A surgical stapling apparatus includes a shaft assembly, an end effector secured to the shaft assembly, a firing assembly, and an articulation assembly. The firing assembly includes a drive beam and a flexible knife bar assembly that are selectively advanceable through the end effector for firing the end effector. The articulation assembly has an articulation link assembly and a pivotable bar guide assembly. The articulation link assembly is coupled to the end effector and actuatable to cause the end effector to articulate relative to the shaft assembly. The pivotable bar guide assembly supports the flexible knife bar assembly and includes a proximal guide assembly and a distal guide assembly that are pivotably coupled together. The proximal guide assembly is pivotably coupled to the shaft assembly. The distal guide assembly is pivotably coupled to the end effector.

A loading unit for a surgical stapling apparatus includes an anvil assembly, a staple cartridge assembly, and a surgical buttress assembly associated with the anvil or the staple cartridge assembly. Each of the anvil and staple cartridge assemblies has a tissue facing surface defining a central longitudinal slot therethrough. The surgical buttress assembly includes a buttress material positioned on the tissue facing surface of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly and a buttress frame supporting the buttress material. The buttress frame is movable from an undeployed position in which the buttress frame retains the buttress material within the boundaries of the tissue facing surface of the anvil or staple cartridge assembly to a deployed position in which the buttress frame extends the buttress material laterally outwardly from the anvil or staple cartridge assembly.

An end effector for stapling and cutting an anatomical structure includes an anvil, a cartridge, and a blade. The anvil has an anvil face and a plurality of staple pockets positioned on the anvil face. The cartridge has a cartridge face defining a cartridge blade channel, the cartridge being configured to retain a plurality of staples. Each of the plurality of staples comprises a first staple leg, a second staple leg, and a crown connecting the first and second staple legs and having a midpoint. Each of the plurality of staples comprises an open staple configuration and a closed staple configuration where a first portion of the first staple leg and a second portion of the second staple leg are bent relative to the crown such that the first portion of the first staple leg and the second portion of the second staple leg cross the midpoint of the crown.

A surgical device comprising a first jaw member, a second jaw member, a clamping member and a clamp apparatus is disclosed. The clamping member is slidably positioned to translate at least partially through the first jaw member. The clamping member engages the first jaw member and the second jaw member, and has a knife blade for cutting tissue. A flange of the clamping member is configured to engage a cam surface to pivot the second jaw member with respect to the first jaw member from an open position toward an approximated position. The clamp apparatus is movable from a retracted position to an advanced position for preventing a gap between proximal portions of the first jaw member and the second jaw member from exceeding a predetermined distance. The clamping member and the clamp apparatus are separately movable.

A motor-driven surgical cutting and fastening instrument that comprises an end effector, an electric motor, and a motor control circuit. The motor control circuit is for monitoring a parameter of the electric motor that is indicative of movement of a moveable member of the end effector, and for adjustably controlling the electric motor based on the monitored parameter to thereby adjustably control movement of the moveable member of the end effector during forward rotation of the electric motor.

A surgical instrument is disclosed. The surgical instrument can include an end effector, comprising an anvil and a staple cartridge. The surgical instrument can further include a shaft defining a longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument can also include an articulation joint, wherein the end effector is rotatably connected to the shaft about the articulation joint between an unarticulated position and at least one articulated position. The surgical instrument can include means for adjusting the length of a firing stroke as a function of the degree in which the end effector is articulated relative to the longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument can include a sensor configured to defect shifting of lateral portions of a flexible firing bar that extends through the articulation joint. Additionally or alternatively, the surgical instrument can include a relief feature configured to accommodate shifting of lateral portions of a flexible firing bar.

A fastener cartridge can include, one, a cartridge body comprising a deck and a plurality of fastener cavities and, two, a plurality of fasteners positioned in the fastener cavities. The cartridge body can further comprise extensions extending from the deck having different sizes and/or configurations. The extensions can control the flow of tissue relative to the deck and/or support the fasteners as they are ejected from the fastener cavities.

A cartridge of a surgical instrument includes a housing, a drive member, and a knife member. The knife member is driven distally by the drive member and is configured to cut when moved distally. During an initial distal movement of the drive member, the knife member is coupled with the housing to restrain the knife member from moving distally. Subsequent to the initial distal movement of the drive member, the drive member drives the knife member toward the distal end.

A slip ring assembly is used with a surgical shaft assembly. The slip ring assembly includes a slip ring, a first conductor mounted on the slip ring, a commutator rotatable relative to the slip ring, and a second conductor mounted on the commutator. The slip ring assembly further includes a flexible member disposed between the slip ring and the commutator. The flexible member comprises a body and flexible protrusions extending from the body, wherein the flexible protrusions are elastically deformed against the first slip ring.

A method of surgical stapling that uses a surgical instrument operable to compress, staple, and cut tissue. The instrument includes a body, a shaft, and an end effector with a pair of jaws. A placement tip extends distally from one of the jaws of the end effector. The method includes positioning the end effector at a desired site for surgical stapling. The method also includes controlling one or more of the jaws of the end effector to place the end effector in an open position. The method also includes positioning the end effector such that tissue is located between the jaws. The method also includes clamping the tissue between the jaws by moving at least one of the jaws toward the other jaw. The method also includes advancing a firing beam of the apparatus from a proximal position to a distal position.