A method for adjusting the operation of a surgical suturing instrument using machine learning in a surgical suite is disclosed. The method comprises gathering data during surgical procedures, wherein the surgical procedures include the use of a surgical suturing instrument comprising a suturing needle configured to be mechanically advanced through a suturing stroke, analyzing the gathered data to determine an appropriate operational adjustment of the surgical suturing instrument, and adjusting the operation of the surgical suturing instrument to improve the operation of the surgical suturing instrument.

An ultrasonically assisted clamping system and method for extending a spinal support rod system to additional vertebrae of the spine. A clamp assembly and a receptacle assembly securely couple an additional extension rod to an existing spinal support rod. Various embodiments further include an ultrasonic assist for cutting through tissue that may be present in the vicinity of the existing spinal support rods. In some embodiments, the clamp assembly is configured to augment the ultrasonic aspect of the system. The system cuts through and locally removes tissue from and proximate to the spinal support rods where the clamp assembly is to be mounted, without the need for a separate surgical procedure for removing the tissue prior to implantation, thereby providing a secure clamping of the newly implanted extension rod to the existing base spinal support rod.

An ultrasonic instrument includes a body, a shaft assembly, and an end effector. The shaft assembly extends distally from the body. The shaft assembly includes an acoustic waveguide configured to acoustically couple with an ultrasonic transducer. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade, a clamp arm and a clamp pad. The ultrasonic blade is in acoustic communication with the waveguide. The clamp arm is pivotally coupled with the shaft assembly. The clamp pad is configured to removably couple with the clamp arm while the clamp arm is pivotally coupled to the shaft assembly.

A surgical instrument includes an end effector, a shaft assembly, and an axial location feature. The end effector includes an ultrasonic blade and a clamp arm that can move between an open and closed position. The shaft assembly includes a proximal shaft portion, an acoustic waveguide extending proximally from the ultrasonic blade, a distal shaft portion extending along a distal axis, and an articulation section interposed between the proximal shaft portion and the distal shaft portion. The articulation section can deflect the distal shaft portion and the end effector relative to the longitudinal axis between a non-deflected position and a deflected position. The axial location feature can inhibit the ultrasonic blade from shifting relative to the clamp arm along the distal axis as the end effector is driven between the non-deflected position and the deflected position.

A method of operating a modular surgical system including a control module, a first surgical module, and a second surgical module is disclosed. The method includes detachably connecting the first surgical module to the control module by stacking the first surgical module with the control module in a stack configuration, detachably connecting the second surgical module to the first surgical module by stacking the second surgical module with the control module and the first surgical module in the stack configuration, powering up the modular surgical system, and monitoring distribution of power from a power supply of the control module to the first surgical module and the second surgical module.

A surgical instrument includes a housing, an end effector, a movable handle, and a drive assembly. The movable handle includes first and second cantilever spring arms and is movable relative to the housing between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position. The first cantilever spring arm is flexed upon movement of the movable handle from the spaced-apart position towards the approximated position to bias the movable handle towards the spaced-apart position. The drive assembly is operably coupled between the movable handle and the end effector such that movement of the movable handle from the spaced-apart position towards the approximated position moves the end effector from an open position towards a clamping position for clamping tissue. The second cantilever spring arm is flexed upon application of a threshold pressure to tissue clamped by the end effector to control an amount of pressure applied to tissue clamped by the end effector.

A skin treatment apparatus, such as a microdermabrasion or dermaplaning apparatus, includes a housing having a top end and a bottom end, a treatment head attached to the top end of the housing and arranged to exfoliate skin within a treatment area, and a cooling member provided on the bottom end of the housing arranged to cool skin within the treatment area.

A method of compressing tissue during a surgical procedure is disclosed. The method comprises obtaining a surgical instrument comprising an end effector, wherein the end effector comprises a first jaw and a second jaw, establishing a communication pathway between the surgical instrument and a surgical hub, and inserting the surgical instrument into a surgical site. The method further comprises compressing tissue between the first jaw and the second jaw, determining a location of the compressed tissue with respect to at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw, communicating the determined location of the compressed tissue to the surgical hub, and displaying the determined location of the compressed tissue on a visual feedback device.

An ultrasonic surgical blade, wherein the blade has a curved shape, and both sides of the blade are provided with cutting surfaces, one surface is a concave surface and the other surface is a convex surface. The thickness of the blade is gradually thinned along a cutting direction from a proximal end to a distal end. The concave surface length is set as L1, the radius of curvature R1; the length of the convex surface L2, the radius of curvature R2; the angle of the bending of the center line of the blade is α; the diameter of the proximal end of the blade is D; the thickness of the most distal end surface of the blade is T. The relationship among them is: L1=L2+L2/1.5*(D−T)*SIN(α) (1), R1=R2+2T (2). The range of each size is adjustable within 10%. An ultrasonic wave guide and an ultrasonic scalpel using this blade have fewer potential resonant frequencies, so the thermal damage to the tissue is small, and the performance is more stable.

An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a transducer configured to produce a first mode of ultrasonic energy and a waveguide coupled to the transducer. The waveguide includes a proximal body portion coupled to and extending distally from the transducer. The proximal body portion is configured to receive the first mode of ultrasonic energy from the transducer for transmission therealong. The waveguide further includes a distal body portion, a blade extending distally from the distal body portion, and an articulation portion interconnecting the proximal and distal body portions. The articulation portion is configured to enable articulation of the distal body portion relative to the proximal body portion, to receive the first mode of ultrasonic energy from the proximal body portion, convert the first mode of ultrasonic energy into a second mode of ultrasonic energy, and transmit the second mode of ultrasonic energy along the distal body portion to the blade.