A robotic surgery method for cutting a bone of a patient includes characterizing the geometry and positioning of the bone and manually moving a handheld manipulator, the handheld manipulator operatively coupled to a bone cutting tool having an end effector portion, to cut a portion of the bone with the end effector portion. The handheld manipulator further comprises a manipulator housing and an actuator assembly movably coupled between the manipulator housing and the bone cutting tool. The method further includes causing the actuator assembly to automatically move relative to the manipulator housing to maintain the end effector portion of the tool within a desired bone cutting envelope in response to movement of the manipulator housing relative to the bone.

A surgical instrument is disclosed. The surgical instrument can include an end effector, comprising an anvil and a staple cartridge. The surgical instrument can further include a shaft defining a longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument can also include an articulation joint, wherein the end effector is rotatably connected to the shaft about the articulation joint between an unarticulated position and at least one articulated position. The surgical instrument can include means for adjusting the length of a firing stroke as a function of the degree in which the end effector is articulated relative to the longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument can include a sensor configured to defect shifting of lateral portions of a flexible firing bar that extends through the articulation joint. Additionally or alternatively, the surgical instrument can include a relief feature configured to accommodate shifting of lateral portions of a flexible firing bar.

A fastener cartridge can include, one, a cartridge body comprising a deck and a plurality of fastener cavities and, two, a plurality of fasteners positioned in the fastener cavities. The cartridge body can further comprise extensions extending from the deck having different sizes and/or configurations. The extensions can control the flow of tissue relative to the deck and/or support the fasteners as they are ejected from the fastener cavities.

A device sized and shaped for insertion into a body comprising: at least one mechanical limb comprising: a support segment; a first flexible section extending from the support segment and terminating in a coupling section; and a second flexible section extending from the coupling section and terminating in a tool or a connector for a tool; wherein a long axis of one or more of the flexible sections is bendable in a single bending plane; wherein a long axis length of the first flexible section is at least double a maximum extent of the first flexible section perpendicular to a flexible section long axis; wherein a long axis length of the second flexible section is at least double a maximum extent of the second flexible section perpendicular to a flexible section long axis.

A surgical device includes an outer member, an inner member, and at least one locking element. The inner member is at least partially supported within the outer member. The at least one locking element is configured in a first arrangement of the surgical device to lock the inner member in a first position and configured in a second arrangement of the surgical device to unlock the inner member from the first position. The at least one locking element is configured to change from the first arrangement to the second arrangement upon coupling the inner member in an operational arrangement to a hand piece.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (˜16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (˜5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, “ultra-MIS” techniques.

A surgical system includes an arm extending from the base and having a distal end configured to be coupled to a tool, a first marker coupled in fixed relation to the base, and a tracking system. The tracking system is configured to collect first data indicative of a position of the first marker and collect second data indicative of a position an anatomical feature of a patient. The surgical system also includes a processor configured to calculate a position of the tool relative to the anatomical feature based on the first data and the second data.

An apparatus to limit a seating depth of a fastener can include a cylindrical housing, a pin, a driver, and a biasing element. The cylindrical housing can include a proximal portion couplable to a tool, a distal portion engageable with a workpiece, and a bore extending from an opening on the distal portion towards the proximal portion along a longitudinal axis of the housing. The pin can be secured to the housing and can extend radially inward into the bore. The driver can be translatable within the bore of the housing and can extend beyond the opening on the distal portion to engage the fastener. The driver can include a slot that can be engageable with the pin to receive a torque from the pin and can rotate with the housing to transfer the torque to a fastener when the pin engages the slot.

A medical system may comprise a display system and a processor. The processor may be configured to generate a computer model of a plurality of instruments. The plurality of instruments may extend through and out of a distal end of an entry guide and may include an image capturing instrument. The processor may be further configured to cause an image of the computer model to be displayed on the display system and determine from a configuration of the plurality of instruments in the computer model if an event alert threshold associated with an event has been reached. If a determination is made that the event alert threshold has been reached, an event indicator may be displayed on the display system at a portion of the image of the computer model associated with the event.

A robot-assisted surgical system has a user interface operable by a user, a first robotic manipulator having a first surgical instrument, and a second robotic manipulator having a second surgical instrument. The system receives user input in response to movement of the input device by a user and causes the manipulator to move the first surgical instrument in response to the user input, determines a vector defined by the position of the first surgical instrument relative to the second surgical instrument, generates dynamic control signals based on the determined vector, and causes the manipulator to move the second surgical instrument in response to said dynamic control signals.