Patent ID: 11937892
Assignee: CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  B | IPC A  B

Claim 14:
15. A surgical instrument, comprising:
(a) a drive housing having a first and second end;
(b) at least one spline extending between the first and second ends and including a drive gear, wherein the drive gear is configured to rotate with rotation of the at least one spline;
(c) a carriage movably mounted to the at least one spline;
(d) an elongate shaft assembly extending from the carriage and through the first end;
(e) an end effector disposed at a distal end of the elongate shaft assembly, wherein the end effector includes a first jaw and a second jaw; and
(f) a jaw activating mechanism housed in the carriage, wherein the jaw activating mechanism includes a closure barrel and a first follower pin, wherein the closure barrel extends along a rotational axis and defines a first cam profile radially extending about the rotational axis, wherein the first cam profile is configured to engage the first follower pin, wherein the drive gear is configured to rotate the closure barrel to drive movement of the first follower pin via the first cam profile, wherein the first follower pin is in communication with the end effector to drive movement of the first jaw of the end effector relative to the second jaw of the end effector, wherein the first cam profile defines a plurality of slopes relative to the rotational axis such that the first cam profile is configured to drive movement of the first jaw of the end effector relative to the second jaw of the end effector at different rates along a length of the first cam profile according to the plurality of slopes, wherein the first cam profile defines a first operational section and a second operational section, wherein the first operational section and the second operational section extend in opposite directions from a central zone defined by the first cam profile, and wherein the first operational section of the first cam profile defines a first zone having a first slope, wherein the second operational section defines a second zone having a second slope and a third zone having a third slope, wherein the second slope is greater than the third slope, and wherein the second slope is further greater than the first slope.