A surgical stapling instrument for use with a staple cartridge including a sled and staples is disclosed. The surgical stapling instrument comprises a firing system. The firing system comprising a motor and a driving member operably coupled to the motor. The motor is configured to cause the driving member to advance the sled to deploy the staples into tissue grasped by the surgical stapling instrument. The driving member is movable by the motor along a predefined firing path. The surgical stapling instrument further comprises a control circuit that is configured to detect a location of the sled along the firing path, and adjust a motor control program based on the location of the sled.

A surgical device comprising a first jaw member, a second jaw member, a clamping member and a clamp apparatus is disclosed. The clamping member is slidably positioned to translate at least partially through the first jaw member. The clamping member engages the first jaw member and the second jaw member, and has a knife blade for cutting tissue. A flange of the clamping member is configured to engage a cam surface to pivot the second jaw member with respect to the first jaw member from an open position toward an approximated position. The clamp apparatus is movable from a retracted position to an advanced position for preventing a gap between proximal portions of the first jaw member and the second jaw member from exceeding a predetermined distance. The clamping member and the clamp apparatus are separately movable.

A surgical stapler is described herein which includes a shaft portion and a tool assembly supported on a distal end of the shaft portion. The too assembly includes an anvil and a cartridge body which rotatably supports a plurality of staples within notches. At least one firing cam is provided to sequentially to engage and rotate each of the staples to fire the staples from the cartridge body. In embodiments, the cartridge body includes two spaced legs which support two linear rows of staples. Each of the spaced legs of the cartridge body is supported within one of a first and a second cartridge channel. The cartridge channels are fixed to opposite sides of a pivot member which is pivotally supported at a distal end of the shaft portion between the shaft portion and the tool assembly such that translation of the first and second cartridge channels in opposite directions effects articulation of the tool assembly in relation to the shaft portion.

Adjunct materials and methods of using adjunct material to reinforce a staple line are provided. In general, an adjunct material can be used to maintain a seal in tissue and can prevent stapled tissue from tearing. In some embodiments, a surgical stapler can include a jaw having an adjunct material associated with the jaw. The adjunct material can be attached to tissue via staples deployed by the stapler. In some embodiments, an adjunct material can be a woven material having a single layer or multiple layers, and each layer can have different mechanical properties. In other embodiments, an adjunct material can have a single layer or multiple layers of nonwoven material, such as suture compressed into a three dimensional structure.

A surgical device includes a handle assembly having: a power source, a motor coupled to the power source, and a controller configured to control the motor. The device also includes an adapter assembly configured to selectively couple to the handle assembly. The adapter assembly includes a clamping transmission assembly movable by the motor. The device also includes a reload configured to selectively couple to a distal portion of the adapter assembly, the reload including a plurality of staples ejectable from the reload. The device further includes an anvil assembly selectively couplable to the distal portion of the adapter assembly and movable relative to the reload. The controller is further configured to control the motor to move the clamping transmission assembly to move the anvil assembly from a distal clamp position to a proximal clamp position and then distally from the proximal clamp position to reduce clamp force.

A fastener cartridge can comprise a support portion, a tissue thickness compensator positioned relative to the support portion, and a plurality of fasteners positioned within the support portion and/or the tissue thickness compensator which can be utilized to fasten tissue. In use, the fastener cartridge can be positioned in a first jaw of a surgical fastening device, wherein a second jaw, or anvil, can be positioned opposite the first jaw. To deploy the fasteners, a staple-deploying member is advanced through the fastener cartridge to move the fasteners toward the anvil. As the fasteners are deployed, the fasteners can capture at least a portion of the tissue thickness compensator therein along with at least a portion of the tissue being fastened.

A surgical stapling apparatus is disclosed which comprises cartridge body and a layer. The layer is implantable against tissue by staples deployed from the cartridge body and deformed by an anvil. The cartridge and the layer comprise co-operating features which reduce relative movement between the cartridge and the layer. Such co-operating features can also releasably retain the layer to the cartridge body. In addition to or in lieu of the above, the anvil and the layer comprise co-operating features which reduce relative movement between the anvil and the layer. Such co-operating features can also releasably retain the layer to the anvil. In certain instances, the layer can be positioned against the anvil, but releasably attached to the cartridge. The layer can comprise buttress material and/or a tissue thickness compensator, for example.

Surgical instruments with articulatable surgical end effectors and rotary driven flexible drive members.

A surgical device includes an elongate body, a tool assembly, a drive assembly, and an articulation mechanism for moving the tool assembly between a non-articulated position and articulated positions. The articulation mechanism includes an articulation link, a first pivot link that is positioned on a first side of a flexible beam, and a second pivot link positioned on a second side of the flexible beam. The first and second pivot links are configured to control the path of movement of the flexible beam of the drive assembly as the flexible beam is moved between its retracted and advanced positions in non-articulated and articulated positions of the tool assembly to maintain a predetermined distance of movement of the clamp member within the tool assembly constant.

A surgical stapling apparatus includes a loading unit and a surgical buttress assembly. The loading unit includes an anvil assembly and a staple cartridge assembly. The staple cartridge assembly includes a staple cartridge having a tissue facing surface including staple pockets and a central longitudinal slot defined therethrough and a hook assembly extending outwardly from the tissue facing surface. The surgical buttress assembly includes an anvil buttress and a cartridge buttress. Each of the anvil and cartridge buttresses includes a body, a proximal tab, and a distal tab. The anvil and cartridge buttresses are interconnected at a junction of the proximal tabs and the surgical buttress assembly is folded at the junction such that the proximal tabs substantially overlie one another. The proximal tabs are engaged with the hook assembly to releasably secure the proximal tabs of the anvil and cartridge buttresses to the staple cartridge assembly.