Cilag International Gmbh

Ethicon, Gmbh

Nicholas Seipelt

Frederick E Shelton, IV

Jason L Harris

David T Martin

Zhifan F Huang

Patrick M Schleitweiler

Jerome R Morgan

Gregory J Bakos

Christopher J Hess

Shane R Adams

Shailendra Kumar Parihar

John V Hunt

Gregory G Scott

Michael A Murray

Brian D Schings

Nichole Y Kwee

Kevin A Larson

Bradley A Arnold

James G Lee

Sol A Posada

Tamara S Vetro Widenhouse

Michael A Jacobs

Devanathan Raghavan

Rebecca J Gettinger

Ryan J Reese

Marissa T Kamenir

Layne D Christopher

Melinda Tellmann

Anil R Jadhav

John A Jast

Mallory E Schroeder

Karen M Averbeck

Carolyn Williams

Dhruv Patel

An end effector of a surgical instrument may be equipped with a staple cartridge selection system, including a load sensing cartridge insertable into a channel of a cartridge jaw of an end effector for assembly therewith, the load sensing cartridge including: a body having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion; an elongated channel within the body between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion; a load sensor disposed within the elongated channel of the load sensing cartridge, the load sensor configured to sense a parameter indicative of a tissue thickness when tissue is clamped between an anvil jaw and the cartridge jaw in the clamped configuration; and a visual indicator configured to display a visual indication based on the parameter sensed by the load sensor.

Dummy cartridge with load cells for measuring tissue thickness and indicating cartridge selection

A method of suturing a trocar path incision in a tissue of a patient with an obturator includes inserting the obturator through the tissue such that a shaft of the obturator extends through a tissue opening about the trocar path incision and a distal tip of the obturator is positioned within a cavity of the patient. The method also includes directing the suture via a suturing feature with the obturator inserted through the tissue in order to direct the suture relative to the tissue. Furthermore, the method includes closing the tissue opening about the trocar path incision with the suture.

Method of suturing a trocar path incision

A surgical instrument includes a shaft and a tissue fastener. The tissue fastener is releasably attached to the distal end portion of the shaft. The shaft is operable to rotatably drive the tissue fastener about a longitudinal axis of the shaft. The tissue fastener includes a base, first and second arms, and barbs. The first and second arms extend laterally and longitudinally from the base and are configured to be received within a first and second tissue portion, respectively. The first and second arms are configured to draw the first tissue portion against the second tissue portion. The barbs extend from the first and second arms and are configured to anchor the first and second arms within the first and second tissue portions. The shaft is configured to release the tissue fastener thereby securing the first tissue portion against the second tissue portion with the tissue fastener anchored therein.

Trocar obturator with detachable rotary tissue fastener

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Milford, OH, United States of America

Nicholas Seipelt