Patent ID: 11944295
Assignee: CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
a stepped anvil, comprising:
an anvil longitudinal slot;
a first row of staple pockets on a first side of the anvil longitudinal slot;
a first row of segmented electrodes stepped from the first row of staple pockets on the first side of the anvil longitudinal slot;
a second row of staple pockets on a second side of the anvil longitudinal slot; and
a second row of segmented electrodes stepped from the second row of staple pockets on the second side of the anvil longitudinal slot;

a stepped cartridge, wherein the stepped anvil and the stepped cartridge are configured to grasp tissue therebetween, and wherein the stepped cartridge comprises an asymmetric cartridge body, comprising:
a cartridge deck;
a cartridge longitudinal slot;
a first row of staple cavities on a first side of the cartridge longitudinal slot, the first row of staple cavities comprising first staples deformable against the first row of staple pockets;
a third row of segmented electrodes stepped from the first row of staple cavities on the first side of the cartridge longitudinal slot;
a second row of staple cavities on a second side of the cartridge longitudinal slot, the second row of staple cavities comprising second staples deformable against the second row of staple pockets; and
a longitudinal sealing step stepped from the second row of staple cavities on the second side of the cartridge longitudinal slot;

a cutting member movable along the anvil longitudinal slot and the cartridge longitudinal slot to cut the tissue;
wherein the first row of segmented electrodes is configured to oppose the third row of segmented electrodes, and wherein the second row of segmented electrodes is configured to oppose the longitudinal sealing step; and
a controller configured to adaptively alternate between an opposing bipolar energy mode and an offset bipolar energy mode, wherein the opposing bipolar energy mode comprises passing a first therapeutic signal between the first row of segmented electrodes and the third row of segmented electrodes, and wherein the offset bipolar energy mode comprises passing a second therapeutic signal between the second row of segmented electrodes and the third row of segmented electrodes.