A radio frequency (RF) current sensor for remotely activating a smoke evacuation device in an electrosurgical system includes a sensor body with a cable interfacing sidewall and a retaining member. The cable interfacing sidewall and the retaining member define a retention pocket for receiving a cable communicating RF current. The RF current sensor additionally includes a sensor element for detecting RF current in the cable and a sensor cable in electrical communication with the sensor element. The RF current sensor can operate in at least two modes, depending on whether the cable communicates RF current to a monopolar or bipolar electrosurgical instrument, but regardless of the operation mode, the sensor cable can communicate an activation signal and a current signal derived from the detected RF current to the smoke evacuation device, which activates or adjusts the period of time and/or the smoke evacuation flow rate of a vacuum source.

Various cartridge assemblies for surgical instruments are provided. Cartridge assemblies can include active sensors for applying stimuli to a tissue clamped by an end effector of the surgical instrument and a circuit configured to determine a tissue type of the tissue according to a change in the tissue parameter detected by the sensor resulting from a stimulus from the active element. Cartridge assemblies can also include physical features and/or stored data that identify the cartridge. Surgical instruments further can be configured to resolve conflicts when the physical features and/or stored data are not consistent with each other in their identification of the cartridge type.

A medical device equipped for switching the device on and off carries out at least one safety-relevant function in the operating state, using at least one operating parameter with a set target value. In order to ensure a reliable function of the device and not disturb a medical treatment, the device performs a first self-diagnosis following switch-on and before reaching an operating state and performs a second self-diagnosis following switch-off and before terminating the operating state, during which self-diagnoses the same operating parameter of the device is checked in each case for deviation from the target value. The technology also relates to a corresponding method for operating a medical device.

A trocar assembly includes a trocar including an elongated tubular member extending between a distal end configured to be inserted into a surgical site and a proximal portion including a trocar housing configured for introduction of surgical instruments into the tubular member, wherein the trocar housing includes at least one latch receptacle. The assembly includes a cap, wherein the housing of the cap is attached to the proximal portion of a trocar. The cap includes a housing configured to be removably attached to a proximal portion of a trocar. The housing includes a flow passage therethrough from a distal end of the housing to a proximal opening of the housing. A filter medium is included within the housing spanning the flow passage for filtration of flow through the flow passage.

Various systems and methods for controlling the activation of energy surgical instruments are disclosed. An advance energy surgical instrument, such an electrosurgical instrument or an ultrasonic surgical instrument, can include one or more sensor assemblies for detecting the state or position of the end effector, arm, or other components of the surgical instrument. A control circuit can be configured to control the activation of the surgical instrument according to the state or position of the components of the surgical instrument.

A flexible electrode of a surgical instrument is disclosed. The flexible electrode includes a therapeutic electrode, a sensing electrode and an insulative layer. The therapeutic electrode is couplable to a source of radiofrequency energy. The insulative layer is positioned between the therapeutic electrode and the sensing electrode. The therapeutic electrode and the sensing electrode are configured to contact tissue positioned between first and second jaws of the surgical instrument.

A system for validating data purportedly generated in a medical procedure is disclosed. The system includes a medical hub, at least one remote server communicatively coupled to the medical hub, and a medical instrument communicatively coupled to the medical hub. The system is configured to access the data, validate the data to determine if the data is validly generated by the medical procedure, determine that the data contains at least one flaw or error, and improve data integrity by preventing the at least one flaw or error from being integrated into a larger dataset associated with the at least one remote server.

A surgical instrument drive system is configured to actuate functions of a surgical end effector. The surgical instrument drive system includes a first rotary input drive gear configured to be driven by a corresponding first rotary output drive gear of a surgical robot interface; a second rotary input drive gear configured to be driven by a corresponding second rotary output drive gear of a surgical robot interface; and a shifter.

A method for generating and updating a three-dimensional representation of a surgical site based on imaging data from an imaging system is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of generating a first image of the surgical site based on structured electromagnetic radiation emitted from the imaging system, receiving a second image of the surgical site, aligning the first image and the second image, generating a three-dimensional representation of the surgical site based on the first image and the second image as aligned, displaying the three-dimensional representation on a display screen, receiving a user selection to manipulate the three-dimensional representation, and updating the three-dimensional representation as displayed on the display screen from a first state to a second state according to the received user selection.

Various surgical hubs are disclosed. A surgical hub comprises a storage device; a processor coupled to the storage device; and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor to: receive data from a surgical instrument coupled to the surgical hub; and determine a rate at which to transfer the data from the surgical hub to a remote cloud-based medical analytics network based on available storage capacity of the storage device.