Patent ID: 7819872

Claim:
An endoscopic forceps for vessel sealing, comprising: a housing; a shaft extending from the housing and including a distal end configured and adapted to support an end effector assembly; an end effector assembly operatively supported on the distal end of the shaft, the end effector assembly including: a pair of jaw members each pivotally connected about a pivot pin, the pair of jaw members movable from a first position in spaced relation relative to one another to at least a second position closer to one another for grasping tissue therebetween, each of the jaw members adapted to connect to an electrosurgical energy source such that the pair of jaw members are capable of conducting energy through tissue held therebetween to affect a tissue seal; an outer sleeve translatably disposed about the shaft, wherein the sleeve has a first position in which the sleeve does not cover the pair of jaw members about the pivot pin, wherein the pivot pin is disposed beyond a distal end of the outer sleeve to thereby permit selective movement of both jaw members to a substantially orthogonal orientation relative to the shaft, and at least one second position in which the sleeve covers at least a portion of the pair of jaw members about the pivot pin, wherein the pivot pin is disposed within the outer sleeve to thereby align the jaw members within the shaft; and a linkage operatively connected to at least one of the pair of jaw members, the linkage being actuatable to initially move the jaw members to a substantially orthogonal position relative to the shaft and subsequently movable to pivot each jaw member relative to one another to grasp tissue therebetween; and a movable handle operatively associated with the housing, wherein actuation of the movable handle relative to the housing results in movement of the jaw members to advance the jaw members relative to the outer sleeve and to pivot the jaw members about the pivot pin when disposed at a position beyond the distal end of the outer sleeve.