Patent ID: 9456863
Filing Date: 2016-10-04
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A surgical instrument, comprising: a housing including an elongated shaft extending therefrom, the elongated shaft having a longitudinal axis defined therethrough; a movable handle operably coupled to the elongated shaft and moveable relative to the housing between an actuated position and an unactuated position to selectively move the elongated shaft along the longitudinal axis; an end effector including a pair of opposing first and second jaw members movable relative to each other from a first position wherein the jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to a second position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween upon movement of the elongated shaft along the longitudinal axis, the end effector adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy for conducting electrosurgical energy through tissue grasped between the jaw members to effect a tissue seal; a switch supported by the housing and moveable between an activated position to initiate delivery of electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical energy source to the end effector and a deactivated position to terminate delivery of electrosurgical energy from the electrosurgical energy source to the end effector; a switch activation member disposed on the movable handle and configured to move the switch to the activated position upon movement of the movable handle to the actuated position and to the deactivated position upon movement of the movable handle to the unactuated position; and a switch control member disposed on the movable handle and biased into engagement with the switch by the switch activation member upon movement of the movable handle to the actuated position, wherein the switch control member is configured to maintain a force on the switch to maintain the switch in the activated position during at least partial movement of the movable handle from the actuated position to the unactuated position.