Staple cartridge assembly for use in a surgical robotic system

Abstract

An end effector assembly for use in a surgical robotic system includes an anvil assembly and a staple cartridge assembly operably coupled to the anvil assembly. The staple cartridge assembly includes a chassis defining an elongate channel therein, a staple cartridge body configured for removable receipt in the elongate channel of the chassis, and a shipping wedge removably coupled to the staple cartridge body and at least partially covering a tissue-contacting surface of the staple cartridge body. The shipping wedge has a machine-readable medium thereon that stores a characteristic of the staple cartridge body.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A staple cartridge assembly, comprising:
 a chassis defining an elongate channel therein;   a staple cartridge body configured for removable receipt in the elongate channel of the chassis; and   a shipping wedge removably coupled to the staple cartridge body and at least partially covering a tissue-contacting surface of the staple cartridge body, wherein the shipping wedge has a machine-readable medium disposed thereon, wherein the machine-readable medium encodes information corresponding to a characteristic of the staple cartridge body.   
     
     
         13 . The staple cartridge assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the machine-readable medium is a barcode, a near-field communication tag, a radio frequency identification device tag, or a quick response code. 
     
     
         14 . The staple cartridge assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the machine-readable medium is printed on the shipping wedge. 
     
     
         15 . The staple cartridge assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the characteristic of the staple cartridge body includes at least one of a serial number of the staple cartridge body, a length of the staple cartridge body, or a reorder code. 
     
     
         16 . The staple cartridge assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the shipping wedge includes a raised portion extending from a proximal end portion of the shipping wedge configured to prevent approximation of the cartridge assembly towards an anvil assembly when the stapler cartridge assembly is coupled to an anvil assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The staple cartridge assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the shipping wedge includes a projection extending from a distal end of the shipping wedge, the projection being configured to be grasped by a clinician to facilitate separation of the shipping wedge from the staple cartridge body. 
     
     
         18 . The staple cartridge assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the shipping wedge includes a plurality of tabs configured to engage the staple cartridge body to releasably secure the shipping wedge to the staple cartridge body. 
     
     
         19 . A method of using a staple cartridge assembly in a robotic surgical procedure, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a surgical robotic system, a characteristic of a staple cartridge body of a staple cartridge assembly from a machine-readable medium of a shipping wedge of the staple cartridge assembly, the shipping wedge being removably coupled to the staple cartridge body and at least partially covering a tissue-contacting surface of the staple cartridge body; and   setting at least one parameter of the robotic surgical system based on the received characteristic of the staple cartridge body.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising:
 firing the staple cartridge body after the at least one parameter is set; and   disabling another firing of the staple cartridge body after the staple cartridge body is fired.   
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising loading the staple cartridge body into an elongate channel defined in a chassis of the staple cartridge assembly before or after the surgical robotic system receives the characteristic of the staple cartridge body. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21 , further comprising:
 removing the staple cartridge body from the chassis; and   loading another staple cartridge body into the elongate channel of the chassis, wherein another shipping wedge is removably coupled to the another staple cartridge body and at least partially covering a tissue-contacting surface of the another staple cartridge body, the another shipping wedge having a machine-readable medium disposed thereon storing a characteristic of the another staple cartridge body.   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , further comprising scanning the machine-readable medium disposed on the another shipping wedge to identify a characteristic of the another staple cartridge body. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 23 , further comprising firing the another staple cartridge body. 
     
     
         25 . A method of using a staple cartridge assembly in a robotic surgical procedure, the method comprising:
 activating a switch of a chassis of a staple cartridge assembly upon loading a staple cartridge body of the staple cartridge assembly into an elongate channel defined in the chassis, thereby indicating to a surgical robotic system a presence of the staple cartridge body, the staple cartridge assembly including a shipping wedge removably coupled to the staple cartridge body and at least partially covering a tissue-contacting surface of the staple cartridge body; and   receiving, by the surgical robotic system, a characteristic of the staple cartridge body from a machine-readable medium of the shipping wedge.   
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein activating the switch includes engaging a sled of the staple cartridge body with the switch. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 26 , further comprising advancing the sled of the staple cartridge body to fire staples from the tissue-contacting surface of the staple cartridge body, wherein the sled engages the switch during advancement of the sled, thereby signaling to the surgical robotic system that the staple cartridge body has been used. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising disabling a further firing of the staple cartridge body after the surgical robotic system receives a signal that the switch is deactivated. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 25 , further comprising setting at least one parameter of the robotic surgical system based on the received characteristic of the staple cartridge body. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , further comprising:
 firing the staple cartridge body after the at least one parameter is set; and   disabling another firing of the staple cartridge body after the staple cartridge body is fired.   
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 30 , further comprising:
 removing the staple cartridge body from the chassis;   loading another staple cartridge body into the elongate channel of the chassis, wherein another shipping wedge is removably coupled to the another staple cartridge body and at least partially covering a tissue-contacting surface of the another staple cartridge body, the another shipping wedge having a machine-readable medium disposed thereon storing a characteristic of the another staple cartridge body; and   scanning the machine-readable medium disposed on the another shipping wedge to identify a characteristic of the another staple cartridge body and enable a firing of the another staple cartridge body.