Patent ID: 8161977

Claim:
A method for capturing sensor data from a procedure involving a surgical cutting and fastening instrument, wherein the surgical cutting and fastening instrument comprises (a) a control unit, (b) a shaft, and (c) an end effector connected to the shaft, wherein the end effector comprises first and second pivotably connected, opposing jaw members for clamping tissue clamped therebetween and an cutting instrument that traverses longitudinally the end effector when actuated, the method comprising: storing data from a cutting instrument position sensor, located in the end effector, in a memory device of the control unit of the surgical cutting and fastening instrument during a surgical procedure involving the surgical cutting and fastening instrument, wherein the cutting instrument position sensor senses a position of the cutting instrument in the end effector, and wherein the cutting instrument position sensor is in communication with the control unit; establishing, after the surgical procedure, a data link between the control unit and a remote computer device; and downloading the data from the cutting instrument position sensor stored in the control unit of the surgical cutting and fastening instrument to the remote computer device.