Surgical instrument comprising an articulatable end effector

An electrosurgical instrument can comprise a handle, a shaft, and an end effector, wherein the end effector can be rotatably coupled to the shaft by an articulation joint. The instrument can further comprise a drive member and the articulation joint can comprise flexible support members which can be configured to support the drive member. The instrument can further comprise supply wires electrically coupled to electrodes in the end effector and a wire tensioning device configured to prevent the supply wires from accumulating slack within the articulation joint. The drive member can comprise a plurality of flexible layers wherein some of the layers can be comprised of an electrically insulative material and other layers can be comprised of an electrically conductive material which is in electrical communication with a cutting member in the end effector and/or electrodes positioned within the end effector.

Methods for ultrasonic tissue sensing and feedback

An ultrasonic surgical instrument is presented including an ultrasonic transmission member having a proximal end and a distal end, and a handle member located at the proximal end of the transmission member. The ultrasonic surgical instrument also includes an end effector assembly located at the distal end of the transmission member. The end effector assembly includes a sensing mechanism for sensing load variations on tissue based on mechanical vibrations detected on one or more portions of the surgical instrument, the mechanical vibrations sensed by a laser interferometer.

Controlled electro-pneumatic power tools and interactive consumable

A controlled electro-pneumatic power tool includes an electro-mechanical adjustable valve, a pneumatic motor and a rotational speed sensor connected to a microcontroller for the selection, monitoring and adjustment adjustment of the rotational speed in real time. Using the communication port data for the consumable can be transmitted to the controlled electro-pneumatic power tool. The controlled electro-pneumatic power tool can read and utilize the transmitted data to select, adjust and maintain the optimum process parameters for the consumable without any input from the operator person. Furthermore, the communicated data can be used to warn the operator person that the tool used is inadequate for the selected consumable.

Autoclavable charging device for a rechargeable energy store of a surgical instrument and associated method

The invention relates to an autoclavable charging device (12, 13, 15-20) for an electrical and rechargeable energy store (30) of a surgical instrument (11). The invention further relates to a method for charging a rechargeable energy store (30) in an autoclaved surgical instrument (11) or for an autoclaved surgical instrument (11). The charging device according to the invention is characterized in that this device comprises a receiving device (13) for receiving and converting an electromagnetic field into an alternating current voltage, and comprising charging electronics (12) galvanically connected to the receiving device (13), wherein the charging electronics (12) convert the alternating current voltage into the charging voltage, and wherein the charging device (12, 13, 15-20) comprises at least one galvanic output connection (17, 18, 19, 20) for galvanically connecting to the energy store (30) of the surgical instrument (11). The method according to the invention is characterized in that before charging the energy store (30) is galvanically connected to the at least one galvanic output connection (17-20) of the charging device (12, 13, 15-20), wherein the surgical instrument (11) and/or the energy store (30) is then autoclaved, wherein the surgical instrument (11) and/or the energy store (30) is then brought into an effective range of a device (14) generating an electromagnetic field, and a resonant coupling is generated between the device (14) generating the electromagnetic field and a receiving device (13) of the charging device (12, 13, 15-20), said coupling leading to an energy transfer from the device (14) generating the electromagnetic field to the receiving device (13), wherein the energy is used at least partially for generating a charging voltage for the energy store (30).

Magnetic device with optimized heat confinement

The present disclosure concerns a magnetic element to be written using a thermally-assisted switching write operation comprising a magnetic tunnel junction formed from a tunnel barrier being disposed between first and second magnetic layers, said second magnetic layer having a second magnetization which direction can be adjusted during a write operation when the magnetic tunnel junction is heated at a high threshold temperature; an upper current line connected at the upper end of the magnetic tunnel junction; and a strap portion extending laterally and connected to the bottom end of the magnetic tunnel junction; the magnetic device further comprising a bottom thermal insulating layer extending substantially parallel to the strap portion and arranged such that the strap portion is between the magnetic tunnel junction and the bottom thermal insulating layer. The magnetic element allows for reducing heat losses during the write operation and has reduced power consumption.

Rotary data and power transfer system

A data and power transfer system comprising a first system unit which includes a first communication element operable to transfer communication signals and a first connector element operable to transfer electrical power; and a second system unit which includes a second communication element operable to transfer communication signals and a second connector element operable to transfer electrical power, wherein the first communication element and second communication element are operable to transfer data between one another and the first connector element and second connector element are operable to transfer electrical power whilst electrically insulated from one another.

Plasma activated conformal dielectric film deposition

Methods of depositing a film on a substrate surface include surface mediated reactions in which a film is grown over one or more cycles of reactant adsorption and reaction. In one aspect, the method is characterized by intermittent delivery of dopant species to the film between the cycles of adsorption and reaction.

Surgical instrument comprising an articulatable end effector

A surgical instrument can comprise a handle and an end effector, wherein the end effector can comprise first and second jaws which can be opened and closed in order to capture tissue therebetween. The surgical instrument can further comprise a shaft extending between the handle and the effector and means for articulating the end effector relative to the shaft. The articulating means can comprise a portion of the shaft which is rotatable about a first axis in order to articulate the end effector about a second axis. In at least one embodiment, the shaft can comprise a first portion including a cam and a second portion including a cam follower, wherein the rotation of the second portion and the interaction of the cam and cam follower can cause the second portion to pivot relative to the first portion.

ISOLATION SYSTEM FOR A MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE

An isolation system for isolating a mobile computing device from an environment while retaining the functionality of the mobile computing device that includes at least one sheet and a sealable region. The sheet may include one or more layer to maintain functionality of the enclosed mobile computing device during use. The isolation system may include a sterilizable outer surface for rendering an enclosed mobile computing device usable in a surgical environment. The isolation system may include a pump and channels or valves to allow for fluid removal or addition to the interior of the isolation system. The sheet of the isolation system may further comprise microtextured inner layer so as to maintain functionality of the enclosed mobile computing device in an aqueous environment or in a soiled condition.

Failure recovery using consensus replication in a distributed flash memory system

Data replication in a distributed node system including one or more nodes. A consensus protocol for failure recovery is implemented. Data items and information relating to consensus protocol roles of participant nodes are stored in at least some of the plurality of nodes. Logical logs stored in at least some of the plurality of nodes are created. The logical logs contain additional consensus protocol information including container metadata and replicated data.