A surgical instrument comprising an elongate shaft, an articulation joint, and a channel extending from the elongate shaft at a point distal to the articulation joint is disclosed. The surgical instrument further comprises an end effector assembly comprising an anvil and a cartridge pivotally coupled to the anvil. The anvil is configured to move relative to the cartridge between an open position and a closed position. The cartridge is configured to be replaceably seated in the channel A drive screw is mounted in the channel before the cartridge is seated therein, and a firing member is positioned on the drive screw before the cartridge is seated in the channel. The firing member is configured to translate through the end effector assembly during a firing stroke.

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.

Disclosed is a method of adapting energy modality due to a short circuit or tissue type grasped in the jaws of an end effector of a surgical instrument. The method includes selecting an electrode in an array of segmented electrodes during a pre-energy activation cycle. The method includes applying a sub-therapeutic electrical signal to the selected electrode to differentiate between a shorted electrode and low impedance tissue grasped in the jaws of the end effector. The method includes determining the selected electrode is shorted based on a measured electrical parameter received by the control circuit after applying the sub-therapeutic electrical signal and blending monopolar and bipolar RF energy. The method includes determining that the selected electrode is shorted and switching output energy of the RF generator between monopolar and bipolar RF energy.

Disclosed are surgical instruments configured to control therapeutic energy application to tissue based on cartridge and tissue parameters.

A surgical instrument comprising a translatable closing bar and a translatable firing bar is disclosed.

Disclosed is a surgical system for tissue treatment using therapeutic energy and stapling.

A staple cartridge comprising a cartridge body including staple formation features is disclosed.

In general, separable surgical instrument joints and methods of using separable surgical instrument joints are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a surgical instrument includes a joint at which a distal tip of the surgical instrument is configured to articulate relative to an elongate shaft of the instrument. The surgical instrument is configured to move between first and second states. In the first state, the distal tip of the surgical instrument cannot be articulated relative to the elongate shaft. In the second state, the distal tip can be articulated relative to the elongate shaft.

A tissue manipulation device including a securing member pivotably coupled to a handle portion and is pivotably displaceable between an engaged position and a disengaged position. A distal end of a wire is coupled to an end effector of the tissue manipulation device, and the proximal end of the wire is removably coupled to an engagement portion of the securing member when the securing member is in the engaged position and is disengaged from the engagement portion of the securing member when the securing member is in the disengaged position. When the securing member is in the engaged position, the wire couples the securing member and the end effector such that when the securing member is displaced from a first securing member position to a second securing member position, the end effector is displaced from a undeployed position to a deployed position.

A flexible tubular drive shaft for a medical device comprising: an elongated tubular body having an opening extending along a longitudinal axis from a proximal end and a distal end. The elongated tubular body includes a proximal portion having a first rigid section and a first flexible section; a middle portion having a second rigid section; and a distal portion having a second flexible section. The first rigid section is configured to couple the tubular drive shaft to a torque input apparatus to transfer torque to the distal end of the tubular body. The first flexible section is configured to minimize torsion of the tubular body between the first rigid section and the second rigid section, and the second flexible section is configured to increase flexibility of the distal portion of the tubular body.