Patent ID: 8303586

Claim:
An open electrosurgical forceps for sealing tissue, comprising: a pair of first and second shaft portions each having a jaw member disposed at a distal end thereof, said jaw members being movable from a first position in spaced relation relative to one another to at least one subsequent position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween, each jaw member defining a longitudinal axis; each of said jaw members including an electrically conductive sealing surface which communicates electrosurgical energy through tissue held therein; at least one of the jaw members including a knife slot defined along a length thereof; a knife blade reciprocally disposed in the knife slot for deployment therefrom, the knife blade defining a cutting edge oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the respective jaw member, wherein the knife blade includes a camming surface opposite the cutting edge, wherein the camming surface of the knife blade engages a corresponding camming surface formed in the slot of the jaw member to effectuate displacement of the knife blade between a first position and at least one subsequent position; and a cutting mechanism for selectively actuating the knife blade from the first position wherein the knife blade is disposed at least substantially entirely within the knife slot of one jaw member to the at least one subsequent position wherein the knife blade is at least partially deployed from the knife slot of the same jaw member, wherein the cutting edge of the knife blade remains substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the respective jaw member during actuation thereof from the first position to the at least one subsequent position to thereby slice tissue disposed between the jaw members.