A surgical stapling instrument including a stapling end effector configured for unilateral sealing of tissue. The stapling end effector includes an anvil assembly, a cartridge assembly coupled to the anvil assembly such that stapling end effector is movable between open and closed positions; and a clamping member slidably disposed about the anvil assembly and the cartridge assembly between an initial position in which the stapling end effector is in the open position and subsequent advanced positions in which the stapling end effector is in the closed position. The clamping member includes a substantially “C”-shaped cross-section with a leading edge. The leading edge includes a blade portion positioned outwards of the anvil and cartridge assemblies.

A surgical stapling device includes a tool assembly and a buttress assembly. The tool assembly includes first and second jaw members that are transitionable between closed and open configurations. At least one of the first or second jaw members includes a retention assembly including a support defining a recess. The buttress assembly includes a buttress material and a spine. The buttress material includes first and second portions. The spine includes an elongate portion extending along a length of the first and second portions of the buttress material and an engaging portion attached to the elongate portion in an orthogonal relation. The engaging portion is detachably received in the recess of the support of the retention assembly of the at least one of the first or second jaw members.

A surgical stapler, a cartridge for a surgical stapler, a cutting mechanism for a surgical stapler, and a method of applying surgical staples in a patient are disclosed herein. The stapler may have an anvil movably coupled to a support jaw between a clamped configuration and a closed configuration. The cartridge may be configured to fit within an envelope diameter and to removably house a plurality of B-form staples, at least one of the plurality of B-form staples having a base length and a leg length, the leg length at least 53% of the envelope diameter. The cartridge may have slots shaped to house at least a second one of the plurality of staples at an angle oblique to the first one of the plurality of staples.

A surgical tool for use with a robotic system that includes a tool drive assembly that is operatively coupled to a control unit of the robotic system that is operable by inputs from an operator and is configured to robotically-generate output motions. A drive system is configured to interface with a corresponding portion of the tool drive assembly for receiving the robotically-generated output motions and applying the output motions to a drive shaft assembly which is configured to apply control motions to a surgical end effector operably coupled thereto. A manually-actuatable control system operably interfaces with the drive shaft assembly to facilitate the selective application of manually-generated control motions to the drive shaft assembly.

A cartridge assembly of a surgical stapling instrument includes a housing having an arcuate configuration, a knife disposed within the housing, and a staple actuator configured to eject staples. A longitudinally-extending cutting edge of the knife is configured to advance through tissue after the staple actuator ejects all of the staples from the cartridge assembly.

Surgical stapling devices have a metal coating on an anvil jaw member of the surgical stapling device, on a surface of staple pockets of a staple cartridge of the surgical stapling device, or any combination thereof. When the surgical stapling device is fired, the metal is transferred from the metal coating on the anvil jaw member, the staple pockets of the staple cartridge, etc., onto the staple. The resulting metal coating on the staple enhances healing of the tissue to which the staple is applied.

A purse-string applicator for use in an anastomosis procedure includes an introducer sleeve, a handle assembly, and a support ring. The introducer sleeve includes a tubular body portion having proximal and distal portions. A handle portion is disposed on the proximal portion of the tubular body, and an introducer portion is disposed on the distal portion of the tubular body. The handle assembly includes an elongate shaft portion and a release mechanism. The release mechanism is positionable distal of the distal portion of the introducer sleeve. The support ring is releasably engageable by the release mechanism of the handle assembly and includes an annular body portion and first and second rim portions. The release mechanism releasably retains the support ring adjacent the distal portion of the introducer sleeve. The purse-string applicator may be included in a kit along with an anvil assembly, an adapter assembly, and/or a circular stapling instrument.

A handle assembly for a surgical stapler can comprise a rotatable actuation shaft. The actuation shaft can have a first rotational orientation in which it can actuate a jaw assembly in a repeatable open and close mode, a second rotational orientation in which it can actuate a jaw assembly in a staple firing mode, and a third rotational orientation in which it can actuate a jaw assembly in a reversing mode. The handle assembly can include a rotational mechanism arranged to discretely position the rotatable actuation shaft in one of the rotational orientations. The rotational mechanism can be arranged for single handed operation such as by including a slidable switch or selector to rotate the actuation shaft.

Surgical systems can include evacuation systems for evacuating smoke, fluid, and/or particulates from a surgical site. A surgical evacuation system can be intelligent and may include one or more sensors for detecting one or more properties of the surgical system, evacuation system, surgical procedure, surgical site, and/or patient tissue, for example.

A surgical instrument comprising motor-driven drive systems is disclosed. The surgical instrument comprises a control system configured to shift the surgical instrument between an end effector articulation mode and a staple firing mode.