Powered surgical stapler

A surgical instrument can comprise a handle, a motor, and a shaft extending from the handle. The handle and/or the shaft can define a longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument can further comprise a fastener cartridge comprising a plurality of fasteners removably stored therein, an anvil configured to deform the fasteners, a closure drive configured to move the anvil toward and away from the fastener cartridge which is rotatable about the longitudinal axis, and a firing drive configured to deploy the fasteners from the fastener cartridge which is rotatable about the longitudinal axis. The surgical instrument can further comprise a transmission comprising a first operating configuration which connects the motor to the closure drive and a second operating configuration which connects the motor to the firing drive.

Replaceable staple cartridges for surgical instruments

A replaceable staple cartridge comprising a cartridge body, staples, and a staple cartridge tray secured to the staple cartridge body is disclosed. The cartridge body comprises a first longitudinal slot, a deck, and first sides extending downwardly from the deck, wherein an edge is defined between each first side and the deck. The cartridge body further comprises staple cavities defined in said deck and recesses defined in the deck proximal to the staple cavities. The staple cartridge tray comprises a bottom comprising a second longitudinal slot defined therein and second sides extending upwardly from the bottom, wherein each second side comprises a proximal end including a projection, wherein each second side is adjacent to a first side, and wherein each projection wraps around an edge and extends downwardly into a recess defined in the deck.

ARTICULATING SURGICAL STAPLING INSTRUMENT INCORPORATING A TWO-PIECE E-BEAM FIRING MECHANISM

A surgical severing and stapling instrument, suitable for laparoscopic and endoscopic clinical procedures, clamps tissue within an end effector of an elongate channel pivotally opposed by an anvil. An E-beam firing bar moves distally through the clamped end effector to sever tissue and to drive staples on each side of the cut. The E-beam firing bar affirmatively spaces the anvil from the elongate channel to assure properly formed closed staples, especially when an amount of tissue is clamped that is inadequate to space the end effector. In particular, an upper pin of the firing bar longitudinally moves through an anvil slot and a channel slot is captured between a lower cap and a middle pin of the firing bar to assure a minimum spacing. Forming the E-beam from a thickened distal portion and a thinned proximal strip enhances manufacturability and facilitates use in such articulating surgical instruments.

Compressible non-fibrous adjuncts

Stapling assemblies for use with a surgical stapler are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, the stapling assembly includes a cartridge having a plurality of staples disposed therein and a non-fibrous adjunct formed of at least one fused bioabsorbable polymer and configured to be releasably retained on the cartridge. Adjunct systems for use with a surgical stapler are also provided. Surgical end effectors using the stapling assemblies are also provided. Methods for manufacturing stapling assemblies and using the same are also provided.

METHOD OF FORMING A CARBON-CONTAINING LAYER AND STRUCTURE INCLUDING THE LAYER

A method of forming a carbon-containing layer on a surface of a substrate is disclosed. The method can include providing a substrate within a reaction chamber of a reactor, heating a carbon precursor to produce a vaporized gas comprising carbon-containing molecules, providing the vaporized gas to the reaction chamber, and polymerizing the carbon-containing molecules to form the carbon-containing layer on the surface of a substrate. The carbon compound can include 10 or more carbon atoms. Exemplary methods provide carbon-containing layer with desired density and transparency.

System and method for biometric data capture for event prediction

A computer implemented system for automatically recording and generating predictive outputs relating to a medical procedure is described. The system is augmented with biometric sensory data from a biometric sensor coupled to a body of a healthcare practitioner. The biometric sensory data is processed to obtain one or more time-synchronized data objects providing a proxy to an estimated stress level associated with the healthcare practitioner, and the one or more time-synchronized data objects are utilized to identify abnormality-related durations of time encapsulated in the form of time-based metadata tags. The time-based metadata tags are utilized to automatically modify characteristics of the recording or generating of predictive outputs to temporarily consume more computational processing resources during the abnormality-related durations of time.

DISTRIBUTED LEDGER LENDING SYSTEMS HAVING A SMART CONTRACT ARCHITECTURE AND METHODS THEREFOR

According to embodiments of the present disclosure decentralized loan processes are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a request to initiate a loan process that indicates a collateral item. The method also includes generating a collateral token corresponding to the collateral item. The method further includes instantiating a loan process smart contract instance that is configured to manage a loan process in accordance with a loan process workflow, wherein the loan process smart contract instance that is configured to instantiate a loan smart contract receives a loan agreement notification indicating one or more loan term parameters of a loan that was agreed to by a lender and the borrower and to manage repayment of a loan based on the one or more loan term parameters. The collateral token is locked in an escrow account stored on a distributed ledger until the loan is fully repaid or in a default state.

Turbine engine exhaust duct system and methods for noise dampening and attenuation

A mobile fracking system and methods may include a gas turbine housed at least partially inside a trailer and an exhaust attenuation system configured to receive exhaust gas from the gas turbine. The exhaust attenuation system may include a lower elongated plenum configured to receive exhaust gas from the gas turbine and an upper noise attenuation system that is movably connected relative to a distal end of the lower elongated plenum.

Specialized slot machine for conducting a wagering fantasy sports tournament

A specialized slot machine for conducting a wagering fantasy sports tournament is disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: prompting a plurality of users at a plurality of geographically distributed user platforms to each submit a wager for entry as contestants into a fantasy sports tournament; gathering a plurality of contestants of the fantasy sports tournament into a contestant group; receiving from a contestant of the contestant group credits corresponding to the wager via a value input mechanism of a handheld device, the value input mechanism including a tangible credit storage device to enable a transfer of value from the credit storage device to an account for the contestant in the fantasy sports tournament; and enabling each of the contestants of the contestant group to view athlete cards for selection while the timers are running and while other contestants of the contestant group are viewing the athlete cards for selection.

Cognitive access control policy management in a multi-cluster container orchestration environment

Dynamically enforcing access control policies unique to respective users in a multi-cluster container orchestration environment is provided. Resource-permission-role mappings are generated for users in the multi-cluster container orchestration environment based on preset access control criteria. Dynamic access control criteria are learned from the multi-cluster container orchestration environment over time. The resource-permission-role mappings for the users in the multi-cluster container orchestration environment are updated based on the dynamic access control criteria learned from the multi-cluster container orchestration environment over time. The resource-permission-role mappings are enforced to respective users in the multi-cluster container orchestration environment in response to receiving corresponding user resource access requests.