Articulatable surgical instruments with conductive pathways for signal communication

Abstract

A cover for an articulation joint that is supported in an elongate shaft assembly of a surgical instrument that is operably coupled to a surgical end effector that includes at least one end effector conductor therein. The cover includes at least one electrically conductive pathway that extends from the distal end of the cover to form an electrically conductive pathway from the end effector conductor to a shaft conductor on the elongate shaft assembly while facilitating operation of the articulation joint. Various conductor arrangements facilitating the passage of electrical current between an end effector to a control system across the articulation joint are also disclosed.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A surgical instrument, comprising.
 a handle assembly;   an elongate shaft assembly connected to the handle assembly;   an end effector connected to the elongate shaft assembly;   three electric motors positioned within the handle assembly;   three rotary drive members positioned within the handle assembly, wherein each of the three rotary drive members is detachably coupled to a corresponding electric motor;   a battery positionable within the handle assembly and configured to supply power to the electric motors;   a multi-position controller assembly configured to concurrently generate multiple signals based on a position of the multi-position controller assembly; and   a control system electrically connected to the multi-position controller assembly, wherein the control system is configured to electrically generate control motions based on the multiple signals.   
     
     
         22 . The surgical instrument of  claim 21 , wherein the handle assembly comprises a first portion and a second portion which is detachably connected to the first portion. 
     
     
         23 . The surgical instrument of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the at least three electric motors are positioned within the first portion of the handle assembly; and   the at least three rotary drive members are positioned within the second portion of the handle assembly.   
     
     
         24 . The surgical instrument of  claim 21 , wherein the elongate shaft assembly is detachably connected to the handle. 
     
     
         25 . The surgical instrument of  claim 21 , wherein the elongate shaft assembly comprises an articulation joint and the end effector comprises a rotatable end effector. 
     
     
         26 . The surgical instrument of  claim 21 , wherein the end effector is detachably connected to the elongate shaft assembly. 
     
     
         27 . The surgical instrument of  claim 22 , wherein the multi-position controller assembly comprises:
 a first switch electrically couplable to the control system and movably positioned within the first portion of the handle assembly;   a second switch couplable to the control system, wherein the second switch is positioned within the first portion of the handle assembly; and   an actuator configured to control positions of the first switch and the second switch within the handle assembly, wherein the actuator is positioned away from an interface of the at least three electric motors and the at least three rotary drive members.   
     
     
         28 . The surgical instrument of  claim 27 , wherein the multi-position controller assembly further comprises a third switch which is electrically couplable to the control system and is positioned within the first portion of the handle assembly. 
     
     
         29 . The surgical instrument of  claim 27 , wherein the multi-position controller assembly further comprises a second actuator which is electrically couplable to the control system, and wherein the second actuator is positioned away from the interface of the at least three electric motors and the at least three rotary drive members. 
     
     
         30 . The surgical instrument of  claim 21 , wherein the control system is further configured to receive multiple input signals concurrently. 
     
     
         31 . A surgical instrument, comprising.
 a handle assembly comprising a proximal portion and a distal portion detachably connected to the proximal portion;   a plurality of electric motors positioned within the proximal portion of the handle assembly;   a plurality of rotary drive members corresponding to the plurality of electric motors, wherein the rotary drive members are positioned within the distal portion of the handle assembly and are detachably coupled to the corresponding electric motors;   a multi-position controller assembly positioned at a distal face of the proximal portion of the handle assembly, wherein the multi-position controller is configured to concurrently generate multiple output signals; and   a control system electrically connected to the multi-position controller assembly, wherein the control system is configured to control each of the electric motors based on the output signals.   
     
     
         32 . The surgical instrument of  claim 31 , wherein:
 the plurality of electric motors comprises at least three electric motors; and   the plurality of rotary drive members comprises at least three rotary drive members.   
     
     
         33 . The surgical instrument of  claim 31 , wherein the multi-position controller assembly comprises:
 a first switch movably positioned within the proximal portion of the handle assembly;   a second switch positioned within the proximal portion of the handle assembly; and   an actuator positioned at the distal face of the proximal portion of the handle assembly and away from an interface of the electric motors and the rotary drive members, wherein the actuator is configured to control positions of the first and second switches.   
     
     
         34 . The surgical instrument of  claim 33 , wherein the multi-position controller assembly further comprises a third switch positioned within the proximal portion of the handle assembly. 
     
     
         35 . The surgical instrument of  claim 33 , wherein the multi-position controller assembly further comprises a second actuator positioned at the distal face of the proximal portion of the handle assembly and away from the interface of the electric motors and the rotary drive members. 
     
     
         36 . The surgical instrument of  claim 31 , further comprising a battery positionable within the handle assembly and configured to supply power to the electric motors. 
     
     
         37 . A surgical instrument, comprising.
 a handle assembly comprising:
 a proximal portion; 
 a distal portion detachably connected to the proximal portion, wherein the proximal portion and the distal portion collectively define an interface; 
 a plurality of electric motors positioned within the proximal portion; 
 a plurality of rotary drive members corresponding to the plurality of electric motors, wherein the rotary drive members are positioned within the distal portion and are detachably coupled to the corresponding electric motors; and 
 a control system configured to control the electric motors; 
   a battery electrically couplable to the plurality of electric motors; and   a multi-position controller assembly positioned at a distal face of the proximal portion away from the interface, wherein the multi-position controller is configured to concurrently generate multiple input signals to the control system.   
     
     
         38 . The surgical instrument of  claim 37 , wherein the multi-position controller assembly comprises an actuator configured to control positions of first and second switches of the multi-position controller assembly. 
     
     
         39 . The surgical instrument of  claim 37 , wherein:
 the plurality of electric motors comprises at least three electric motors; and   the plurality of rotary drive members comprises at least three rotary drive members.