Patent ID: 7568603

Claim:
A surgical cutting and fastening instrument comprising: an end effector comprising: an elongate channel; a clamping member pivotably connected to the channel; and a moveable cutting instrument for traversing the channel to cut an object clamped in the end effector by the clamping member when the clamping member is in a clamped position; a rotary main drive shaft assembly for actuating the cutting instrument in the end effector; a handle comprising: a gear drive train connected to the main drive shaft assembly for rotating the main drive shaft assembly; an electric motor for actuating the gear drive train; a battery connected to the motor for powering the motor; a closure trigger for causing the clamping member to pivot to the clamped position when retracted; a firing trigger separate from the closure trigger for actuating the motor when the firing trigger is retracted, wherein a loading force on the firing trigger is related to a loading force experienced by the cutting instrument when the cutting instrument traverses the channel, wherein the firing trigger comprises an upper gear portion that meshes with a gear of the gear drive train; a sensor circuit comprising at least one sensor for (i) sensing retraction of the firing trigger, wherein, when retraction of the firing trigger is sensed, the motor is signaled to forward rotate to cause cutting of the object positioned in the end effector by the cutting instrument, (ii) detecting a condition indicative of an end of a cutting stroke by the cutting instrument in the end effector, wherein, when the condition indicative of the end of the cutting stroke is sensed, the motor is signaled to reverse rotate, and (iii) detecting a condition indicative of full retraction of the cutting instrument in the end effector, wherein, when the condition indicative of full retraction is sensed, the motor is signaled to stop rotating; and means for articulating the end effector.