Systems and methods for automatic grip adjustment during energy delivery

A method of controlling an end effector, the method comprising:

• operating, by one or more control units, a first jaw and a second jaw of the end effector in a first mode subject to a first force or torque limit to grip a material, the first force or torque limit corresponding to a first maximum force or torque that can be applied by the first jaw and the second jaw to grip the material;
• and
• in response to determining that the first jaw and the second jaw are being operated in the first mode, switching, by the one or more control units, to operating the first jaw and the second jaw in a second mode before applying electrical or thermal energy to the material using electrodes located on the first jaw and the second jaw, the operating in the second mode being subject to a second force or torque limit that can be applied by the first jaw and the second jaw to grip the material, the second force or torque limit being lower than the first force or torque limit.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of machine-readable instructions which when executed by one or more processors associated with a computer-assisted device are adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method of controlling an end effector, the method comprising:

• operating a first jaw and a second jaw of the end effector in a first mode subject to a first force or torque limit to grip a material, the first force or torque limit corresponding to a first maximum force or torque that can be applied by the first jaw and the second jaw to grip the material;
• and
• in response to determining that the first jaw and the second jaw are being operated in the first mode, switching to operating the first jaw and the second jaw in a second mode before applying electrical or thermal energy to the material using electrodes located on the first jaw and the second jaw, the operating in the second mode being subject to a second force or torque limit that can be applied by the first jaw and the second jaw to grip the material, the second force or torque limit being lower than the first force or torque limit.