A surgical instrument system is disclosed which comprises a distal end and a staple cartridge assembly comprising staples removably stored therein. The instrument system further comprises a firing drive including an electric motor and a firing member operably couplable with the electric motor. The electric motor is operable to advance the firing member toward the distal end during a staple firing stroke to eject the staples from the staple cartridge. The electric motor is operable to retract the firing member away from the distal end during a retraction stroke. The surgical instrument system further comprises a manually-operated bailout mechanism operable to perform the retraction stroke in lieu of the electric motor, a controller, and a display in communication with the controller. The controller is configured to display the progress of the retraction stroke when the firing member is being manually retracted by the bailout mechanism.

In some embodiments, an apparatus can include a surgical table and an adapter coupled thereto. The adapter includes an interface structure, a first link member pivotally coupled to the interface structure at a first joint, and coupled to a second link member of the adapter at a second joint. The second link member can also be coupleable to a robotic arm via a coupling. The first joint can allow the first link member to rotate about a first axis defined in a vertical direction relative to the table top, and the second joint can allow the second link member and a robotic arm coupled thereto to move in a vertical direction relative to the table top. The first link member and the second link member collectively provide for movement of the robotic arm in at least one of a lateral, longitudinal or vertical direction relative to the table top.

A medical instrument can have an elongated shaft, at least three bending stiffness zones arranged along a length of the elongated shaft, and at least two transition zones that have a variable bending stiffness extending over a length thereof. Each bending stiffness zone can have a bending stiffness that extends over a length of the bending stiffness zone. The variable bending stiffness of each transition zone can vary from a first bending stiffness on a first side of the transition zone to a second bending stiffness on a second side of the transition zone.

Disclosed is an instrument that may an interior tube and an external tube. The exterior tube may be fixed relative to an interior tube, where the interior tube may rotate or oscillate relative to the exterior tube. Further, the two tubes may be co-bent such that an angle is formed by both of the tubes.

A surgical instrument system is disclosed which comprises a distal end and a staple cartridge assembly comprising staples removably stored therein. The instrument system further comprises a firing drive including an electric motor and a firing member operably couplable with the electric motor. The electric motor is operable to advance the firing member toward the distal end during a staple firing stroke to eject the staples from the staple cartridge. The electric motor is operable to retract the firing member away from the distal end during a retraction stroke. The surgical instrument system further comprises a manually-operated bailout mechanism operable to perform the retraction stroke in lieu of the electric motor, a controller, and a display in communication with the controller. The controller is configured to display the progress of the retraction stroke when the firing member is being manually retracted by the bailout mechanism.

Articulating medical instruments and corresponding techniques can be utilized using a robotically enabled medical system. In a surgical method, a clinician can insert a distal end of a medical instrument into a treatment area of a patient. Once inserted, a first bending section of the medical instrument can be articulated by driving one or more motors of an articulation handle that is positioned at a proximal end of the elongated shaft.

A system a guidewire and a tensioning mechanism. The guidewire includes a thin elongated structure and an outer shell around a first portion of the thin elongated structure. A second portion of the thin elongated structure is exposed outside the thin elongated structure. The tensioning mechanism is configured to engage the second portion of the thin elongated structure to move the guidewire between a flexible state and a rigid state.

A surgical tool including an inelastic and elastic cable to impart a bend to a shaft. A steering assembly is coupled to the shaft and configured to cause longitudinal displacement of the shaft relative to the body to tension the cables to bend the shaft bendable section in a direction of the flexible inelastic cable. The surgical tool may include an active tip with one of the cables being configured to supply energy to the active tip. The surgical tool may be a shaver that includes a shaver shaft having a flexible section configured to be aligned with a shaft bendable section with the motor of the shaver supported on a cradle of a body. The shaft bendable section may be formed by links with the flexible inelastic cable being arcuately spaced apart from tabs within sockets that engage adjacent links.

A surgical instrument system is disclosed which comprises a distal end and a staple cartridge assembly comprising staples removably stored therein. The instrument system further comprises a firing drive including an electric motor and a firing member operably couplable with the electric motor. The electric motor is operable to advance the firing member toward the distal end during a staple firing stroke to eject the staples from the staple cartridge. The electric motor is operable to retract the firing member away from the distal end during a retraction stroke. The surgical instrument system further comprises a manually-operated bailout mechanism operable to perform the retraction stroke in lieu of the electric motor, a controller, and a display in communication with the controller. The controller is configured to display the progress of the retraction stroke when the firing member is being manually retracted by the bailout mechanism.

A medical apparatus includes a bendably deformable portion, a deforming-force-transmitting mechanism that is connected to a part of the bendably deformable portion, and an operation portion that applies a deforming force or a shape retaining force to the bendably deformable portion by controlling a tension applied to the deforming-force-transmitting mechanism.