied to the tissue can detect this change. The sensors can be in signal communication with the processor 3008, which can monitor the pressure or force being applied to the tissue and / or the change in pressure being applied to the tissue. In at least one case, processor 3008 may evaluate a change in pressure or force and communicate to a surgical instrument operator when the pressure or force has reached steady state conditions and does not change thereafter. The processor 3008 may also determine when the change in pressure or force is at and / or below a threshold or threshold rate. For example, when the change in pressure or force is greater than about 10 percent / second, the processor 3008 may illuminate a warning indicator associated with the firing actuator, for example, when the change in pressure or force is less than or equal to about 10 percent / second. The processor may, for example, light a ready-to-fire indicator associated with the firing actuator. In some situations, the surgical instrument can prevent the firing member from traveling distally through the end effector 2208, for example, until a change in pressure or force is at and / or below a threshold rate. .

  In certain cases, the operator of the surgical instrument may choose to place only a portion of the staples stored within end effector 2208. In such situations, after the firing member has advanced sufficiently, the firing member can be retracted. In various other cases, the operator of the surgical instrument may choose to place all of the staples stored within end effector 2208. In any case, the operator of the surgical instrument can depress the firing actuator extending from handle assembly 2210 and actuate motor 2216 to advance the firing member distally. When the firing actuator is fully depressed, the motor 2216 can be activated. In at least one mode of operation, further depression of the firing actuator does not affect operation of the motor 2216. Until the firing actuator is released, motor 2216 can be operated in a manner dictated by processor 3008. In at least one other mode of operation, the degree or amount of depression of the firing actuator can affect the manner in which motor 2216 is operated. For example, the first depression of the firing actuator can be detected by the processor 3008, and the processor 3008 can operate the motor 2216 at the first speed, and the further depression of the firing actuator can be detected by the processor 3008, and the processor The 3008 can operate the motor 2216 at a second speed, for example, faster. In certain cases, the change in firing actuator depression may be proportional to the change in motor speed. In at least one case, the change in depression of the firing actuator may be linearly proportional to the change in motor speed. In various situations, pulling the firing actuator causes motor 2216 to run faster. In certain embodiments, the amount of pressure or force applied to the firing actuator can affect the manner in which motor 2216 operates. For example, the initial pressure or force applied to the firing actuator can be detected by the processor 3008, and the processor 3008 can operate the motor 2216 at a first speed in response, and the additional pressure or force applied to the firing actuator can be detected by the processor 3008. And the processor 3008 can operate the motor 2216 at a second speed, for example, faster, accordingly. In certain cases, the change in pressure or force applied to the firing actuator may be proportional to the change in motor speed. In at least one case, the change in pressure or force applied to the firing actuator may be linearly proportional to the change in motor speed. The disclosure of U.S. Patent No. 7,845,537, issued December 7, 2010, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING RECORDING CAPABILITIES", is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

  As described above, the operator of the surgical instrument may choose to place all of the staples stored within the end effector 2208. In such a situation, the operator may depress the firing actuator and subsequently release the actuator when all staples are considered to have been deployed during the firing stroke of the firing member. In some cases, the surgical instrument may include an indicator that can be illuminated by processor 3008 upon completion of the firing stroke. Suitable indicators may include, for example, light emitting diodes (LEDs). In certain cases, the operator may consider that the firing stroke is almost complete, but is almost complete. The surgical instrument can include at least one sensor configured to detect a position of the firing member within the firing stroke, where the sensor can be in signal communication with the processor 3008. If the firing stroke ends at a substantially completed position, the processor 3008 can instruct the motor 2216 to end the firing stroke of the firing member. For example, if the firing member has completed all but the last 5 mm of the firing stroke, for example, the processor 3008 may assume that the operator intends to complete the firing stroke and automatically complete the firing stroke. Can be.

  Referring again to FIG. 1, the interface 3001 of the surgical instrument 2200 can include a home status input 3014. The operator may utilize a home state input to transmit a home state input signal to the processor 3008 to return the surgical instrument 2200 to the home state, including moving the end effector 2208 to the articulated home state position. And / or returning the firing member to the firing home state position. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, home state input 3014 may comprise, for example, a cap or cover, which when pressed by an operator closes switch 3004C and causes home state input signal through circuit 3006C. Can be transmitted to the processor 3008. In certain cases, the home state input 3014 may be configured to return the end effector 2208 to the joint home state position, and utilize another input to return the firing member to the fire home state position. Good. In certain cases, home state input 3014 may be configured to return the firing member to the fired home state position, for example, utilizing another input, such as rocker 3012, to move end effector 2208 to the articulated home position. It may be returned to the state position.

  In various cases, processor 3008 is configured to, upon receiving a home state input signal from home state input 3014, return the firing member to the fired home state position and return end effector 2208 to the articulated home state position. Good. In certain cases, the response of processor 3008 to the home state input signal depends on whether surgical instrument 2200 is in firing mode or articulation mode, and processor 3008 determines that surgical instrument 2200 is in articulation mode. If so, the processor 3008 may return the end effector 2208 to the joint home state position, for example, in response to a home state input signal, and if the processor 3008 determines that the surgical instrument 2200 is in the firing mode, the processor 3008 May return the firing member to the firing home state position, for example, in response to a home state input signal. In certain cases, the firing member can be advanced axially to fire staples from the staple cartridge 10006 only when the end effector 2208 is in the closed configuration. In such a case, surgical instrument 2200 can be in firing mode only when end effector 2208 is in the closed configuration. In certain cases, the end effector 2208 can be articulated only when the end effector 2208 is in the open configuration. In such a case, the surgical instrument 2200 can be in the articulation mode only when the end effector 2208 is in the open configuration. As a result, in certain cases, the processor 3008 may determine whether the surgical instrument 2200 is in an articulation mode or a firing mode by determining whether the end effector 2208 is in an open or closed configuration. Can be configured. In certain cases, processor 3008 may utilize one or more sensors 3016 (FIG. 3) to determine whether end effector 2208 is in an open or closed configuration.

  Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 10, a surgical instrument 2200 includes a screen 2251, which may be included, for example, in a handle assembly 2202. One or more of the microcontrollers described herein can utilize screen 2251 to provide alerts, instructions, and / or feedback, for example, to surgical instrument operator 2200. . Screen 2251 can provide output display 2250. In use, the operator may, for example, tilt, flip, and / or rotate the handle assembly 2202, and in response, the microcontroller may change the orientation of the output display 2250 to allow the operator of the surgical instrument 2200 to rotate. The orientation of the output display 2250 can be improved, aligned, and / or adjusted with respect to the field of view and / or any suitable coordinate system, for example, inertial, or at least a substantially inertial coordinate system. The fixed coordinate system may be defined at least in part by gravity. In some cases, the downward acceleration of the Earth's gravity can be represented in FIG. 10 by the vector -g. In certain cases, a processor, such as processor 3008, detects a change in the position of handle assembly 2202 with respect to the coordinate system and employs one of a plurality of orientations of screen 2251 according to the relative position of screen 2251 with respect to the coordinate system. It may be configured as follows.

  In certain cases, a screen 2251 may be located on the upper surface 10008 of the handle assembly 2202, as shown in FIG. In various cases, surface 10008 may extend in a first plane defined by a first set of Cartesian coordinates of coordinates X1 and Y1, representing handle assembly 2202. In various cases, screen 2251 may be located in the first plane. In some cases, screen 2251 may be located in a plane that extends parallel to the first plane and / or in any suitable plane that is in a fixed relationship to the first plane. For convenience, the first set of Cartesian coordinates representing the handle assembly is assumed herein to be aligned with the screen 2251 and is therefore referred to as the screen set Cartesian coordinates. The output display 2250 may be in a second plane of coordinates X2 and Y2, defined by a second, Cartesian coordinate of the display set. In certain cases, as shown in FIG. 10, the first surface may be, for example, coplanar with the second surface. Further, in at least some cases, the first or Cartesian coordinates of the screen set may be aligned with the second or Cartesian coordinates of the display set. For example, + X1 may be aligned or parallel to + X2, + Y1 may be aligned or parallel to + Y2, and + Z1 may be aligned or parallel to + Z2. Accordingly, in such cases, -X1 may be aligned or parallel with -X2, -Y1 may be aligned or parallel with -Y2, -Z1 may be aligned or parallel with -Z2, Good. As will be described in more detail below, in certain cases, the Cartesian coordinates of the second, or set of displays, may be realigned with the Cartesian coordinates of the first, or set of screens. In various cases, a particular arrangement of display Cartesian coordinates may be preferred. For example, the neutral position of surgical instrument 2200 may coincide with the + Z1 axis of screen coordinates aligned with the + g vector. As described in more detail below, the processor 3008 can tolerate a certain amount of shift between screen coordinates in the reference coordinate system without changing the arrangement of the display coordinates, , The processor can change the arrangement of the display coordinates with respect to the screen coordinates.

  Referring to FIGS. 11-12D, a module 10010 can change the position of the handle assembly 2202, which can be monitored, for example, by input from one or more accelerometers (not shown) housed within the handle assembly 2202. May be configured to change or change the orientation of the output display 2250 between the multiple orientations. As described above and shown in FIG. 12A, the output display 2250 indicates that when the surgical instrument is in the neutral position, the + X2 and + Y2 vectors of the Cartesian coordinates of the display set are aligned with the + X1 and + Y1 vectors of the Cartesian coordinates of the screen set, respectively. A first orientation that is or is at least substantially aligned may be employed. In a particular case, as shown in FIG. 12B, the output display 2250 may have the display set Cartesian coordinates + Y2 and + X2 aligned with, for example, the screen set Cartesian coordinates + Y1 and -X1 vectors, respectively, or at least. A second orientation that is substantially aligned may be employed. In a particular case, as shown in FIG. 12C, the output display 2250 has the display set Cartesian coordinates + X2 and + Y2 aligned with, for example, the screen set Cartesian coordinates -X1 and -Y1 vectors, respectively, or A third orientation that is at least substantially aligned may be employed. In a particular case, as shown in FIG. 12D, the output display 2250 may have the display set Cartesian coordinates + X2 and + Y2 aligned with, for example, the screen set Cartesian -Y1 and + X1 vectors, respectively, or at least. A fourth orientation that is substantially aligned may be employed. Other orientations are possible.

  With reference to FIGS. 11-12D, the processor 3008 may include, for example, a first orientation, a second orientation, a third orientation, and / or a fourth orientation to accommodate changes in the position of the handle assembly 2202. It may be configured to switch the orientation of the output display 2250 between a plurality of orientations. In certain cases, the module 10010 may include a hysteresis control algorithm to prevent swaying during switching between, for example, a first orientation, a second orientation, a third orientation, and / or a fourth orientation. May be provided. The hysteresis control algorithm can cause a time lag between the initial detection of an event that causes a change in display orientation and the instruction of the processor to change the display orientation. In this way, the hysteresis control algorithm ignores events that may lead to a transient orientation and optimally waits for display redirection until a steady or sufficiently steady condition is reached. it can. In certain cases, the processor 3008 is configured to direct the output display 2250 in the first orientation when the angle between the + Z1 vector of the Z1 axis and the −g vector of the gravity axis g is, for example, less than or equal to the maximum angle. May be. In certain cases, the processor 3008 is configured to direct the output display 2250 in the second orientation when the angle between the + X1 vector of the X1 axis and the + g vector of the gravity axis g is, for example, less than or equal to the maximum angle. May be. In certain cases, the processor 3008 is configured to direct the output display 2250 in a third orientation when the angle between the + Y1 vector of the Y1 axis and the + g vector of the gravity g axis is, for example, less than or equal to the maximum angle. May be. In certain cases, the processor 3008 is configured to direct the output display 2250 in a fourth orientation when the angle between the + X1 vector of the X1 axis and the −g vector of the gravity axis g is, for example, less than or equal to the maximum angle. May be. In certain cases, the maximum angle may be any angle selected from a range, for example, from about 0 degrees to, for example, about 10 degrees. In certain cases, the maximum angle may be any angle selected from a range of, for example, about 0 degrees to, for example, about 5 degrees. In certain cases, the maximum angle may be, for example, about 5 degrees. The above maximum angles are representative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

  Referring to FIGS. 11-12D, in certain cases, the processor 3008 may output the output display when the + Z1 vector of the Z1 axis and the −g vector of the gravity axis g are, for example, aligned with each other, or at least substantially aligned. The 2250 may be configured to be oriented in a first orientation. In certain cases, the processor 3008 directs the output display 2250 in a second orientation when the + X1 vector of the X1 axis and the + g vector of the gravity axis g are, for example, aligned, or at least substantially aligned. It may be constituted as follows. In certain cases, processor 3008 directs output display 2250 in a third orientation when the + Y1 vector of the Y1 axis and the + g vector of the gravity g-axis are, for example, aligned with each other, or at least substantially aligned. It may be constituted as follows. In certain cases, the processor 3008 may direct the output display 2250 in a fourth orientation when the + X1 vector of the X1 axis and the −g vector of the gravity axis g are, for example, aligned, or at least substantially aligned. It may be configured to attach.

  Referring to FIGS. 11-12D, in certain cases, the processor 3008 determines that the handle 2212 has an angle about the longitudinal axis LL (FIG. 1) selected from a range, for example, from about 80 degrees to about 100 degrees, for example. When rotating clockwise, the output display 2250 may be configured to rotate from a first orientation to a second orientation. In this example, if handle 2212 rotates clockwise about longitudinal axis LL by less than 80 degrees, processor 3008 cannot redirect output display 2250. In certain cases, processor 3008 may cause display 2250 to rotate when handle 2212 rotates counter-clockwise about longitudinal axis LL at an angle selected from a range of, for example, about 80 degrees to about 100 degrees, for example. It may be configured to rotate from a first orientation to a fourth orientation. In this example, if handle 2212 rotates counterclockwise by less than 80 degrees about longitudinal axis LL, processor 3008 cannot redirect output display 2250.

