Surgical staplers with arrangements for maintaining a firing member thereof in a locked configuration unless a compatible cartridge has been installed therein

A surgical stapling instrument including a first jaw configured to removably support a surgical staple cartridge therein and a second jaw movable relative to the first jaw between an open position and a closed position. A firing member is configured to axially move between a starting and ending position upon application of a firing motion thereto. A firing member lockout interfaces with ae camming assembly in the surgical staple cartridge to lockout the firing member unless the camming assembly is in an unfired position. A cartridge verification member is configured to move the camming assembly out of the unfired position to an intermediate position unless the cartridge verification member detects a verification feature on the surgical staple cartridge.

Surgical stapling devices with features for blocking advancement of a camming assembly of an incompatible cartridge installed therein

A surgical stapling instrument configured for use with a staple cartridge that contains a plurality of staples configured to be ejected therefrom by a camming assembly supported therein. The surgical stapling instrument includes a first jaw that is configured to removably support the surgical staple cartridge therein. A second jaw is movable relative to the first jaw between an open position and a closed position. A cartridge verification member is configured to block distal advancement of the camming assembly from the unfired position unless the cartridge verification member detects a verification feature on the staple cartridge.

Methods for controlling a powered surgical stapler that has separate rotary closure and firing systems

A method for controlling a powered surgical stapler that includes an end effector with jaws that are movable between an open and a closed position and a firing member that is movable between a starting position and an ending position within the end effector. The jaws and firing member are controlled by separate rotary systems and the end effector includes a firing member lockout system that prevents axial movement of the firing member unless the surgical staple cartridge is in ready to fire condition.

Surgical instrument comprising co-operating lockout features

A surgical system is disclosed that comprises a stapling instrument including a staple firing lockout and a staple cartridge configured to defeat the staple firing lockout when the staple cartridge is seated in the stapling instrument.

Surgical stapling device with separate rotary driven closure and firing systems and firing member that engages both jaws while firing

A surgical instrument including a channel that is configured to support a replaceable surgical staple cartridge therein. An anvil is movably supported on the channel and is configured to selectively move between an open position and a closed position. A rotary driven closure system operably interfaces with the anvil and is configured to move the anvil between the open position and the closed position upon application of rotary opening and closing motions thereto. The instrument also includes a rotary driven firing drive shaft and an axially movable firing member that is in driving engagement with the rotary driven firing drive shaft and is configured for sliding engagement with the channel and the anvil upon application of rotary firing motions to the rotary driven firing drive shaft.

Staple cartridge comprising a lockout key configured to lift a firing member

A surgical stapling assembly is disclosed. The surgical stapling assembly comprises a stapling instrument configured to receive a staple cartridge therein. The stapling instrument comprises a first jaw, a second jaw movable relative to the first jaw, a firing member configured to push a sled to deploy staples, and a lockout configured to prevent the firing member from advancing distally when the staple cartridge is not properly seated within the stapling instrument and when the sled of the staple cartridge is not in an unfired position, wherein a lockout key of the staple cartridge defeats a first stage of the lockout when the staple cartridge is fully seated in the stapling instrument, and wherein the sled defeats a second stage of the lockout when the sled is in the unfired position and the staple cartridge is fully seated in the stapling instrument.

Stapling instrument comprising a deactivatable lockout

A surgical system is disclosed that comprises a stapling instrument including a staple firing lockout and a staple cartridge configured to defeat the staple firing lockout when the staple cartridge is seated in the stapling instrument.

Surgical stapling devices with improved rotary driven closure systems

A surgical instrument comprising an articulatable end effector that is attached to an elongate shaft at an articulation joint. The end effector comprises a first jaw and a second jaw that is movably supported relative to the first jaw between an open position and a closed position. The instrument also includes a rotary closure shaft that operably interfaces with a closure assembly located distal to the articulation joint. The closure assembly interfaces with the second jaw and is configured to move axially in response to rotary closure motions applied thereto by the rotary closure shaft. Axial movement of the closure assembly results in an application of pivotal closure motions to the second jaw to move the second jaw between the open position and the closed position.

Surgical stapling assembly comprising a lockout and an exterior access orifice to permit artificial unlocking of the lockout

A surgical stapling assembly is disclosed. The surgical stapling assembly comprises a firing member, a first jaw, a second jaw movable relative to the first jaw, and a staple cartridge. The surgical stapling assembly further comprises a cartridge channel configured to receive the staple cartridge therein, a lockout configured to prevent the firing member from advancing distally from an unfired location when an unspent staple cartridge is not positioned within the cartridge channel, and an exterior access aperture defined in the cartridge channel, wherein the lockout is accessible through the exterior access aperture such that the lockout can be manually defeated to move the lockout into a into an unlocked configuration.

Rotary driven firing members with different anvil and channel engagement features

A surgical end effector that includes a channel that is configured to operably support a surgical staple cartridge therein and an anvil that is movable between an open position and a closed position. A rotary driven firing member is configured to move axially between a starting position and an ending position. The rotary driven firing member includes at least one anvil engagement member that is configured to engage the anvil and at least one channel engagement member that is configured to engage the channel. The anvil engagement members may differ in size and length from the channel engagement members. The channel engagement members may have different channel engagement surfaces thereon that are formed at angles relative to each other.