Patent ID: 8851354

Claim:
A surgical instrument comprising: an electric motor; a power source connected to the electric motor via at least one switch, wherein the power source is for supplying electric power to the electric motor; a tissue-clamping end effector that comprises: a moveable working portion that is moveable upon actuation of the electric motor; a removable cartridge that comprises a tissue thickness module that senses thickness of tissue clamped in the end effector; and a control circuit in communication with the tissue thickness module, wherein the control circuit automatically prevents actuation of the moveable working portion when the thickness of the tissue clamped in the end effector is not within a specified thickness range by controlling the at least one switch that connects the power source to the electric motor based on at least: thickness data from the tissue thickness module for the tissue clamped in the end effector; and model type data for the removable cartridge from the tissue thickness module.