| CPC A61B 17/07207 (2013.01) [A61B 17/068 (2013.01); A61B 17/072 (2013.01); A61B 90/06 (2016.02); A61B 2017/00022 (2013.01); A61B 17/00234 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00398 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00725 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00734 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00818 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0725 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07257 (2013.01); A61B 2017/07271 (2013.01); A61B 2090/064 (2016.02); A61B 2090/065 (2016.02); A61B 2090/0811 (2016.02); A61B 90/92 (2016.02)] | 15 Claims |

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1. A surgical instrument for assessing a mechanical property of tissue under compression comprising:
a handle portion;
a body portion extending distally from said handle portion;
a tool assembly extending distally from and operatively connected to said body portion and comprising:
a first jaw member having a tissue supporting surface; and
a second jaw member having a tissue contacting surface, pivotally engaged with each other for pivotal motion about a pivot mechanism to open and close when operated by said handle portion to capture and compress said tissue, and together defining a gap distance there-between;
a force gauge assembly comprising a force transducer and a compression head having a tissue compression face; and
a spacer means for mechanically constraining said pivotal motion of said first jaw member and said second jaw member,
wherein said spacer means is disposed at a predetermined position on said tool assembly and configured to mechanically stop said pivotal motion of said first jaw member and said second jaw member to provide a predetermined gap distance there-between with said first jaw member and said second jaw member in closed position.
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