A surgical instrument configured for both grasping and cutting operations has a shaft with a push rod extending through it. An end effector on the shaft has a grasping jaw, a cutting jaw, and an intermediate jaw. The grasping jaw forms a grasping device with the intermediate jaw, and the cutting jaw forming a cutting device with the intermediate member. A segment of the shaft proximal to the end effector is axially rotatable between a first position, in which the push rod can advance through the segment to actuate the cutting device, and a second position in which the push rod can advance through the segment to actuate the grasping device.

A robotic surgical instrument, comprising: a shaft; an end effector element; an articulation at a distal end of the shaft for articulating the end effector element, the articulation comprising a first joint permitting the end effector to adopt a range of configurations relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, the first joint being driveable by a first pair of driving elements; and an instrument interface at a proximal end of the shaft, comprising: a chassis formed from the securement of a first chassis portion to a second chassis portion, wherein the first pair of driving elements are secured relative to the chassis, the chassis portions being configured to be secured together by sliding the chassis portions relative to each other in a longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

A surgical instrument includes a shaft and a pair of jaw members disposed on the shaft and extending from an at least partially spherical element. The jaw members are moveable in pitch and yaw relative to the center of the sphere in response to actuation forces applied to a proximal drive mechanism of the instrument. The surgical instrument may include a manually operated handle for manual input of actuation forces by a user, or it may be removably mounted to a drive component of a robotic system such that its proximal drive mechanism is operatively engaged with actuators that generate mechanical output that is transferred to the proximal drive mechanism.

A deployment mechanism for selectively deploying and retracting an energizable member and/an insulative member relative to an end effector assembly of a surgical instrument includes one or more actuators, a clutch assembly, and a drive assembly. The clutch assembly is configured to couple to the actuator(s) to provide rotational motion in the first direction in response to such rotation of the actuator(s) and to decouple from the actuator(s) in response to rotation thereof in the second direction. The drive assembly is operably coupled to the clutch assembly and is configured to convert the rotational motion provided by the clutch assembly into longitudinal motion to translate the energizable member and/or insulative member from a storage position to a deployed position and to translate the energizable member and/or the insulative member from the deployed position back to the storage position.

A surgical tool having an open-close end effector is to be provided. The surgical tool includes: a shaft; a wrist that is connected to the shaft rotatably about a first axis; a first jaw member and a second jaw member, each of which is supported rotatably about a second axis; and an elastic member that applies a repulsive force between the first jaw member and the second jaw member. The surgical tool further includes: a first jaw capstan provided for the first jaw member; a first cable that pulls the first jaw member; a second jaw capstan provided for the second jaw member; and a second cable that pulls the second jaw member.

A surgical tool having an open-close end effector is to be provided.

The surgical tool includes: a shaft; a wrist that is connected to the end of the shaft and is rotatable about a first axis; a first jaw member and a second jaw member that are supported rotatably about a second axis with respect to the wrist; sets of first and second forward and backward cables that transmit forces for turning the first jaw member and the second jaw member, respectively, about the second axis; and a turning motion unit that generates a turning motion of the wrist about the first axis so that pre-tension of the set of first forward and backward cables and the set of second forward and backward cables does not change.

A medical instrument comprises a housing and an elongated sheath configured to be attached to the housing. The elongated sheath includes opposed distal end and proximal end along a longitudinal axis. An end effector is configured to be attached to the distal end of the elongated sheath. The end effector includes a pair of grasps. A direction changer is used to change a direction of the end effector with respect to the distal end of the elongated sheath. A first drive shaft movable in the elongated sheath in ganged relation for opening and closing movement of the pair of grasps. A second drive shaft movable in the elongated sheath in ganged relation for angular movement of the end effector by the direction changer with respect to the elongated sheath. An operating member is configured to actuate the second drive shaft between a bent positions and a neutral position.

A surgical instrument end effector assembly includes a first jaw member defining an insulative tissue-contacting surface and first and second electrically-conductive tissue-contacting surfaces disposed on either side of the insulative surface. A second jaw member of the end effector assembly includes an ultrasonic blade body positioned to oppose the insulative surface of the first jaw member, and first and second electrically-conductive tissue-contacting surfaces disposed on either side of the ultrasonic blade body and positioned to oppose the first and second electrically-conductive surfaces, respectively, of the first jaw member. The first jaw member is movable relative to the second jaw member between a spaced-apart position and an approximated position to grasp tissue therebetween. The first and second electrically-conductive surfaces of the second jaw member are movable, independent of the first jaw member, relative to the first jaw member and the ultrasonic blade body between a retracted position and an extended position.

A medical device includes a link, a first tool member, a second tool member and a third tool member, which each have a proximal end portion movably coupled to the link and a distal end portion. The distal end portion of the first tool member can engage a first object and be associated with a first medical function, the distal end portion of the second tool member can engage a second object and be associated with a second medical function, and the distal end portion of the third tool member can engage the first object or the second object and be associated with the first and/or second medical function. Each of the first, second and third tool members can move relative to the link independent of movement of the each of the other tool members.

A surgical instrument for cutting and grasping tissue comprising a handle assembly, an elongated member and first and second jaws. A first movable member moves the second jaw in a first direction about a first pivot axis in a grasping action and a second movable member moves the second jaw in a second direction different than the first direction and about a second pivot axis in a cutting action. A switch is positioned at the proximal portion of the instrument and a selecting member is actuated by movement of the switch, the selecting member movable between a first position to enable movement of the second jaw in the first direction and prohibit movement in the second direction and a second position to enable movement of the second jaw in the second direction and prohibit movement in the first direction.