Patent ID: 7135018

Claim:
An electrosurgical instrument for transecting an organ, comprising: an introducer having a distal end, a proximal end, a channel therein extending to an opening at the distal end, and a capture element at the distal end; a conductive wire slidably receivable within the channel and movable between an undeployed position wherein the conductive wire is substantially positioned longitudinally along the length of and within the channel and wherein a distal end thereof is not secured to the introducer by the capture element, and a deployed position wherein the conductive wire extends outwardly from the distal end of the channel, and wherein its distal end is secured to the introducer by the capture element to thereby form a substantially looped configuration; a deployment device movably coupled to the introducer and movable between a first position and a second position, the deployment device being engaged with the conductive wire such that movement of the deployment device between the first and second positions causes the conductive wire to move between the undeployed and deployed positions; wherein, when the conductive wire is in the deployed position with the distal end of the conductive wire secured to the introducer by the capture element, the deployment device is movable toward the first position to thereby cinch the conductive wire substantially without moving the introducer or the distal end of the conductive wire, and wherein the capture element is movable between an open position and a closed position, the instrument further comprising a capture element actuator coupled with the capture element and movably coupled with the introducer, the capture element actuator being movable between first and second positions wherein such moving causes the capture element to move between the closed and open positions respectively.