Patent ID: 8056786

Claim:
A surgical device, comprising: a first jaw having a distal end; a second jaw having a distal end, wherein the second jaw is disposed in opposed correspondence with the first jaw, and wherein the first jaw is pivotably coupled to the second jaw; at least one of a cutting element and a stapling element disposed within the second jaw; a driver configured to move at least one of the cutting element and the stapling element proximally from the distal end toward a proximal end of the second jaw to at least one of cut and staple a section of tissue disposed between the first and second jaws; and a biasing element that biases the distal end of the first jaw towards the distal end of the second jaw; and a stopping element that limits a distance that a proximal end of the first jaw may be separated from a proximal end of the second jaw by the biasing element; wherein the first jaw is pivotable relative to the second jaw around the stopping element; wherein, when closing the jaws, the first jaw is initially pivotable relative to the second jaw around the stopping element and eventually pivotable relative to the second jaw around a point other than the stopping element; and wherein the point other than the stopping element around which the first jaw is eventually pivotable relative to the second jaw is a point at which the distal end of the first jaw contacts the distal end of the second jaw.