Aspects of the present disclosure are presented for providing coordinated energy outputs of separate but connected modules, in some cases using communication protocols such as the Data Distribution Service standard (DDS). In some aspects, there is provided a communication circuit between a header or main device, a first module, and a second module, each including connection to a segment of a common backplane, where the output from a first module can be adjusted by sensing a parameter from a second module. In some aspects, the signal can pass from the first module through the header to the second module, or in other cases directly from the first module to the second module. Aspects of the present disclosure also include methods for automatically activating a bipolar surgical system in one or more of the modular systems using the DDS standard.

A method for controlling an output of an energy module of a modular energy system. The energy module can comprise a plurality of amplifiers configured to generate a drive signal at a frequency range and a plurality of ports coupled to the plurality of amplifiers. The method includes determining to which port of the plurality of ports the surgical instrument is connected, selectively coupling an amplifier of the plurality of amplifiers to the port of the plurality of ports to which the surgical instrument is connected, and controlling the amplifier to deliver the drive signal for driving the energy modality to the surgical instrument through the port.

A first module configured to engage with a second module in a stacked configuration to define a modular energy system is provided. The second module comprises a second bridge connector portion that comprises a second outer housing and a second electrical connection element. The first module comprises a first bridge connector portion comprising a first outer housing and a first electrical connection element. The first outer housing is configured to engage the second outer housing during assembly of the modular energy system prior to the first electrical connection element engaging the second electrical connection element.

Disclosed is a modular surgical instrument, comprising a handle assembly comprising a handle assembly control circuit and a modular attachment. The modular attachment comprises a nozzle, and a shaft extending distally from the nozzle, the shaft defining a central longitudinal axis. The modular attachment further comprises an end effector distal to the shaft, the end effector comprising a sensor array. The modular attachment further comprises a modular attachment control circuit communicably coupled to the sensor array, and physically coupled to the shaft. The modular attachment control circuit is configured to rotate with the shaft relative to the handle assembly about the central longitudinal axis. The modular attachment control circuit is configured for wireless communication with the handle assembly control circuit.

An electrosurgical generator includes: a power supply configured to output a DC waveform; a power converter coupled to the power supply and configured to generate a radio frequency waveform based on the DC waveform; an active terminal coupled to the power converter and configured to couple to a first electrosurgical instrument and a second electrosurgical instrument; at least one sensor coupled to the power converter and configured to sense at least one property of the radio frequency waveform; and a controller coupled to the power converter. The controller is configured to: determine a first impedance associated with a first electrosurgical instrument and a second impedance associated with a second electrosurgical instrument based on the at least one property of the radio frequency waveform; and adjust at least one parameter of the radio frequency waveform based on the first impedance and the second impedance.

A modular surgical system is disclosed includes a header module including a power supply, a first surgical module, a second surgical module, and a segmented power backplane. The first surgical module is arrangeable in a stack configuration with the header module and the second surgical module. The segmented power backplane includes a first backplane segment in the header module, a second backplane segment in the first surgical module, and a third backplane segment in the second surgical module. The second backplane segment is detachably coupled to the first backplane segment in the stack configuration and the third backplane segment is detachably coupled to the second backplane segment in the stack configuration. The first backplane segment, the second backplane segment, and the third backplane segment are configured to cooperate to transmit energy from the power supply to the second surgical module in the stack configuration.

A method for constructing a modular surgical system is disclosed. The method comprises providing a header module comprising a first power backplane segment, providing a surgical module comprising a second power backplane segment, assembling the header module and the surgical module to electrically couple the first power backplane segment and the second power backplane segment to each other to form a power backplane, and applying power to the surgical module through the power backplane.

An ablation system includes multiple electrodes configured to contact body tissue of a patient, including two or more ablation electrodes for contacting respective locations in a target organ and a return electrode. A signal-generating unit includes multiple signal generators, which are configured to apply respective composite signals to respective ones of the ablation electrodes. The composite signals include multiple, respective signal components, including respective ablation signals, having different, respective ablation-signal amplitudes and phases at a common ablation-signal frequency, and respective probe signals having respective probe-signal amplitudes and different respective probe-signal frequencies. A processor is coupled to measure the probe signals received by each of the multiple electrodes, and responsively to the measured probe signals, to control the ablation-signal amplitudes and phases.

A modular energy system including a header module and a module. The header module includes a display screen for displaying a user interface. The header module is configured to receive data, including safety critical data, from the module, control the display screen to cause the UI to display UI content based on the received data, the UI content including safety critical UI content based on the safety critical data, and transmit the displayed safety critical UI content to the module for verification thereby. The module is configured to confirm whether the transmitted safety critical data coincides with the displayed safety critical UI content. In the event that it is determined that they do not coincide, the header module and/or the module can be configured to stop the function(s) of the module, display an alert on the display screen, and take various other actions.

A modular energy system that can include a header module removably couplable to one or more energy modules. The one or more energy modules collectively comprise multiple ports to which a surgical instrument is connectable and are each configured to drive a plurality of energy modalities for the surgical instrument. The header module can comprise a display screen configured to display a user interface. The header module is connectable to a footswitch such that the header module can receive a control signal from the footswitch and can send a control signal to the footswitch. The header module can further comprise configured to assign the footswitch to a particular port and, based on user input received via the user interface, reassign the footswitch to another of the ports.