AI-Powered Robotic Surgery

Fully automated robotic dental drill for precision dental surgeries like crown preparations without manual cutting by a dentist. The drill has a robotic arm with a cutting end effector that can move in six degrees of freedom to accurately shape teeth. It uses motors and translational drives to precisely position and orient the end effector. This allows automated preparation of teeth for prosthetics without the variability and limitations of manual drilling.

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Robotic system for treating the intestines of patients using an elongated device with a robotic console that can manipulate the device and its distal functional assembly. The system enables precise positioning and maneuvering of the device inside the intestines for procedures like expanding submucosal tissue, ablating tissue, or gathering segment information. Robotic control allows overcoming challenges of intestinal tortuosity and motion. The console detects patient states and robotic manipulations are performed based on that. The system can also have sensors for intestinal segment information, force feedback, and shape sensing for 3D mapping.

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Handheld pendant for controlling a robotic surgical system in both semi-autonomous and manual modes. The pendant has two controls: one to initiate semi-autonomous mode where the robot moves the instrument, and another to modify the instrument feed rate in semi-autonomous mode. This allows the surgeon to switch between robot-controlled and manual instrument movement during a procedure. The robot calculates the feed rate for automated movement, but the surgeon can override it for finer control.

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A system for directing a laparoscopic instrument without requiring the user to keep their focus on the movement. The system allows a user to direct the instrument by touching a part of the screen displaying the surgical environment, moving their body, making sounds, or moving their eyes. The system determines the intended destination based on these inputs and moves the instrument there. It can also prevent restricted movements. The system uses rules like proximity, collision prevention, preferred volumes, and historical analysis to determine allowed and restricted movements.

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Autonomous navigation of medical devices like catheters and guidewires through a patient's vascular network to treat conditions like stroke. The system uses imaging to identify the device's location and determine waypoints for steering. It generates trajectories to move the device between points. The device is then autonomously advanced along the trajectories. The imaging also helps locate obstructions for removal. The system can also release contrast to enhance imaging. The aim is to facilitate guided, robotic intervention for conditions like stroke by autonomously navigating devices to targets using image guidance.

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Robotic system for accurately targeting and deploying needles for medical procedures like radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors in a way that mitigates errors caused by the liver's respiratory motion. The robotic platform is designed to be mounted directly on the patient's abdomen. It uses a compact dual-stage cartesian robot with an active needle insertion module. The robot's lower stage moves the upper stage in 2D, and the needle insertion module connects the stages. The module has a flexible fluidic actuator with inflatable bellows and diaphragms. During static breath hold, the diaphragms grip the needle, then the bellows inflate to insert it. Before breathing, the diaphragms deflate and the bellows deflate. This active motion compensation reduces errors due to liver motion compared to passive methods.

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Robotic system for accurately guiding medical instruments to move targets inside the body during minimally invasive procedures like biopsies. The system uses real-time ultrasound imaging and robotics to track the movement of internal organs and lesions due to breathing and instrument insertion. It adjusts the robot arm position in real time based on updated ultrasound images to optimally guide the instrument to the target. This compensates for organ deformations and breathing-induced displacements. The system also has a navigation system to provide the robot and ultrasound probe positions.

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Robotic systems with shared degrees-of-freedom (DoFs) between components for collision avoidance in medical applications. The robotic systems have shared DoFs between links like arms and supports to enable null space motion for collision avoidance. This allows adjusting arm positions while maintaining a fixed remote center of movement. The shared DoFs can be from an adjustable support base and robotic arms or from a patient platform and robotic arms. Sharing DoFs between different links allows coordinated motion for collision avoidance without spacing the robotic arms too far apart.

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Automated system and method to insert medical devices like endotracheal tubes into patient cavities using image guidance. The system has a bending section with a camera, processor, and actuators. It collects images of the cavity, recognizes structures, predicts the tube path, generates control signals, and actuates the tube to follow the predicted path. The system can also allow manual override. The camera data is used to visualize the cavity and guide the tube insertion. The automated guidance aims to simplify intubation and reduce failures compared to manual methods.

