Circularity systems and methods for surgical staplers

A surgical tool, comprising:

• a drive housing;
• an elongate shaft extending from the drive housing;
• a wrist coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft;
• an end effector coupled to a distal end of the wrist including opposing upper and lower jaws;
• and
• a knife assembly including a knife arranged at the end effector and a drive member extending from the knife to the drive housing through the wrist and the elongate shaft, the drive member including a distal section connected to a proximal section by a releasable connection,
• wherein the releasable connection comprises a knife drive spacer axially interposing and releasably coupling the distal and proximal sections,
• and wherein the knife drive spacer is unthreaded from either the proximal or distal section to release the connection between the distal and proximal sections.

A surgical tool, comprising:

• a drive housing;
• an elongate shaft extending from the drive housing;
• a wrist coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft;
• an end effector coupled to a distal end of the wrist including opposing upper and lower jaws;
• a knife assembly including a knife arranged at the end effector and a drive member extending from the knife to the drive housing through the wrist and the elongate shaft, the drive member including a distal section connected to a proximal section by a releasable connection;
• a concentric disc receiver arranged at a proximal end of the upper and lower jaws;
• a disc mount provided at a distal end of the wrist;
• and
• one or more pins extending laterally through axially overlapping and concentric sections of the disc mount and the concentric disc receiver to attach the end effector to the wrist, wherein removing the one or more pins allows the end effector to separate from the wrist.

A surgical tool, comprising:

• a drive housing;
• an elongate shaft extending from the drive housing;
• a shaft internal structure disposed in the elongate shaft and moveable relative to the elongate shaft between a first and a second position, the shaft internal structure including a slot occluded by the elongate shaft in the first position and exposed in the second position;
• a wrist coupled to a distal end of the shaft internal structure;
• an end effector coupled to a distal end of the wrist including opposing upper and lower jaws;
• a knife assembly including a knife arranged at the end effector and a drive member extending from the knife to the drive housing through the wrist and shaft internal structure, the drive member including a distal section connected to a proximal section by a releasable connection, wherein the releasable connection is accessible through the exposed slot when the shaft internal structure is in the second position to release the connection between the proximal and distal sections.

A method of replacing a consumable of a surgical tool, comprising:

• securing the surgical tool, the surgical tool including:
• a drive housing;
• an elongate shaft extending distally from the drive housing;
• a shaft internal structure disposed within the elongated shaft;
• an end effector arranged at a distal end of the shaft and including opposing upper and lower jaws;
• a wrist interposing the distal end of the shaft and the end effector and operatively coupled to the shaft internal structure;
• and
• a knife assembly including a knife arranged at the end effector and first and second drive members extending from the knife to the drive housing;
• advancing the shaft internal structure distally relative to the elongated shaft, and thereby advancing the wrist and the end effector;
• exposing first and second releasable connections provided in the shaft internal structure as the shaft internal structure moves distally, wherein each drive member includes a distal section releasably coupled to a proximal section by the first and second releasable connections, respectively;
• and
• releasing the first and second releasable connections and thereby detaching the distal sections from corresponding proximal sections of the first and second drive members.

A surgical tool, comprising:

• a drive housing;
• an elongate shaft extending from the drive housing;
• a wrist coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft;
• an end effector coupled to a distal end of the wrist including opposing upper and lower jaws, the end effector including:
• an anvil pin pivotally connecting the upper and lower jaws;
• a disc receiver arranged at a proximal end of the upper and lower jaws and defining an aperture through which the anvil pin extends;
• and
• a retention pin arranged within a pin slot defined in the disc receiver and engageable with the anvil pin, wherein the retention pin is movable within the pin slot between an engaged position, where the retention pin engages the anvil pin and prevents the anvil pin from exiting the aperture, and a disengaged position, where the retention pin disengages the anvil pin and allows the anvil pin to move laterally and exit the aperture, and wherein removing the anvil pin from the aperture uncouples the upper and lower jaws;
• and
• a knife assembly including a knife arranged at the end effector and a drive member extending from the knife to the drive housing through the wrist and the elongate shaft, the drive member including a distal section connected to a proximal section by a releasable connection.