Patent ID: 8366709

Claim:
A surgical instrument, comprising: a housing supporting a cutter actuation control thereon; an elongated shaft extending distally from the housing; a first jaw member coupled to a distal end of the elongated shaft; a second jaw member coupled to the distal end of the elongated shaft, the second jaw member movable with respect to the first jaw member such that the first and second jaw members have an open condition wherein the first and second jaw members are relatively spaced and a closed condition wherein the first and second jaw members are relatively close to one another; an elongated knife channel defined in the second jaw member; a knife carrier slidably disposed within the elongated knife channel; a knife blade protruding from the knife carrier toward the first jaw member; a spindle disposed at a distal end of the elongated knife channel; and a drive cable extending through the knife channel and looping around the spindle to define first and second cable parts on two lateral sides of the spindle, the first and second cable parts extending proximally from the second jaw member into the elongated shaft, the knife carrier coupled to the first cable part such that proximal movement of the first cable part induces proximal movement of the knife carrier and proximal movement of the second cable part induces distal movement of the knife carrier.