Surgical instruments employing sensors

A surgical instrument for operating on tissue, comprising:

• an end effector including a first tissue engaging member and a second tissue engaging member in juxtaposed relation to the first tissue engaging member;
• a gap determination element operatively associated with the surgical instrument for measuring a gap distance between the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member, wherein the gap determination element is remotely located from the end effector assembly and movable relative thereto,
• wherein the gap determination element generates a first voltage that corresponds to a first condition of the gap determination element and wherein the gap determination element generates a second vo1tage that corresponds to a second condition of the gap determination element, wherein the first and second voltages are measured by a processor in operative communication with the gap determination element, and wherein the first condition of the gap determination element is indicative of the first and second tissue engaging surfaces being in a spaced-apart position and the second condition of the gap determination element is indicative of the first and second tissue engaging surfaces being in an approximated position;
• and
• a tissue contact determining element operatively associated with a respective tissue contacting surface of at least one of the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member.