Patent ID: 8647341

Claim:
An endoscopic bipolar forceps, comprising: a housing; a shaft affixed to the housing having a movable jaw member and a fixed jaw member at a distal end thereof, the shaft defining a longitudinal axis therethrough, the movable jaw member movable about a hinge axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the shaft and including a pivot flange having a central protrusion that extends from a center of the pivot flange orthogonally to the hinge axis; a drive assembly configured to move the movable jaw member relative to the fixed jaw member from a first position wherein the movable jaw member is disposed in spaced relation relative to the fixed jaw member to a second position wherein the movable jaw member is closer to the fixed jaw member for manipulating tissue, the drive assembly being actuatable by proximal movement of a movable handle to rotate a drive flange proximally about a drive pivot which proximally biases a proximal portion of the drive assembly, which as a result moves a tubular reciprocating sleeve proximally along the longitudinal axis, wherein the proximal portion of the drive assembly is disposed proximally of the drive flange, the tubular reciprocating sleeve including an aperture defined therein at a distal end thereof that receives the central protrusion of the pivot flange of the movable jaw member to impart a predetermined closure force to the movable jaw member, the drive pivot being located a fixed distance above the longitudinal axis in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and a gripping portion of the movable handle being located a fixed distance below the longitudinal axis in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the shaft; each of the movable and fixed jaw members adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy such that the movable and fixed jaw members are capable of conducting energy through the tissue held therebetween to effect a tissue seal; and a selectively advanceable knife assembly that cuts the tissue in a forward direction along the tissue seal.