An exemplary medical apparatus may include a surgical tool; a feeder belt located at least partially within the surgical tool; a plurality of staples affixed to and frangibly separable from the feeder belt; and a forming station positioned within the surgical tool that receives the feeder belt; where motion of the feeder belt through the forming station bends at least one staple relative to the feeder belt substantially at the junction between that staple and the feeder belt in order to work harden that junction within the surgical tool. Another exemplary medical apparatus may include a surgical tool; a feeder belt located at least partially within the surgical tool; staples affixed to and frangibly separable from the feeder belt; and a channel within the surgical tool that receives the feeder belt; where motion of the feeder belt through the channel bends at least one staple at least at one location, thereby work hardening that staple at each location at which it bends. A method for work hardening a portion of a surgical staple may include providing a surgical tool, a feeder belt located at least partially within the surgical tool, and staples affixed to and frangibly separable from the feeder belt; moving the feeder belt relative to the surgical tool; and as a result of that moving, contacting at least one staple with a portion of the surgical tool; and as a result of that contacting, work hardening a part of the staple.

Systems and methods for monitoring an operative site during a surgical procedure using a computer controlled surgical device. In general, the methods include the steps of processing one or more defined cutting paths having one or more cut regions; determining a correlation between the cut region and one or more critical regions to generate an alert, wherein the alert indicates a movable end-effector is within a defined proximity of the critical region; and requiring a user acknowledgment of the alert to allow processing of the cutting path to continue. Also described herein are systems and methods for minimizing user fatigue during a semi-computer controlled surgical procedure. In general, the methods includes the step of requiring a user generated acknowledgment in response to a computer generated alert, wherein the user acknowledgment is generated using a user controller, the user controller being minimally intrusive to the user experience.

Surgical instruments are disclosed which comprise an improved staple firing and/or tissue cutting member. A surgical instrument comprising a first jaw and a second jaw is disclosed, wherein the second jaw is movable relative to the first jaw to capture the tissue of a patient between the first jaw and the second jaw. The surgical instrument further comprises a cutting member movable toward a distal jaw end during a cutting stroke. The cutting member comprises a coupling portion comprising a first cam configured to engage the first jaw, a second cam configured to engage the second jaw, and a body connecting the first cam and the second cam. The cutting member further comprises a bar attached to the coupling portion, wherein the bar comprises a cutting edge configured to cut the patient tissue during the cutting stroke.

Numerous devices are described. One device may comprise: a handle including a wire attachment portion; an actuator movably mounted to the handle, the actuator including a reaction chamber; a plunger movably mounted to the actuator, the plunger including a distal stop with a sheath attachment portion, and a proximal stop located in the reaction chamber; a resilient element including a distal end attached to the proximal stop, and a proximal end movable relative to plunger; and a force reduction element located in the reaction chamber between the resilient element and a reaction surface in the cavity. The resilient element may bias the plunger distally relative to the actuator, and be compressed when a proximally-directed force is applied to the plunger. The force reduction element may dissipate a portion of the proximally-directed force. Related devices and methods are also described.

A motorized surgical instrument is disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a displacement member, a motor coupled to the displacement member, the motor operable to translate the displacement member, a control circuit coupled to the motor, and a position sensor coupled to the control circuit. The control circuit is configured to receive a position output of the position sensor indicative of at least one position of the displacement member and control velocity of the motor to translate the displacement member at a plurality of velocities corresponding to the position output. Each of the plurality of velocities is maintained in a predetermined zone.

A retrieval device may include a sheath including a distal end and a proximal end, and an end effector at the distal end. At least a portion of the end effector may be movable relative to the sheath between extended and retracted states. The end effector may include a support member extending from the distal end of the sheath, and a movable member extending from the distal end of the support member. The device may include a handle assembly at the proximal end of the sheath, having an actuation member for transitioning the end effector between the extended and retracted states. The device may include a biasing member coupled to at least one of the actuation member and the sheath that may control a force, exerted by one of the movable members and the support member on the other, generated by relative movement between the movable and support members.

Disclosed are systems and methods for achieving a smooth transition in the grip force when the wrist jaws transition between the position and force mode. In the position mode, the desired jaw angle is above a threshold corresponding to an angle at which both jaws are just simultaneously in contact with an object held between the jaws or, if there is no object, when the jaws begin to touch each other. A feedback loop may determine that the jaws are transitioning between the modes based on changes of the desired jaw angle. The feedback loop may analyze the commanded grip force and the measured grip force to determine whether to adjust the commanded grip force during the transition. If so, the feedback loop may adjust the commanded grip force to reduce changes in the measured grip force that is otherwise based on the desired jaw angle.

A bone or tissue repair device can deploy first and second anchors from a distal end of a bore of a needle. A cylindrical first anchor can be disposed in the bore proximal to a distal end of the bore. A cylindrical second anchor can be disposed in the bore proximal to the first anchor. A pusher wire can include teeth positioned at a distal end of the pusher wire. The pusher wire and teeth can be configured to engage an interior of the first anchor; advance distally, with respect to the needle, to force the first anchor distally out of the bore; retract proximally, with respect to the needle and the second anchor, to position the teeth inside an interior of the second anchor; engage the interior of the second anchor; and advance distally, with respect to the needle, to force the second anchor distally out of the bore.

Embodiments relate to a microsurgical device for concave topologies. The device enables operators to consistently cut uniform, circular, concentric concave and/or convex tissues. In an embodiment, a device for excising a tissue includes a stem, a suction cup connected to a distal end of the stem, and a cutting ring around an outer surface of the suction cup. The device further includes two suction tubes to provide suction to the suction cup and compress the outer surface of the suction cup against the tissue. The device may be connected to a control console configured to provide suction to the suction cup via the two suction tubes and electrical energy to the cutting element via one or more electrical leads. Through the control console, an operator of the device may control the depth of cut of the tissue by controlling the device parameters, such as the suction and electrical parameters.

A method of controlling motor velocity in a surgical instrument is disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a displacement member, a motor coupled to the displacement member, a control circuit coupled to the motor, a position sensor coupled to the control circuit, and a timer coupled to the control circuit. The method includes receiving a first position of a displacement member from a position sensor, starting a timer, advancing the displacement member to a second position by setting a motor velocity to a first velocity, receiving the second position from the position sensor, stopping the timer when the displacement member reaches the second position, receiving elapsed time from the timer, wherein the elapsed time is the time taken by the displacement to move from the first position to the second position, and controlling, by the control circuit, velocity of the motor based on the elapsed time.