  As described above, the operator can use the rocker 3012 to articulate, for example, the end effector 2208. In a particular case, the operator can move the finger in the first direction to tilt the rocker 3012, depress the dome switch 3004A, and articulate the end effector 2208, for example, clockwise to the right, and the operator Can be moved in a second direction opposite to the first direction to depress the dome switch 3004B and articulate the end effector 2208, eg, counterclockwise to the left.

  In certain cases, depending on the position and / or orientation of the locker 3012 with respect to the interface 3001 and / or the handle assembly 2202, the first, or neutral, position of the handle assembly 2202, as shown in FIGS. The first direction may be, for example, upward, and the second direction may be, for example, downward. In such a case, the operator 2200 of the surgical instrument may become accustomed to moving the finger upward, for example, to articulate the end effector 2208, for example, to the right, and the operator may manipulate the end effector 2208, for example, You may get used to moving your fingers down, for example, to flex the joints to the left. In certain cases, however, as shown in FIG. 14B, the operator may change the position of handle assembly 2202 to a second position, for example, an upside down position. In such a case, if the operator forgets to reverse the direction in which the finger is moved, the operator may unconsciously bend the end effector 2208 in a direction opposite to the direction intended by the operator. is there.

  Referring to FIG. 13, the surgical instrument 2200 may include a module 10012 that may allow the surgeon to maintain the surgeon in the direction of movement familiar with the operation of the surgical instrument 2200. As described above, the processor 3008 may be configured to switch between the multiple configurations, for example, in response to a change in the position and / or orientation of the handle assembly 2202. In certain cases, as shown in FIG. 13, processor 3008 includes a first configuration of interface 3001 associated with a first position and / or orientation of handle assembly 2202, and a second position and / or orientation of handle assembly 2202. May be configured to switch between the second configuration of the interface 3001 and the second configuration.

  In a particular case, in a first configuration, the processor 3008 may be configured to command the articulation motor to cause the end effector 2208 to articulate to the right, for example, when the dome switch 3004A is depressed, and the processor 3008 may include For example, when the dome switch 3004B is pressed, it may be configured to command the articulation motor to cause the end effector 2208 to articulate to the left. In the second configuration, the processor 3008 may command the articulation motor to cause the end effector 2208 to articulate to the left, for example, when the dome switch 3004A is pressed, and the processor 3008 may, for example, press the dome switch 3004B. May be commanded to the articulation motor to cause the end effector 2208 to articulate to the right. In various embodiments, the surgical instrument may include one motor to articulate the end effector 2208 in both directions, while in another embodiment, the surgical instrument may move the end effector 2208 in a first direction. A first motor configured to articulate and a second motor configured to articulate the end effector 2208 in a second direction may be provided.

  Referring to FIGS. 13-14B, processor 3008 employs a first configuration while, for example, handle assembly 2202 is in a first position and / or orientation, such as while handle assembly 2202 is in a second position and / or orientation. May be configured to employ the second configuration. In certain cases, processor 3008 may detect the orientation and / or position of handle assembly 2202, for example, by input from one or more accelerometers (not shown) housed within handle assembly 2202. May be configured. In various cases, such accelerometers can detect the orientation of handle assembly 2202 with respect to gravity, ie, up and / or down.

  In certain cases, the processor 3008 may determine that the angle between the vector D (FIG. 1) extending through the handle assembly 2202 and the gravity vector g is any angle in a range, for example, from about 0 degrees to about 100 degrees, for example. , The first configuration may be adopted. In certain cases, the processor 3008 may employ the first configuration when the angle between the vector D and the gravity vector g is any angle, for example, ranging from about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees. May be configured. In certain cases, processor 3008 may be configured to employ the first configuration when the angle between vector D and gravity vector g is, for example, less than or equal to about 80 degrees.

  In certain cases, processor 3008 may be configured to employ the second configuration when the angle between vector D and gravity vector g is, for example, about 80 degrees or greater. In certain cases, processor 3008 may be configured to employ the second configuration when the angle between vector D and gravity vector g is, for example, about 90 degrees or greater. In certain cases, processor 3008 may be configured to employ the second configuration when the angle between vector D and gravity vector g is, for example, about 100 degrees or greater.

  The reader is aware that the orientation and / or position of the handle assembly 2202 described and the corresponding configuration employed by the processor 3008 are exemplary in nature and are intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. You will understand that it is not. Processor 3008 may be configured to employ various other configurations in connection with various other orientations and / or positions of handle assembly 2202.

  Referring to FIG. 15, in certain cases, the surgical instrument 2200 can be controlled and / or operated, or at least partially controlled and / or operated, by input received from an operator through a display, such as the display 2250. , Display 2250 may include a touch screen adapted to receive input from an operator, which may be in the form of one or more touch actions. In various cases, display 2250 may be coupled to a processor, such as processor 3008, which may be configured to cause surgical instrument 2200 to perform various functions in response to touch actions provided by an operator. In certain cases, display 2250 may include, for example, a capacitive touchscreen, a resistive touchscreen, or any suitable touchscreen.

  Referring again to FIG. 15, the display 2250 may include a plurality of icons associated with a plurality of functions that may be performed by the surgical instrument 2200. In certain cases, the processor 3008 is configured to cause the surgical instrument operator 2200 to perform a function of the surgical instrument 2200 when an icon representing such a function is selected, touched, and / or pressed. Good. In certain cases, a memory, such as memory 3010, may include one or more modules for associating icons with functions.

  In certain cases, as shown in FIG. 15, the display 2250 may include a launch icon 10014, for example. Processor 3008 may be configured to detect a fire input signal when an operator touches and / or presses fire icon 10014. In response to detecting the firing input signal, processor 3008 activates motor 2216 to cause firing members of surgical instrument 2200 to fire staples, for example, from staple cartridge 10006, and / or anvil 10002 and staple cartridge 10006. May be configured to sever tissue captured between. In certain cases, as shown in FIG. 15, the display 2250 may include an articulation icon 10016 that causes the end effector 2208 to articulate in a first direction, such as, for example, clockwise, and the display 2250 also includes , The articulation icon 10018 to cause the end effector 2208 to articulate in a second direction, such as a counterclockwise direction, for example. The reader may notice that the display 2250 is associated with various other functions that may cause the processor 3008 to execute the surgical instrument 2200 when such icons are selected, touched, and / or pressed, for example, by the surgical instrument operator 2200. , Various other icons may be provided.

  In certain cases, one or more of the icons on display 2250 may include words, symbols, and / or images that represent functions that may be performed, for example, by touching or pressing the icons. In certain cases, the articulation icon 10016 may show an image of the end effector 2208 articulated clockwise. In certain cases, the articulation icon 10018 may show an image of the end effector 2208 articulated counterclockwise. In certain cases, fire icon 10014 may indicate an image of a staple being fired from staple cartridge 10006.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 and 16, the interface 3001 of the surgical instrument 2200 includes a plurality of operational controls, such as, for example, a closure trigger 10020, a rotary knob 10022, an articulation rocker 3012, and / or a firing input 3017 (FIG. 17). May be provided. In certain cases, the various operational controls of interface 3001 of surgical instrument 2200 may also serve as navigation controls in addition to their operational functions. In certain cases, surgical instrument 2200 may include an operating mode and a navigation mode. In the operating mode, some or all of the controls of the surgical instrument 2200 may be configured to perform operating functions, and in the navigation mode, some or all of the controls of the surgical instrument 2200 perform the navigation functions. It may be configured to do so. In various cases, the navigation functions performed by some or all of the controls of surgical instrument 2200 are related to, associated with, and / or related to the operational functions performed by the controls. May be. In other words, the operating functions performed by the controller of surgical instrument 2200 can determine the navigation functions performed by such controller.

  Referring to FIGS. 1 and 16, in certain cases, a processor, such as processor 3008, for example, includes a primary interface configuration while the surgical instrument 2200 is in the operating mode and a secondary interface configuration while the surgical instrument 2200 is in the navigation mode. The processor 3008 may be configured to switch between an interface configuration and the processor 3008 assigns operating functions to some or all of the control devices of the interface 3001 in an operating mode; It may be configured to assign to a device. In a particular case, the navigation function of the control device in the secondary interface configuration is determined, for example, by the operating function of the control device in the primary interface configuration.

  Referring to FIG. 16, in certain cases, a surgical instrument operator 2200 can activate a navigation mode, for example, by opening or activating a navigation menu 10024 in a display 2250. In certain cases, surgical instrument 2200 may include a navigation mode button or switch (not shown) for activating navigation mode. In any case, upon receiving the navigation mode input signal, processor 3008 may change the controller of interface 3001 from a primary interface configuration to a secondary interface configuration.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the navigation menu 10024 may include various selectable categories, menus, and / or folders, and / or various subcategories, submenus, and / or subfolders. In certain cases, navigation menu 10024 may include, for example, articulation category, firing category, closure category, battery category, and / or rotation category.

  In certain cases, as described above, in the operating mode, the articulation rocker 3012 can be used to articulate the end effector 2208, such as selecting an articulation category and / or an articulation menu in the navigation mode. Can be used to launch and / or navigate. In certain cases, as described above, in the operating mode, the firing input 3017 (FIG. 17) can be used to fire staples, for example, in the navigation mode, select a firing category and / or open a firing menu. Can be used to launch and / or navigate. In certain cases, as described above, in the operating mode, the closure trigger 10020 can be used to transition the end effector 2208 between the open configuration and the access configuration, for example, in the navigation mode, select a closure category, and And / or can be used to activate and / or navigate a closed menu. In certain cases, in the operating mode, the rotary knob 10022 can be used to rotate the end effector 2208 relative to the elongate shaft 2204, for example, in the navigation mode, select a rotation category and / or activate and activate a rotation menu. And / or can be used to navigate.

  Referring primarily to FIGS. 1 and 17, operation of the surgical instrument 2200 may include a series or sequence of steps, operations, events, and / or combinations thereof. In various situations, as shown in FIG. 17, the surgical instrument 2200 may provide instructions, alerts, and / or feedback to the surgical instrument operator 2200 regarding various steps, actions, and / or events. An indicator system 10030, which can be configured to

  In various cases, indicator system 10030 may include multiple indicators 10032. In certain cases, indicator 10032 may include, for example, a visual indicator, such as, for example, a display screen, a backlight, and / or an LED. In certain cases, indicator 10032 may include an audio indicator, such as, for example, a speaker and / or a buzzer. In certain cases, indicator 10032 may include a haptic indicator, such as a haptic actuator. In certain cases, indicator 10032 may include, for example, a combination of a visual indicator, an audio indicator, and / or a tactile indicator.

  Referring to FIG. 17, an indicator system 10030 may include one or more processors, such as, for example, processor 3008, and / or one or more memory devices, such as, for example, memory 3010, for example, a microcontroller. One or more microcontrollers, such as 3002, may be provided. In various cases, processor 3008 can include various sensors 10035 and / or a processor for the status of, for example, surgical instrument 2200, and / or the progress of steps, operations, and / or events related to operation of surgical instrument 2200. A feedback system may be coupled that may be configured to provide feedback to 3008.

  In various cases, operation of the surgical instrument 2200 may be from a variety of steps, including, for example, an articulation step, a closing step, a firing step, a firing reset step, a closure reset step, an articulation reset step, and / or combinations thereof. May be configured. In various cases, the articulation step may include articulating the end effector 2208 relative to the elongate shaft 2204, for example, to an articulation position, and the articulation resetting step may include causing the end effector 2208 to e.g. It may include returning to a position. In various cases, the closing step may include transitioning the end effector 2208 to, for example, a closed configuration, and the closing reset step may include transitioning the end effector 2208 to, for example, an open configuration. In various cases, the firing step may include advancing the firing member, for example, to place staples from staple cartridge 10006 and / or cut tissue captured by end effector 2208. In various cases, the firing resetting step may include retracting the firing member, for example, to a firing home state position.

  Referring to FIG. 17, one or more of the indicators 10032 of the indicator system 10030 can be associated with one or more of the various steps performed with respect to operation of the surgical instrument 2200. In various cases, as shown in FIG. 17, the indicator 10032 may include, for example, an escape indicator 10033 associated with the escape assembly 2228, an articulation indicator 10034 associated with the articulation process, a closure indicator 10036 associated with the closure process, firing. A firing indicator 10038 associated with the process, an articulation reset indicator 10040 associated with the articulation reset process, a closure reset indicator 10042 associated with the closure reset process, and / or a firing reset indicator 10044 associated with the fire reset process. . The reader will understand that the above steps and / or indicators are representative in nature and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Various other steps and / or indicators are contemplated by the present disclosure.

  Referring to FIG. 1, in various cases, one or more of the controls of interface 3001 may be used in one or more of the steps of operation of surgical instrument 2200. In certain cases, the closure trigger 10020 can be used, for example, in a closure process. In certain cases, the launch input 3017 (FIG. 17) can be used, for example, in a launch process. In certain cases, the articulation rocker 3012 can be used, for example, in an articulation process and / or an articulation reset process. In certain cases, the home state input 3014 can be used, for example, in a fire reset process.

  Referring to FIG. 17, in various cases, an indicator 10032 associated with one of the steps of operation of the surgical instrument 10030 may be associated with a controller used for such step. For example, articulation indicator 10034 may be associated with articulation rocker 3012, closure indicator 10036 may be associated with closure trigger 10020, firing indicator 10038 may be associated with firing input 3017, and / or firing reset. Indicator 10044 may be associated with home state input 3014. In certain cases, the association of the indicator with the controller of the interface 3001 may help the operator associate the indicator with the controller, eg, at the top, inside, partially inside, near, and / or of the controller. This may include placing or positioning the indicator in close proximity. The reader will understand that the controls and / or the indicators associated with such controls are representative in nature and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Various other controls and indicators associated with such controls are contemplated by the present disclosure.

