MODULAR SURGICAL INSTRUMENT SYSTEM

1 . A method, comprising:

obtaining a surgical instrument handle, wherein the surgical instrument handle comprises a system of handle modules;

obtaining a surgical instrument attachment, wherein the surgical instrument attachment comprises a system of attachment modules;

determining if the system of handle modules and the system of attachment modules are different; and

updating the system of handle modules if the system of handle modules and the system of attachment modules are different.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the system of handle modules further comprises automatically updating the system of handle modules with the system of attachment modules.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

attaching the surgical instrument attachment to the surgical instrument handle prior to comparing the system of handle modules to the system of attachment modules.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the system of handle modules and the system of attachment modules each comprise software.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the system of handle modules further comprises a first tier handle module, a second tier handle module, and a third tier handle module, and wherein the system of attachment modules further comprises a first tier attachment module corresponding to the first tier handle module, a second tier attachment module corresponding to the second tier handle module, and a third tier attachment module corresponding to the third tier handle module.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the third tier attachment module comprises firmware associated with an instrument hardware component.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first tier handle module is configured to issue commands to the second tier handle module, and wherein the second tier handle module is configured to issue commands to the third tier handle module.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein updating the system of handle modules further comprises:

determining if the first tier attachment module and the first tier handle module are different and updating the first tier handle module if the first tier handle module and the first tier attachment module are different;

determining if the second tier attachment module and the second tier handle module are different and updating the second tier handle module if the second tier handle module and the second tier attachment module are different; and

determining if the third tier attachment module and the third tier handle module are different and updating the third tier handle module if the third tier handle module and the third tier attachment module are different.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the system of handle modules further comprises a plurality of first tier handle modules, a plurality of second tier handle modules, and a plurality of third tier handle modules, wherein the system of attachment modules further comprises a plurality first tier attachment modules corresponding to the first tier handle modules, a plurality of second tier attachment modules corresponding to the second tier handle modules, and a plurality of third tier attachment modules corresponding to the third tier handle modules, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining if the plurality of first tier attachment modules and the plurality of first tier handle modules are different; and

updating the plurality of first tier handle modules if the plurality of first tier handle modules and the plurality of first tier attachment modules are different.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining if the plurality of second tier attachment modules and the plurality of second tier handle modules are different;

updating the plurality of second tier handle modules if the plurality of second tier handle modules and the plurality of second tier attachment modules are different;

determining if the plurality of third tier attachment modules and the plurality of third tier handle modules are different; and

updating the plurality of third tier handle modules if the plurality of third tier handle modules and the plurality of third tier attachment modules are different.

11 . A method, comprising:

obtaining a surgical instrument handle, wherein the surgical instrument handle comprises a handle firmware having a handle effective date;

obtaining a surgical instrument attachment, wherein the surgical instrument attachment comprises an attachment firmware having an attachment effective date;

comparing the handle effective date and the attachment effective date; and

updating the handle firmware with the attachment firmware if the handle effective date predates the attachment effective date.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

preserving the handle firmware if the handle effective date postdates the attachment effective date.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the surgical instrument handle further comprises a plurality of handle firmware modules, wherein each handle firmware module has a respective handle module effective date, wherein the surgical instrument attachment further comprises a plurality of attachment firmware modules, wherein each attachment firmware module corresponds to one of the handle firmware modules, and wherein each attachment firmware module has a respective attachment module effective date.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising, for each handle firmware module and corresponding attachment firmware module:

comparing the respective attachment module effective date and the respective handle module effective date.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein updating the handle firmware with the attachment firmware further comprises, for each handle firmware module and the corresponding attachment firmware module:

replacing the handle firmware module with corresponding the attachment firmware module if the respective handle module effective date predates the corresponding respective attachment module effective date.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising, for each handle firmware module and corresponding attachment firmware module:

preserving the handle firmware module if the respective handle module effective date postdates the corresponding respective attachment module effective date.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the surgical instrument handle further comprises a handle framework software configured to issue commands to the handle firmware, wherein the surgical instrument attachment further comprises a corresponding attachment framework software, and wherein the method further comprises:

updating the handle framework software with the corresponding attachment framework software if the handle framework software and the handle firmware are disconnected.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the surgical instrument handle further comprises a handle clinical software configured to issue commands to the handle framework software, wherein the surgical instrument attachment further comprises a corresponding attachment clinical software, and wherein the method further comprises:

updating the handle clinical software with the corresponding attachment clinical software if the handle clinical software and the corresponding attachment clinical software are different.

19 . A method, comprising:

obtaining a surgical instrument handle, wherein the surgical instrument handle comprises a handle firmware having a handle effective date;

obtaining a surgical instrument attachment, wherein the surgical instrument attachment comprises an attachment firmware having an attachment effective date;

comparing the handle effective date to the attachment effective date; and

preserving the handle firmware if the handle effective date postdates the attachment effective date.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising deleting the handle firmware if the handle effective date predates the attachment effective date and installing new handle firmware onto the surgical instrument handle.

21 . A modular surgical system, comprising:

a first component comprising a first control system having a first effective date;

a second component comprising a second control system having a second effective date; and

an operating system in signal communication with the first control system and the second control system, wherein the operating system comprises:

means for comparing the first effective date and the second effective date; and

means for updating the first control system with the second control system if the first effective date predates the second effective date.

22 . The modular surgical system of claim 21 , wherein the first control system and the second control system comprise software and firmware.

23 . The modular surgical system of claim 21 , wherein the first component comprises a handle comprising a trigger and a first attachment portion, and wherein the second component comprises a shaft comprising a second attachment portion configured to attach to the first attachment portion.

24 . The modular surgical system of claim 22 , further comprising a fastener cartridge removably retained in the second component.