US 11,717,289 B2
Surgical instrument comprising an indicator which indicates that an articulation drive is actuatable
Richard L. Leimbach, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Assigned to Cilag GmbH International, Zug (CH)
Filed by Ethicon LLC, Guaynabo, PR (US)
Filed on Oct. 29, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/84,198.
Prior Publication US 2022/0133301 A1, May 5, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 17/068 (2006.01); A61B 17/072 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/0686 (2013.01) [A61B 17/072 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00199 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00907 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07257 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07271 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A surgical stapling instrument, comprising:
a handle;
a shaft extending from said handle;
an end effector, comprising:
a first jaw;
a second jaw rotatable relative to said first jaw; and
a staple cartridge;
an articulation joint, wherein said end effector is rotatable relative to said shaft about said articulation joint;
an articulation drive operable to rotate said end effector about said articulation joint when said articulation drive is in an activated operative state, wherein said articulation drive comprises an articulation actuator;
a closure drive actuatable to perform a closure stroke to move said second jaw into a closed position, wherein said closure drive comprises a closure actuator, and wherein said articulation drive is shiftable into a deactivated inoperative state by said closure drive during said closure stroke;
a staple firing drive, wherein said articulation drive is operably engaged with said staple firing drive when said articulation drive is in said activated operative state, and wherein said articulation drive is operably disengaged from said staple firing drive when said articulation drive is in said deactivated inoperative state;
a control system;
a closure sensor in communication with said control system, wherein said closure sensor is configured to sense when said closure actuator is in an unactuated position, a fully-actuated position, and an intermediate position intermediate said unactuated position and said fully-actuated position, and wherein said second jaw is in a partially-closed position when said closure actuator is in said intermediate position; and
an indicator in communication with said control system, wherein said indicator is configured to indicate a first display state in response to a first input from said control system and a second display state in response to a second input from said control system, wherein said control system supplies said first input to said indicator when said closure actuator is between said unactuated position and said intermediate position, wherein said articulation drive is in said activated operative state when said closure actuator is between said unactuated position and said intermediate position, wherein said control system supplies said second input to said indicator when said closure actuator is in said intermediate position, and wherein said articulation drive is in said deactivated inoperative state when said closure actuator is in said intermediate position.