Surgical instrument drive systems

1. A surgical instrument for stapling the tissue of a patient, comprising:

a shaft;

an end effector, comprising:

a staple cartridge body including staple cavities defined therein;

staples removably positioned in said staple cavities;

an anvil configured to deform said staples; and

a knife configured to cut tissue positioned intermediate said staple cartridge body and said anvil;

a staple drive system configured to eject said staples from said staple cavities;

a knife drive system configured to move said knife relative to said staple cartridge body; and

a control system configured to selectively operate said staple drive system and said knife drive system independently of one another.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically-driven actuator configured to actuate said staple drive system before said said knife drive system is actuated.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically-driven actuator configured to drive said staple drive system and said knife drive system.

4. The surgical instrument of claim 3 , further comprising a battery configured to supply power to said electrically-driven actuator.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 3 , wherein said end effector is movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, wherein said surgical instrument further comprises a closure system configured to move said end effector between said open configuration and said closed configuration, and wherein said electrically-driven actuator is configured to drive said closure system.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 5 , wherein said control system is configured to selectively operate said closure system independently of said staple drive system and said knife drive system.

7. The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said end effector is movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, and wherein said surgical instrument further comprises a manually-operated closure system configured to move said end effector between said open configuration and said closed configuration.

8. A surgical instrument for stapling the tissue of a patient, comprising:

a shaft;

an end effector, comprising:

a staple cartridge body including staple cavities defined therein;

staples removably positioned in said staple cavities;

an anvil configured to deform said staples; and

a knife configured to cut tissue positioned intermediate said staple cartridge body and said anvil;

a staple drive system configured to eject said staples from said staple cavities; and

a knife drive system configured to move said knife relative to said staple cartridge body independently of said staple drive system.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , further comprising an electrically-driven actuator configured to drive said staple drive system and said knife drive system.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 9 , further comprising a battery configured to supply power to said electrically-driven actuator.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 9 , wherein said end effector is movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, wherein said surgical instrument further comprises a closure system configured to move said end effector between said open configuration and said closed configuration, and wherein said electrically-driven actuator is configured to drive said closure system.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 11 , wherein said electrically-driven actuator drives said closure system independently of said staple drive system and said knife drive system.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein said end effector is movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, and wherein said surgical instrument further comprises a manually-operated closure system configured to move said end effector between said open configuration and said closed configuration.

14. A surgical system for stapling the tissue of a patient, comprising:

a shaft;

an end effector, comprising:

a staple cartridge body including staple cavities defined therein;

staples removably positioned in said staple cavities;

an anvil configured to deform said staples; and

a knife configured to cut tissue positioned intermediate said staple cartridge body and said anvil;

a staple drive system configured to eject said staples from said staple cavities during a firing stroke; and

a knife drive system configured to move said knife relative to said staple cartridge body after said firing stroke.

15. The surgical system of claim 14 , further comprising an electrically-driven actuator configured to drive said staple drive system and said knife drive system.

16. The surgical system of claim 15 , further comprising a battery configured to supply power to said electrically-driven actuator.

17. The surgical system of claim 15 , wherein said end effector is movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, wherein said surgical system further comprises a closure system configured to move said end effector between said open configuration and said closed configuration, and wherein said electrically-driven actuator is configured to drive said closure system.

18. The surgical system of claim 17 , wherein said electrically-driven actuator drives said closure system independently of said staple drive system and said knife drive system.

19. The surgical system of claim 14 , wherein said end effector is movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, and wherein said surgical system further comprises a manually-operated closure system configured to move said end effector between said open configuration and said closed configuration.