Patent ID: 7118587

Claim:
An electrosurgical instrument for performing at least one of sealing and dividing tissue, comprising: a housing having a shaft attached thereto; a first jaw member movable relative to a second jaw member, the first jaw member attached to the shaft and being relatively movable from a first open position wherein the jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to a second closed position wherein the jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween; a drive rod assembly which imparts movement of the jaw members between the first and second positions; and a handle assembly attached to the housing which actuates the drive rod assembly, the handle assembly including a four-bar mechanical linkage designed to reciprocate the drive rod assembly to actuate the jaw members between the first and second positions, said four-bar mechanical linkage including two handles, a link and a rotating cam-like piston, the rotating cam-like piston, upon movement of the handles relative to one another, rotates to correspondingly translate the drive rod assembly to impart movement to the jaw members between the first and second positions.