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Enhancing surgical procedures using augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide real-time guidance and assistance to surgeons. The system overlays AR annotations and visualizations on live video feeds of the surgical site, highlighting important structures and providing additional information. It also uses AI to analyze the video feeds and provide real-time guidance on surgical techniques. The AR and AI systems are integrated with robotic surgery platforms to enable remote control of the robotic arms by viewing the augmented video. This allows surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgeries with improved precision and reduced risks.

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System for neuronavigation registration and robotic trajectory guidance in surgery to improve accuracy and efficiency of neurosurgical procedures like electrode implantation. It uses image analysis, fiducial markers, and tracking to determine the patient anatomy and robot arm positions relative to each other. This allows the robot to move precisely to targeted locations in the patient's brain based on preoperative images. The system provides visual feedback and suggestions to optimize electrode placement. It also generates maps to show the best entry points for the robot arm based on accuracy criteria.

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Method and system for accurately aligning 3D and 2D medical images during surgery to improve navigation and guidance. The method involves using a trained AI model to predict the rotation and translation needed to align a 2D image with projected views of the 3D image. This is done by converting the 3D image into multiple 2D projections using image parameters, comparing those to the actual 2D image, and selecting the one with closest matching differences. The predicted alignment values from that projection are then used instead of direct alignment. The AI model is trained using historical 3D/2D images and their alignment values.

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Real-time surgical tool presence/absence detection using machine learning to improve patient safety during laparoscopic and robotic surgeries involving energy tools like ultrasonic sealing devices. The technique involves training a tool detection model using labeled surgical videos, augmenting the training set, and iteratively updating the model with new images to improve accuracy. During surgery, the model processes real-time videos to determine if the energy tool is present or absent in each frame. If the tool is absent but the surgeon is activating it, an unsafe event is flagged. This allows monitoring for improper tool usage and injuries.

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Collaborative robotic control of multiple medical catheters for minimally invasive procedures that leverages information from one catheter for control of another. The robotic control of different catheters uses a common interface that allows the same user input and control to be translated for robotic operation of any of the catheters. This enables robotic manipulation of multiple catheters simultaneously with collaborative features like continuous monitoring of one catheter using information from another.

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Improving safety in robotic surgery by using video analysis to supplement kinematic modeling for tool position prediction. The system identifies surgical tools in images, estimates their positions, and compares to predicted positions. If discrepancies indicate a tool is not actually in view, it disables the tool to prevent accidental injury. It also estimates forces based on position differences to detect excessive force applications.

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Enhancing surgical planning and execution using machine learning and augmented reality to improve joint replacement procedures. The technique involves using historical patient data to train an AI model that can predict optimal implant positioning and bone resection for a specific patient based on their anatomy. This personalized surgical plan can then be executed robotically with AR guidance. The AI model is updated as new patient data is collected. The AR system uses headsets to overlay surgical guidance onto the surgeon's view. It also allows multiple users to share different AR displays.

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Control of cooperative surgical instruments during minimally invasive procedures to improve safety and efficiency by coordinating their movements based on actions of other instruments. The system involves using sensors to monitor the actions of one instrument and automatically adjusting another instrument's movements accordingly to maintain proper tissue loading and avoid over-dissection. It also allows visualization systems to provide augmented views of concealed structures and depths to help with dissection planning. The system leverages digital surgery concepts like spectral imaging, augmented reality, and AI to enhance surgical visualization and coordination.

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A necklace-shaped sensor for continuous monitoring of cardiac function and fluid levels in ambulatory patients. The sensor has electrodes for measuring ECG and impedance signals. It processes the signals to determine parameters like heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, fluid levels, respiration rate, activity, and motion. The sensor wirelessly transmits the data to a remote location for analysis and reporting to clinicians. It aims to provide continuous, non-invasive monitoring of cardiac function and fluid status for conditions like heart failure, without the need for specialized equipment or operators.

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Robotic system for precise, minimally invasive revision joint surgeries with reduced bone loss and faster implant removal compared to manual techniques. The system uses a robotic arm with a haptic-guided cutting tool to remove implants from bones with controlled precision. It tracks the tool and bone movement to prevent overcutting and guide implant removal. The system also generates virtual boundaries to protect critical bone areas. By using customized cutting tools, robotic guidance, and virtual constraints, the system aims to minimize bone loss and reduce time compared to manual surgery.

