Devices, systems, and methods for surgical instrument reprocessing

1. A method of reprocessing a surgical instrument, the method comprising:

flowing a flow of irrigation fluid through an accessory drive device comprising a reciprocating piston in a flow path of the flow of irrigation fluid and comprising a valve, operably coupled to the reciprocating piston, in the flow path such that the flow of irrigation fluid flows through the valve and impinges on the piston and moves the piston;

moving a movable portion of the valve between a first position and a second position by motion of the piston and a linkage mechanically coupling the piston to the movable portion of the valve;

converting motion of the piston to motion of an input drive member of the surgical instrument;

converting the motion of the input drive member to motion of an actuation element of the surgical instrument;

converting the motion of the actuation element to motion of a distal component of the surgical instrument; and

irrigating the surgical instrument with the flow of irrigation fluid.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein irrigating the surgical instrument with the flow of irrigation fluid comprises irrigating the surgical instrument downstream of the accessory drive device in the flow path of the flow of irrigation fluid.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the irrigation fluid of the flow is a cleaning solution.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motion of the distal component of the surgical instrument comprises at least one of articulation of a wrist mechanism or motion of an end effector of the surgical instrument.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to a torque applied to the input drive member reaching a minimum threshold magnitude, absorbing at least a portion of a force associated with the flow of irrigation fluid through the accessory drive device to limit the magnitude of the torque applied to the input drive member.

6. The method of claim 5 :

wherein the accessory drive device comprises an output drive member operably coupled with the input drive member; and

wherein absorbing at least a portion of the force associated with the flow of irrigation fluid through the accessory drive device to limit the magnitude of the torque applied to the input drive member comprises causing slip between the output drive member and the input drive member.

7. The method of claim 5 :

wherein the accessory drive device comprises an output drive member operably coupled with the input drive member;

wherein the accessory drive device comprises a force transfer mechanism operably coupled to apply a torque to the output drive member based on the force associated with the flow of the irrigation fluid through the accessory drive device; and

wherein absorbing at least a portion of the force associated with the flow of irrigation fluid through the accessory drive device to limit the magnitude of the torque applied to the input drive member comprises causing slip between the output drive member and the force transfer mechanism of the accessory drive device.

8. The method of claim 5 :

wherein the accessory drive device comprises an output drive member operably coupled with the input drive member;

wherein the accessory drive device comprises a compliant member operably coupled to apply a torque to the output drive member based on the force associated with the flow of the irrigation fluid through the accessory drive device; and

wherein absorbing at least a portion of the force associated with the flow of irrigation fluid through the accessory drive device to limit the magnitude of the torque applied to the input drive member comprises causing deformation of the compliant member.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow of irrigation fluid is from a fluid source of an automated reprocessing device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein irrigating the surgical instrument with the flow of irrigation fluid comprises flushing an interior of the surgical instrument with the flow of irrigation fluid.

11. The method of claim 1 :

wherein in the first position of the movable portion of the valve, the flow of irrigation fluid urges the piston to move in a first direction; and

wherein in the second position of the movable portion of the valve, the flow of the irrigation fluid urges the piston to move in a second direction opposite the first direction.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the valve comprises a valve housing and a valve gear disposed in the valve housing; and

the movable portion of the valve comprises the valve gear.