Patent ID: 7736356

Claim:
A minimally invasive surgical instrument having an end effector, the end effector comprising: a grip support having a left pivot pin and a right pivot pin; a left jaw rotatable around the left pivot pin of the grip support and a right jaw rotatable around the right pivot pin of the grip support, a left slider pin attached to the left jaw and spaced from the left pivot pin, a right slider pin attached to the right jaw and spaced from the right pivot pin, the left and right slider pins being solid structures; a slotted member including a left slider pin slot in which the left slider pin is slidable to move the left jaw between an open position and a closed position, and a right slider pin slot in which the right slider pin is slidable to move the right jaw between an open position and a closed position; and a slider pin actuator movable relative to the slotted member to cause the left slider pin to slide in the left slider pin slot and the right slider pin to slide in the right slider pin slot, to move the left jaw and the right jaw between the open position and the closed position.