  In various cases, processor 3008 may be configured to activate indicator 10032 in one or more sequences defined by an order of steps associated with indicator 10032. For example, the operator may need to operate the surgical instrument 2200 in a series of steps starting with an articulation step, followed by a closing step, and further followed by a firing step. In such an example, processor 3008 is configured to indicate an operator through a sequence of steps by activating corresponding articulation indicator 10034, closure indicator 10036, and firing indicator 10038 in the same order as the steps. May be. In other words, the processor 3008 may be configured, for example, to first activate the articulation indicator 10034, followed by the closure indicator 10036, and then subsequently the firing indicator 10038. In certain cases, surgical instrument 2200 may include a bypass switch (not shown), which may be configured to allow an operator to avoid, for example, recommended but not required steps. In such a case, pressing the bypass switch can signal the processor 3008 to activate the next indicator in the sequence.

  In various cases, processor 3008 may be configured to switch indicator 10032 between a plurality of indicator configurations that provide instructions, alerts, and / or feedback to surgical instrument operator 2200. In various cases, processor 3008 can provide a visual cue to surgical instrument operator 2200 by switching indicator 10032 between a plurality of indicator configurations, which can include, for example, an activation and / or deactivation configuration. Can be. In certain cases, one or more of the indicators 10032 include, for example, a light source that can be activated in the first indicator configuration and alert an operator to perform, for example, a step associated with the indicator 10032. The light source may be deactivated, for example, in a second indicator configuration, to alert an operator, for example, when the process is completed.

  In certain cases, the light source may be a flashing light that can be transitioned between a flashing configuration and a non-flashing configuration by the processor 3008. In certain cases, the blinking light in a non-blinking configuration can be turned on or off, for example, to solid state lighting. In certain cases, the blinking light in the blinking configuration may represent a waiting time, for example, while the process is in progress. In certain cases, the flashing frequency of the flashing light may vary to provide different visual cues. For example, the blink frequency of the blinking light representing the standby time may increase or decrease as the standby time approaches the end. The reader will understand that the waiting time can be, for example, a forced waiting time and / or a recommended waiting time. In certain cases, the forced wait time may be represented by a different blinking configuration than the recommended wait time. In certain cases, the flashing light may be comprised of a first color representing a forced standby time and a second color representing a recommended standby time, where the first color is different from the second color. . In certain cases, the first color may be, for example, red and the second color may be, for example, yellow.

  In various cases, a first indicator configuration that represents one or more of the indicators 10032, for example, a controller available for use in a standard next step of the operation of the surgical instrument 2200, A second indicator configuration that represents a controller available for use in a non-standard next step of the operation of the surgical instrument 2200 and / or used in a step following the step of operating the surgical instrument 2200. To a third indicator configuration representing a control device that is not available for use by the processor 3008. For example, when the end effector 2208 of the surgical instrument 2000 is in the open configuration, the articulation indicator 10034 and the closure indicator 10036 are illuminated, and these two functions, end effector articulation and end effector closure, are now performed. Availability to the operator can be indicated to the surgical instrument operator 2200. In such a state, the firing indicator 10038 is not illuminated, which can indicate to the operator that the firing function is not available to the operator at this time. When the end effector 2208 is placed in the closed and / or clamped configuration, the articulation indicator 10034 may disappear, indicating to the operator at this point that the articulation function is no longer available. In such a situation, the illumination of the closure indicator 10036 is weakened, which can indicate to the operator that the closure function can now be moved in the opposite direction. Further, in such a state, the firing indicator 10038 will be illuminated, which may indicate to the operator that the firing function is not available to the operator at this time. When the firing member is at least partially advanced, the closure indicator 10036 may disappear, indicating that the closure function cannot be reversed at this point. When the firing member retreats to the unfired position, the illumination of firing indicator 10038 may be weakened, indicating to the operator that the firing member can be advanced again if necessary. Alternatively, when the firing member retreats, the firing indicator 10038 may go off, indicating to the operator that the firing member cannot advance again at this point. In any case, after the firing member has retracted to the unfired position, the closure indicator 10036 may re-illuminate, indicating to the operator at this point that the closure function may be reversed. The articulation indicator 10034 remains off, which may indicate at this point that the articulation function is not available. When the end effector 2208 is opened, the firing indicator 10038 will turn off if not already turned off, at which point the firing function is not available to the operator, and the closing indicator 10036 will remain lit. Yes, or the light may be weakened, indicating to the operator that the closure function is still available at this point, and the articulation indicator 10034 re-illuminates, at which point the articulation function is available. Something can be shown to the operator. The above example is representative, and alternative embodiments are possible.

  In certain cases, one or more of the indicators 10032 may be processed by the processor 3008, for example, a first color in a first indicator configuration, a second color in a second indicator configuration, and / or a third color in a second indicator configuration. A light source may be provided that can switch between a third color in the indicator configuration. In certain cases, the indicator 10032 may be activated by the processor 3008, for example, by changing the light intensity of the light source or by scanning the entire color spectrum, by a first indicator configuration, a second indicator configuration, and / or a third indicator configuration. You can switch between them. In certain cases, the first indicator configuration may include, for example, a first light intensity, the second indicator configuration may include, for example, a second light intensity, and / or the third indicator configuration may include, for example, a third light intensity. An indicator configuration may be included.

  In various cases, during the firing step of operation of the surgical instrument 2200, the firing member is activated to deploy a plurality of staples from the staple cartridge 10006 into tissue captured between the anvil 10002 and the staple cartridge 10006. The cutting member (not shown) can be advanced to cut the captured tissue. The reader will understand that it may not be desirable to advance the cutting member for cutting the captured tissue in the absence of a staple cartridge or in the presence of a used staple cartridge. . As a result, in various cases, the surgical instrument 2200 can be activated to prevent advancement of the cutting member, for example, in the absence of a staple cartridge, or in the presence of a used staple cartridge, a lockout mechanism (not shown). Z) may be provided.

  Referring to FIG. 18, the module 10046 may be utilized by an indicator system such as, for example, the indicator system 10030 (FIG. 17). In various cases, module 10046 may include program instructions stored in one or more memory devices, such as, for example, memory 3010, and when executed, for example, during the firing process of operation of surgical instrument 2200 The processor 3008 may utilize the indicator 10032 to cause the operator 2200 of the surgical instrument to provide alerts, instructions, and / or feedback. In certain cases, one or more of the indicators 10032, such as, for example, the fire indicator 10038 and / or the fire reset indicator 10044, may be in a first indicator configuration by the processor 3008, for example, during a firing process of operation of the surgical instrument 2200. , The second indicator configuration, and / or the third indicator configuration, to provide a warning, instruction, and / or feedback to the surgical instrument operator 2200.

  With reference to FIGS. 17 and 18, the surgical instrument operator 2200 activates the firing input 3017 to cause the processor 3008 to activate, for example, a motor 2216 to fire the firing member to remove a plurality of staples from the staple cartridge 10006. The captured member may be placed in the captured tissue and the cutting member advanced to cut the captured tissue. In certain cases, the firing indicator 10038 alerts the operator that the firing input 3017 is available and / or one of the standard control options available for completing the firing process. In order to do so, it can be set to the first indicator configuration.

  In certain cases, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, when processor 3008 detects that the lockout mechanism is enabled, processor 3008 may, for example, stop and / or deactivate motor 2216 by The advancement of the cutting member can be stopped. In addition, the processor 3008 may be configured to transition the firing indicator 10038 from the first indicator configuration to a third indicator configuration and alert an operator that the firing input 3017 is not available. In certain cases, processor 3008 may also be configured to light display 2250, for example, to display an image without a staple cartridge. In certain cases, processor 3008 also sets firing reset indicator 10044 to, for example, the first indicator configuration, and home state input 3014 retracts the cutting member to the firing home state position, for example, firing the firing member. It can also inform the operator that it can be used. In certain cases, the processor 3008 may be configured to detect that a new staple cartridge has been installed, for example, by the sensor 10035, and responsively return the firing indicator 10038 to, for example, the first indicator configuration.

  In certain cases, the processor 3008 may be configured to stop the motor 2216 if the operator releases the firing input 3017 prior to completion of the firing process, as shown in FIG. In certain cases, the processor 3008 may also maintain the firing indicator 10038 in, for example, a first indicator configuration, and the firing input 3017 may be used as a standard control option available, for example, to complete the firing process of operation of the surgical instrument 2200. The operator can be warned that it can be used. In certain cases, the processor 3008 may also set the firing reset indicator 10044 to, for example, a second indicator configuration, and if the operator decides to abort the firing process of operation of the surgical instrument 2200, for example, the home state The operator may also be notified that the input 3014 can be used as a non-standard control option that can be used, for example, to retract the cutting member to the firing home state position.

  In addition to the above, if the operator reactivates the firing input 3017, as shown in FIG. 18, the processor 3008 responds by restarting the motor 2216 and cutting until the cutting member is fully advanced. The member can be kept advancing. In certain cases, the processor 3008 can utilize the sensor 10035 to detect when the cutting member has fully advanced, and then the processor 3008 can, for example, reverse the direction of rotation of the motor 2216 and fire the cutting member, for example. The firing member can be activated to retract to the home position. In certain cases, if the processor detects that the cutting member has reached, for example, the firing home state position, the processor 3008 may, for example, shut down the motor 2216 and / or change the closure reset indicator 10042 to, for example, a first indicator. It may be configured to set in the configuration.

  As described herein, a surgical instrument can be in a variety of operating states, modes, and / or configurations. In certain cases, the appliance may be in an undesirable operating state, mode, and / or configuration by an operator who may not know how to remove the appliance from the undesirable state, mode, and / or configuration. There is. In at least one case, the surgical instrument may include a reset button that, when activated, may cause the instrument to be in an initial state, mode, and / or configuration. For example, the initial state, mode, and / or configuration may include an operation mode instead of a navigation mode. In at least one case, the initial state and / or configuration may include, for example, a particular orientation of the display output 2250. A reset button may be in signal communication with the processor 3008, which may cause the surgical instrument to be in an initial state, mode, and / or configuration. In certain cases, processor 3008 may be configured to maintain the surgical instrument in an initial state, mode, and / or configuration. In at least one case, the surgical instrument may include a lock button that, when activated, may lock the instrument to an initial state, mode, and / or configuration. In certain cases, a lock button may lock the surgical instrument to a current state, mode, and / or configuration. The operating state, mode and / or configuration can be unlocked by activating the lock button again. In various embodiments, the surgical instrument may include at least one accelerometer in signal communication with processor 3008 that can determine when the instrument handle is being shaken or quickly moved back and forth. When such shaking is detected, processor 3008 may place the surgical instrument in an initial operating state, mode, and / or configuration.

  Referring to FIG. 19, in various cases, a surgical assembly 10050 may include a surgical instrument, such as, for example, a surgical instrument 2200, and a remote operating unit 10052. In certain cases, the surgical instrument 2200 may include a primary interface, such as the interface 3001, which may be present in the handle assembly 2202, as shown in FIG. In certain cases, interface 3001 may include a plurality of closure triggers 10020 (FIG. 1), rotation knob 10022, articulation rocker 3012, home state input 3014, and / or firing input 3017 (FIG. 17). A primary controller may be provided.

  In various cases, the surgical instrument operator 2200 may manually operate the primary controller of the interface 3001 to perform, for example, a surgical procedure. As described above, the operator can actuate the articulation rocker 3012 to activate the motor 2216 and articulate the end effector 2208, for example, between a non-articulated position and an articulated position. In certain cases, the operator can actuate the closure trigger 10020 to transition the end effector 2208, for example, between an open configuration and a closed configuration. In certain cases, the operator activates firing input 3017 to activate motor 2216 to fire staples from staple cartridge 10006 and / or capture, for example, between anvil 10002 and staple cartridge 10006. The firing member of the surgical instrument 2200 can be activated to cut the cut tissue.

  In various cases, the surgical instrument operator 2200 may not be sufficiently close to the handle assembly 2202 to allow manual operation of the interface 3001. For example, an operator can operate the surgical instrument 2200 with a robotically controlled surgical system that can be controlled from a remote location. In such a case, the operator may need to operate the surgical instrument 2200 from a remote location, for example, operating the robotically controlled surgical system, and the operator may be required to operate the remote The unit 10052 can be used, for example, to operate the surgical instrument 2200 from a distance. Various robotic systems, instruments, components, and methods are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 118,241, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENTS WITH ROTABLE STAPLE DEPLOYMENT ARRANGEMENTS" (now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/029819). ), Which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

  Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, the remote control unit 10052 may include, for example, a secondary interface 3001 ', a display 2250', and / or a power assembly 2206 '(or "power supply" or "power pack"). In various cases, secondary interface 3001 'may comprise a plurality of secondary controllers, which may correspond to a primary controller of primary interface 3001'. In certain cases, the remote operating unit 10052 may include a remote articulation rocker 3012 ', for example, corresponding to the articulation rocker 3012. In certain cases, the remote operating unit 10052 may include a remote firing input 3017 ', for example, corresponding to the firing input 3017 of the surgical instrument 2200. In certain cases, remote operating unit 10052 may include a remote home status input 3014 ', for example, corresponding to home status input 3014 of surgical instrument 2200.

  In certain cases, as shown in FIG. 19, the remote control unit 10052, the interface 3001 ′, and / or the plurality of secondary controls are respectively associated with the handle assembly 2202, the interface 3001, and / or the plurality of primary controls. , May have different shapes and / or designs. In certain cases, as shown in FIG. 20, the remote control unit 10052, the interface 3001 ', and / or the plurality of secondary controls, the interface 3001', and / or the plurality of It may have the same or at least substantially the same shape and / or design as the assembly 2202, the interface 3001, and / or the plurality of primary controls.

  In various cases, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the remote operating unit 10052 can be configured to transmit various actuation signals to, for example, the processor 3008 of the surgical instrument 2200, for example, an elongate flexible cable. Via 10054, it can be coupled to the handle assembly 2202 of the surgical instrument 2200, and various activation signals can be generated, for example, by activating a plurality of secondary controls of the interface 3001 '. In a particular case, as shown in FIG. 21, the remote operating unit 10052 may transmit an activation signal generated by a secondary controller of the secondary interface 3001 ′, for example, from the remote operating unit 10052 to the processor 3001, for example, a handle assembly 2202. There may be provided a transmitter 10056, which may be configured for wireless transmission through a receiver 10058, which may be located within.

