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US 5,667,517 AGranted
Endoscopic surgical system with sensing means
AssigneeEthicon, Inc.
InventorMichael Dawson Hooven
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An endoscopic surgical system which includes an instrument for carrying out a step in the procedure. The instrument is power operated by a supply source, and there is contained a mechanism used to conduct the power from the supply source to the instrument. The system includes a sensing mechanism attached to the instrument and used to monitor and to control the operation of the instrument.
Claims8
A system for use in an endoscopic procedure comprising:
- (a) an instrument useful in conducting a step in the procedure;
- (b) means for supplying electrical power connected to said instrument to operate the instrument and conduct said step in the procedure;
- and,
- (c) sensing and control means attached to said instrument to monitor and control the operation of the instrument in conducting said step, and
- (c) sensing and control means attached to said instrument to monitor and control the operation of the instrument in conducting said step, and
- wherein the instrument contains a mechanism to apply staples to tissue held by the instrument during the step in the procedure, the means for supplying electrical power to the instrument is used to drive the staples into the tissue and the sensing means determines the presence or absence of staples in the instrument.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.