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A laparoscope-holding robot system for laparoscopic surgery that provides improved flexibility, automation, and intelligence compared to conventional laparoscope holding robots. The system has a trolley rack, surgical tool, and a six-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm mounted on the rack. The arm has joints to provide full articulation. The surgical tool attaches to the arm via a quick-release mechanism. This allows the arm to fully position and maneuver the tool without needing manual adjustments by the surgeon. The six-axis articulation allows complex motions and precise movements. The trolley provides mobility. The system enables automated, flexible, and intuitive laparoscopic surgery without requiring constant manual intervention.

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Robotic surgical system for minimally invasive procedures that overcomes limitations of rigid tools and limited visual feedback in laparoscopy. The system has a robotic device inserted into the body cavity through a small incision. It has two arms with end effectors. A camera can be inserted into the device to track and view the arms/effectors. A console processes algorithms to position the camera. This allows the surgeon to see the robot's motion in real-time on a display. The removable camera can be reused.

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Tracking bones and surgical instruments in robot-assisted surgery without line-of-sight requirements. The system uses alternative tracking methods like inertial sensors or ultrasound imaging connected to the objects, along with robot arm position data, to continuously track and output the position and orientation of the objects in the surgical frame of reference. This allows tracking bones with limited exposure or hidden areas by registering them with the robot arm and leveraging the robot's position sensors instead of relying solely on direct line-of-sight sensors.

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Determining the configuration of a tool inside a catheter using a neural network trained on images of the tool being inserted into the catheter. The network analyzes live images of the tool as it's being advanced into the catheter to determine the tool's orientation and location inside the catheter. This allows accurate tracking of the tool's position and orientation inside the catheter, even when visibility is limited. The neural network is trained by feeding it images of the tool being inserted into the catheter with known orientations, so it learns to recognize the tool's appearance in different configurations.

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Selecting the best anchor UE for sidelink positioning in wireless communications by providing comprehensive anchor UE selection criteria. A candidate anchor UE can signal its position accuracy, type, source, age, validity, and assistance data validity to other UEs. This allows sidelink-capable UEs to choose the most suitable anchor for positioning based on factors like reliability, longevity, and accuracy.

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Endoscope control system that improves manipulation of the distal end of the scope during procedures by using machine learning to determine appropriate movements based on the endoscopic image. The system acquires an endoscopic image, determines operation details like bending angles and motion paths using trained machine learning models, and then controls the scope movement based on the learned details. This allows the system to properly navigate through complex anatomy by leveraging historical images and labels to learn optimal movements.

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Robotic surgery system that uses AI and machine learning to improve surgical planning and robotic control. The system analyzes data from past surgeries to generate feedback for surgeons and the robots. It can predict changes in organ function based on surgical plans and suggest adjustments. It uses imaging to identify vasculature within the organ and estimates long-term blood flow to determine function loss. The AI-generated scores can help optimize treatment trajectories to avoid unnecessary organ damage.

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Enhancing surgical workflows using computer-assisted surgery with improved tracking techniques. The methods involve attaching flexible fiber optic shape sensing (FOSS) devices to anatomical structures or surgical instruments in a surgical environment. Reflectivity data from the FOSS devices is used to track their locations. This allows accurate tracking of anatomy and instruments inside patients, without line-of-sight or EM interference. The FOSS devices can also detect flexibility changes in instruments. This data is used to automatically control instrument behavior and prevent collisions.

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Ultrasonic surgical instrument with a movable ultrasonic transducer assembly for inserting the ultrasonic blade into a patient. The transducer assembly is attached to a carrier that can slide along the instrument's longitudinal axis. This allows the transducer to move between a proximal position near the handle and a distal position near the blade tip. The carrier is guided along rails and driven by a screw. The distal movement extends the ultrasonic blade for insertion into the patient. The robotic system can have this instrument mounted on a robotic arm for precise positioning during surgery.

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Automated planning of bone correction using external fixation devices by generating virtual models and optimization algorithms. The method involves creating virtual models of deformed bones using images and autonomously overlaying graphical templates with landmarks. These templates are used to generate virtual fixation rings and rings can be graphically manipulated to optimize the fixation frame configuration for bone correction. The automated planning simplifies and expedites finding the optimal fixation frame setup for complex bone deformities compared to manual configuration.

