US 11,864,821 B2
Method and apparatus for open electrosurgical shears
Chad P. Boudreaux, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Assigned to Cilag GmbH International, Zug (CH)
Filed by Cilag GmbH International, Zug (CH)
Filed on May 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/308,097.
Application 17/308,097 is a continuation of application No. 15/989,424, filed on May 25, 2018, granted, now 11,020,169.
Prior Publication US 2021/0330374 A1, Oct. 28, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 18/14 (2006.01); A61B 18/12 (2006.01); A61B 18/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 18/1442 (2013.01) [A61B 18/1206 (2013.01); A61B 2018/0063 (2013.01); A61B 2018/00601 (2013.01); A61B 2018/126 (2013.01); A61B 2018/1455 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A surgical instrument comprising:
(a) an end effector, wherein the end effector comprises:
(i) a first jaw,
(ii) a second jaw pivotably coupled with the first jaw, wherein the second jaw is operable to pivot between an open position and a closed position, and
(iii) a knife configured to actuate between a pre-fired position and a fired position;
(b) a handle assembly, wherein the handle assembly comprises:
(i) a housing associated with the first jaw, and
(ii) an arm associated with the second jaw, wherein the arm is pivotably coupled with the housing, wherein the arm is configured to pivot the second jaw between the open position and the closed position; and
(c) a knife drive assembly, wherein the knife drive assembly comprises:
(i) a trigger slidably coupled with the housing,
(ii) an actuation assembly configured to convert proximal translation of the trigger into distal actuation of the knife, and
(iii) a return assembly comprising a camming surface and a pin, wherein the return assembly is configured to decouple the trigger with a portion of the actuation assembly to automatically actuate the knife from the fired position to the pre-fired position in response to the trigger reaching a predetermined proximal position.