Patent ID: 8197468

Claim:
A surgical instrument handle comprising: an elongate rod having a center axis that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions, the rod having a length with axially opposite proximal and distal ends; the rod distal end being adapted to be attached to a surgical instrument head; a piston mounted on the rod adjacent the rod distal end wherein the piston is adapted to have axially reciprocating movement toward and away from the rod distal end; a forward grip member mounted on the rod wherein the forward grip member is adapted to have axial movement between first and second positions of the forward grip member relative to the rod, the forward grip member having a plurality of resilient arms that extend along the rod, the plurality of arms having distal ends that operatively engage with the piston whereby manual movement of the arm distal ends radially inwardly moves the piston axially toward the rod distal end and movement of the piston axially away from the rod distal end moves the arm distal ends radially outwardly, there being a first radial spacing between the arm distal ends when the forward grip member is in the first position relative to the rod, and there being a second radial spacing between the arm distal ends when the forward grip member is in the second position relative to the rod, the second radial spacing being larger than the first radial spacing.