A staple cartridge comprising staple drivers including stability supports is disclosed.

A surgical instrument comprising a rotatable and translatable firing member is disclosed.

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

Disclosed is a surgical instrument comprising an end effector with energy sensitive resistance elements.

A surgical instrument assembly is disclosed. The surgical instrument assembly comprises a shaft, an articulation region, and an end effector attached to the shaft by way of the articulation region, wherein the end effector is configured to be articulated relative to the shaft. The shaft comprises an outer housing, an inner spine positioned with the outer housing, and a core member positioned within the inner spine. The core member comprises a distal end attached to a component the end effector and a proximal end attached to the proximal housing, wherein the core member comprises a material different than a material of the inner spine, and wherein the core member defines a maximum system stretch of the inner spine.

Disclosed is a surgical instrument comprising an end effector with independently activatable segmented electrodes.

A surgical instrument assembly is disclosed. The surgical instrument assembly comprises a shaft, an end effector, and a drive member configured to actuate a function of the end effector. The surgical instrument assembly further comprises an articulation member configured to be actuated to articulate the end effector and an articulation region, wherein the articulation member is configured to articulate the end effector relative to the shaft by way of the articulation region, wherein the drive member extends through the shaft, the articulation region, and the end effector. The articulation region comprises an articulation support pivot positioned within the articulation region, wherein the articulation member is coupled to the articulation support pivot, wherein the articulation member is actuatable to rotate the articulation support pivot, and wherein the drive member extends through the articulation support pivot.

Disclosed is a surgical staple for a combination energy stapler surgical instrument. The staple includes a crown defining a base, first and second deformable legs extending from the each end of the base and an electrically insulative material disposed on at least a portion of the base.

A surgical instrument comprising an elongate shaft, an articulation joint, and a channel extending from the elongate shaft at a point distal to the articulation joint is disclosed. The surgical instrument further comprises an end effector assembly comprising an anvil and a cartridge pivotally coupled to the anvil. The anvil is configured to move relative to the cartridge between an open position and a closed position. The cartridge is configured to be replaceably seated in the channel A drive screw is mounted in the channel before the cartridge is seated therein, and a firing member is positioned on the drive screw before the cartridge is seated in the channel. The firing member is configured to translate through the end effector assembly during a firing stroke.

Disclosed is a method of detecting a short circuit in the jaws of an end effector of a surgical instrument. The method includes applying a sub-therapeutic electrical signal to an electrode located in the jaws of the end effector. The sub-therapeutic electrical signal comprises a sequence of exploratory waveforms comprising pulsed current and voltage waveforms. The method includes detecting a shorted electrode when a measured electrical parameter in the jaws of the end effector is less than a predetermined value and modifying electrical current applied to the shorted electrode by the RF generator.