A staple cartridge is disclosed. The staple cartridge can comprise a cartridge body comprising a deck and a bottom surface opposite the deck. The staple cartridge can comprise a plurality of staple cavities, wherein each staple cavity extends into the cartridge body from the deck to the bottom surface. Additionally, a plurality of wells can be defined into the staple cartridge from the deck to a lowermost surface of the well. A plurality of staples can be removably positioned in the staple cavities. The staple cartridge can comprise a tissue thickness compensator releasably secured to the cartridge body, wherein the tissue thickness compensator comprises a compensator body and a plurality of extensions extending from the compensator body into the wells, wherein at least one extension is compressed within one of the wells. Each well can surround at least one staple cavity and/or can extend between at least two staple cavities.

A surgical instrument comprising a shaft, an end effector, a housing, a drive assembly, and a manually-driven actuator is disclosed. The end effector comprises a first jaw and a second jaw rotatable relative to the first jaw between an open position and a clamped position. The housing comprises a rotary input movable by a motor. The drive assembly is operably engaged with the rotary input. The drive assembly is movable by the motor in a motorized mode of operation to transition the second jaw toward the clamped position. The drive assembly is movable in a non-motorized mode of operation by the manually-driven actuator to permit a transition of the second jaw toward the open position to release tissue between the first jaw and the second jaw.

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 surgical tool includes a drive housing, a shaft extending from the drive housing, an end effector at an end of the shaft and having opposing jaws and a cutting element, and an unclamp lockout mechanism. The unclamp lockout mechanism including a pawl rotatably mounted to the shaft and positioned proximal to a closure yoke operatively coupled to the shaft, the pawl being pivotable between a stowed position, where the pawl is received within an aperture of the shaft, and a deployed position, where the pawl protrudes out of the aperture, and a biasing device that biases the pawl toward the stowed position. When the pawl is in the stowed position, the closure yoke is movable to a proximal position over at least a portion of the pawl to open the opposing jaws. When the pawl is in the deployed position, the closure yoke is prevented from moving to the proximal position.

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.

Methods for operating a surgical instrument are disclosed. In various instances, the methods include preventing the operation of the surgical instrument in some capacity if an unspent staple cartridge is not seated in the surgical instrument. Moreover, in various instances, the methods include preventing the operation of the surgical instrument in some capacity if the surgical instrument cannot identify and/or authenticate the staple cartridge seated in the surgical instrument.

A surgical stapling device includes a staple reload and a shipping wedge. In embodiments, the shipping wedge is configured to disable the use of a staple reload if the staple reload does not have an actuation sled. In other embodiments, the actuation sled includes a readable identifier that facilitates confirmation of the presence of an actuation sled within a staple reload from a location externally of the staple reload.

A surgical instrument comprising a staple cartridge and at least two independent antenna arrays configured to communicate with the staple cartridge.

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.