Various surgical systems are disclosed. A surgical system can include a surgical robot and a surgical hub. The surgical robot can include a control unit in signal communication with a control console and a robotic tool. The surgical hub can include a display. The surgical hub can be in signal communication with the control unit. A facility can include a plurality of surgical hubs that communicate data from the surgical robots to a primary server. To alleviate bandwidth competition among the surgical hubs, the surgical hubs can include prioritization protocols for collecting, storing, and/or communicating data to the primary server.

A method of stapling tissue is disclosed. The method can include obtaining a staple cartridge including a plurality of staples, wherein each staple has a base and a leg extending from the base. The stapling method can also include firing the staples from the staple cartridge, wherein the staples are fired into tissue in a staple line. The staple line can include a first portion having a first flexibility and a second portion having a second flexibility, wherein the second flexibility is different than the first flexibility. A method of stapling tissue can also include adapting an anvil with an anvil plate having an arrangement of staple-forming pockets that differs from the staple-forming pockets in the anvil.

A generator, ultrasonic device, and method for controlling a temperature of an ultrasonic blade are disclosed. A control circuit coupled to a memory determines an actual resonant frequency of an ultrasonic electromechanical system comprising an ultrasonic transducer coupled to an ultrasonic blade by an ultrasonic waveguide. The actual resonant frequency is correlated to an actual temperature of the ultrasonic blade. The control circuit retrieves from the memory a reference resonant frequency of the ultrasonic electromechanical system. The reference resonant frequency is correlated to a reference temperature of the ultrasonic blade. The control circuit then infers the temperature of the ultrasonic blade based on the difference between the actual resonant frequency and the reference resonant frequency. The control circuit controls the temperature of the ultrasonic blade based on the inferred temperature.

A surgical tool comprising a drive housing having first and second ends, a lead screw extending between the first and second ends and rotatably coupled to the first end at a drive input, a carriage mounted to the lead screw at a carriage nut and movable within the drive housing between the first and second ends, and an instrument driver arranged at an end of a robotic arm and matable with the first end. A drive output is matable with the drive input such that rotation of the drive output correspondingly rotates the drive input and the lead screw to thereby translate the carriage nut along the lead screw. A fin may be connected to the carriage and accessible by a user from an exterior of the drive housing to manually translate the carriage along the lead screw and thereby backdrive the drive output.

A surgical tool comprising a drive housing having a first end and a second end, a spline extending between the first and second ends and being rotatably coupled to the first end at a drive input, a drive gear coupled to and rotatable with the spline, a carriage movably mounted to the spline and housing an activating mechanism operatively coupled to the drive gear such that rotation of the spline actuates the activating mechanism, and a bailout mechanism arranged at the second end. The bailout mechanism may include a lever that is movable relative to the spline, from a first position, where the spline is disengaged from the lever, to a second position, where the spline engages the lever such that rotation of the lever correspondingly rotates the spline.

An ultrasonic device may include an electromechanical system defined by a resonant frequency and further include an ultrasonic transducer coupled to an ultrasonic blade. The device may be composed of two or more components, one of which is reusable and one of which is disposable. A method of detecting a proper installation of the components may include determining a spectroscopy signature of the blade coupled to the transducer, comparing the signature to a reference signature, determining an installation state of the components based on the comparison, and controlling a delivery of power to the transducer based on the comparison. The method may include enabling an operation of the device when the installation state of components is proper. The method may further include disabling the device when the installation state is not proper and generating a warning. The warning may be visible, audible, or tactile.

A slip ring assembly is used with a surgical shaft assembly. The slip ring assembly includes a slip ring, a first conductor mounted on the slip ring, a commutator rotatable relative to the slip ring, and a second conductor mounted on the commutator. The slip ring assembly further includes a flexible member disposed between the slip ring and the commutator. The flexible member comprises a body and flexible protrusions extending from the body, wherein the flexible protrusions are elastically deformed against the first slip ring.

A surgical instrument comprising an end effector is disclosed. The end effector comprises a surgical dissector. The surgical dissector can apply mechanical and/or electrosurgical energy to treated tissue.

A surgical system includes a control circuit, a surgical instrument, and a user interface is disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a plurality of components and a sensor. Each of the plurality of components of the surgical instrument includes a device parameter and is configured to transmit its respective device parameter to the control circuit. The sensor of the surgical instrument is configured to detect a tissue parameter associated with a proposed function of the surgical instrument, and transmit the detected tissue parameter to the control circuit. The control circuit is configured to analyze the detected tissue parameter in cooperation with each respective device parameter based on a system-defined constraint. The user interface is configured to indicate whether the surgical instrument comprising the plurality of components is appropriate to perform the proposed function.

A modular energy system including a header module configured to removably connect to an energy module. The energy module can comprise a port configured to deliver one or more energy modalities to a surgical instrument connected thereto. The header module can comprise a display screen configured to display a user interface. The header module can further include a control circuit configured to detect attachment of energy modules to the modular energy system and control the display of the user interface to display UI portions for each connected module and reconfigure the displayed UI portions to accommodate the new UI portions as additional energy modules are connected to the modular energy system.