  In various cases, the surgical instrument 2200 and / or the remote operating unit 10052 may include a communication activation input (not shown). In certain cases, actuation of the communication activation input may be, for example, a preceding step of establishing communication between the surgical instrument 2200 and the remote operating unit 10052, and upon establishing communication, the operator may operate the remote operating unit 10052. Can be used to remotely control, for example, the surgical instrument 2200.

  In various cases, the memory 3010, when executed, causes the processor 3008 to cause the processor 3008 to respond to activation signals generated by a plurality of primary controllers of the primary interface 3001 in a manner similar to, or at least similar to, the response of the processor 3008 to the secondary interface. It may include program instructions for a puppet mode that can be responsive to actuation signals generated by a plurality of secondary controllers of 3001 '. In other words, the response of processor 3008 to an activation signal generated by a plurality of secondary controllers may be configured to mimic the response of processor 3008 to an activation signal generated by a plurality of primary controllers, for example.

  In certain cases, the actuation of the remote firing input 3017 'can determine a response from the processor 3008 that is the same, or at least similar, to the operation of the firing input 3017, and the determined response is the activation of the motor 2216. For example, firing a staple from staple cartridge 10006 and / or firing a firing member to cut tissue captured between anvil 10002 and staple cartridge 10006. In certain cases, the actuation of the remote articulation rocker 3012 'can determine a response from the processor 3008 that is the same, or at least similar, to the operation of the articulation rocker 3012, and the determined response is activation of the motor 2216. , For example, allowing the end effector 2208 to articulate with respect to the elongate shaft 2204.

  In certain cases, the processor 3008 requires input activation signals from both the primary controller of the primary interface 3001 and the secondary controller of the corresponding secondary interface 3001 ′, and performs the functions sought by such controller. It may be configured to perform. In such a case, the remote operator of the remote operation unit 10052 manually operates the primary controller of the primary interface 3001 while the remote operator is operating, for example, the secondary controller of the secondary interface 3001 ′. Additional operator assistance may be required that may be utilized to operate.

  In various cases, as described above, the operator can operate the surgical instrument 2200 with a robotically controlled surgical system that can be remotely controlled by the robotic control system. In certain cases, the remote operating unit 10052 may be configured to work with a robot control system. In certain cases, the robot control system may include one or more control ports, and the remote control unit 10052 may include connection means for matingly engaging the control ports of the robot control system. . In such a case, the operator can operate the surgical instrument 2200 via, for example, an interface of a robot control system. In various cases, the control port may require a unique mechanical and / or electrical configuration that may require the use of equipment of an original equipment manufacturer, for example, to ensure consistent product quality and performance. May be provided.

  In various cases, remote control unit 10052 may include various indicators 10032 ', which may be similar in many respects to indicator 10032 of handle assembly 2202. In certain cases, the indicator 10032 'of the remote operating unit 10052 is utilized by the processor 3008 in the same, or at least substantially the same, manner as the indicator 10032 to provide the operator with various steps of operation of the surgical instrument 2200. Instructions, warnings, and / or feedback may be provided.

  In various cases, remote control unit 10052 may include various feedback devices 2248 ', which may be similar in many respects to feedback device 2248 of handle assembly 2202. In certain cases, the feedback device 2248 ′ of the remote operating unit 10052 is utilized by the processor 3008 in the same, or at least substantially the same, manner as the feedback device 2248 to provide the operator with various steps of operation of the surgical instrument 2200. Can provide sensory feedback. Like feedback device 2248, feedback device 2248 'may include, for example, a visual feedback device, an audio feedback device, a haptic feedback device, and / or a combination thereof.

  In various cases, as shown in FIG. 22, the remote operating unit 10052 may be included or integrated with the first surgical instrument 10060, for example, used to operate the second surgical instrument 10062. May be. In certain cases, the first surgical instrument 10060 may be present in the surgical field 10065, for example, may be manually operated by an operator from within the surgical field 10065, and the second surgical instrument 10062 may be May be present outside. In certain cases, the operator can use the remote control unit 10052 to remotely control the second surgical instrument 10062 from within the operating field 10065, for example, to prevent exiting the operating field 10065. In certain cases, the second surgical instrument 10062 may be, for example, a circular stapler. The entire disclosure of U.S. Patent No. 8,360,297 (issued January 29, 2013), entitled "SURGICAL CUTTING AND STAPLING INSTRUMENT WITH SELF ADJUSTING ANVIL", is hereby incorporated by reference.

  In various cases, first surgical instrument 10060 and / or second surgical instrument 10062 may include a communication activation input (not shown). In such a case, actuation of the communication activation input may be, for example, a preceding step of establishing communication between the first surgical instrument 10060 and the second surgical instrument 10062, and upon establishment of the communication, the operator Can remotely control, for example, the second surgical instrument 10062 using the remote operation unit 10052.

  In various cases, the surgical system may include modular components that can be attached and / or combined together to form a surgical instrument. In certain cases, modular components may be designed, manufactured, programmed, and / or updated at different times and / or according to different revisions and updates of software and / or firmware. For example, referring primarily to FIGS. 23 and 24, the surgical instrument 100 includes a first modular component 110, such as, for example, a handle, and a second modular component 120, such as, for example, a shaft 122 and an end effector 124. These may be provided and are described in detail herein. In various situations, first modular component 110 and second modular component 120 can be assembled together to form modular surgical instrument 100 or at least a portion thereof. If desired, different modular components, such as shafts, having different dimensions and / or features than the second modular component 120 can be coupled to the first modular component 110, for example. In various cases, the surgical instrument may include additional modular components, such as, for example, a modular battery. Components of the modular surgical instrument 100 may include a control system designed and configured to control various elements and / or functions of the surgical instrument 100. For example, the first modular component 110 and the second modular component 120 may each include a control system, and the control system of each modular component 110, 120 may communicate and / or cooperate. . In various cases, first modular component 110 may be designed, manufactured, programmed, and / or at a different time than second modular component 120 and / or using different software and / or firmware, for example. Or it may be updated.

  Referring now to FIG. 25, the assembled surgical system can include a first control system 150 'and a second control system 150. The control systems 150 ', 150 can be in signal communication, for example. In various cases, the second modular component 120 may include a control system 150, which may include, for example, a plurality of control modules 152. The control module 152 can affect the surgical function using and / or by using, for example, elements or subsystems of the surgical instrument 100. The control module 152 may affect the surgical function based on, for example, pre-programmed routines, operator input, and / or system feedback. In various cases, first modular component 110 may also include a control system 150 ', which may include, for example, a plurality of control modules 152'. One of the control modules 150 ′ of the control system 150 ′ and / or the first modular component 110 is different from one of the control modules 152 of the control system 150 and / or the second modular component 120. May be. Although control systems 150 and 150 'may be different, control systems 150 and 150' may be configured to control corresponding functions. For example, control module 152 (a) and control module 152 (a) 'can both send commands to firmware module 158 to perform, for example, a firing stroke. In various cases, the control systems 150, 150 'and / or one of their control modules 152, 152' may comprise updated software and / or firmware, and / or As detailed, it may have a closer effective date.

  The control modules 152, 152 'may comprise, for example, software, firmware, programs, modules, and / or routines, and / or comprise, for example, multiple software, firmware, programs, control modules, and / or routines. May be. In various situations, the control system 150, 150 'may include multiple layers and / or levels of commands. For example, the control system 150 may include a first layer 144 of the control module 152, a second layer 146 of the control module 152, and / or a third layer 148 of the control module 152. The first layer 144 of the control module 152 may be configured, for example, to send commands to the second layer 146 of the control module 152, and the second layer 146 of the control module 152 may send a command to the third layer 148 of the control module 152. May be configured to be sent. In various cases, the control system 150, 150 'may comprise, for example, less than three and / or more than three layers.

  Still referring to FIG. 25, the control module 152 in the first layer 144 may include high-level software, ie, a clinical algorithm 154. The clinical algorithm 154 can control, for example, high-level functions of the surgical instrument 100. In certain cases, the control module 152 in the second layer 146 may include intermediate software, ie, a framework module 156, that can control, for example, intermediate level functions of the surgical instrument 100. In certain cases, the clinical algorithm 154 of the first layer 144 can send abstract commands to the framework module 156 of the second layer 146 to control the surgical instrument 100. Further, the control module 152 in the third layer 148 may include a firmware module 158, which may be specific to a particular hardware component 160, or multiple components of the surgical instrument 100, for example. For example, firmware module 158 may correspond to a particular cutting element, firing bar, trigger, sensor, and / or motor of surgical instrument 100 and / or may correspond to a particular subsystem of surgical instrument 100, for example. In various cases, the framework module 156 can send commands to the firmware module 158 and perform a surgical function using the corresponding hardware component 160. As a result, the various control modules 152 of the surgical system 100 can communicate and / or cooperate during a surgical procedure.

  Still referring to FIG. 25, the control system 150 of the second component 120 can correspond to the control system 150 ′ of the first component 110, and the various control modules 152 of the second component 120 Of the control module 152 ′. Stated another way, each control module 152 may include a similar, or corresponding, control module 152 ', where both control modules 152 and 152' have the same, similar, and / or related functions. And / or provide the same, similar, and / or related commands. With further reference to FIG. 25, the control module 152a can correspond to the control module 152a '. For example, control modules 152a and 152a 'can both control the firing stroke of the cutting element, but, for example, control module 152a can be configured to control the first cutting element design or model number, and control module 152a 'May be configured to control different cutting element designs or model numbers. In other cases, control module 152a 'may include a software program, and control module 152a may include, for example, an updated or revised version of the software program.

  In various cases, the first component 110 of the surgical instrument 100 may include a different clinical algorithm 154 'than the clinical algorithm 154 of the second component 120. Additionally and / or alternatively, the first component 110 may comprise a framework module 156 'that is different from the corresponding framework module 156 of the second component 120, and / or the first configuration Element 110 may include a different firmware module 158 ′ than the corresponding firmware module 158 of second component 120.

  In various cases, the corresponding control modules 152, 152 'may include different effective dates. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the effective date of the control module 152, 152 'may correspond to, for example, the date the control module 152, 152' was designed, created, programmed, and / or updated. Would. The effective date of the control module may be recorded and stored in the program code of the control module, for example. In certain cases, the control module of surgical instrument 100 may have expired. Further, invalid, ie, recently updated, control modules may be incompatible, disconnected, and / or disconnected with the latest and / or recently updated control modules. As a result, in certain cases, it may be desirable to update the disabled control module to ensure accurate and effective operation of the surgical instrument 100.

  In various cases, the modular components of the surgical system may include a predefined, initial, or master, control system. In such a case, if the control system of the assembled modular components is different, the initial control system may update, overwrite, revise, and / or replace the non-initial control system. In other words, if the corresponding control module is different, incompatible or inconsistent, for example, the non-initial control module can be updated and the initial control module can be saved. For example, if the handle 110 includes a control system 150 'that is a non-initial control system and the shaft 120 includes a control system 150 that is a master control system, the control system 150' of the handle 110 may be based on the control system 150 of the shaft 120. May be updated.

  In situations where the shaft component is being updated and / or modified more frequently than the handle component, it may be desirable to program the surgical instrument shaft component 120 to include an initial control system. For example, if a new generation and / or version of the shaft component 120 is introduced more frequently than the new generation and / or version of the handle component 110, the initial generation of the shaft component 120 of the modular surgical instrument 100 may occur. It may be advantageous to have a master control system. Although various situations described throughout this disclosure relate to updating a control module of a handle component based on a control module of a shaft component, those skilled in the art will appreciate that in other contemplated situations, It will be readily understood that the control module of the shaft component and / or the different modular components may be updated instead of or in addition to the control module of the handle component.

  In various cases, the surgical instrument 100 (FIGS. 23 and 24) compares the control module 152 'at each layer or level in the control system 150' with the control module 152 at each corresponding layer or level in the control system 150. it can. If the control modules 152 and 152 'in the corresponding layers are different, the control system 150, 150' can, for example, update a non-initial control module. Referring to FIG. 26, in step 201, the control system 150 and / or the control system 150 ′ controls the control module 152 ′ of the first layer 144 ′ of the first component 110 by the first layer 144 of the second component 120. Can be compared with the control module 152 of FIG. If the first layer 144, 144 'includes a high-level clinical algorithm 154, 154', respectively, the control system 150 and / or the control system 150 'can, for example, compare the clinical algorithm 154 and 154'. Further, in step 203, if the control modules 152, 152 'in the first layers 144, 144' are different, the control system 150 and / or the control system 150 ' The module 152 'of the first layer 144' can be updated. In various cases, control system 150 can compare and / or update control systems and / or control modules; in other situations, for example, control system 150 'can compare and update control systems and / or control modules. . In various cases, one of the control systems 150, 150 'may be configured to compare and / or update control systems and / or control modules, and in other cases, both control systems 150, 150' May be configured to compare and / or update control systems and / or control modules.

  At step 205, the control system 150 and / or the control system 150 ′ compares the control module 152 ′ of the second layer 146 ′ of the first component 110 with the control module 152 of the second layer 146 of the second component 120. it can. For example, if the second layer 146, 146 'comprises a medium-level framework algorithm 156, 156', the control system 150, 150 'can compare, for example, the framework algorithm 156 and 156'. In step 207, if the modules 152, 152 ′ in the second layer 146, 146 ′ are different, the control system 150, 150 ′ causes the initial control module 152 of the second layer 146 to 'Can be updated. In various cases, any corresponding second tier module, even if one or more of the control modules 152 ′ in the second tier 146 ′ is the same as the corresponding module 152 in the second tier 146 If 152 and 152 'are different, all control modules 152' of the second layer 146 'may be updated. In other cases, only the control modules 152 'that are different from the corresponding modules 152 may be updated, as detailed herein.

