Surgical end effectors with firing member and closure locking features

Abstract

A surgical stapling instrument including a first jaw configured to removably support a surgical staple cartridge therein and a second jaw movable relative to the first jaw between an open position and a closed position. A firing member is configured to axially move between a starting and ending position upon application of a firing motion thereto. A firing member lockout interfaces with ae camming assembly in the surgical staple cartridge to lockout the firing member unless the camming assembly is in an unfired position. A cartridge verification member is configured to move the camming assembly out of the unfired position to an intermediate position unless the cartridge verification member detects a verification feature on the surgical staple cartridge.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A surgical end effector, comprising:
 a first jaw configured to operably support a staple cartridge therein;   a second jaw supported relative to said first jaw for movement between an open position and a closed position about a jaw axis;   a firing member movable between a beginning position and an ending position in said surgical end effector;   a firing member lock system configured to distinguish between an unfired compatible cartridge, a fired compatible cartridge, and an incompatible cartridge, wherein said firing member lock system is configured to prevent said firing member from moving from said beginning position to said ending position when one of said fired compatible cartridge and said incompatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw, and wherein said firing member lock system is configured to permit said firing member to move from said beginning position to said ending position when said unfired compatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw; and   a closure lock laterally movable in an unblocking direction that is parallel to the jaw axis between a blocking position in which said closure lock blocks said second jaw from moving from said open position to said closed position and an unblocking position in which said second jaw is permitted to move from said open position to said closed position when one of said unfired compatible cartridge and said fired compatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw, and wherein said closure lock is retained in said blocking position when said incompatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw.   
     
     
         23 . The surgical end effector of  claim 22 , wherein said unfired compatible cartridge comprises:
 a compatible cartridge body configured to be seated in said first jaw, wherein said compatible cartridge body comprises a compatible proximal end and a compatible distal end;   a plurality of surgical staples stored in said compatible cartridge body;   a camming member in an unfired position and configured to eject said surgical staples from said compatible cartridge body when said camming member is distally moved from said unfired position; and   a closure unlocking feature protruding from said compatible proximal end of said compatible cartridge body, wherein said closure unlocking feature is configured to laterally move said closure lock from said blocking position to said unblocking position when said unfired compatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw.   
     
     
         24 . The surgical end effector of  claim 23 , wherein said fired compatible cartridge comprises another compatible cartridge body configured to be seated in said first jaw, wherein said another compatible cartridge body comprises another compatible proximal end and another compatible distal end;
 another camming member supported in said another compatible cartridge body in a fired position; and   another closure unlocking feature protruding from said another compatible proximal end, wherein said another closure unlocking feature is configured to laterally move said closure lock from said blocking position to said unblocking position when said fired compatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw.   
     
     
         25 . The surgical end effector of  claim 24  wherein said incompatible cartridge comprises a cartridge body configured to be seated in said first jaw, wherein said cartridge body lacks means for moving said closure lock from said blocking position to said unblocking position when said cartridge body is seated in said first jaw. 
     
     
         26 . The surgical end effector of  claim 23 , wherein said firing member lock system comprises a lock latch pivotally coupled to said firing member, wherein said lock latch is movable between a locked position in which said firing member is prevented from moving distally from said beginning position, and an unlocked position in which said firing member is distally movable from said beginning position, and wherein said camming member is configured to move said lock latch from said locked position to said unlocked position when said camming member is in said unfired position. 
     
     
         27 . The surgical end effector of  claim 26 , wherein said firing member lock system further comprises a lock member, wherein said lock member is laterally movable between another locked position in which said lock member retains said firing member in said beginning position and another unlocked position, wherein said unfired compatible cartridge further comprises a firing system unlocking feature protruding from said compatible proximal end, wherein said firing system unlocking feature is configured to laterally move said lock member from said another locked position to said another unlocked position when said unfired compatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw, and wherein said fired compatible cartridge further comprises another firing system unlocking feature protruding from said another compatible proximal end, wherein said another firing system unlocking feature is configured to laterally move said lock member from said another locked position to said another unlocked position when said fired compatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw. 
     
     
         28 . A surgical end effector, comprising:
 a first jaw configured to operably support a surgical cartridge therein;   a second jaw supported relative to said first jaw for movement between an open position and a closed position, wherein said second jaw is configured to support a surgical cartridge selected from the group of surgical cartridges consisting of a compatible cartridge, an unfired compatible cartridge, a fired compatible cartridge, an unfired incompatible cartridge, and a fired incompatible cartridge;   a firing member movable between a beginning position and an ending position in said surgical end effector;   a first firing member lock configured to prevent said firing member from being movable from said beginning position to said ending position unless said unfired compatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw;   a second firing member lock configured to prevent said firing member from being movable from said beginning position to said ending position unless one of said compatible cartridge, said unfired compatible cartridge, and said fired compatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw; and   a closure lock laterally movable between a blocking position in which said closure lock blocks said second jaw from moving from said open position to said closed position and an unblocking position in which said second jaw is permitted to move from said open position to said closed position when one of said compatible cartridge, said unfired compatible cartridge, and said fired compatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw.   
     
