A surgical stapling instrument includes a shaft assembly, an end effector, and a flexible firing member. The end effector includes a driving assembly translatable distally relative to a first jaw and a second jaw to thereby transition the first and second jaws from an open state to a closed state. The flexible firing member is configured to selectively advance the driving assembly distally and retract the driving assembly proximally. The flexible firing member includes a plurality of segments, at least one axial force transmission feature configured to transmit axial forces between the segments, and at least one lateral alignment feature configured to resist lateral misalignment of the segments.

A method of operating a robotically controlled surgical instrument that includes an end effector, a driving assembly, and a lockout, the method includes inhibiting actuation of the driving assembly when the lockout is in a locked configuration in response to an unspent staple cartridge being absent from a first jaw of the end effector. The method also includes inserting the unspent staple cartridge into the first jaw of the end effector to switch the lockout to an unlocked configuration. The method also includes actuating the driving assembly to pivot the first jaw, which includes the staple cartridge, toward a second jaw of the end effector to at least one of staple or cut tissue with the end effector when the lockout is in the unlocked configuration.

Provided are a bending structure and a flexible tube for a medical manipulator, which comprise a main body that is composed of the wave washers stacked in an axial direction and kept a stacked state, the main body being bendable according to the expansion and contraction in the axial direction. Accordingly, linearity of load characteristics based on load and a bending angle is made high to make it possible to obtain the flexible tube having superior load bearing and bendability while conducting size reduction.

A method for attaching a drive rod to a knife includes: forming a knife having proximal and distal ends; forming an aperture within the proximal end of the knife, the aperture including a series of fins disposed therein; weaving a distal end of a knife rod through the series of fins in an alternating manner; and engaging a cap onto the distal end of the knife drive rod to secure the knife drive rod within the aperture of the knife.

Surgical tools and assemblies are employed for use in minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures. A handheld surgical tool assembly includes a handle assembly and a frame assembly, among other possible components. Intermediate bodies and joints are provided in certain handheld surgical tool assemblies and architectures. A yaw rotational degree of freedom is furnished between certain intermediate bodies, and a pitch rotational degree of freedom is furnished between certain intermediate bodies. Amid use, a mechanical advantage generated about the yaw rotational degree of freedom is unequal to a mechanical advantage generated about the pitch rotational degree of freedom.

A surgical instrument includes a housing, a shaft extending from the housing, an end effector assembly extending from the shaft and configured to rotate and/or articulate relative to the housing, a motor disposed within the housing and operably coupled to the end effector assembly to rotate and/or articulate of the end effector assembly relative to the housing, and a sensing assembly configured to sense movement of the housing relative to a reference position and to drive the motor to rotate and/or articulate of the end effector assembly relative to the housing based upon the sensed movement. The sensing assembly is configured to operate in each of a standard mode, wherein movement of the housing effects rotation and/or articulation of the end effector assembly in a similar direction, and a reversed mode, wherein movement of the housing effects rotation and/or articulation of the end effector assembly in an opposite direction.

An electrosurgical device comprises a body, an end effector, a cutting member, and a shaft. The end effector includes a pair of jaws that are operable to deliver RF energy to tissue that is clamped between the jaws. The cutting member is operable to sever tissue that is clamped between the jaws. The shaft extends between the body and the end effector. The shaft includes an articulation section that is operable to selectively position the end effector at non-parallel positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. Some versions include a rotation section that is distal to the articulation section. The rotation section is operable to rotate the end effector relative to the articulation section.

A surgical assembly includes a surgical instrument and a holder. The surgical instrument includes an elongate body and an end effector. The elongate body has a proximal portion and a distal portion that defines a longitudinal axis therealong. The proximal portion is movable relative to the distal portion between a first condition and a second condition. In the first condition, the proximal portion is parallel to the longitudinal axis. In the second condition, the proximal portion is non-parallel to the longitudinal axis. The holder is configured to be coupled to the elongate body to selectively retain the proximal portion of the elongate body in the first condition.

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a steerable instrument for endoscopic and/or invasive type applications, the instrument including an elongated tubular body having a proximal end part, a distal end part and an intermediate part between proximal and distal end parts, the proximal end part having at least one actuation proximal zone. The distal end part has at least one flexible distal zone, and the elongated tubular body is configured such that a movement of an actuation proximal zone is transferred to a corresponding flexible distal zone for a corresponding movement thereof. The elongated tubular body includes an inner, outer, and intermediate cylindrical elements having longitudinal elements between the inner and outer cylindrical elements. Inner, outer and intermediate cylindrical elements are coupled so movement of an actuation proximal zone is transferred by the longitudinal elements of one of the intermediate cylindrical elements to a corresponding flexible distal zone.

An introducer for a tracheostomy tube is formed of several articulated sections (24) that can be changed from a relatively flexible state to a more rigid state by tightening a tension member extending along the introducer using an actuator at its machine end. In its flexible state the introducer can be inserted into and removed from the tube. The introducer is put in its more rigid state for use in inserting the tube into a tracheostomy. Alternatively or additionally the introducer could have several gripping rings on its outside towards its patient end and two elongate members that can be slid relative to one another to enlarge the patient end so that the gripping rings engage and grip the inside of the tube, thereby enabling the introducer to pull the tube through the tracheostomy from its patient end.