Patent ID: 11871983
Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A surgical system, comprising:
an actuation assembly, including:
an actuator;
a drive rod; and
a force-regulating spring operably coupled between the actuator and the drive rod and configured to regulate a force applied by the drive rod in response to actuation of the actuator;

a sensor module configured to sense a change in inductance of the force-regulating spring and relay to a processor an amount of the sensed change; and
an end effector including first and second jaw members movable between an open position and a closed position for grasping tissue therebetween in response to movement of the drive rod,
wherein the processor associates the amount of sensed change in inductance with a known clamping force being applied on tissue by the first and second jaw members in the closed position.