Surgical instrument with orientation sensing

An apparatus comprising:

• (a) an end effector configured to operate at a plurality of energy settings;
• coupled to the waveguide;
• (b) a control module;
• (c) a storage device communicatively coupled with the control module, wherein the storage device comprises a plurality of configuration data sets, wherein each configuration data set comprises a respective gesture profile and a corresponding energy setting, wherein the control module is configured to receive a selected configuration data from the storage device;
• and
• (d) a force sensor configured to measure a force applied to the end effector, wherein the control module is configured to receive a first output of the measured force from the force sensor;
• wherein the control module is configured to compare the first output to a first gesture profile of the selected configuration data set;
• and
• wherein the control module is configured to set the energy setting of the end effector to a first corresponding energy setting in response to a correlation between the first output and the first gesture profile of the selected configuration data set.

A method for controlling a surgical instrument comprising an end effector, a force sensor operable to detect a force applied to the end effector a storage device, and a control module, an interface in communication with the control module, wherein the end effector is capable of operating at a plurality of energy settings, wherein the control module is operable to set an energy setting for the end effector, wherein the force sensor is communicatively coupled to the control module, wherein the storage device comprises a plurality of configuration data sets, wherein each configuration data set comprises a plurality of gesture profiles and a plurality of corresponding energy settings, wherein each gesture profile of the plurality of gesture profiles is associated with a corresponding energy setting of the plurality of energy settings, wherein the control module is configured to receive data from the force sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving a selection, via the interface, of a configuration data set from the plurality of configuration data sets;
• (b) receiving an output of the force sensor by the control module;
• (c) receiving the plurality of gesture profiles and the plurality of corresponding energy settings associated with the selected configuration data set from the storage device by the control module;
• and
• (d) setting the end effector to a first corresponding energy setting associated with the first gesture profile in response to a correlation between the first gesture profile and the output of the force sensor, wherein the first corresponding energy setting provides a first energy output by the end effector.

An apparatus comprising:

• (a) a control module;
• (b) a storage device communicatively coupled with the control module, wherein the storage device comprises a plurality of configuration data sets, wherein each configuration data set comprises a respective gesture profile and a corresponding energy setting, wherein the control module is configured to receive a selected configuration data from the storage device;
• (c) an end effector configured to operate at a plurality of energy settings;
• (d) an orientation sensor in communication with the control module;
• and
• (e) a force sensor in communication with the control module;
• wherein the control module is configured to compare a combination of data from the orientation sensor and the force sensor to a first gesture profile of the selected configuration data set;
• and
• wherein the control module is configured to set the energy setting of the end effector to a first corresponding energy setting in response to a correlation between the combination of data from the orientation sensor and the force sensor to the first gesture profile of the selected configuration data set.