An apparatus comprises a body assembly, a shaft, an acoustic waveguide, an articulation section, an end effector, and an articulation drive assembly. The shaft extends distally from the body assembly and defines a longitudinal axis. The acoustic waveguide comprises a flexible portion. The articulation section is coupled with the shaft. A portion of the articulation section encompasses the flexible portion of the waveguide. The articulation section comprises a plurality of body portions aligned along the longitudinal axis and a flexible locking member. The flexible locking member is operable to secure the body portions in relation to each other and in relation to the shaft. The end effector comprises an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the waveguide. The articulation drive assembly is operable to drive articulation of the articulation section to thereby deflect the end effector from the longitudinal axis.

A robotic surgical instrument comprising a shaft and end effector element connected by an articulation. The articulation comprises a first joint driveable by a first pair of driving elements. The first joint permits the end effector element to rotate about a first axis transverse to a longitudinal axis of the shaft, the rotation of the end effector element about the first axis bounded by an extreme rotation angle relative to the longitudinal axis. A second joint is driveable by a second pair of driving elements. A pulley arrangement constrains the second pair of driving elements, and comprises a first set of pulleys rotatable about the first axis, and a second set of pulleys located relative to the first set of pulleys such that at the extreme rotation angle the second pair of driving elements is retained in contact with both the first and second sets of pulleys.

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 relates to an input unit (10) for operating a medical instrument (12) with a hollow shaft (14) extending along a longitudinal axis (L) for receiving guide wires (20), with a tool (16) arranged on the distal side of the shaft (14), extending along an extension axis (E) and a control unit (18) arranged proximally on the shaft (14) for handling the tool (16) by means of the guide wires (20), comprising first input means (22) for continuous, pivoting and rotation-true, preferably uninterrupted and/or absolute, conversion of an ergonomically limited user input, in particular a natural user movement of movable first operating means, into an adjustment movement of the tool (16) in a first handling mode, in order to pivot the tool (16) by means of the control unit (18) relative to the longitudinal axis (L) in a limited way and/or to rotate about the extension axis (E) in a limited way.

An exemplary embodiment provides a steering gear (13) for a surgical instrument (1) which has two motorised drives and is designed to spatially align a swash plate (14) via the adjustment angles of the two drives, which is designed to control the distal bending mechanism (9) of the surgical instrument (1). The first drive has a first drive pinion (16) which can be driven by a first motor (17) via a first drive shaft (17a) which defines a first drive axis (C) and which is connected to a first drive wheel rim (19) of a first drive wheel (18) in operative connection. The second drive has a second drive pinion (16′) which can be driven by a second motor (17′) via a second drive shaft (17a′) which defines a second drive axis (C′) and is connected to a second drive wheel rim (19′) of a second drive wheel (18′) in operative connection. The first and the second drive wheel (18, 18′) are designed as double wheels (18, 18′), each of which has the corresponding drive wheel rim (19, 19′) and a deviation wheel rim (15, 15′), wherein between the two drive wheels (18, 18′) which have a common axis of rotation (A), the swash plate (14) is arranged, and the deviation wheel rims (15, 15′) are arranged facing each other on the axis of rotation (A). A surgical instrument (1) with such a steering gear (13) is also disclosed.

An exemplary embodiment relates to a bearing assembly (40) for a swash plate (14) in a steering gear component (33), wherein the swash plate (14) is arranged such that it can rotate about an axis of rotation (10) in a radial bearing which is located in a receiving opening (330) of the steering gear component (33). The radial bearing is a sliding bearing (35) and the bearing assembly (40) has at least one axial securing device (36) which is arranged axially adjacent to a first side of the swash plate (14) and engages with the steering gear component (33). Furthermore, a surgical instrument (1) is disclosed that has this bearing assembly (40) of a swash plate (14) in a steering gear component (33).

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.

A handheld surgical instrument having a handpiece and a shaft extending from the handpiece is provided. The instrument includes a cutting implement disposed at a distal end of the shaft and an articulation portion disposed proximate to the cutting implement. The articulation portion includes a set of first slits and a set of second slits opposite the first set of slits. The articulation portion also has first and second passageways disposed in the slits along with first and second flat pull wires disposed in the passageways. The instrument also has an articulation control assembly that includes an articulator having first and second anchor points coupled with the first and second flat pull wires. The articulator moves the first flat pull wire in a first direction and moves the second flat pull wire in a second direction opposite the first direction during actuation.

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

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