A surgical instrument comprising a rotatable and translatable firing member is disclosed.

Disclosed is a method of detecting a short circuit in the jaws of an end effector of a surgical instrument. The method includes applying a sub-therapeutic electrical signal to an electrode located in the jaws of the end effector. The sub-therapeutic electrical signal comprises a sequence of exploratory waveforms comprising pulsed current and voltage waveforms. The method includes detecting a shorted electrode when a measured electrical parameter in the jaws of the end effector is less than a predetermined value and modifying electrical current applied to the shorted electrode by the RF generator.

An electrosurgical generator and associated methods determine a real part of the impedance of treated tissue. The electrosurgical generator includes an output stage, a plurality of sensors, and a controller that controls the output stage. The controller includes a signal processor that determines an RMS voltage, an RMS current, an average power, and a real part of the impedance of the treated tissue based on measured voltage and current by using a plurality of averaging filters. The controller controls the output stage to generate electrosurgical energy based on at least the determined real part of the impedance.

Tumor treating fields (TTFields) can be delivered by implanting a plurality of sets of implantable electrode elements within a person's body. Temperature sensors positioned to measure the temperature at the electrode elements are also implanted, along with a circuit that collects temperature measurements from the temperature sensors. In some embodiments, an AC voltage generator configured to apply an AC voltage across the plurality of sets of electrode elements is also implanted within the person's body.

A knife limit for a surgical instrument includes a housing having a shaft extending therefrom configured to support an end effector at a distal end thereof, the end effector including first and second jaw members. One or both of the jaw members including a knife channel defined therein and extending therealong to a distal portion thereof. A knife assembly is disposed within the housing and cooperates with a trigger to translate a knife within the knife channel to the distal portion of the jaw member upon actuation thereof. A knife limit button is disposed within the housing and is configured to limit the distal translation of the knife within the knife channel upon selective actuation thereof. The knife limit button is movable between a first position allowing full translation of the knife within the knife channel and a second position limiting distal translation of the knife within the knife channel.

Control systems and methods for delivery of energy that may include control algorithms that prevent energy delivery if a fault is detected and may provide energy delivery to produce a substantially constant temperature at a delivery site. In some embodiments, the control systems and methods may be used to control the delivery of energy, such as radiofrequency energy, to body tissue, such as lung tissue.

A minimally invasive tissue incision system for creating joint capsulotomies and releasing/incising various tissues, tendons, and fibrous band structures is described. The system contains a penetrating needle which is retractable so as to expose a cutting element, and which may be used as a penetrating needle to pierce the skin and other soft tissue structures. The cutting element provided within the penetrating needle may be used to incise subsequent tissue structures after the initial penetration. The system facilitates such procedures by providing the cutting element with the confines of the needle which provides safe introduction of the cutting element directly to the site via the needle.

An electrosurgical device having first and second poles; blade electrode with a metal shim having two opposing faces and one or more facets, a nonconductive coating which covers at least the faces and a portion of the facets of the metal shim, while a distal portion of the one or more facets remains uncovered by the nonconductive coating; a lateral electrode comprised of a broad shim having one or more conductive faces and is placed parallel to the blade electrode so that at least one of the one or more conductive faces is exposed and a distal end of the blade electrode protrudes from the lateral electrode; the lateral electrode is fixed stationary relative to the blade electrode; the nonconductive coating insulates the blade electrode from the lateral electrode; and the first pole is connected to the blade electrode and the second pole is connected to the lateral electrode.

Systems, devices, and methods for electroporation ablation therapy are disclosed, with a protection device for isolating electronic circuitry, devices, and/or other components from a set of electrodes during a cardiac ablation procedure. A system can include a first set of electrodes disposable near cardiac tissue of a heart and a second set of electrodes disposable in contact with patient anatomy. The system can further include a signal generator configured to generate a pulse waveform, where the signal generator coupled to the first set of electrodes and configured to repeatedly deliver the pulse waveform to the first set of electrodes. The system can further include a protection device configured to selectively couple and decouple an electronic device to the second set of electrodes.

Various embodiments are directed to an electrosurgical system including an end effector, a jaw closure trigger, and a control circuit. The end effector includes a first jaw and a second jaw. The control circuit is configured to receive an input indicating a repeat mode, apply a first tissue bite algorithm to a first electrode and a second electrode based on an occurrence of a first tissue bite, enter a hold state at a termination of the first tissue bite algorithm, and determine an occurrence of a second tissue bite. The first tissue bite is based on the second jaw moving toward a closed configuration via the jaw closure trigger. Entering the hold state includes maintaining a sub-therapeutic signal. Determining the occurrence of the second tissue bite includes sensing a reduction in impedance between the first electrode and the second electrode via the sub-therapeutic signal.