US Patent Issued to INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS on Dec. 16 for "Stapler reload detection and identification" (Connecticut, California Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 16 -- United States Patent no. 12,496,065, issued on Dec. 16, was assigned to INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS INC. (Sunnyvale, Calif.).

"Stapler reload detection and identification" was invented by William Burbank (Sandy Hook, Conn.), Matthew A. Wixey (Rochester, Conn.), Nicholas Ragosta (San Francisco), David W. Weir (Menlo Park, Calif.), Emily Cooper (San Francisco) and Melody Wu (Sunnyvale, Calif.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "Disclosed are techniques for stapler reload detection and identification. A manipulator is configured to have an instrument mounted thereto. The instrument includes an end effector configured to receive a replaceable stapler cartridge. An actuato...