  In step 209, the control system 150 and / or the control system 150 ′ compares the control module 152 ′ of the third layer 148 ′ of the first component 110 with the control module 152 of the third layer 148 of the second component 120. it can. For example, if the third layer 148, 148 'includes firmware modules 158, 158', the control system 150 and / or the control system 150 'can, for example, compare the firmware modules 158 and 158'. If the modules 152, 152 ′ in the third tier 148, 148 ′ are different, the control system 150 and / or the control system 150 ′ may, in step 211, use the third tier 148 ′ by the initial control module 152 of the third tier 148. Can be updated. In various cases, any corresponding third tier module, even if one or more of the control modules 152 'in the third tier 148' is the same as the corresponding module 152 in the third tier 148 If 152 and 152 'are different, all modules 152' of the third layer 148 'may be updated. In other cases, only the control modules 152 'that are different from the corresponding control modules 152 may be updated, as detailed herein. Still referring to FIG. 26, the first tier control modules 154, 154 'may be updated, for example, before the second tier control modules 156, 156', and the second tier control modules 156, 156 'may be updated, e.g. It may be updated before the layer control modules 158, 158 '. In other cases, as detailed herein, the third tier control module 158, 158 'may be updated, for example, before the second tier control module 156, 156', 156, 156 'may be updated, for example, before the first tier control modules 154, 154'.

  As described above, the control system 150 and / or control system 150 'may update the control system 150, 150' before updating, replacing, and / or overwriting the expired control module 152, 152 'and / or the control system 150, 150'. 'And / or their control modules 152, 152' can be compared. The reader will understand that this step can reduce the startup time of the instrument when software updates and / or upgrades are not needed or are not met. Alternatively, the comparison steps 201, 205, and 209 may be omitted, and the control system 150, 150 'may include, for example, the control module 152' of the first modular component 110 and / or the first modular component 110. May be automatically updated, replaced, revised, and / or overwritten.

  In various cases, the control modules 152, 152 'may be compared and updated on a layer-by-layer basis, and in other cases, the control systems 150, 150' may be compared and updated on a system-by-system basis. In yet another case, the control modules 152, 152 'may be updated on a module-by-module basis. For example, referring now to FIG. 27, at step 221, a third tier module 158 'of the first control system 150' can be compared to a corresponding third tier module 158 of the second control system 150. In various cases, the effective date of the third tier module 158 'can be compared to the corresponding effective date of the third tier module 158. Further, control system 150 and / or control system 150 'can determine whether the effective date of third tier module 158' is later than the effective date of third tier module 158. For example, if the third tier module 158 'is newer than the third tier module 158, then at step 225, the third tier module 158' can be saved. Conversely, the third tier module 158 'is not newer than the third tier module 158, ie, the third tier module 158 is earlier than the corresponding third tier module 158, or the third tier module 158 and the corresponding third tier module If the modules 158 'have the same effective date, for example, the corresponding third tier module 158 may update, replace, revise, and / or overwrite the third tier module 158'. Further, in various cases, any of steps 221 and 223 or 225 may be repeated for each module 158, 158 'in the third tier of the control system 150, 150'. As a result, the modules 158 'in the third layer 148' can be updated on a module-by-module basis, and in various cases, for example, only expired modules 158 'can be updated and / or overwritten.

  Still referring to FIG. 27, after comparing and possibly updating all third tier modules 158, 158 ', the control system 150, 150' can proceed to step 227. In step 227, the control system 150 and / or the control system 150 'may include that the third tier module 158' of the first control system 150 'is coupled to the second tier module 156' of the control system 150 'and / or We can confirm that we are communicating properly. For example, in the situation where the third tier module 158 'was updated in step 223, the second tier module 156' may be separated from the updated third tier module 158 '. If the third layer module 158 'is separated from, for example, the second layer module 156', then in step 229, the second layer module 156 'may be updated, replaced, revised, and / or overwritten. The second tier module 156 'may be replaced, for example, by a corresponding second tier module 156 of the second control system 150. Conversely, if the third tier module 158 'is properly connected and / or in communication with the second tier module 156', the second tier module 156 'may be saved. Further, in various cases, any of steps 227 and 229 or 231 may be repeated for each module 158, 158 'in the third tier of the control system 150, 150'. As a result, the modules 156 'in the second layer 146' can be updated for each module, and in various cases, for example, only the separated modules 156 'can be updated and / or overwritten.

  Update any outdated third tier modules 158 '(steps 221 and 223) and, if present, replace all updated third tier modules 158' with the appropriate second tier on the first modular component 110. After securely connecting to the module 156 '(steps 227, 229, and 231), the control system 150, 150' can proceed to step 233, where the first layer module 154 'of the first control system 150'. Can be compared to the corresponding first tier module 154 of the second control system 150. If the first tier modules 154, 154 'are the same, the update and / or revision process can be completed. Conversely, if the first tier modules 154, 154 'are different, the first tier module 154 of the second control system 150 updates, replaces, revises, and / or updates the first tier module 154' of the first control system 150 '. Or it may be overwritten.

  As described herein, the software and / or firmware modules of modular components 110, 120 may be updated, revised, and / or replaced on a per-module, per-tier, and / or per-system basis. In certain cases, when the modular components are installed and / or operatively coupled, the update and / or revision process may be automatic. In another situation, the operator of the surgical instrument 100 may initiate or initiate the update and / or revision process described herein.

  In various cases, a modular surgical instrument, such as, for example, the modular surgical instrument 100 (FIGS. 23 and 24) may include a microcontroller in signal communication with an engagement sensor and a display. In various cases, the engagement sensor can detect the relative position of the modular components of the surgical system. Referring again to FIGS. 23 and 24, if, for example, the first modular component 110 comprises a handle and the second modular component 120 comprises a shaft, the engagement sensor will indicate that the shaft 120 is engaged with the handle 110. Is detected and / or operably coupled. In various cases, shaft 120 may be movable between engagement with handle 110 (FIG. 23) and disengagement from handle 110 (FIG. 24).

  Referring primarily to FIGS. 28A and 28B, an engagement sensor, such as, for example, engagement sensor 602 can be in signal communication with a microcontroller, such as microcontroller 604, of a surgical system. In various cases, engagement sensor 602 can detect, for example, whether modular components 110, 120 are engaged or disengaged, and can communicate engagement or lack thereof, for example, to microcontroller 604. . When the engagement sensor 602 indicates that the shaft 120 is engaged with, for example, the handle 110, the microcontroller 604 can enable surgical functionality with the modular surgical instrument 100 (FIG. 23). When the modular components 110, 120 are, for example, operatively coupled, actuation of the firing trigger 112 on the handle 110 (FIG. 23) will, for example, affect, or at least affect, the firing motion of the shaft 120. You can try. Conversely, if the engagement sensor 602 indicates that the shaft 120 is disengaged from the handle 110, the microcontroller 604 can prevent a surgical function. For example, if the modular components 110, 120 are separated, actuation of the firing trigger 612 will affect, or at least attempt to affect, the firing motion of the shaft 120.

  In various cases, modular surgical instrument 100 may include a display, such as display 606 (FIG. 28B). The display 606 may be integrated into one of the modular components 110, 120 of the surgical instrument 100 and / or external to the modular components 110, 120 and may be It may be in signal communication with the controller 604. In various cases, microcontroller 604 can communicate information detected by engagement sensor 602 to display 606. For example, display 606 can show engagement and / or disengagement of modular components 110, 120. Further, in various cases, the display 606 may include (a) a method of properly attaching, coupling, and / or engaging disengaged components 110, 120 of the surgical instrument 100, and / or (b) ) Instructions and / or guidance on how to properly remove, separate, and / or disengage engaged components 110, 120 of surgical instrument 100 may be provided. Referring again to FIG. 28 (A), in various cases, the engagement sensor 604 may comprise a Hall effect switch, and in other cases, the engagement sensor may be, for example, a different and / or additional sensor and / or A switch may be provided.

  In certain situations, the engagement sensor 604 can detect the degree of engagement between the modular components of the surgical instrument. If the first component includes, for example, the handle 110 and the second component includes, for example, the shaft 120, the handle 110 and the shaft 120 move between the disengaged, partially engaged, and engaged positions. it can. The partial engagement position may be, for example, intermediate between the disengagement position and the engagement position, and may be, for example, a plurality of partial engagement positions intermediate between the engagement position and the disengagement position. In various cases, engagement sensor 604 may include a plurality of sensors that can detect a partially engaged position of component 110,120. For example, engagement sensor 606 may comprise, for example, a plurality of sensors and / or electrical contacts, which may be staggered, for example, along the mounting of at least one of modular components 110, 120. In certain cases, engagement sensor 604 may comprise, for example, a Hall effect sensor.

  In certain cases, referring primarily to FIGS. 29 (A) and 29 (B), surgical system 100 may include a plurality of sensors in signal communication with a microcontroller, eg, microcontroller 614. The plurality of sensors may include a first sensor 612 (FIG. 29A) that can detect the presence of the first component 120, and can communicate the presence of the first component 120 to, for example, a microcontroller 614. In various cases, the first sensor 612 may not be able to detect and / or communicate a degree of engagement between the first component 110 and the second component 120, for example. In various cases, the second sensor 613 (FIG. 29A) can also be in signal communication with the microcontroller 614. The second sensor 613 can detect the degree of engagement between the modular components 110 and 120, for example.

  Similar to the control system shown in FIGS. 28A and 28B, microcontroller 614 can send commands based on feedback received from sensors 612 and 613 and / or communicate with the display. The feedback can then be displayed and / or otherwise communicated with the operator of the surgical system. For example, microcontroller 614 can prevent a surgical function until modular components 110, 120 are in an engaged position, for example, prevent a surgical function when modular components 110, 120 are partially engaged. it can. Further, microcontroller 614 can communicate information detected by the engagement sensor to a display. For example, the display may show engagement, partial engagement, and / or disengagement of modular components 110, 120. Further, in various cases, the display relates to a method of properly attaching, coupling, and / or engaging disengaged and / or partially engaged components 110, 120, for example, of a surgical instrument. Instructions and / or guidance can be provided.

  In various cases, the surgical instrument can be in signal communication with a memory chip or memory device, for example, a microprocessor 604 (FIGS. 28A and 28B) or 614 (FIGS. 29A and 29B). ) May be provided. The microprocessor can communicate data and / or feedback detected and / or calculated by various sensors, programs, and / or circuits of the surgical instrument, for example, to a memory chip. In various cases, the recorded data may relate to the time and / or duration of the surgical procedure and, for example, the time and / or duration of various functions and / or portions of the surgical procedure. Additionally or alternatively, the recorded data may relate to conditions at the treatment site, and / or conditions within the surgical instrument, for example. In certain cases, the recording of the data may be automatic; in other cases, the microprocessor may not record the data unless and / or until the recording of the data is indicated. For example, it may be preferable to record data during a surgical procedure, maintain or store the recorded data on a memory chip, and / or transfer the recorded data to a secure location. In other situations, it may be preferable to record data during a surgical procedure and, for example, subsequently erase the recorded data.

  The surgical instrument and / or its microcontroller may include a data storage protocol. A data storage protocol can provide, for example, rules for recording, processing, storing, transferring, and / or erasing data. In various cases, the data storage protocol may be pre-programmed and / or updated during the life of the surgical instrument. In various cases, the data storage protocol may dictate the erasure of the recorded data after the completion of the surgical function and / or surgery, and in other cases, the data storage protocol may cause the erasure of the recorded data after a predetermined period of time. May be ordered. For example, one minute, one hour, one day, one week, one month, or one year after the surgical function, the recorded data may be erased according to a data storage protocol. The predetermined time period may be any suitable and appropriate time period allowed by the situation.

  In certain situations, the data storage protocol may mandate the erasure of the recorded data after a predetermined number of surgical functions, such as a firing stroke. In yet another case, the data storage protocol may dictate that the recorded data be erased when the surgical instrument is turned off. For example, with reference to FIG. 31, if the surgical instrument is turned off, the microcontroller can proceed to step 709, where the microcontroller, during the surgical procedure, for example, performs the instrument, component, or sub- It can be determined whether an error or a major problem has occurred, such as a system malfunction. In various cases, if an error is detected, the microcontroller can proceed to step 713 where the data can be stored, for example, on a memory chip. Further, in certain cases, if no error is detected, the microcontroller can proceed to step 711, where data can be erased, for example. In other cases, the data storage protocol may not include step 709, and the data storage protocol may continue without, for example, identifying a major error or malfunction.

  In yet another case, the data storage protocol may mandate the erasure of the recorded data after a predetermined period of unused or stationary period of the surgical instrument. For example, when a surgical instrument is placed and / or placed in a storage location, a data storage protocol may dictate that the recorded data be erased after the surgical instrument has been stationary for a predetermined period of time and has not been used. . The required rest period may be, for example, one minute, one hour, one day, one week, one month, or one year. The predetermined rest period may be any suitable and appropriate period allowed by the situation. In various cases, the surgical instrument may include, for example, an accelerometer that can detect movement and stillness of the surgical instrument. Referring again to FIG. 31, when the surgical instrument is not powered down at step 701, the accelerometer may be set to detect movement of the surgical instrument. If motion is detected in step 703 before the predetermined pause period in step 707 elapses, counting of the predetermined pause period in step 705 can be restarted. Conversely, if no motion is detected by the accelerometer before the predetermined pause period in step 707 elapses, the microprocessor may proceed to step 709, for example. In another situation, the microprocessor may proceed directly to step 711 or 713 depending on the data storage protocol, for example, without checking for instrument errors or malfunctions.

  As described herein, a data storage protocol may comprise one of a number of initial rules for erasing recorded data. However, in certain cases, it may be desirable to override the initial rules or procedures. For example, for research and / or development purposes, it may be desirable to retain recorded data for longer periods of time. Additionally or alternatively, it may be desirable to keep the recorded data for educational and / or research purposes. Further, in various cases, the data storage protocol may not include an error confirmation step, and in such cases, when the operator detects or suspects an error and / or abnormality during a surgical procedure, for example, It may be desirable to override the protocol and store the data reliably. The restored data can facilitate, for example, a procedure check and / or error cause determination. In various cases, keys or inputs may be required to override or override standard data storage protocols. In various cases, keys can be entered into the surgical instrument and / or the remote storage device, for example, by an operator and / or user of the surgical instrument.

