Patent ID: 11877789
Assignee: CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 19:
20. A method of operating a surgical tool, comprising:
positioning the surgical tool adjacent a patient for operation, the surgical tool including:
a drive housing;
an elongate shaft that extends from the drive housing;
a wrist operatively coupled to a distal end of the shaft and having a distal clevis and an axle mounted to the distal clevis;
an end effector having a first jaw holder and corresponding first jaw member rotatably mounted to the axle and a second jaw holder and corresponding second jaw member rotatably mounted to the axle; and
a cylindrical sleeve axle having opposing first and second ends and defining a central passageway extending between the opposing first and second ends, the sleeve axle providing a continuously straight and uninterrupted outer surface extending entirely between the opposing first and second ends, wherein the first end is housed within the first jaw holder and the second end is housed within the second jaw holder, and the axle is received within the central passageway such that the sleeve axle radially interposes the first and second jaw holders and the axle;
articulating at least one of the first and second jaw members about the axle, wherein the sleeve axle is rotatable relative to the axle; and
mitigating galling of the axle with the sleeve axle.