Patent ID: 7628792

Claim:
A surgical instrument comprising: a drive rod assembly including an elongated hollow shaft portion having a proximal end and a distal end and a central shaft slidably disposed in and axially aligned with the hollow shaft portion; a handle assembly coupled to the hollow shaft portion and the central shaft of the drive rod assembly, the handle assembly configured to actuate the drive rod assembly; an end effector assembly including a pair of opposing jaw members each being pivotally connected to the central shaft by a pivot pin and each operatively associated with the distal end of the hollow shaft portion, wherein each jaw member includes a jaw housing defining a tissue contacting surface, the jaw housing includes a flange extending therefrom through which pivot pin extends and a flexible cam arm extending proximally from the flange, the flexible cam arms configured to pivot the jaw members about the pivot pin relative to one another between a first position wherein the jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another and a second position wherein the jaw members are approximated towards one another when the elongated hollow shaft portion is axially displaced relative to the central shaft, and wherein both flexible cam arms are cammed by the hollow shaft portion to move the jaws between the first and second positions and disposed within the hollow shaft portion when the central shaft is moved relative to the hollow shaft portion; and a source of electrical energy connected to each jaw member for conducting energy therebetween.