Patent ID: 8070748

Claim:
A bipolar forceps, comprising: a housing; a shaft affixed to the housing having jaw members at a distal end thereof, the shaft having a longitudinal axis defined therethrough, the jaw members adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy such that the jaw members are capable of conducting energy through tissue held therebetween to effect a tissue seal, the shaft including a drive sleeve; a drive assembly operably coupled to the drive sleeve for moving the jaw members relative to one another about a pivot from a first position to a second position; a movable handle being rotatable about a pivot pin operably disposed in the housing to force a drive flange of the drive assembly to move the jaw members between the first and second positions; a knife assembly having a movable knife bar dimensioned to operatively engage the housing and operatively coupled to a knife slidingly disposed within the shaft, the knife assembly including a cuff at a distal end of the knife bar, the cuff dimensioned to move atop the drive sleeve upon movement of the knife bar; and a finger actuator operatively coupled to the knife assembly, the finger actuator including two generally u-shaped flanges which rotate about a pivot to abut and force the cuff distally which, in turn, results in distal translation of the knife through an aperture defined in the pivot to cut tissue disposed between the jaw members.