A surgical stapling device includes a tool assembly that includes a drive assembly having a drive member and a working end. The working end of the drive assembly has a I-beam configuration and includes a first beam, a second beam, and a strut interconnecting the first beam and the second beam. The strut defines a slot. The drive member includes a distal portion that is press-fit into the slot in the strut to secure the working end to the drive member.

An end effector for use by a surgeon to staple an anatomical structure of a patient during a surgical procedure includes an anvil and a cartridge. Each of the anvil and the cartridge has a face that is positionable on the anatomical structure. The anvil is coupled to the cartridge at first and second ends. The anvil is movable relative to the cartridge to define a first gap between the faces at the first ends that is different from a second gap between the faces at the second ends.

A staple cartridge assembly for use with a surgical stapling instrument includes a staple cartridge including a plurality of staples and a cartridge deck. The staple cartridge assembly also includes a compressible adjunct positionable against the cartridge deck, wherein the staples are deployable into tissue captured against the compressible adjunct, and wherein the compressible adjunct comprises a first biocompatible layer comprising a first portion, a second biocompatible layer comprising a second portion, and crossed spacer fibers extending between the first portion and the second portion.

A surgical stapling apparatus includes an end effector and an electronics assembly, the end effector having an anvil assembly and a cartridge assembly. The anvil and cartridge assemblies are positionable between an open position and a closed position to selectively grasp tissue therebetween. The electronics assembly is supported in the end effector and configured to determine a condition of the grasped tissue based on an amount of current in an electrical circuit defined by the anvil and cartridge assemblies.

A circular stapling device includes an elongate body having a flexible outer tube that supports a reload assembly, a flexible inner cable that supports an anvil assembly, and a flexible central tube that is supported about the inner cable and within the outer tube. The stapling device is configured to access body cavities which cannot be easily accessed by a circular stapling device having a rigid shaft.

A surgical stapling device includes a tool assembly and a drive assembly. The tool assembly includes an anvil assembly and a cartridge assembly that define longitudinal axes. The drive assembly is movable from a retracted position to move the tool assembly from an open position in which the longitudinal axes of the anvil and cartridge assemblies define an acute angle, to a partially clamped position in which the longitudinal axes of the anvil and cartridge assemblies are substantially parallel, and to a clamped position in which the longitudinal axes of the anvil and cartridge assemblies are substantially parallel.

A surgical instrument includes a body, a shaft, and an end effector. The end effector includes a staple cartridge unit having a housing and an anvil configured to form staples ejected from the housing into tissue. The end effector also includes a cartridge retaining member having an opposed pair of jaws configured to cooperate to grip the housing of the staple cartridge unit. The end effector further includes a deflectable retention member configured to removably secure the housing of the staple cartridge unit to the cartridge retaining member. The deflectable retention member is presented by one of the staple cartridge unit or the cartridge retaining member, and is configured to be deflected relative to a portion of the one of the staple cartridge unit or the cartridge retaining member from an undeflected state to a deflected state by the other of the staple cartridge unit or the cartridge retaining member.

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 laparoscopic stapler for stapling tissue is proved. The laparoscopic stapler comprises a flippable anvil assembly and a flippable staple housing assembly which can be moved with respect to the flippable anvil assembly, wherein the anvil assembly and the staple housing assembly are respectively configured to be operable in a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein in the first configuration, the anvil assembly and the staple housing assembly both have a low profile so that the anvil assembly and the staple housing assembly can be delivered separately through a 12 mm trocar, and in the second configuration, the anvil assembly and the staple housing assembly has a high profile for performing tissue stapling.

Apparatus and methods are provided for performing a medical procedure, such as a laparoscopic appendectomy using a stapler apparatus including a reusable handle portion including a shaft include proximal and distal ends, a disposable end effector attached to the distal end of the shaft of the reusable handle carrying one or more staples. For example, the end effector may include first and second jaws movable relative to one another between open and closed positions, the first jaw carrying a cartridge which includes the one or more staples. A Doppler sensor, a cutting element, and, optionally, a thermal element are also provided on the end effector. The end effector is introduced into a patient's body, tissue is positioned/locked between the jaws, and a plurality of staples are deployed into the tissue. The Doppler sensor is used to confirm that blood flow has discontinued in the stapled tissue, and the cutting element is actuated to sever the stapled tissue.