Patent ID: 7955275

Claim:
A laparoscopic instrument for distance measurement of an elongated dimension of an internal body part of a patient, comprising: an elongated barrel portion; first and second jaw parts being carried at a first end of said barrel portion and extending from said first end codirectionally with a jaw axis, at least one of said jaw parts being movable with respect to said barrel portion to effect an increase and decrease of a jaw space between said first and second jaw parts; an actuating mechanism carried at a position along the barrel portion spaced apart from said first end for controlling movement of said at least one of said jaw parts by movement thereof; and a distance displacement sensor being disposed at said first end of said barrel portion, said distance displacement sensor being configured so as to be operable for sensing a distance of displacement of the first and second jaw parts along at least a length portion of the internal body part when a portion of the body part being measured is at least partially received in said jaw space and the instrument moved so as to effect travel of the first and second jaw parts in a direction crosswise to said jaw axis along said at least a length portion of the internal body part.