A surgical staple cartridge comprising a cartridge housing and a knife channel is disclosed. The cartridge housing comprises a longitudinal axis. The knife channel is disposed along the longitudinal axis dividing the cartridge housing into a first side and a second side. The surgical staple cartridge further comprises a first, a second, and a third row of staple pockets located on the first side of the cartridge housing. The first, the second, and the third row of staple pockets are aligned parallel to the knife channel. The second row of staple pockets is offset from the first and the third rows of staple pockets along a transverse axis. The surgical staple cartridge further comprises staples removably stored in the first, the second, and the third row of staple pockets. The surgical staple cartridge further comprises a staple driver configured to drive at least four staples from the staple pockets simultaneously.

A force sensor includes a substrate, a plurality of sensing elements, and a plate. The substrate includes a central aperture extending along a longitudinal axis of the substrate, and has a proximal surface, a distal surface, a first side surface, a second side surface, a top surface, and a bottom surface. A recess is defined in at least one of the distal surface, the first side surface, the second side surface, the top surface, or the bottom surface of the substrate. The plurality of sensing elements are disposed within the recess, and the plate is disposed over the recess and mounted to the substrate to hermetically seal the plurality of sensing elements within the substrate.

The present disclosure relates to medical devices, and methods for producing and using the devices. In embodiments, the medical device may be a buttress including a porous substrate possessing a therapeutic layer of a chemotherapeutic agent and optional excipient(s) thereon. By varying the form of chemotherapeutic agents and excipients, the medical devices may be used to treat both the area to which the medical device is attached as well as tissue at a distance therefrom.

A staple cartridge comprising a tissue thickness compensator is disclosed. The tissue thickness compensator comprises an external layer and tubular elements. The tubular elements are interconnected and positioned within the external layer. The tubular elements comprise apertures defined therein and the tubular elements are configured to collapse as pressure is applied to the tissue thickness compensator by tissue during the firing motion. The apertures enable fluids from the tissue to permeate the tissue thickness compensator.

A surgical visualization feedback system is disclosed. The surgical visualization feedback system comprises an emitter assembly configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward an anatomical structure. The emitter assembly comprises a structured light emitter configured to emit a structured light pattern on a surface of the anatomical structure and a spectral light emitter configured to emit spectral light capable of penetrating the anatomical structure. The surgical visualization feedback system further comprises a waveform sensor assembly configured to detect reflected electromagnetic radiation corresponding to the emitted electromagnetic radiation and a control circuit in signal communication with the waveform sensor assembly. The control circuit is configured to receive an input corresponding to a selected surgical procedure, determine an identity of a targeted structure within the anatomical structure based on the selected surgical procedure and the reflected electromagnetic radiation, and confirm the determined identity of the targeted structure through a user input.

An adapter assembly for operably connecting an end effector to a handle assembly includes a first drive assembly. The first drive assembly includes a first connector drive shaft configured to be rotated at a first speed, a first proximal worm gear in operable engagement with the first connector drive shaft, a first distal worm gear in operable engagement with the first proximal worm gear, and a first drive connector in operable engagement with the first distal worm gear. The first proximal worm gear and the first distal worm gear are configured to rotate the first drive connector at a second speed which is less than the first speed. The adapter assembly may include a second drive assembly which is substantially similar to the first drive assembly.

A surgical stapling instrument includes an anvil defining a plurality of staple forming pockets, and a stapling head assembly, and a retracting assembly. The stapling head assembly includes a body, a coupling member capable of actuating the anvil, a deck surface, a staple driver assembly, and a knife member. The staple driver assembly actuates through a first firing stroke and a second firing stroke. In the first firing stroke, the staple driver assembly drives a plurality of staples against the staple forming pockets. In the second firing stroke, the staple driver actuates distally past the deck surface. The knife member includes a cutting edge that can sever tissue during the first firing stroke while remaining in a retracted position that is proximal relative to the staple deck surface during the second firing stroke. The retracting assembly can drive the knife member into the retracted position during the first firing stroke.

Systems, devices, and methods for controlling cooperative surgical instruments are provided. Various aspects of the present disclosure provide for coordinated operation of surgical instruments accessing various surgical sites from different or shared surgical approaches to achieve a common or cooperative surgical purpose. For example, various methods, devices, and systems disclosed herein can enable the coordinated treatment of tissue by disparate minimally invasive surgical systems that approach the tissue from varying anatomical spaces and must operate differently, but in concert with, one another to effect a desired surgical treatment.

A staple cartridge for use with a stapling device that has an actuator that is selectively actuatable in an axial direction and an anvil portion that is selectively movable between open and closed positions is disclosed. Various embodiments of the present invention include a cartridge body that movably supports first and second staple drivers. The staple drivers each support a staple thereon and serve to drive the staples into forming contact with the anvil upon actuation by the actuator. The various embodiments of the present invention enable the final formed heights of the staples to be varied so as to apply various clamping forces and pressures to soft tissue captured within the staples. In at least one embodiment, the staples can include crowns formed thereon which can be utilized to adjust or control the clamping force and/or pressure applied by the staples.

An anvil assembly includes a circular anvil head that supports a crush ring, an anvil cap that supports an o-ring, and a circular anvil buttress member. The cap connects to the head and is movable relative to the head between approximated and unapproximated positions. The crush ring is spaced from the cap when the cap is in the approximated position and movable into engagement with the cap to move the cap to the unapproximated position. The buttress member includes a body portion and an extension portion. The body portion is supported on the head and the extension portion is secureable between the o-ring and the head when the cap is in the approximated position. The extension portion is releasable from between the o-ring and the head when the cap is disposed in the unapproximated position so that the body portion separates from the head.