A cartridge for use with a surgical instrument includes a curved body and a deck defined by the curved body and configured to clamp tissue against an anvil. A plurality of staple openings is formed in the deck and is configured to house a plurality of staples. An arcuate slot is formed in the deck and is configured to slidably receive a cutting member therethrough. The deck includes a sloped deck portion that slopes away from the arcuate slot in a direction transverse to a length of the arcuate slot. The sloped deck portion is configured to provide varied compression of tissue across a width of the deck.

A method of stapling tissue is disclosed. The method can include obtaining a staple cartridge including a plurality of staples, wherein each staple has a base and a leg extending from the base. The stapling method can also include firing the staples from the staple cartridge, wherein the staples are fired into tissue in a staple line. The staple line can include a first portion having a first flexibility and a second portion having a second flexibility, wherein the second flexibility is different than the first flexibility. A method of stapling tissue can also include adapting an anvil with an anvil plate having an arrangement of staple-forming pockets that differs from the staple-forming pockets in the anvil.

Methods for operating a surgical instrument are disclosed. In various instances, the methods include preventing the operation of the surgical instrument in some capacity if an unspent staple cartridge is not seated in the surgical instrument. Moreover, in various instances, the methods include preventing the operation of the surgical instrument in some capacity if the surgical instrument cannot identify and/or authenticate the staple cartridge seated in the surgical instrument.

A surgical instrument comprising a staple cartridge and at least two independent antenna arrays configured to communicate with the staple cartridge.

A surgical tool comprising a drive housing having first and second ends, a lead screw extending between the first and second ends and rotatably coupled to the first end at a drive input, a carriage mounted to the lead screw at a carriage nut and movable within the drive housing between the first and second ends, and an instrument driver arranged at an end of a robotic arm and matable with the first end. A drive output is matable with the drive input such that rotation of the drive output correspondingly rotates the drive input and the lead screw to thereby translate the carriage nut along the lead screw. A fin may be connected to the carriage and accessible by a user from an exterior of the drive housing to manually translate the carriage along the lead screw and thereby backdrive the drive output.

A surgical tool comprising a drive housing having a first end and a second end, a spline extending between the first and second ends and being rotatably coupled to the first end at a drive input, a drive gear coupled to and rotatable with the spline, a carriage movably mounted to the spline and housing an activating mechanism operatively coupled to the drive gear such that rotation of the spline actuates the activating mechanism, and a bailout mechanism arranged at the second end. The bailout mechanism may include a lever that is movable relative to the spline, from a first position, where the spline is disengaged from the lever, to a second position, where the spline engages the lever such that rotation of the lever correspondingly rotates the spline.

A surgical stapler includes a tubular body portion and a cartridge assembly disposed at a distal end of the body portion for expelling an annular array of staples. Each of the staples of the annular array of staples has a generally bent backspan. An anvil member disposed at the distal end of the tubular body portion is positioned opposite the cartridge assembly to clinch the staples in tissue upon expulsion of the staples from the cartridge assembly. The anvil member has a corresponding annular array of staple forming buckets. Each of the buckets is configured to accommodate the generally bent configuration of the staples to facilitate formation thereof.

A surgical stapling instrument is disclosed. An end effector for the surgical stapling instrument comprises a staple cartridge assembly and an anvil. The staple cartridge assembly comprises a proximal end, a distal end, and a cartridge body comprising a shortened nose at the distal end. The staple cartridge assembly further comprises staples removably stored in the cartridge body, a driver configured to support at least one of the staples, and a sled movable toward the distal end. The sled comprises a ramp configured to lift the driver and at least one of the staples and a base, wherein the shortened nose of the cartridge body is shorter than the base of the sled. The anvil comprises a staple forming surface comprising a plurality of staple forming pockets and a blunt distal nose extending downward toward the staple cartridge assembly.

A surgical end effector includes a cartridge. The cartridge includes first and second sensor arrays disposed in the cartridge. The first sensor array is configured to sense a function of a first component located within the cartridge and the second sensor array is configured to sense a function of a second component located within the cartridge. The first and second sensor arrays are electrically coupled to an electronic circuit. The electronic circuit includes a control circuit configured to receive signal samples from the first sensor array, receive signal samples from the second sensor array, and process the signals samples received from the first and second sensor arrays to determine a status of the cartridge.

In various embodiments, a tissue thickness compensator can comprise one or more capsules and/or pockets comprising at least one medicament therein. In at least one embodiment, staples can be fired through the tissue thickness compensator to rupture the capsules. In certain embodiments, a firing member, or knife, can be advanced through the tissue thickness compensator to rupture the capsules.