In some embodiments, the present invention is directed to an actuator which includes at least the following: a pre-stretched electro-active polymer film being pre-stretched in a single or biaxial planar directions; at least one first semi-stiff conductor attached to a first surface of the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film, wherein the first surface is parallel to the single or biaxial planar stretch directions; at least one second semi-stiff conductor attached to a second surface of the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film, wherein the second surface is opposite to the first surface; where the semi-stiff conductors are configured to: fix the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film in a pre-stretched state and allow the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film to expand; a pair of mechanical connectors coupled to each end of an active region of the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film.

A method for adaptive control of surgical network control and interaction is disclosed. The surgical network includes a surgical feedback system. The surgical feedback system includes a surgical instrument, a data source, and a surgical hub configured to communicably couple to the data source and the surgical instrument. The surgical hub includes a control circuit. The method includes receiving, by the control circuit, information related to devices communicatively coupled to the surgical network; and adaptively controlling, by the control circuit, the surgical network based on the received information.

A guidewire including an optical fiber containing three fiber cores, each supporting a strain-sensing fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is described. The three FBGs are susceptible to changes in strain so that axial and lateral force vectors imparted to the FBGs can be ascertained. An optical connector detachably connects the guidewire optic fiber to a proximal optical fiber. The proximal optical fiber in turn is connected to a controller, which in addition to ascertaining the axial and lateral force vectors imparted to each of the FBGs, is programmed to calculate the spatial orientation of the guidewire as it is advanced through the vasculature. This capability is extremely useful for positioning the guidewire at a body site of interest prior to performing a medical procedure. A temperature-sensing FBG is used to compensate for changes in the ambient temperature.

In some embodiments, the present invention is directed to an actuator which includes at least the following: a pre-stretched electro-active polymer film being pre-stretched in a single or biaxial planar directions; at least one first semi-stiff conductor attached to a first surface of the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film, wherein the first surface is parallel to the single or biaxial planar stretch directions; at least one second semi-stiff conductor attached to a second surface of the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film, wherein the second surface is opposite to the first surface; where the semi-stiff conductors are configured to: fix the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film in a pre-stretched state and allow the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film to expand; a pair of mechanical connectors coupled to each end of an active region of the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film.

A handle assembly for use with a surgical tack applier includes an actuation assembly and an articulation lever assembly configured to articulate an articulation portion of the surgical tack applier. The actuation assembly includes a motor, an actuation rod, and an actuation switch configured to actuate the motor. The actuation rod has a first end operatively coupled to an output shaft of the motor for concomitant rotation therewith, and a second end operatively coupled to a loading unit of the surgical tack applier such that rotation of the actuation rod ejects a surgical tack from the loading unit. The articulation lever assembly includes an articulation rod operatively coupled with an articulation portion of the surgical tack applier such that axial displacement of the articulation rod causes articulation of the articulation portion, and an articulation lever operatively coupled with the articulation rod.

A method of performing a procedure on a meniscus, via an ultrasonic surgical tool. The ultrasonic tool includes a probe capable of transmitting ultrasonic vibration from a proximal end toward a front end. The probe includes a bent portion that is inclined with respect to a longitudinal axis of the probe, and a procedure portion that is disposed at the front end of the probe and has a plurality of cutting surfaces. The method includes: inserting the probe in a body; moving the probe through a space in between the femur and the tibia to position the procedure portion adjacent to the horizontal rupture in the meniscus; positioning a cutting surface of the procedure portion on a posterior portion of the meniscus; and resecting the horizontal rupture along an inclination of the meniscus to form an inclined resection plane.

Disclosed is a surgical system that includes a first modular device and aa surgical hub, including a control circuit configured to receive first perioperative data from a second modular device; anonymize the first perioperative data; receives second perioperative data from a third modular device; anonymize the second perioperative data; and adjust at least one setting of the first modular device based on contextual information derived from the anonymized first and second perioperative data.

Disclosed is a surgical system, comprising surgical hubs configured to be communicatively coupled to surgical instruments in surgical procedures; and a cloud computing system, comprising an input/output interface configured for accessing data from the surgical hubs. The cloud computing system is configured to aggregate surgical instrument data and patient outcome date from the surgical hubs; determine a correlation between the surgical instrument data and the patient outcome data; access a live surgical procedure data for a live surgical procedure; and determine an irregularity in the live surgical procedure data based on the correlation.

Disclosed is a cloud computing system for use with surgical hubs communicatively coupled to surgical instruments in surgical procedures. The cloud computing system includes an input/output interface configured for receiving raw data from the surgical hubs, wherein the raw data are generated from operation of the surgical instruments in the surgical procedures. The cloud computing system further includes a data collection and aggregation module configured to: identify patterns in the raw data; generate metadata based on the patterns; aggregate raw data into data sets based on a predetermined classification system; and store aggregated data sets in a database.

A method of improving an operational parameter of a surgical system using data analytics is disclosed. The method includes transmitting, from each of a plurality of surgical hubs of the surgical system, operational data of a plurality of surgical instruments communicatively coupled to the plurality of surgical hubs, to a cloud computing system of the surgical system; aggregating, by the cloud computing system, the operational data into aggregate medical resource data; analyzing, by the cloud computing system, the aggregate medical resource data to determine a recommendation to change the operational parameter based on the analyzed aggregate medical resource data, wherein the aggregate medical resource data comprises one or more of usage data, patient derived parameter data, surgical performance data, and surgical outcome data; receiving, by the plurality of surgical hubs, the recommendation from the cloud computing system; and displaying, by the plurality of surgical hubs, the recommendation.