A surgical instrument is disclosed comprising an actuator and circuitry mounted on and/or embedded in the actuator.

Tissue-engineered electronic peripheral nerve interface (TEENI) devices, methods of using TEENI devices, and systems using TEENI devices are provided. In particular, TEENI devices include a support member having a length, at least one thread set comprising a plurality thread set arms having a plurality of electronic leads running through the thread set arms and being fully encapsulated within the support member, and a plurality of electrodes fixed to the plurality of thread set arms.

An ultrasonic device may include an electromechanical ultrasonic system having a resonant frequency, the system including a transducer coupled to an ultrasonic blade. A method of driving the blade may include determining a tissue type contacting the blade, setting current delivered to the transducer to achieve a desired blade temperature, and setting a desired period during which the desired temperature is applied to the tissue. The tissue type may be determined by measuring an impedance of the transducer, comparing an impedance measurement data point to a reference data point, and classifying the impedance measurement data point based on a result of the comparison. Alternatively, the tissue type may be determined by applying a drive signal to the transducer, sweeping the frequency of the drive signal from below to above a resonance of the ultrasonic system, measuring and recording impedance/admittance variables, and comparing the measured variables to reference variables.

A method of determining an initial temperature of an ultrasonic blade may include measuring a resonant frequency of an ultrasonic blade prior to activating an ultrasonic transducer, in which the ultrasonic transducer is coupled to the blade via an ultrasonic waveguide, comparing the measured resonant frequency to a baseline resonant frequency, determining an initial temperature of the ultrasonic blade based on a difference between the measured resonant frequency and the baseline resonant frequency, and applying a power level to the blade based on the initial temperature of the blade. The method may further include applying a high power level to the transducer when the initial temperature of the ultrasonic blade is low or applying a low power level to the transducer when the initial temperature of the blade is high. The baseline resonant frequency may be stored in a memory look up table.

Methods and systems for providing a safety mechanism for a robotically controlled surgical tool. Embodiments of the methods use sensors to detect parameters that vary by the tissue traversed by a surgical tool. The sensors detect signals arising from the interaction of the surgical tool with the tissue and provide this information to a robotic controller. For example, during drilling, the sensors may measure power, vibration, sound frequency, mechanical load, electrical impedance, and distance traversed according to preoperative measurements on a three-dimensional image set used for planning the tool trajectory. By comparing the detected output with that expected for the tool position based on the planned trajectory, identified discrepancies in output would indicate that the tool has veered from the planned trajectory. The robotic controller may then alter the tool trajectory, change the speed of the tool, or discontinue power to the tool, thereby preventing damage to underlying tissue.

A method for adaptive control of surgical network control and interaction is disclosed. The surgical network includes a surgical feedback system. The surgical feedback system includes a surgical instrument, a data source, and a surgical hub configured to communicably couple to the data source and the surgical instrument. The surgical hub includes a control circuit. The method includes receiving, by the control circuit, information related to devices communicatively coupled to the surgical network; and adaptively controlling, by the control circuit, the surgical network based on the received information.

A treatment system for treating tissue is disclosed in which a handle with an elongate shaft projecting from the handle, a sheath axially slidable relative to the elongate shaft, and an electrode mounted on a proximal portion of the sheath is provided. A substrate having an elongate portion may be located within the handle. A plurality of first and second capacitive sensors may be positioned along the elongate portion. The electrode may be configured to slide along the elongate portion during movement of the sheath. The electrode may maintain contact with at least one of the first capacitive sensors at least one of the second capacitive sensors during movement of the sheath. The substrate may be configured to determine an axial position of the electrode based on a coupling capacitance caused by an electrode overlapping one or more of the first capacitive sensors and one or more of the second capacitive sensors.

A surgical system includes a treatment tool device that performs a treatment on a biological tissue in a liquid. The system includes a detector that detects turbidity information regarding turbidity in the liquid occurring due to the treatment tool device, and a controller configured to control the surgical system based on a detection result of the detector to reduce turbidity by controlling the surgical system in response to the detection result indicating an occurrence of turbidity in the liquid.

A method for adjusting the operation of a surgical instrument using machine learning in a surgical suite is disclosed.

A method implemented by a surgical instrument is disclosed. The surgical instrument includes first and second jaws and a flexible circuit including multiple sensors to optimize performance of a radio frequency (RF) device. The flexible circuit includes at least one therapeutic electrode couplable to a source of RF energy, at least two sensing electrodes, and at least one insulative layer. The insulative layer is positioned between the at least one therapeutic electrode and the at least two sensing electrodes. The method includes contacting tissue positioned between the first and second jaws of the surgical instrument with the at least one therapeutic electrode and at the least two sensing electrodes; sensing signals from the at least two sensing electrodes; and controlling RF energy delivered to the at least one therapeutic electrode based on the sensed signals.