Disclosed is a flexible surgical instrument system comprising a flexible surgical instrument and a driving unit. The flexible surgical instrument can comprise a flexible continuous body structure composed of a distal structural body, a proximal structural body and a middle connecting body. The distal structural body can comprise a distal segment, comprising a distal spacing disk, a distal fixation disk and structural backbones. The proximal structural body can comprise a proximal segment comprising a proximal spacing disk, a proximal fixation disk and structural backbones. The middle connecting body can comprise channel fixing plates and a structural backbone guide channel. The driving unit can comprise a driving unit fixing plate. Linear motion mechanisms are provided between the driving unit fixing plate and the channel fixing plate near the proximal structural body, an output end of each of the linear motion mechanisms is securely connected to a first driving backbone.

An exemplary embodiment provides a steering gear (13) for a surgical instrument (1), which can be arranged at the proximal end (3) of a shaft (2) that defines a longitudinal axis (B) and has a bending mechanism (9) at the distal end (5). The steering gear (13) has two controllable and adjustable motorised drives and is designed to transfer the adjustment angles of the two controllable and adjustable motorised drives to a spatial alignment of a swash plate (14) which is designed to control the distal bending mechanism (9) of the surgical instrument (1). The swash plate (14) is arranged in a steering ring (19), and each of the two controllable and adjustable motorised drives has a drive shaft (17a, 17b) driven by a motor (17, 17′), each of which is connected to the steering ring (19) directly and operatively connected via a force transmitter (16, 16′), wherein the two force transmitters (16, 16′) which are arranged on the drive shafts (17a, 17b) each define a drive axis (C, C′), directly contacting the steering ring (19) at an effective section (W). The steering ring (19) is cardanically suspended on a fastening device which has position sensors (23, 24, 25) on its cardan axes. Furthermore, a surgical instrument (1) with a steering gear (13) and a method for controlling the position of a steering ring (19) of a steering gear (13) are disclosed.

An ultrasonic surgical instrument and method of deflecting an end effector includes the end effector having an ultrasonic blade, a shaft assembly defining a longitudinal axis, and a body assembly. The shaft assembly has an articulation section configured to articulate from a straight configuration to an articulated configuration and an acoustic waveguide with a flexible waveguide portion positioned within the articulation section. The body assembly proximally extends from the shaft assembly and includes a housing and a shiftable transducer. The shiftable transducer is secured to the acoustic waveguide and configured to generate an ultrasonic energy. In addition, the shiftable transducer assembly is movably mounted relative to the housing and configured to accommodate deflection of the end effector.

A medical device for performing a hysterectomy is provided. The medical device has a tissue incision assembly that includes a first cup nested within a second cup. The tissue incision assembly also includes a spacer assembly between the first cup and the second cup in order to maintain a spacing between the first and second cups. The tissue incision assembly also has a cutting implement that has a portion extending between, and movable with respect to, the first and second cups. The cutting implement can provide a circular cut guided via the spacing between the first and second cups.

A surgical instrument, such as a tissue sealing instrument, is provided with an end effector having first and second movable jaws that define a gap therebetween in the closed position for clamping, sealing and/or stapling tissue. The jaws are movable relative to each other in the closed position to reduce a thickness of least one portion of this gap. This configuration allows the jaws to be moved closer together to reduce the overall size of the instrument when, for example, the instrument is introduced and retracted through an opening in the patient, or maneuvered within a body cavity. The surgical instrument may also have multiple settings for use with different staple cartridges, while still maintaining a fixed dimension between the two jaws for clamping, stapling and/or sealing tissue, providing a more adaptable surgical instrument that allows the surgeon to use different staple cartridges without having to change surgical instruments.

The disclosure provides a surgical apparatus comprising: a steerable member that is bendable and comprises a plurality of bending segments with channels therein; and a plurality of bending actuation wires that are arranged to pass through the steerable member and cause the steerable member to bend, the steerable member comprising at least one outwardly opening lumen through which the bending actuation wires pass.

A staple cartridge comprising staple drivers including stability supports is disclosed.

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

Disclosed is an electrosurgical instrument including an end effector with a cartridge having an asymmetric cartridge body.

Disclosed is a surgical instrument comprising an end effector with energy sensitive resistance elements.