Patent ID: 8430876

Claim:
An endoscopic forceps, comprising: a housing having a shaft attached thereto, the shaft including a pair of jaw members disposed at a distal end thereof; a drive assembly disposed in the housing and operable to move the jaw members relative to one another from an open position wherein the jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to a closed position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween, the drive assembly including a drive shaft having a proximal end; a knife assembly operable to advance a knife through tissue disposed between the jaw members, the knife assembly including a mechanical interface disposed thereon; and a knife lockout including a first mechanical interface configured to operably engage the proximal end of the drive shaft and a second mechanical interface configured to operably engage the mechanical interface of the knife assembly and prevent movement thereof, wherein movement of the jaw members to the closed position causes the proximal end of the drive shaft to engage the first mechanical interface which, in turn, causes the second mechanical interface to disengage the mechanical interface on the knife assembly to permit selective advancement of the knife.