A peg, suitable for insertion into a hole in a surgical tray, includes a cap piece, a directional member, and a columnar protrusion. The cap piece includes a machine-readable object that contains data representing information about one or more surgical assets. The directional member has a directional feature which points in a particular direction and which may be oriented to point to one or more surgical assets having the properties represented by the data on the machine-readable object. The columnar protrusion is suitable for being securely inserted into a hole in the surgical tray, such as by being pushed into a hole in a rubber footer. Removal of a surgical asset from the tray is performed by reading data from the machine-readable object that points to the surgical asset and using that data to modify a count of the type of object contained in the tray.

A computer-implemented method for collecting data within a facility is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a computer system, perioperative data from a plurality of surgical devices located within the facility, the perioperative data associated with a plurality of surgical procedures performed in the facility; determining, by the computer system, procedural context data associated with the plurality of surgical procedures based at least in part on the perioperative data; aggregating, by the computer system, the perioperative data according to the procedural context data; and determining, by the computer system, trends associated with the surgical procedures performed in the facility according to the perioperative data and the procedural context data.

A surgical navigation system comprises a computer system, a tracking system and a projector. The computer system includes instructions for performing a surgical plan. The tracking system is electronically connected to the computer system and has a viewing area in which markers can be located within a three-dimensional space relative to the viewing area. The projector is electronically connected to the computer system and has a beam projectable into the viewing area to display a step of the surgical plan based on a location of a marker. A method for guiding a surgical instrument comprises tracking a surgical instrument within a three-dimensional space using a computer-operated tracking system, matching the surgical instrument to a step in a surgical plan for conducting the surgical procedure using the surgical instrument, and projecting a visual instruction into the three-dimensional space for the step in the surgical plan related to the instrument.

Surgical systems configured to determine whether a surgical cartridge is present and unfired. A surgical system includes a surgical instrument, a drive source, a sensor and a controller. The surgical instrument is configured to receive and support a surgical cartridge. The drive source is drivingly coupled with an actuation output. The sensor is configured to generate a sensor output indicative of movement of the actuation output. The controller controls the drive source to attempt to actuate the actuation output opposite to the firing direction by a predetermined amount. The controller determines that the surgical cartridge is present and unfired when the resulting actuation amount of the actuation output is less than a threshold actuation amount.

A power system, for powering a surgical instrument including an end effector and a motor configured to generate at least one motion to effectuate the end effector, includes a primary power source configured to supply a first power to operate the surgical instrument, wherein the primary power source is detachable from the surgical instrument, a secondary power source configured to supply a second power to operate the surgical instrument when the primary power source is detached from the surgical instrument, wherein the secondary power source is rechargeable, and wherein the primary power source is configured to charge the secondary power system, and a power management circuit configured to selectively transmit the first power from the primary power source and the secondary power from the secondary power source to operate the surgical instrument.

A peg, suitable for insertion into a hole in a surgical tray, includes a cap piece, a directional member, and a columnar protrusion. The cap piece includes a machine-readable object that contains data representing information about one or more surgical assets. The directional member has a directional feature which points in a particular direction and which may be oriented to point to one or more surgical assets having the properties represented by the data on the machine-readable object. The columnar protrusion is suitable for being securely inserted into a hole in the surgical tray, such as by being pushed into a hole in a rubber footer. Removal of a surgical asset from the tray is performed by reading data from the machine-readable object that points to the surgical asset and using that data to modify a count of the type of object contained in the tray.

One variation of a method for monitoring needle consumption in a surgical space during a surgery includes: accessing a sequence of images captured by a camera facing an inventory field within the surgical space; scanning the sequence of images for needle packages and needles; in response to detecting entry of a needle package into the surgical space in a first image, logging entry of the needle package, labeled as sterile, into the inventory field at a first time and incrementing a sterile packaged needle counter for the needle package according to a first quantity of sterile needles associated with a type of the needle package; and, in response to detecting removal of a first needle from the inventory field in a second image, incrementing a deployed needle counter at a second time succeeding the first time and decrementing the sterile packaged needle counter.

A surgical instrument system comprising a handle, a motor, a control system, an elongate shaft, a first unfired end effector configured to releasably attach to the elongate shaft, a second unfired end effector configured to releasably attach to the elongate shaft in lieu of the first end effector is disclosed. The first end effector comprises a stored datum. The second end effector does not comprise any stored datum. The control system is configured to identify the first end effector via the stored datum when the first end effector is attached to the elongate shaft and supply the motor with a first operating parameter based on the stored datum. The control system is further configured to detect an absence of any stored datum when the second end effector is attached to the elongate shaft and supply the motor with a second operating parameter based on the absence of any stored datum.

Apparatus, systems, and methods for detecting the presence of a metallic surgical instrument. A metal detector for detecting insertion of a metallic surgical device into a hollow tube may include a switch, resonant circuit and a controller. The resonant circuit has a capacitor and a coil mounted to the hollow tube. The controller turn on the switch for a preselected time to temporarily provide a current to the resonant circuit and analyzes a resulting decaying voltage waveform originating from the resonant circuit when the switch is turned off in order to determine the presence and longitudinal depth of the metallic surgical device in the hollow tube.

A mobile cart that holds a bag for receiving solid waste generated during a medical or surgical procedure. The cart includes a sensor that monitors whether or not an object containing metal is placed in the bag. A processor monitors the signal output by the sensor. If the sensor signal indicates that an object with a minimal amount of metal is placed in the bag, the processor momentarily asserts an audible alarm and continuously asserts a light alarm. The light alarm remains asserted until turned off. If, while the light alarm is on, the sensor signal indicates a second object with the minimal amount of waste is placed in the container, the processor again momentarily asserts the audible alarm. This provides notice that it may be necessary to investigate the contents of the bag to determine if not one but two or more objects were inadvertently discarded.