Surgical instruments with articulatable surgical end effectors and rotary driven flexible drive members.

Surgical stapling devices are disclosed herein that improve on the disclosures of previous surgical stapling devices.

A surgical fastener applier having a housing containing a compartment therein, an elongated member extending distally from the housing and first and second jaws. A firing mechanism is positioned within the housing movable to a second position to effect firing of fasteners. A power pack is removably loadable into the compartment, the power pack having one or both of a) a first motor and a first engagement member removably engageable with the firing mechanism when the power pack is loaded into the compartment to effect movement of the firing mechanism; and b) a second motor and a second engagement member removably engageable with an articulating mechanism in the housing of the surgical fastener applier to effect movement of an articulation mechanism to effect articulation. One or both of a firing position and an articulation position are tracked during the surgical procedure. Sensors are provided to detect select parameters and instrument functions.

An end effector for use to staple an anatomical structure of a patient during a surgical procedure includes an anvil and a cartridge. The anvil has an anvil face and a first staple pocket defined by the anvil face, where the first staple pocket comprises a first cup and a second cup for staple formation. The cartridge has a first staple and a first driver. The first staple, once deployed by the first driver and deformed by the first staple pocket, has a formed configuration in which a first portion of a first staple leg and a second portion of a second staple leg are bent relative to a crown and cross the midpoint of the crown and one of the first portion and the second portion overlaps the other of the first portion and the second portion.

A handheld electromechanical surgical device, capable of effectuating a surgical procedure, includes a handle assembly having a power source; at least one motor coupled to the power source; and a controller configured to control the motor. The surgical device includes an adapter assembly having an electrical assembly having a proximal end in communication with the controller of the handle assembly. The surgical device includes a reload configured to selectively connect to a distal end of the adapter assembly. The reload includes an annular array of staples; an annular staple pusher for ejecting the staples; and a data storage device selectively connectable to a distal end of the electrical assembly. The data storage device receives and stores performance data of the surgical device from the controller of the handle assembly.

A staple cartridge assembly is disclosed which comprises staples including a crown, a cam surface extending from the crown, one or more staple legs, and one or more connectors which connect the staple legs to the crown. The staple cartridge assembly further comprises a sled configured to engage the cam surfaces of the staples but not the connectors.

A surgical device comprising a first jaw member, a second jaw member, a clamping member and a clamp apparatus is disclosed. The clamping member is slidably positioned to translate at least partially through the first jaw member. The clamping member engages the first jaw member and the second jaw member, and has a knife blade for cutting tissue. A flange of the clamping member is configured to engage a cam surface to pivot the second jaw member with respect to the first jaw member from an open position toward an approximated position. The clamp apparatus is movable from a retracted position to an advanced position for preventing a gap between proximal portions of the first jaw member and the second jaw member from exceeding a predetermined distance. The clamping member and the clamp apparatus are separately movable.

A medical device includes a laparoscopic shaft having proximal and distal ends and defining a shaft axis. A surgical end effector is at the distal end of the shaft. A surgical procedure actuator carries out a surgical procedure on tissue at the end effector when actuated. A rotating knob is at the proximal end of the shaft. The rotating knob rotates the end effector with respect to the shaft about the shaft axis when rotated and actuates the procedure actuator when slid in a proximal direction.

A control system for a surgical instrument. The control system includes an RFID scanner and a control circuit coupled to the RFID scanner. The control circuit is configured to receive data from RFID tags associated with devices and/or users, determine a type of the surgical instrument being utilized or surgical procedure being performed according to the received data, and determine an operational setting for the surgical instrument or another device within the surgical system, which may be tailored according to the particular user identity scanned by the RFID scanner.

A fastener cartridge can comprise a support portion, a tissue thickness compensator positioned relative to the support portion, and a plurality of fasteners positioned within the support portion and/or the tissue thickness compensator which can be utilized to fasten tissue. In use, the fastener cartridge can be positioned in a first jaw of a surgical fastening device, wherein a second jaw, or anvil, can be positioned opposite the first jaw. To deploy the fasteners, a staple-deploying member is advanced through the fastener cartridge to move the fasteners toward the anvil. As the fasteners are deployed, the fasteners can capture at least a portion of the tissue thickness compensator therein along with at least a portion of the tissue being fastened.