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.

A surgical apparatus comprises a body, an ultrasonic transducer, a shaft, an acoustic waveguide, an articulation section, an end effector, and an articulation drive assembly. The ultrasonic transducer is operable to convert electrical power into ultrasonic vibrations. The shaft couples the end effector and the body together. The acoustic waveguide is coupled with the transducer. The articulation section includes a collar that is located distal to a nodal portion of the waveguide and is operable to deflect the end effector away from the longitudinal axis. The end effector comprises an ultrasonic blade in acoustic communication with the ultrasonic transducer. The articulation drive assembly is operable to drive articulation of the articulation section. The articulation drive assembly comprises at least one translating articulation driver coupled with the collar. The ultrasonic blade is operable to deliver ultrasonic vibrations to tissue even when the articulation section is in an articulated state.

In various embodiments, a tissue thickness compensator can comprise a compressible extracellular matrix and a bioabsorbable material dispersed within the extracellular matrix, wherein the bioapsorption of the bioabsorbable material is configured to leave behind channels in the extracellular matrix. The tissue thickness compensator can also comprise generation means for generating the ingrowth of tissue into the channels. In at least one embodiment, the tissue thickness compensator can comprise dissolvable wicking members which, when dissolved, can leave behind channels in the tissue thickness compensator. In certain embodiments, the tissue thickness compensator can comprise at least one rupturable capsule.

A medical probe includes a shaft for navigation in a patient body, and first and second deflection mechanisms. The shaft ends with a flexible section and a spring, followed by a rigid distal tip having one or more medical devices coupled thereto. The first deflection mechanism is configured to deflect the flexible section relative to the shaft. The second deflection mechanism is configured to deflect the distal tip relative to the first flexible section by using the spring.

An apparatus and method for an articulating microsurgical instrument is disclosed herein. The articulating microsurgical instrument may be configured to be operable with a Doppler probe, bone grasper, soft tissue grasper/dissector, scissors, flexible forceps, or a suction/irrigation line configured to provide tools within a surgical location that can be adjusted to a desired angle of operation. A tip assembly may comprise an articulating portion at a distal tip and the articulating portion may be configured to deflect upon actuation of an articulation control. The articulation control may be a trigger assembly or a roller wheel. A bayonet-style handle may include a set of posts configured to interact with the one or more control wires during actuation of the articulation control. One or more control wires may be housed in a lumen and actuated using a articulation control of a handle assembly.

A medical probe includes a generally tubular member with a tip portion coupled to the tubular member. A puller wire is disposed in the tubular member and configured for movement along the longitudinal axis to bend the tip portion with respect to the longitudinal axis. An anchor is disposed within the tubular member and connected to the puller wire such that the anchor has a t-bar. The t-bar includes a generally transverse extension and a ferrule connected to the puller wire. The probe includes a fiber engaged to the generally transverse extension and extending distally into the probe to increase a strength of the anchor with respect to forces applied to the puller wire to deflect the tip of the medical probe.

A medical manipulator system according to the present invention is provided with: a manipulator; a manipulator channel; a route that extends along the manipulator channel; a shape sensor that detects shape information of the manipulator channel; a shape-sensor driving portion that causes the shape sensor to be driven; a manipulator driving portion that causes the manipulator to be driven; a positional-information calculating portion that calculates positional information of the shape sensor on the basis of a driven amount of the shape-sensor driving portion; a shape estimating portion that estimates a bent shape of the manipulator on the basis of the shape information of the manipulator channel and the positional information; a control-parameter calculating portion that calculates a control parameter of the manipulator from the bent-shape information; and a manipulator controller that controls the manipulator on the basis of the control parameter.

The present disclosure relates to a device configured to move within a body cavity, such as the gastrointestinal tract, in particular, the small intestine, and methods of using the device. The presently disclosed device may be self-driving, e.g., through the use of one or more traction-motion element, and the articulation of a tip of the device may be controlled and fine tuned. The presently disclosed device may be used in a variety of body cavities such as a vascular body lumen, a digestive body lumen, a respiratory body lumen, or a urinary body lumen, for example, for endoscopic purposes, for delivering a substance into the body cavity, for removing a substance or tissue from the body cavity, for capturing an image of the body cavity, and/or for performing an operation of a tissue or organ using the device.