  In various cases, the surgical system may prompt the user or operator of the instrument to select either data erasure or data storage for the surgical procedure or function, respectively. For example, a data storage protocol may dictate a request for an instruction from a user and may direct the next operation according to the instruction of the user. The surgical system may require prompting from the user when certain triggering events occur, such as, for example, turning off the instrument, passing a predetermined period of time, or completing a particular surgical function.

  In certain cases, the surgical system may require input from a user, for example, when the surgical instrument is turned off. Referring to FIG. 30, when the user begins turning off the surgical instrument, for example, at step 801, the surgical system may request a data storage instruction from the user. For example, at step 803, the display of the surgical system may ask, "Do you want to save data Y / N?" In various cases, the microcontroller of the surgical system can read the user input at step 805. If the user requests storage of the data, the microcontroller can proceed to step 809, where the data is stored in a memory device or memory chip of the surgical system. If the user requests erasure of the data, the microcontroller can proceed to step 811 where the data is erased. In various cases, the user need not enter an input value. In such a case, the data storage protocol may mandate a particular process in step 813. For example, a data storage protocol may dictate, for example, "Process I", "Process II", or another process. In certain cases, “Process I” may command the erasure of data in step 813 (a), for example, “Process II” may command the storage of data in step 813 (b). In various situations, a user may provide instructions to a surgical instrument, for example, before instructions are required. Additionally or alternatively, a display associated with the surgical system may request instructions from a user, for example, at the beginning of a surgical function and / or at various points during use of the instrument.

  If the data is stored in the memory of the surgical instrument, the data may be stored securely. For example, a code or key may be required to access stored data. In certain cases, the access key may include an identification code. For example, the identification code may be unique to the operator, user, or owner of the surgical instrument. In such a case, only the authorized person can obtain the license identification code, and therefore, only the authorized person can access the stored data. Additionally or alternatively, the access key may be device specific and / or may be, for example, a manufacturer code. In certain cases, the access key may include a secure server, and the data may be transferred and / or accessed, for example, by authorized Bluetooth and / or wireless (RF) communication. In yet another situation, the access key may include a physical key, such as a memory key and / or a data exchange port connector, that can be physically coupled to the data exchange port of the surgical instrument. In such a case, the access key may be pre-programmed to provide access to secure data, such as securely storing and / or transferring data. In various situations, an access key may correspond to, for example, a particular surgical instrument.

  In various cases, data extraction from the memory device of the surgical instrument can be limited by various safeguards. In certain cases, the memory device of the surgical instrument may include a secure data connection or data exchange port. For example, a data exchange port may have a proprietary structure or shape, and only authorized persons can obtain a corresponding port key, for example, designed and constructed to fit the proprietary structure or shape . In various cases, the data exchange port may include a mechanical lock, which may include, for example, a plug, multiple pins, and / or multiple springs. In various cases, a physical key or extraction device can unlock a mechanical lock on the data exchange port. For example, a physical key may contact a plurality of pins, deform a plurality of springs, and / or bias a plug from a locking direction to an unlocking direction, for example, to unlock a data exchange port.

  In various cases, the data exchange port may include at least one connection pin that can be biased and / or held in the first position. When the physical key is inserted and / or engaged in the data exchange port, the physical key can bias the connection pin, for example, from a first position to a second position. In various cases, the first position may include, for example, a retracted position, and the second position may include, for example, an extended position. Further, moving the connection pin to the second position allows the connection pin to operably interface with, for example, a data connection port in the physical key. As a result, the data exchange port of the memory device can be in signal communication with the data exchange port of the physical key, for example, via a connection pin, between which data can be extracted and / or transferred. In various cases, the physical key may comprise a modular component, which may be configured to be removably attached to a modular surgical instrument, for example. In certain cases, the physical key may replace or mimic the modular components 110, 120 of the surgical instrument 100 (FIGS. 23 and 24). For example, a physical key may be attached to a mounting portion of the handle 110 to transfer data from a memory device in the handle 120, for example, instead of the shaft mount 120.

  Additionally or alternatively, the key or extraction device may include a security token. In various cases, the data exchange port may be encrypted, for example, and / or the key may be used to prove that the key is authorized and / or authorized for extraction of data from the data exchange port. , Information or code can be provided to the data exchange port. In certain situations, the key may comprise a dedicated data reader, for example, and data may be transferred, for example, via an optical data transmission device.

  Referring now to FIGS. 32 (A) -32 (C), before data access is granted to the proposed data reader, the data reader needs to be verified and / or verified by a surgical instrument. There can be. For example, the proposed data reader may request and read the checksum value of the surgical instrument at step 821. As shown in the flow chart of the surgical instrument shown in FIG. 32C, the surgical instrument can first receive the data reader's request proposed in step 841 and then receive the proposed data reader in step 843. Checksum value can be sent. Referring again to FIG. 32A, at step 823, the proposed data reader can calculate and determine an appropriate return code based on the checksum value provided by the surgical instrument. The proposed data reader can, for example, access the code table and, if the proposed data reader is trying to access the data properly, use the appropriate return code in the code table. In such a case, the proposed data reader can retrieve or calculate the return code at step 823 and send the return code to the surgical instrument at step 825. Referring again to FIG. 32 (C), upon receiving the return code from the data reader proposed in step 845, the surgical instrument can verify in step 847 that the return code is appropriate. If the code is incorrect, the surgical instrument microprocessor may proceed, for example, to step 849, which may shut down the surgical instrument or otherwise deny access to the stored data. However, if the code is appropriate, the microprocessor can proceed to step 851, for example, and the surgical instrument can provide data access to the proposed data reader. For example, in step 851, data can be securely transferred to a data reader. Thereafter, in step 827 (FIG. 32A), the proposed data reader can read data from, for example, a surgical instrument. In various cases, the transferred data may be encrypted, for example, and the data reader may need to decrypt the incomprehensible data, for example, before reading.

  Referring primarily to FIG. 32 (B), another data extraction security method may be similar to, for example, the method shown in FIG. 32 (A) and also requires consideration of a reader-specific code. The reader can read the checksum of the device at step 831 and the return code may be based on the checksum, but in various situations, the proposed data reader may have a reader-specific code and a code table The appropriate return code from may be based on a reader-specific code. For example, the proposed data reader can review the reader-specific code in step 832 and determine an appropriate return code in step 833, for example, based on the reader-specific code and code table. The proposed data reader can provide a leader-specific code and a return code to the surgical instrument, for example, at step 835. In such a case, referring again to FIG. 32 (C), the surgical instrument microcontroller may verify the return code and the reader-specific code at step 845. Furthermore, if these codes are appropriate, the surgical instrument can access the proposed data reader. Thereafter, in step 827, the proposed data reader can read data from, for example, a surgical instrument. If one or both of the codes are incorrect, the surgical instrument can prevent the reader from reading the data. For example, the surgical instrument may be turned off, or otherwise restricted from transferring data to the reader.

  Referring now to FIG. 33, in various cases, a surgical system may include a surgical instrument 1600, which may be formed from a plurality of modular components. As detailed herein, the handle component may be compatible with, for example, a plurality of different shaft components, and the handle component and / or the shaft component may be, for example, reusable. Further, the microcontroller of the surgical instrument 1600 may include, for example, a locking circuit. In various cases, the locking circuit may prevent activation of the surgical instrument, for example, until the locking circuit is unlocked. In various situations, an operator can enter a temporary access code into a surgical system, for example, to unlock a locking circuit of a microcontroller.

  In various situations, an operator may purchase or otherwise obtain a temporary access code for entry into a surgical system. For example, an instrument manufacturer or vendor can market an access code, and such an access code may be needed to unlock, ie, use, the surgical instrument 1660. In various cases, the access code can unlock the lock circuit for a predetermined time. The device manufacturer or seller can offer a different use time purchase, and the user can select, purchase or obtain a desired or preferred use time. For example, a user may earn 10 minutes of usage, 1 hour of usage, or 1 day of usage. In other cases, additional and / or different suitable periods of use may be offered for sale or certification. In various cases, the lock circuit may be re-locked after the acquired usage period has expired. In another case, the access code can unlock the lock circuit for a predetermined number of surgical functions. For example, a user may purchase or otherwise obtain, for example, a single instrument firing or multiple firings. Further, the lock circuit may be re-locked after the user has fired the instrument for the number of times the appliance has been purchased or authorized. In yet another case, the access code may, for example, permanently unlock the lock circuit.

  In various cases, the operator can enter the temporary access code directly into the surgical system via a keypad or other suitable input device. In another case, the locking circuit can be unlocked by coupling the non-volatile memory device to the surgical instrument 1600, where the non-volatile memory device comprises a pre-programmed access code. In various cases, the non-volatile memory device may be mounted on battery 1650 of surgical instrument 1660, for example. Further, the nonvolatile memory device may be remounted and / or replaced. For example, a user can purchase a replacement non-volatile memory device. Additionally or alternatively, after a previously obtained access code expires or becomes invalid, a new code may be purchased and uploaded to, for example, a non-volatile memory device. In various cases, coupling the battery 1650 to, for example, a power supply and / or an external computer 1670 allows new code to be loaded into the non-volatile memory device.

  In other cases, the temporary access code can be entered into an external or remote access code input device, such as a display screen, computer, and / or head-up display. For example, a temporary access code can be purchased via computer 1660 and transmitted to a wireless (RF) device 1680 coupled to computer 1660. In various cases, surgical instrument 1600 may include a receiver or antenna capable of signal communication with wireless device 1680, for example. In such a case, wireless device 1680 can transmit the acquired temporary access code to, for example, the receiver of surgical instrument 1600. As a result, the locking circuit can be unlocked and the operator can use the surgical instrument 1600, for example, at the time of purchase and / or the number of surgical functions.

  In various cases, the modular surgical instrument may be adapted to an external display to display data and / or feedback from the surgical instrument. For example, a surgical instrument may include an instrument display for displaying feedback from a surgical procedure. In various cases, the instrument display may be located, for example, on a handle of the instrument. In certain cases, the instrument display may display, for example, video images viewed by the endoscope. Additionally or alternatively, the display can detect sensed, measured, approximated, and / or calculated features of, for example, a surgical instrument, a surgical procedure, and / or a surgical site. In various cases, it may be desirable to transmit feedback to an external display. The external display can provide, for example, an enlarged view of the reproduced and / or reproduced feedback so that multiple operators and / or assistants can view the feedback simultaneously. In various cases, it may be desirable to select a surgical instrument, for example, for connection to an external display, and in other cases, the selection of the surgical instrument may be automatic.

  Referring to FIG. 34, an external display 1700 may display, for example, an end effector 1720 of a surgical instrument and / or a surgical site. External display 1700 may also display feedback and / or data sensed and / or measured by, for example, a surgical instrument. In various cases, external display 1700 may duplicate the feedback provided on the display of the surgical instrument. In certain situations, the surgical instrument can automatically connect to an external display 1700 and / or a wireless receiver in signal communication with, for example, an external or operating room display 1700. In such a case, if an attempt is made to connect a plurality of surgical instruments to the external display 1700, the operator may be notified. As described herein, an operator can select a desired surgical instrument, for example, from a menu on external display 1700. In yet another case, the operator can select a desired surgical instrument by inputting into the surgical instrument. For example, an operator can send a command, control a sequence, or enter a code to select a surgical instrument. In various cases, an operator can complete a particular control sequence with a surgical instrument and select that surgical instrument. For example, the operator may turn on the surgical instrument, press the reverse button within a predetermined time, for example, a predetermined time, and select the surgical instrument. When an instrument is selected, feedback on the display for the selected instrument may be retransmitted or duplicated, for example, on the external display 1700.

  In certain cases, the surgical system may include a proximity sensor. For example, the external display and / or wireless receiver may include a proximity sensor that can detect when a surgical instrument is within its predetermined range. Referring primarily to FIGS. 35 and 36, when the display 1700 and / or the wireless receiver detect a surgical instrument, the display can notify a user. In certain situations, the display and / or wireless receiver can detect multiple surgical instruments. Referring to FIG. 35, display 1700 may include, for example, an unobtrusive notification 1704 that can communicate to a user that a surgical instrument or instruments have been detected near display 1700. As a result, using a controller for the display 1700, such as a computer, the user can click on the notification 1704 to open an instrument selection menu 1706 (FIG. 36). Menu 1706 may display, for example, available surgical instruments, and a user may select a preferred surgical instrument to transmit on display 1700. For example, menu 1706 can display serial numbers and / or names of available surgical instruments.