     
         29 . The surgical end effector of  claim 28 , wherein said first firing member lock prevents said firing member from being movable from said beginning position when said first firing member lock is in a first locked position, wherein said first firing member lock permits said firing member to move from said beginning position when said first firing member lock is in a first unlocked position, wherein said second firing member lock prevents said firing member from being movable from said beginning position when said second firing member lock is in a second locked position and said second firing member lock permits said firing member to move from said beginning position when said second firing member lock is in a second unlocked position. 
     
     
         30 . The surgical end effector of  claim 29 , wherein said compatible cartridge comprises:
 a first compatible cartridge body configured to be seated in said first jaw, wherein said first compatible cartridge body comprises a first compatible proximal end and a first compatible distal end;   a first compatible unlocking feature protruding from said first compatible proximal end and configured to laterally move said second firing member lock from said second locked position to said second unlocked position when said first compatible cartridge body is seated in said first jaw; and   a first compatible closure unlocking feature configured to laterally move said closure lock from said blocking position to said unblocking position when said first compatible cartridge body is seated in said first jaw.   
     
     
         31 . The surgical end effector of  claim 29 , wherein said unfired compatible cartridge comprises:
 a second compatible cartridge body configured to be seated in said first jaw, wherein said second compatible cartridge body comprises a second compatible proximal end and a second compatible distal end;   a second compatible unlocking feature protruding from said second compatible proximal end and configured to laterally move said second firing member lock from said second locked position to said second unlocked position when said unfired compatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw;   a plurality of surgical staples stored in said second compatible cartridge body;   a camming member movably supported in said second compatible cartridge body in an unactuated position, wherein said camming member is configured to eject said surgical staples from said second compatible cartridge body when said camming member is moved from said unactuated position to an actuated position, and wherein when in said unactuated position, said camming member is configured to move said first firing member lock from said first locked position to said first unlocked position when said unfired compatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw; and   a second compatible closure unlocking feature configured to laterally move said closure lock from said blocking position to said unblocking position when said unfired compatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw.   
     
     
         32 . The surgical end effector of  claim 29 , wherein said fired compatible cartridge comprises:
 a third compatible cartridge body configured to be seated in said first jaw, wherein said third compatible cartridge body comprises a third compatible proximal end and a third compatible distal end;   a third compatible unlocking feature protruding from said third compatible proximal end and configured to laterally move said second firing member lock from said second locked position to said second unlocked position when said fired compatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw;   a camming member in said third compatible cartridge body in an actuated position in which said camming member is unable to move said first firing member lock from said first locked position; and   a third compatible closure unlocking feature configured to laterally move said closure lock from said blocking position to said unblocking position when said fired compatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw.   
     
     
         33 . The surgical end effector of  claim 29 , wherein said unfired incompatible cartridge comprises:
 an incompatible cartridge body configured to be seated in said first jaw, wherein said incompatible cartridge body comprises an incompatible proximal end and an incompatible distal end, wherein said cartridge body lacks at least one of:
 a feature configured to move said second firing member lock from said second locked position to said second unlocked position when said unfired incompatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw; and 
 another feature configured to move said closure lock from said blocking position to said unblocking position when said unfired incompatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw, and wherein said unfired incompatible cartridge further comprises: 
   a plurality of surgical staples stored in said incompatible cartridge body; and   a camming member movably supported in said incompatible cartridge body in an unactuated position, wherein said camming member is configured to eject said surgical staples from said incompatible cartridge body when said camming member is moved from said unactuated position to an actuated position.   
     
     
         34 . The surgical end effector of  claim 33 , wherein said camming member is configured to move said first firing member lock from said first locked position to said second locked position when said camming member is in said unactuated position and said unfired incompatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw. 
     
     
         35 . The surgical end effector of  claim 29 , wherein said fired incompatible cartridge comprises:
 an incompatible cartridge body configured to be seated in said first jaw, wherein said incompatible cartridge body comprises an incompatible proximal end and an incompatible distal end, and wherein said incompatible cartridge body lacks at least one of:
 a feature configured to move said second firing member lock from said second locked position to said second unlocked position when said fired incompatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw; and 
 another feature configured to move said closure lock from said blocking position to said unblocking position when said fired incompatible cartridge is seated in said first jaw, and wherein said fired incompatible cartridge further comprises: 
   a camming member in an actuated position, wherein said camming member is configured to eject staples stored in said incompatible cartridge body when said camming member is moved from an unactuated position to said actuated position.