| CPC A61B 17/0686 (2013.01) [A61B 17/072 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00026 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07271 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07285 (2013.01)] | 7 Claims |
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1. An end effector for a surgical instrument, the end effector comprising:
a cartridge;
a movable clamp jaw pivotally coupled to the cartridge;
the cartridge comprising:
a plurality of sensors disposed longitudinally and laterally on the cartridge, the plurality of sensors configured to sense a property of tissue clamped between the cartridge and the movable clamp jaw of the end effector;
a sensors circuit electrically coupled to the plurality of sensors, wherein the sensors circuit comprises:
a multiplexer coupled to an output of each one of the plurality of sensors; and
a logic circuit coupled to the multiplexer, the logic circuit configured to independently select each of the plurality of sensors;
a first coil configured to inductively couple electrical power to the cartridge through near field communication, the first coil electrically coupled to the plurality of sensors and the sensors circuit; and
a second coil configured to inductively couple to a sensor monitoring and processing circuit through near field communication, wherein the sensor monitoring and processing circuit is located in a housing of a surgical instrument separate from the end effector and wherein the logic circuit is configured to inductively couple to the sensor monitoring and processing circuit through the second coil;
wherein the plurality of sensors are arranged and configured to sense movement of tissue relative to each of the plurality of sensors based on a sensed property of the tissue; and
wherein the logic circuit is configured to:
receive a sensor select instruction from the sensor monitoring and processing circuit through the second coil;
select one of the plurality of sensors based on the sensor select instruction;
read the selected sensor; and
provide the reading from the selected sensor to the sensor monitoring and processing circuit.
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