  In certain cases, the selected surgical instrument can provide feedback to the operator and confirm the selection. For example, the selected surgical instrument can provide, for example, audio or tactile feedback. In addition, the selected surgical instrument can send at least some feedback to the external display 1700. In certain cases, the operator may select multiple surgical instruments and share display 1700 with the selected surgical instruments. Additionally or alternatively, the operating room may include a plurality of displays, for example, for each display at least one surgical instrument may be selected. Various surgical system features and / or components are further described in US Patent Application No. 13 / 974,166, filed August 23, 2013, entitled "FIRING MEMBER RETRACTION DEVICES FOR POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS". And incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

All of the following disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,312, issued Apr. 4, 1995, entitled "Electrosurgical Hemostatic Device"
U.S. Patent No. 7,008,018, issued February 21, 2006, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT HAVING SEPARATE DISTING CLOSING AND FIRING SYSTEMS"
U.S. Patent No. 7,422,139, issued on September 9, 2008, entitled "MOTOR-DRIVEN SURGICAL CUTTING AND FASTENING INSTRUMENT WITH TACTILE POSITION FEEDBACK"
U.S. Pat. No. 7,746,849 issued on Dec. 16, 2008, entitled "Electro-Mechanical Surgical Installation With Closure System And Anvil Alignment Components".
U.S. Patent No. 7,670,334, issued March 2, 2010, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING AN ARTICULATING END EFFECTOR"
U.S. Pat. No. 7,753,245, issued Jul. 13, 2010, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENTS"
U.S. Patent No. 8,393,514, issued March 12, 2013, entitled "SELECTIVELY ORIENTABLE IMPLANTABLE FASTENER CARTRIDGE"
U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 343,803, entitled "SURGICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING RECORDING CAPABILITIES"
U.S. Patent Application No. 12/031573, filed Feb. 14, 2008, entitled "SURGICAL CUTTING AND FASTENING INSTRUMENT HAVING RF ELECTRODES"
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 031,873, filed Feb. 15, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,980,443, entitled "END EFFECTORS FOR A SURGICAL CUTTING AND STAPLING INSTRUMENT".
U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 235,782, currently U.S. Patent No. 8,210,411, entitled "MOTOR-DRIVEN SURGICAL CUTTING INSTRUMENT".
U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 249,117, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0089970, entitled "POWERED SURGICAL CUTTING AND STAPLING APPARATUS WITH MANUALLY RETRACTABLE FIRING SYSTEM"
U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 647,100, filed December 24, 2009, entitled "MOTOR-DRIVEN SURGICAL CUTTING INSTRUMENT WITH ELECTRIC ACTUAL DIRECTORY CONTROL ASSEMBLEY"
US patent application Ser. No. 12 / 893,461, filed Sep. 29, 2012, currently US Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0074198, entitled "STAPLE CARTRIDGE"
U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 036,647, filed February 28, 2011, currently U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0226837, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT"
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U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 524,049, filed June 15, 2012, entitled "ARTICULABLE SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A FIRING DRIVE"
US Patent Application No. 13/800025, filed March 13, 2013, entitled "STAPLE CARTRIDGE TISSUE THICKNESS SENSOR SYSTEM"
U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 800,067, filed March 13, 2013, entitled "STAPLE CARTRIDGE TISSUE THICKNESS SENSOR SYSTEM".
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0175955, filed January 31, 2006, entitled "SURGICAL CUTTING AND FASTENING INSTRUMENT WITH WHITE CLOSURE TRIGGER LOCKING MECHANISM";
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0264194, filed April 22, 2010, entitled "SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT WITH AN ARTICULATEABLE END EFFECTOR".

  According to various embodiments, the surgical instruments described herein may include one or more processors (eg, microprocessors, microcontrollers) coupled to various sensors. In addition, the processor is coupled with a storage device (with operating logic) and a communication interface.

  As described above, the sensors may be configured to detect and collect data related to the surgical device. The processor processes the sensor data received from those sensors.

  The processor may be configured to execute the operation logic. The processor may be any one of a number of single or multi-core processors known in the art. The storage device may comprise volatile and non-volatile storage media configured to store permanent and temporary (working) copies of the operating logic.

  In various embodiments, as described above, the behavioral logic may be configured to process the collected biometric associated with the user's behavioral data. In various embodiments, the operational logic may be configured to perform initial processing and transmit data to a computer hosting the application to determine and generate instructions. For these embodiments, the operational logic may be further configured to receive information from the host computer and provide feedback to the host computer. In another embodiment, the operational logic may be configured to play a greater role in receiving information and determining feedback. In either case, the behavioral logic, whether determined by itself or responsive to commands from the host computer, can be further configured to control and provide feedback to the user.

  In various embodiments, the operating logic may be implemented by instructions supported by a processor's instruction set architecture (ISA), or by a high-level language and compiled into a supported ISA. Operational logic may include one or more logic units or modules. Behavioral logic may be implemented in an object-oriented manner. The operational logic may be configured to execute in a multitasking and / or multithreaded manner. In other embodiments, the operating logic may be implemented in hardware, such as a gate array.

  In various embodiments, a communication interface may be configured to facilitate communication between a peripheral device and a computing system. This communication includes transmitting collected biometric data relating to the position, posture, and / or motion data of the user's body part to the host computer, and transmitting data relating to haptic feedback from the host computer to the peripheral device. Can include: In various embodiments, the communication interface may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. Examples of a wired communication interface include, but are not limited to, a universal serial bus (USB) interface. Examples of a wireless communication interface include, but are not limited to, a Bluetooth interface.

  For various embodiments, the processor may be packaged with the operational logic. In various embodiments, the processor may be packaged with the operational logic to form a system in package (SiP). In various embodiments, a processor may be integrated with operating logic on the same die. In various embodiments, a processor may be packaged with operational logic to form a system-on-a-chip (SoC).

  Various embodiments may be described herein in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as software, program modules, and / or engines being executed by a processor. Generally, software, program modules, and / or engines include any software elements that are configured to perform particular operations or implement particular abstract data types. Software, program modules, and / or engines may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The software, program modules, and / or engine components and method implementations may be stored and / or transmitted over some form of computer readable media. In this regard, computer readable media can be any available media that can be used to enable a computer to store and access information. Some embodiments may further be performed in a distributed computing environment where operations are performed by one or more remote processing devices connected through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, software, program modules, and / or engines may be located on both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices. Memory, such as random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage, may be used to store information and instructions executing on the processor. Memory may also be used to store temporary variables or other intermediate information while executing instructions by the processor.

  Although some embodiments are shown and described as including functional components, software, engines, and / or modules that perform various operations, such components or modules may include one or more hardware components, software, It will be appreciated that they may be implemented from components and / or combinations thereof. Functional components, software, engines, and / or modules may be implemented by logic (eg, instructions, data, and / or code), eg, as executed by a logic device (eg, a processor). Such logic may be stored on one or more types of computer-readable storage media, inside or outside the logic device. In other embodiments, the functional components such as software, engines, and / or modules are processors, microprocessors, circuits, circuit elements (eg, transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc.), integrated circuits, application specific integrations. By hardware elements that can include circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), logic gates, registers, semiconductor devices, chips, microchips, chipset, etc. It may be realized.

  Examples of software, engines, and / or modules include software components, programs, applications, computer programs, application programs, system programs, machine programs, operation system software, middleware, firmware, software modules, routines, subroutines, functions, A method, procedure, software interface, application program interface (API), instruction set, calculation code, computer code, code segment, computer code segment, letter, value, symbol, or any combination thereof. Determining whether an embodiment is implemented by hardware and / or software components depends on the desired computation rate, power level, heat resistance, processing cycle budget, input data rate, output data rate, memory resources, data bus speed and It can be varied by any number of factors, such as other design or performance limitations.

  One or more of the modules described herein may include one or more embedded applications implemented as firmware, software, hardware, or any combination thereof. One or more of the modules described herein may include various executable modules, such as software, programs, data, drivers, application program interfaces (APIs), and the like. The firmware may be stored in the memory of the processor 3008, which may include non-volatile memory (NVM), such as in bit-masked read-only memory (ROM) or flash memory. In various implementations, storing the firmware in ROM can protect the flash memory. Non-volatile memory (NVM) is, for example, a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), or a dynamic RAM (DRAM), a double data rate DRAM (DRAM). Other types of memory may be included, including a battery-backed random access memory (RAM) such as a DDRAM) and / or a synchronous DRAM (SDRAM).

  In some cases, various embodiments may be implemented as a product. The product may include a computer-readable storage medium configured to store logic, instructions, and / or data for performing various operations of one or more embodiments. In various embodiments, for example, the product may comprise a magnetic disk, optical disk, flash memory, or firmware containing computer program instructions suitable for execution by a general purpose or special purpose processor. Those embodiments, however, are limited to this situation.

  The functions of the various functional elements, logic blocks, modules, and circuit elements described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented by software, control modules, logic, and / or logic modules executed on a processing device. Such as can be implemented in the general context of computer-executable instructions. Generally, software, control modules, logic, and / or logic modules include any software components that are configured to perform specific operations. Software, control modules, logic, and / or logic modules may include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. An implementation of the software, control modules, logic, and / or logic modules and techniques may be stored on and / or passed through some form of computer readable media. In this regard, computer readable media can be any available media that can be used to enable a computer to store and access information. Some embodiments may further be performed in a distributed computing environment where operations are performed by one or more remote processing devices connected through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, software, control modules, logic, and / or logic modules may be located on both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices.

  In addition, the embodiments described herein are illustrative of implementations, and functional elements, logic blocks, modules, and circuit elements may have various other features in harmony with the described embodiments. It will be clear that this can be realized in a manner. Further, the operations performed by such functional elements, logic blocks, modules, and circuit elements may be combined and / or separated for a given implementation, and may include more or less May be implemented by components or modules. As will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this disclosure, each of the individual embodiments described and illustrated herein may readily incorporate any of several other aspects without departing from the scope of the disclosure. It has separate components and features that can be separated from and combined with those features. Any of the described methods may be performed in the order of the described events or in any other order that is logically possible.

  It should be noted that reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” includes in at least one embodiment the particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Means that. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" or "in an aspect" in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

  Unless otherwise specified, terms such as “processing”, “computing”, “calculating”, and “determining” are used in registers to indicate physical quantities (eg, electronic A) a general-purpose processor that manipulates and / or transforms data represented as) into memory, registers or other such information storage, other data also represented as physical quantities in a transmission or display device, Such as a DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. And / or the operation of a computer or computing system or similar electronic computing device It is intended to refer to the nest will become apparent.

  Notably, some embodiments may be described using the expressions “coupled” and “connected,” along with their derivatives. These terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. For example, some embodiments use the terms “coupled” and / or “coupled” to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. Can be explained. The term "coupled", however, can also mean that two or more elements do not make direct contact with one another, but still cooperate or interact with each other. For example, with respect to software elements, the term "coupled" may refer to interfaces, message interfaces, application program interfaces (APIs), exchange messages, and so on.

  Any patents, publications, or other disclosure materials that are stated to be incorporated herein by reference may be partially or wholly incorporated into the incorporated definition by existing definitions, descriptions, or disclosures. It is to be understood that the present disclosure is incorporated herein to the extent that it is not inconsistent with the other disclosure materials described in the above. Thus, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting document incorporated herein by reference. Any references, or portions thereof, which are hereby incorporated by reference, but which contradict existing definitions, descriptions, or other disclosures set forth herein, are incorporated by reference into the incorporated references. It shall be incorporated only to the extent that there is no inconsistency with the content.

  The disclosed embodiments may have applicability in conventional endoscopes and open surgical instruments, as well as in robotic assisted surgery.

  Embodiments of the devices disclosed herein may be designed to be disposed of after a single use, or they may be designed to be used multiple times. The embodiments may in any case be reconditioned for reuse after at least one use. Such reconditioning may include any combination of the steps of disassembly of the device, followed by cleaning or replacement of certain parts, and subsequent reassembly. In particular, each embodiment of the device may be disassembled, and any number of specific pieces or parts of the device may be selectively replaced or removed in any combination. Upon cleaning and / or replacement of certain parts, embodiments of the device may be reassembled for later use at a reconditioning facility or by a surgical team immediately prior to a surgical procedure. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various techniques for disassembly, cleaning / replacement, and reassembly may be used in reconditioning the device. Use of such techniques, and the resulting reconditioned device, are all within the scope of the present application.

  By way of example only, the embodiments described herein may be processed before surgery. First, new or used instruments may be obtained and cleaned as needed. The instrument can then be sterilized. In one sterilization technique, the instrument is placed in a closed and sealed container, such as a plastic bag or a TYVEK bag. The container and instrument can then be placed in a field of radiation that can penetrate the container, such as gamma radiation, x-rays, or high energy electrons. Radiation can kill bacteria on instruments and in containers. The sterilized instrument can then be stored in a sterile container. The sealed container may keep the instrument sterile until it is opened at the medical facility. The device can also be sterilized using any other technique known in the art, including, but not limited to, beta or gamma radiation, ethylene oxide, or water vapor.

  It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the components (e.g., operations), devices, objects, and related discussions described herein are used as examples to illustrate the concept, and various Configuration changes are contemplated. As a result, the specific examples described and the accompanying discussions as used herein are intended to be representative of a more general class. In general, the use of particular representations is intended to be representative of the type, and excluding certain components (eg, operations), devices, and purposes is considered limiting. Should not be.

  With reference to substantially any plural and / or singular terms used herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that plural to singular and / or singular to plural as appropriate for the situation and / or application. Can be replaced by The various singular / plural permutations are not explicitly described herein for the sake of brevity.

  The subject matter described herein sometimes illustrates various components included within or coupled to various other components. It is to be understood that the architecture so represented is merely an example, and in fact, many other architectures achieving the same functionality may be implemented. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components that achieve the same functionality is effectively "associated" to achieve the desired functionality. Thus, any two components that are combined to achieve a particular functionality, regardless of architecture or intermediate components, may be considered "associated" with one another to achieve the desired functionality. . Similarly, any two components so associated may also be considered to be "operably linked" or "operably coupled" to one another to achieve a desired functionality. Also, any two components that can be so associated can also be considered to be “operably coupleable” to one another to achieve a desired functionality. Particular examples that are operably coupleable include, but are not limited to, physically matable and / or physically interacting components, and / or wirelessly interactable and / or Or components that can interact wirelessly and / or configurations and elements that interact logically and / or logically.

  Some aspects may be described using the expressions “coupled” and “coupled,” together with their derivatives. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. For example, some aspects may be described using the term "coupled" to indicate that two or more elements make direct physical or electrical contact with each other. In another example, some aspects may be described using the term "coupled" to indicate that two or more elements make direct physical or electrical contact. The term "coupled", however, can also mean that two or more elements do not make direct contact with one another, but still cooperate or interact with each other.

  In some instances, one or more components are “configured”, “configurable”, “operable / operable”, “adapted” herein. It may be referred to as "/ adaptable", "can be", "is / is adapted", and the like. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that "configured to" generally refers to an active component and / or an inactive component and / or a standby component, unless the context otherwise requires. It should be understood that components can be included.