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Accurately determining the position of an anatomic part of a patient's body during robot-assisted surgery to account for patient movement and compensate for IMU drift. The system uses an IMU attached to the patient's anatomy to track its position. It resets the IMU's drift periodically by detecting points in time when the patient's respiration and heartbeat are minimally moving. This provides repeatable, stationary points for resetting the IMU's reference.

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Adapting a biomechanical model of an anatomical body part to match a patient's current status during a medical intervention. The method involves determining the current step of the intervention, then acquiring data like region-of-interest, imaging, and instrument guidance to adapt the biomechanical model. This allows updating the model during the intervention based on real-time changes in the patient's anatomy.

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Automated and robotic surgical procedures using AI to transcribe, analyze, and present patient data during surgery. The system collects data from medical professionals, sensors, and imaging devices. It analyzes the data using AI models and presents the findings in a conversational interface to the surgeon. The surgeon can provide additional data which is further analyzed. This allows real-time analysis and decision making during surgery. The AI can also generate surgical plans, simulate procedures, and optimize outcomes. The goal is to prevent errors, improve outcomes, and reduce recovery time using AI-assisted surgery.

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Robotic surgical system for precise placement and guidance of tools during surgery, particularly spinal surgery. The system uses a portable robotic arm with a force-controlled end effector that holds surgical tools. The robotic arm allows intuitive, manual positioning of the tool for accurate trajectories without pre-op planning. The end effector can switch between force control (impedance) and holding modes. It calculates trajectories from images and real-time position. The robotic cart stabilizes during surgery. The system enables precise, repeatable tool placement and guidance for spinal procedures like drilling.

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Robotic system for precise instrument positioning during minimally invasive surgeries without requiring external tracking devices. The system uses real-time instrument tracking to align the robotic arm with the planned trajectory. It calculates the error between the tracked instrument position and the target, then iteratively moves the arm to close the gap. This avoids the need for external markers or registration steps since the robot aligns based on the instrument's own feedback.

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Robotic surgical system that can be fully inserted into a patient's body for minimally invasive procedures without the need for external ports. The robotic device consists of segmented arms with motors and operational components that can be assembled inside the body. It's controlled externally via a support structure that extends through an incision. This allows the robot to be completely inside the body for procedures like biopsy, dissection, and retraction without external access. The support structure provides power and communication to the robot. The system can also have sealing ports to create a closed environment inside the body.

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Robotic surgical system for spinal, neuro, and orthopedic surgeries that improves precision, reduces radiation exposure, and allows easy sterilization. The system has a robotic arm with a force/torque controlled end-effector to hold a surgical tool. A tracking detector detects tool/patient position. A processor maintains the tool on a pre-planned trajectory using real-time positions. The robotic arm automatically adjusts tool position as the vertebra moves to keep the trajectory. This allows stable, guided instrument placement without requiring manual coordination with 2D images.

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Navigation of surgical robots to prevent collisions with patient anatomy during movements. The method involves defining 3D volumes around critical anatomical elements based on registration data. The robot arm is then controlled to avoid passing through these volumes during movements. This prevents unintentional collisions with patient anatomy.

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Robotic laser surgery system that uses computer-modulated laser intensity to precisely and accurately remove tissues during surgical procedures. The system involves a surgical robot with a laser attached. Before surgery, a pre-operative plan is generated based on patient and procedure data. The plan includes initial laser settings. During surgery, imaging and sensors continuously monitor the area. The computer determines real-time adjustments based on the monitoring. The laser automatically adjusts during surgery to ensure accurate and precise removal of tissues.

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Automatically adjusting camera views in a surgical system to capture specific locations of interest during procedures. The system analyzes surgical session data to identify events and determine associated locations. It then directs the camera to automatically adjust its view to capture those locations without manual intervention. This allows quick visualization of critical areas during procedures without requiring the user to move the camera.

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Robotic catheter system for accurate and efficient targeting of hard-to-reach locations in the body like peripheral lung nodules. The system uses a robotic catheter with segments that can bend individually. A tracking device monitors the catheter tip position. The system allows tilting and offsetting the tip using separate bending operations. It estimates sampling locations based on tip position and target. A display shows the expected locations history as the tip moves. This helps avoid repeated attempts to align the tip.

