The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
A surgical instrument may comprise a drive system that is configured to electrically generate a plurality of discrete rotary control motions. In at least one form, the surgical instrument may include an elongate shaft assembly that is operably couplable to the drive system for receiving a first rotary control motion therefrom for rotating the elongate shaft assembly about a shaft axis. The elongate shaft assembly may be further configured to receive and transmit a second rotary control motion from the drive system to a surgical end effector that is operably coupled to the elongate shaft assembly to cause the surgical end effector to rotate about the shaft axis relative to the elongate shaft assembly. The elongate shaft assembly may be further configured to receive and transmit a third rotary control motion from the drive system to an articulation joint that communicates with the elongate shaft assembly and the surgical end effector to articulate the surgical end effector about an articulation axis that is substantially transverse to the shaft axis.
