Patent ID: 8733611

Claim:
A surgical stapling device comprising: a housing; an elongated portion extending distally from the housing; an end effector, at least a portion of the end effector being disposed in mechanical cooperation with a distal portion of the elongated portion; a exactly one pivotable handle disposed in mechanical cooperation with the housing, the pivotable handle being movable between a first open position and a second approximated position for effecting a function of the end effector; and a ratchet mechanism disposed in mechanical cooperation with the pivotable handle, the ratchet mechanism configured to releasably retain the position of the pivotable handle and to substantially prevent the pivotable handle from moving towards its first open position until the pivotable handle reaches the second position for effecting the function of the end effector, the ratchet mechanism including: a rack having rack teeth and a cam surface, the rack being disposed in mechanical cooperation with the housing; a link disposed in mechanical engagement with the rack and being pivotably coupled to the housing; a pawl having pawl teeth and being disposed in mechanical cooperation with the pivotable handle, the rack teeth and the pawl teeth being configured for engagement with each other; and a spring disposed in mechanical cooperation with the pivotable handle and being configured to bias at least one of the pawl and the rack towards the other such that the pawl teeth and the rack teeth are in engagement with one another, wherein the cam surface is configured to disengage the pawl teeth and the rack teeth upon the cam surface contacting the pawl for facilitating movement of the pivotable handle towards its first open position.