Surgical instrument for acting on tissue

Abstract

A surgical instrument. Various embodiments of the surgical instrument include an end effector comprising a firing member for acting on tissue positioned at the end effector. A rotatable drive shaft assembly may be connected to the end effector. A handle may be connected to the drive shaft assembly and may comprise a motor for actuating the drive shaft assembly and a firing trigger. A proportional run motor sensor may sense actuation of the firing trigger. When actuation of the firing trigger is sensed by the run motor sensor, the motor may be signaled to forward rotate to cause advancement of the firing member, and wherein a rate of rotation of the motor is proportionally related an amount of actuation of the firing trigger by a user of the instrument.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A surgical instrument comprising:
 an end effector comprising a firing member for acting on tissue positioned at the end effector;   a rotatable drive shaft assembly connected to the end effector; and   a handle connected to the drive shaft assembly, wherein the handle comprises:
 a motor for actuating the drive shaft assembly; 
 a firing trigger; 
   a proportional run motor sensor for sensing actuation of the firing trigger, wherein, when actuation of the firing trigger is sensed by the run motor sensor, the motor is signaled to forward rotate to cause advancement of the firing member, and wherein a rate of rotation of the motor is proportionally related an amount of actuation of the firing trigger by a user of the instrument.   
     
     
         22 . The surgical instrument of  claim 21 , further comprising a reverse motor sensor for sensing a condition indicative of an end of an actuation stroke by the firing member. 
     
     
         23 . The surgical instrument of  claim 21 , further comprising a stop motor sensor for sensing a condition indicative of retraction of the firing member. 
     
     
         24 . The surgical instrument of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a reverse motor sensor for sensing a condition indicative of an end of an actuation stroke by the firing member; and   a stop motor sensor for sensing a condition indicative of retraction of the firing member.   
     
     
         25 . The surgical instrument of  claim 21 , wherein:
 when the reverse motor sensor senses the condition indicative of the end of the actuation stroke, the motor is signaled to reverse rotation to retract the firing member; and   when the stop motor sensor senses the condition indicative of full retraction of the firing member, the motor is signaled to stop rotating.   
     
     
         26 . The surgical instrument of  claim 21 , wherein the firing trigger is configured to trip the reverse motor sensor when the firing member reaches the end of the actuation stroke and to trip the stop motor sensor when the firing member is fully retracted. 
     
     
         27 . The surgical instrument of  claim 21 , wherein the end effector includes a staple cartridge. 
     
     
         28 . The surgical instrument of  claim 21 , wherein the end effector includes a helical drive screw, such that forward rotation of the helical drive screw causes the firing member to undertake an actuation stroke, and reverse rotation of the helical drive screw causes the firing member to retract. 
     
     
         29 . The surgical instrument of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a closure trigger; and   a mechanical closure system for closing the end effector when the closure trigger is retracted.   
     
     
         30 . A surgical instrument comprising:
 an end effector;   a rotatable drive shaft assembly coupled to the end effector to actuate at least a portion of the end effector;   a motor for actuating the drive shaft assembly; and   a firing sensor positioned to be actuated by a clinician, wherein the firing sensor senses an amount of movement provided by the clinician; and   a control circuit in electrical communication with the firing sensor and the motor, wherein the control circuit is configured to modify a rate of rotation of the motor based on an amount of movement of the of the firing sensor provided by the clinician.   
     
     
         31 . The surgical instrument of  claim 30 , wherein the end effector comprises a firing member for acting on tissue positioned at the end effector. 
     
     
         32 . The surgical instrument of  claim 31 , further comprising a reverse motor sensor positioned to sense a condition indicative of an end of an actuation stroke by the firing member. 
     
     
         33 . The surgical instrument of  claim 31 , further comprising a stop motor sensor positioned to sense a condition indicative of full retraction of the firing member. 
     
     
         34 . The surgical instrument of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 a reverse motor sensor positioned to sense a condition indicative of an end of an actuation stroke by the firing member; and   a stop motor sensor positioned to sense a condition indicative of full retraction of the firing member.   
     
     
         35 . The surgical instrument of  claim 31 , wherein the control circuit is configured to:
 reverse rotation of the motor to retract the firing member when the reverse motor sensor senses the condition indicative of the end of the actuation stoke; and   stop rotating the motor when the stop motor sensor sense the condition indicative of full retraction of the firing member.   
     
     
         36 . The surgical instrument of  claim 31 , wherein the firing trigger is configured to trip the reverse motor sensor when the firing member reaches the end of the actuation stroke and to trip the stop motor sensor when the firing member is fully retracted. 
     
     
         37 . The surgical instrument of  claim 31 , wherein the end effector includes a staple cartridge. 
     
     
         38 . The surgical instrument of  claim 31 , wherein the end effector includes a helical drive screw, such that forward rotation of the helical drive screw causes the firing member to undertake the actuation stroke, and reverse rotation of the helical drive screw causes the firing member to retract. 
     
     
         39 . The surgical instrument of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 a closure trigger; and   a mechanical closure system for closing the end effector when the closure trigger is retracted.   
     
     
         40 . A surgical instrument comprising:
 an end effector;   means for actuating at least a portion of the end effector;   a firing trigger to be actuated by a clinician; and   means for sensing an amount of movement of the firing trigger; and   control means for modifying a rate of actuation of the end effector based on an amount of movement of the firing trigger.