  While certain aspects of the subject matter described herein have been illustrated and described, as would be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art, changes and modifications have been described in the description based on the teachings herein. Without departing from the subject matter and its broad aspects, the appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications that fall within the true scope of the subject matter described herein. Will be included. Those of skill in the art will generally understand that terms used herein, and particularly, in the appended claims (eg, the text of the appended claims), are generally "open" terms (Eg, the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to” and the term “having” The term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to”, and the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to” , Etc.). Furthermore, if a specific number is intended in an introduced claim recitation, such an intention is clearly stated in the claim, and if there is no such statement, such an intention is also It will be understood by those skilled in the art that it is not present. For example, as an aid to understanding, in the following claims, the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" introduce the claims. May be included for However, the use of such a phrase, when the claim description is introduced by the indefinite article "a" or "an", does not mean that "one or more" or "at least one" A particular claim, including both an introductory phrase such as "a" and an indefinite article such as "a" or "an", may only include one such entry It should not be construed that the claim is limited to the containing claims (eg, “a” and / or “an” usually mean “at least one” or “one or more”). Should be interpreted as such). The same is true when introducing claim descriptions using definite articles.

  Further, those skilled in the art should generally interpret such a claim to mean at least the stated number, even if a particular number is explicitly stated in the claim description introduced. (For example, when there is a description “only two items” without any other modifiers, this description means that at least two items or two or more items are described. means). Further, where notations similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." are used, in general, such syntax is intended in the sense that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand the notation. (Eg, “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” includes, but is not limited to, A only, B only, C only, both A and B, and A and C Including systems having both, both B and C, and / or all of A and B and C, etc.). Where a notation similar to "at least one of A, B, or C etc." is used, such syntax is generally intended in the sense that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that notation. (For example, “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” includes, but is not limited to, only A, only B, only C, both A and B, both A and C, Including systems having both B and C, and / or all of A and B and C, etc.). Generally, any disjunctive words and / or phrases that refer to two or more optional terms, whether in the legend, in the claims, or in the drawings, will Should be understood to be intended to include one of the terms, any of the terms, or both of the terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will generally be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

  With reference to the appended claims, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the acts recited herein may generally be performed in any order. Also, while various operational flows are shown in sequence, it should be understood that the various operations may be performed in an order other than that shown or may be performed simultaneously. Examples of such alternative ordering include overlapping, interleaving, interrupting, reordering, incremental, preliminary, additional, simultaneous, reverse, or other, unless the context otherwise requires. Different orderings can be mentioned. Further, "respond to," "related to," or other adjectives of the past tense are generally intended to exclude such variations unless the context otherwise requires. is not.

  In brief, a number of advantages have been described that result from using the concepts described herein. The foregoing description of one or more embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the precise form disclosed. Modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. One or more embodiments describe the principles and practical applications, thereby making various embodiments, with various modifications, available to one of ordinary skill in the art as appropriate for the particular application contemplated. Things. It is intended that the claims appended hereto set forth the overall scope.

(Embodiment)
(1) a method,
Obtaining a surgical instrument having a data storage protocol;
Performing a surgical function using the surgical instrument;
Recording data during the performance of the surgical function;
Storing data on the surgical instrument according to the data storage protocol;
Entering a key to override the data storage protocol.
The method of claim 1, wherein the data storage protocol directs erasure of the recorded data after completion of the surgical function.
The method of claim 1, wherein the data storage protocol directs erasure of the recorded data after a predetermined period.
The method of claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument comprises a motion sensor, and wherein the data storage protocol directs erasure of the recorded data after a predetermined period of rest has been detected by the motion sensor.
The method of claim 1, wherein the data storage protocol directs erasure of the recorded data when the surgical instrument is turned off.

(6) The method of embodiment 1, further comprising overriding the data storage protocol if an error is detected during the surgical function.
The method of claim 1, wherein the key comprises an operator-specific identification code.
The method of claim 1, wherein the key comprises a checksum value.
The method of claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument comprises a data exchange port and the key comprises a secure data exchange input configured to removably engage the data exchange port. .
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data storage protocol allows wireless access to a remote data reader when the key is entered.

(11) The method,
Obtaining a handle of a surgical instrument for a surgical system, wherein the handle of the surgical instrument comprises:
Trigger and
An electric motor,
A microcontroller in signal communication with the trigger and the electric motor, the microcontroller comprising a lock circuit; and
Obtaining a surgical instrument fixture for the surgical system;
Operatively attaching the surgical instrument mount to a handle of the surgical instrument to form at least a portion of the surgical system;
Entering an access code into the surgical system and unlocking the locking circuit of the microcontroller, the microcontroller continues to operate the electric motor until the access code is entered into the surgical system. A method, wherein the method is configured to block the operation of a.
The method of claim 11, further comprising relocking the lock circuit after a predetermined period.
(13) activating the trigger after inputting the access code into the surgical system, thereby initiating a firing stroke, wherein a plurality of fasteners are provided during the firing stroke. 12. The method according to embodiment 11, wherein the method is launched from.
14. The method of embodiment 13, further comprising relocking the locking circuit after a predetermined number of firing strokes.
The method of claim 11, further comprising purchasing the access code.

(16) inputting an access code to the surgical system to unlock the lock circuit of the controller;
Obtaining a non-volatile memory device including the access code;
12. The method of embodiment 11, further comprising coupling the non-volatile memory device to the surgical instrument.
(17) A surgical system,
Handle,
Trigger and
An electric motor; and a handle;
An end effector comprising a plurality of deployable fasteners;
A shaft intermediate the handle and the end effector;
A microcontroller configured to record data during the surgical procedure;
A data exchange port in signal communication with the microcontroller, the data exchange port comprising a mechanical lock;
A data exchange input including a key, wherein the key is configured to unlock the mechanical lock when the data exchange input engages the data exchange port.
(18) A surgical system,
A first modular component,
A first mounting portion;
A first modular component comprising: an electric motor;
A second modular component,
A second attachment portion movable between a plurality of positions with respect to the first attachment portion, wherein the plurality of positions include an engagement / disengagement position and an engagement position; A second mounting portion, wherein the second modular component is secured to the first modular component when in the engaged position;
A second modular component, comprising: a drivable element that communicates with the electric motor when the second modular component is secured relative to the first modular component;
A feedback system,
An engagement sensor configured to detect a position of the second mounting portion with respect to the first mounting portion;
Display and
A microcontroller in signal communication with the engagement sensor and the display, the microcontroller configured to communicate a detected position of the second mounting to the display. A surgical system comprising:
(19) The plurality of positions further include a partial engagement position, wherein the partial engagement position is intermediate between the engagement disengagement position and the engagement position, and the engagement sensor includes the partial engagement position. 19. The surgical system according to embodiment 18, wherein the surgical system is configured to detect a target engagement position.
(20) The microcontroller is in signal communication with the electric motor, the electric motor configured to drive the drivable element during a firing stroke, the microcontroller comprising: 19. The surgical system according to embodiment 18, wherein the firing stroke is blocked until an engaged position is detected.

(21) The surgical system according to embodiment 18, wherein the first modular component comprises a handle, and the second modular component comprises a shaft and an end effector.
(22) A surgical system,
A first modular component comprising an electric motor;
A second modular component;
Means for securing the first modular component to the second modular component;
A feedback system,
Means for detecting the degree of engagement of the first modular component and the second modular component;
Means for displaying information;
A means for communicating the degree of engagement detected by said means for detecting to means for displaying said information.
(23) The method,
Selecting a first component of the surgical instrument;
Selecting a second component of the surgical instrument;
Positioning the first component with respect to the second component;
Detecting the degree of engagement between the first component and the second component;
Communicating the detected degree of engagement to an operator of the surgical instrument.
24. The method of claim 23, further comprising displaying the detected degree of engagement on a display of the first component.
(25) The method of embodiment 23, further comprising blocking a surgical function until the first component and the second component are fully engaged.

Claims (24)

A method of operating a surgical instrument, comprising:
The surgical instrument has a data storage protocol;
The surgical instrument comprises:
Temporarily recording data during the performance of a surgical function using the surgical instrument, determining whether to store the data according to the data storage protocol;
There rows, and to accept an input of a key to override the data storage protocol,
The surgical instrument comprises a data exchange port; the key comprises a secure data exchange input configured to removably engage the data exchange port;
Wherein when a key is engaged with the data exchange port, wherein the data exchange port cormorants row signal communication between the secure data exchange input unit, method for operating a surgical instrument.   The method of operating a surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the data storage protocol dictates erasure of the recorded data after completion of the surgical function.   The method of operating a surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the data storage protocol directs erasure of the recorded data after a predetermined period of time.   The actuation of a surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the surgical instrument comprises a motion sensor, and wherein the data storage protocol directs erasure of the recorded data after a predetermined period of rest has been detected by the motion sensor. Method.   The method of operating a surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the data storage protocol directs erasing of the recorded data when the surgical instrument is turned off. The surgical instrument comprises:
The method of claim 1, further comprising overriding the data storage protocol if an error is detected during the surgical function.   The method of operating a surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the key includes an operator-specific identification code.   The method of operating a surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the key includes a checksum value.   The method of operating a surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the data storage protocol allows wireless access to a remote data reader when the key is entered. A method of operating a surgical instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
The surgical instrument for a surgical system has a handle, the handle of the surgical instrument comprising:
Trigger and
An electric motor,
A microcontroller in signal communication with the trigger and the electric motor, the microcontroller comprising a lock circuit; and
A surgical instrument mount for the surgical system is operably attached to a handle of the surgical instrument and forms at least a portion of the surgical system;
The surgical instrument comprises:
Receiving the access code entered into the surgical system and unlocking the lock circuit of the microcontroller, the microcontroller continues to operate until the access code is entered into the surgical system. A method of operating a surgical instrument configured to prevent operation of an electric motor. The surgical instrument comprises:
Further performed, a method of operating a surgical instrument according to claim 1 0 to relock the lock circuit after a predetermined period of time. The surgical instrument comprises:
Further activating the trigger after receiving the access code input to the surgical system, thereby initiating a firing stroke, wherein a plurality of fasteners are mounted on the surgical instrument fixture during the firing stroke. It fired from method for operating a surgical instrument according to claim 1 0. The surgical instrument comprises:
Further performed to relock the lock circuit after firing stroke of a predetermined number of times, a method of operating a surgical instrument according to claim 1 2. The access code is one that has been purchased, a method of operating a surgical instrument according to claim 1 0. The surgical instrument comprises:
The is coupled to the non-volatile memory device including an access code, a method of operating a surgical instrument according to claim 1 0. A surgical system including a surgical instrument used in the method of operating a surgical instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
The surgical instrument comprises:
Said data storage protocol;
Means for temporarily recording data during the performance of a surgical function using the surgical instrument;
Determining means for determining whether to store the temporarily recorded data in accordance with the data storage protocol,
Key input receiving means for receiving a key input to override the data storage protocol,
The surgical system comprises:
Handle,
Trigger and
An electric motor; and a handle;
An end effector comprising a plurality of deployable fasteners;
A shaft intermediate the handle and the end effector;
A microcontroller configured to record data during the surgical procedure;
A data exchange port in signal communication with the microcontroller, the data exchange port comprising a mechanical lock;
A data exchange input including the key, wherein the key is configured to unlock the mechanical lock when the data exchange input engages the data exchange port. . A surgical system including a surgical instrument used in the method of operating a surgical instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
The surgical instrument comprises:
Said data storage protocol;
Means for temporarily recording data during the performance of a surgical function using the surgical instrument;
Determining means for determining whether to store the temporarily recorded data in accordance with the data storage protocol,
Key input receiving means for receiving a key input to override the data storage protocol,
The surgical system comprises:
A first modular component,
A first mounting portion;
A first modular component, comprising: an electric motor;
A second modular component,
A second attachment portion movable between a plurality of positions with respect to the first attachment portion, wherein the plurality of positions include an engagement / disengagement position and an engagement position; A second mounting portion, wherein the second modular component is secured to the first modular component when in the engaged position;
A drivable element that communicates with the electric motor when the second modular component is secured to the first modular component, comprising: a second modular component;
A feedback system,
An engagement sensor configured to detect a position of the second mounting portion with respect to the first mounting portion;
Display and
A microcontroller in signal communication with the engagement sensor and the display, the microcontroller configured to communicate the detected position of the second mounting to the display. A surgical system comprising: The plurality of positions further include a partially engaged position, the partially engaged position is intermediate between the disengaged position and the engaged position, and the engagement sensor is configured to detect the partially engaged position. The surgical system according to claim 17 , wherein the surgical system is configured to detect a position. The microcontroller is in signal communication with the electric motor, the electric motor being configured to drive the drivable element during a firing stroke, the microcontroller comprising: The surgical system according to claim 17 , wherein the firing stroke is blocked until a is detected. The surgical system according to claim 17 , wherein the first modular component comprises a handle and the second modular component comprises a shaft and an end effector. A surgical system including a surgical instrument used in the method of operating a surgical instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
The surgical instrument comprises:
Said data storage protocol;
Means for temporarily recording data during the performance of a surgical function using the surgical instrument;
Determining means for determining whether to store the temporarily recorded data in accordance with the data storage protocol,
Key input receiving means for receiving a key input to override the data storage protocol,
The surgical system comprises:
A first modular component comprising an electric motor;
A second modular component;
Means for securing the first modular component to the second modular component;
A feedback system,
Means for detecting the degree of engagement of the first modular component and the second modular component;
Means for displaying information;
A means for communicating the degree of engagement detected by said means for detecting to means for displaying said information. A method of operating a surgical instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 9 ,
A first component of the surgical instrument is selected;
A second component of the surgical instrument is selected;
The first component is positioned relative to the second component;
The surgical instrument comprises:
Detecting the degree of engagement between the first component and the second component;
Communicating the detected degree of engagement to an operator of the surgical instrument. The surgical instrument comprises:
Wherein on a display of the first component, said further performed to display the degree of the detected engagement method for operating a surgical instrument according to claim 2 2. The surgical instrument comprises:
Until said first component and said second component is fully engaged, and further to prevent the surgical function, a method of operating a surgical instrument according to claim 2 2.

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