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Robotic system to accurately reduce ankle fractures by assisting surgeons during the procedure. The system uses a separate actuatable section and a passive arm that attach to the tibia and fibula respectively. A controller limits the forces and torque during reduction based on predefined max values. The system helps reduce ankle fractures by accurately aligning the distal tibiofibular joint using robotic assistance. This improves reduction accuracy compared to manual methods and reduces radiation exposure compared to fluoroscopy.

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Repositioning a computer-assisted system like a robot or telesurgical device with motion partitioning to avoid collisions and improve performance when moving between positions. The system determines the target pose and current pose, calculates the motion needed, partitions it into sub-motions for specific joints, and moves those joints to achieve the sub-motions. This allows selectively operating joints to reduce risk of collisions with obstacles, center joints for better response, etc.

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Robotic surgery system with virtual barriers to prevent accidental patient injury during surgery. The system uses virtual barriers to restrict movement of robotic arms and prevent contact with sensitive areas inside the patient's body. The barriers can be released by gestures performed by the robotic arms themselves or by user input. The gestures can be tailored to the specific surgical procedure being performed. The barriers define areas around organs or structures to protect them from accidental contact.

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In-surgery monitoring of patient-specific instrumentation positioning during surgery to improve accuracy of bone cutting. The system uses 3D cameras in the operating room to capture depth maps of the surgical scene. It determines the actual position of the target bone area and the instrumentation from the depth maps. By comparing against the planned relative positions, it calculates the appropriate instrument positioning on the bone. This allows real-time verification of the instrument placement during surgery using intraoperative depth imaging.

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Robotic-assisted surgical system for joint replacements that uses a customized registration device to accurately position the robotic arm on the patient's anatomy. The device is created by locating landmarks in 2D images of the patient's joint. This provides a specific workspace for the joint replacement surgery. The robotic arm is then mounted on the patient's bone in that workspace and can be used for guided reaming or milling of the joint socket. The robotic arm has force/torque sensors for feedback control during bone preparation. The system allows automated, precise bone shaping for joint replacements using a customized registration process.

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Controlling cooperative surgical instruments based on actions of the other surgical instruments to achieve a common surgical purpose. The system involves a controller that receives data from one instrument indicating the energy delivered by another instrument. It uses this information to determine the energy being delivered by the first instrument and adjusts it based on the data received. This allows coordination of energy delivery between cooperating instruments without direct visualization or contact.

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Predictive algorithm to prevent twitching and over-travel during stapling in robotic and powered handheld surgical staplers. The algorithm estimates the end stop position of the stapler drive mechanism before reaching physical limits. It calculates the stop position based on the motor torque or strain during firing, adds an offset, and continuously updates the estimate. This prevents over-travel and twitching by stopping the motor at the calculated end stop instead of the actual mechanical limit.

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Robotic-assisted ablation systems for treating lung diseases like chronic bronchitis that involves endoluminal access and ablation of airway walls. The systems use robotics to precisely navigate and deliver ablation treatment to optimize lung tissue coverage, contact, and avoidance of lesion overlap. The systems involve planning ablation treatment based on segmented lung images, generating bridged models to fill gaps, and providing navigation guidance to perform the treatments. The robotic manipulation allows controlled motion rates and sensor feedback to evaluate contact during ablation.

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Automated prostate surgery using an energy source inside the urethra to remove tissue around the lumen. The surgery is planned based on pre-operative images and automated control moves the energy source to remove a pre-defined volume. Real-time assessment of the prostate during surgery helps adjust the plan. An imaging device provides synchronized views of the prostate and planned removal profile. An expandable anchor inside the urethra aids positioning. The automated controller moves the energy source radially to treat the tissue. The controller can override and pulse width modulation is used. The automated control aligns the treatment axis with the patient's axis. An input device like an interstitial imaging device guides the surgery.

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Detecting and preventing staple malformation during surgical stapling procedures using a smart end effector. The end effector has sensors to measure forces and positions during stapling. A control circuit analyzes the sensor data to detect staple malformation. If malformation is detected, it pauses the stapling process and resumes with modified parameters based on the tissue response during the pause. This predictively autonomously optimizes pauses to reduce staple malformation.

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