Patent ID: 11931097
Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 18:
19. An electrosurgical instrument, comprising:
an elongated shaft;
an end effector coupled to a distal end portion of the elongated shaft and including opposing first and second jaw members, the end effector configured to move between an open configuration and a closed configuration;
a drive shaft having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, the distal end portion of the drive shaft operably coupled to the end effector to move the end effector between the open and closed configurations;
a first electrical contact disposed proximal to a proximal-most end of the drive shaft and configured to move with the drive shaft; and
a second electrical contact configured to releasably engage the first electrical contact in response to a movement of the drive shaft to sense an angle between the first and second jaw members.