Patent ID: 8888809

Claim:
A surgical instrument for supplying energy to tissue, comprising: a handle; a trigger; an electrical input; a shaft extending from the handle, wherein the shaft comprises a conductor, and wherein the trigger is selectively actuatable to electrically couple the electrical input and the conductor; and an end effector defining a longitudinal axis, comprising: a first jaw member comprising a cammed compression surface along the longitudinal axis, the cammed compression surface comprising a multi-sloped track defining a first ramp having a first slope, the first ramp leading to a ridge having a flat portion, the ridge leading to a second ramp having a second slope; a second jaw member, wherein at least one of the first jaw member and the second jaw member is movable relative to the other of the first jaw member and the second jaw member between an open and a closed position to clamp tissue intermediate the first jaw member and the second jaw member in the closed position; the first and second jaw members defining a channel; a cutting member including a distal end, wherein the cutting member is sized and configured to fit at least partially within the channel, the cutting member configured to translate along the channel between a retracted position and a fully advanced position; and at least one compression element extending from the cutting member and contacting the cammed compression surface, wherein the at least one compression element engages the cammed compression surface to move the first and second jaw members from the open position to the closed position when the cutting member translates with respect to the first and second jaw members beyond the retracted position, wherein relative to a direction of travel of the compression element, the first slope is opposite that of the second slope.