Patent ID: 9265570
Filing Date: 2016-02-23
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A surgical instrument, comprising: an end effector including a pair of jaw members having opposing tissue clamping surfaces, at least one of the jaw members configured to move with respect to the other jaw member from an open configuration for receiving tissue and a closed configuration for clamping tissue between the opposing tissue clamping surfaces, at least one jaw member defining a knife channel extending longitudinally along a length of the tissue clamping surface, the knife channel including a blade slot and an elongated cam slot, the blade slot extending between the tissue clamping surfaces and the elongated cam slot; a plurality of electrically isolated and independently activatable electrodes supported by at least one of the tissue clamping surfaces of one of the jaw members, each of the plurality of electrically insulated electrodes spaced along at least one respective tissue clamping surface and configured to selectively deliver electrosurgical energy to tissue to seal or divide tissue; a reciprocating member selectively extendable through the elongated cam slot to a distal end thereof to cam the jaw members to the closed configuration, each of the plurality of electrodes independently activatable as the reciprocating member extends through the elongated cam slot; and an interruption mechanism configured to interrupt advancement of the reciprocating member at sequential sealing positions along the elongated cam slot to allow selective application of electrosurgical energy.