Cilag International Gmbh

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Ethicon, Gmbh

Patrick M Schleitweiler

Frederick E Shelton, IV

Jason L Harris

Jerome R Morgan

Michael S Cropper

Gregory G Scott

Nichole Y Kwee

James G Lee

Sol A Posada

Tamara S Vetro Widenhouse

Salvatore G Caldarise

Nicholas Seipelt

Anil R Jadhav

Layne D Christopher

David C Yates

Gregory J Bakos

Chad Paul Boudreaux

Christopher J Hess

Shane R Adams

Shailendra Kumar Parihar

Richard F Schwemberger

Steven G Hall

Bret William Smith

John V Hunt

David T Martin

Zhifan F Huang

Michael A Murray

Brian D Schings

Stephen J Balek

Daniel J Abbott

Thomas W Lytle, Iv

Bryan Robert Keller

Kevin A Larson

Bradley A Arnold

Michael A Jacobs

Devanathan Raghavan

Rebecca J Gettinger

Theodore Reed Farrell

Ryan W McGhee

Ryan J Reese

Marissa T Kamenir

Sol E Posada

John A Jast

Mallory E Schroeder

Karen M Averbeck

Melinda Tellmann

Mollie Casey

Carolyn Williams

Dhruv Patel

Ryan Mcghee

Thomas William Lytle Iv

Chad B Bourdreaux

Daniel J Abbot

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 surgical instrument end effector includes a first jaw, a second jaw, a staple cartridge, and a retention cap. The second jaw including an anvil having a plurality of staple forming pockets. The first and second jaws are operable to clamp and staple tissue positioned therebetween. The staple cartridge is configured for receipt within the first jaw. The staple cartridge includes a cartridge body, a lower tray, and a plurality of staples. The cartridge body and the lower tray are configured to couple together. The retention cap is configured to fasten to a proximal end of the cartridge body and to engage the lower tray. The retention cap is further configured to fix the position of the lower tray relative to the cartridge body.

Surgical stapler with cartridge pan retention features

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 access device includes a tissue retractor including a flexible body configured to engage tissue surrounding a tissue opening. A plurality of surgical instrument channels is arranged in a central portion of the tissue retractor. Each surgical instrument channel is configured to guide a surgical instrument distally through the surgical access device. At least one needle entrance port is arranged on a proximal portion of the surgical access device. At least one needle exit port is arranged distally of the needle entrance port. The at least one needle entrance port and the at least one needle exit port are configured to cooperate to define a needle channel extending distally through the surgical access device and obliquely relative to a central axis thereof. The needle channel is configured to guide a suture passer needle through the surgical access device and adjacent tissue to facilitate closure of the tissue opening.

Surgical port with wound closure channels

Various embodiments are directed to battery packs for use with surgical instruments. The battery packs may comprise a plurality of cells and at least a portion of the plurality of cells may not be electrically connected to one another. The battery packs may comprise a switch or other mechanism for interconnecting the plurality of cells and may also comprise, or be used in conjunction with, a discharge switch or plug configured to electrically connect an anode of the battery pack to a cathode of the battery pack, for example, via a resistive element.

Surgical instruments and batteries for surgical instruments

Methods and devices are provided for providing access through tissue to a surgical site. Generally, the methods and devices allow adjustment of a surgical access port's longitudinal length. In one embodiment, a surgical access port is provided that includes a housing having a cannula distally extending therefrom. The housing can be configured to cut a proximal portion of the cannula to adjust a longitudinal length of the cannula and hence of the surgical access port. In another embodiment, a surgical access port is provided that includes a cannula formed of a plurality of modular segments removably coupled together. One or more of the segments can be configured to be removable from the cannula to change the cannula's longitudinal length.

Methods and devices for providing access through tissue to a surgical site

Methods and devices are provided for accessing a surgical site. In one embodiment, an access device is provided having a housing and a cannula extending distally therefrom. The cannula and the housing can define a working channel extending longitudinally therethrough. The cannula can be movable between an insertion configuration and a deployed configuration. The access device can also include an obturator insertable through the working channel. In one embodiment, the obturator can be configured to selectively mate with the cannula such that rotation of the obturator is effective to cause corresponding rotation of the cannula. In another embodiment, the obturator can be configured to move the cannula from the insertion configuration to the deployed configuration when the obturator is fully disposed within the cannula.

Methods and devices for accessing a body cavity

Growing community of inventors

West Chester, OH, United States of America

Patrick M Schleitweiler