A surgical instrument is provided, namely surgical scissors. The surgical instrument has a removable actuating rod which, in conjunction with the clevis and a tube, provides means for securing blades of the scissors. The tube prevents a removable pivot pin of the blades from becoming displaced from the clevis of the instrument. When the actuating rod is removed from the surgical instrument the pivot pin may be removed and, thus, the blades of the scissors may be removed for cleaning and/or replacement. The tube provides the tension and further constrains the scissor blades in a manner which results in the consistent and effective cutting performance of the scissors post assembly.

A tool has a handle and an elongate shaft that extends distally from the handle. A distal portion of the shaft is inserted into a subject during a surgical procedure. An optical fiber delivers laser energy to a tip at the distal portion of the shaft. The tip includes a mechanical cutting mechanism including a moving part that absorbs the laser energy, thermally conducts the absorbed energy to tissue that is disposed between the moving part and another part, and moves with respect to the other part in order to cut tissue that is disposed between the parts using a mechanical force that is lower than a mechanical force that would be required to cut the tissue in the absence of the laser energy. Other embodiments are also described.

A surgical end effector includes a clevis and two jaws rotatably coupled to the clevis. A rocking pin in the form of a solid of revolution is pivotally supported by the clevis. The rocking pin may be pivotally supported by the clevis at the midpoint between the first and second ends. The opposite ends of the rocking pin engage the jaws to constrain the jaws to have opposite motions around the axes of rotation of the jaws. The clevis may be coupled to an elongate shaft to provide an endoscopic instrument. The first and second jaws may be electrically isolated from one another for electrocautery and the rocking pin may be formed from a non-conductive material or electrically isolated from the first and second jaws by electrically non-conductive liners. The jaws may be opened and closed by pushing and pulling on wires coupled to the jaws.

An electrically energized medical instrument uses one or more drive cables to both actuate mechanical components of a wrist mechanism or an effector and to electrically energize the effector. Electrical isolation can be achieved using an insulating main tube through which drive cables extend from a backend mechanism to the effector, an insulating end cover that leaves only the desired portions of the effector exposed, and one or more seals to prevent electrically conductive liquid from entering the main tube. Component count and cost may be further reduced using a pair of pulleys that are shared by four drive cables.

An ultrasonic instrument includes a shaft assembly and an end effector having an ultrasonic blade, a clamp arm, and a clamp pad. The clamp arm is pivotally coupled with the shaft assembly. The clamp pad is configured to removably couple with the clamp arm while the clamp arm is pivotally coupled to the shaft assembly. The clamp arm includes a mortise and a pair of support gussets. The clamp pad includes a tenon and a pair of resilient projections where the tenon engages the mortise of the clamp arm and the projections contact the support gussets of the clamp arm.

A surgical tool can include a handle, an outer tube, an end effector, an inner tube, and a guide tube. The outer tube can be connected to the handle and can extend along a longitudinal axis. The end effector can be connected to the outer tube. The inner shaft can be located within the outer tube and can extend along the longitudinal axis. The inner shaft can be connected to the end effector and the outer shaft. The handle can be operable to translate the inner shaft with respect to the outer tube to operate the end effector. The guide tube can be located within the outer tube between the handle and the end effector. The guide tube can include a conduit extending therethrough.

A surgical instrument includes a housing, a shaft extending therefrom, an end effector assembly supported by the shaft, a movable handle, and a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a translatable drive member for actuating the end effector assembly, and a torsion spring including first and second legs. The first leg is configured to translate through the housing in response to movement of the movable handle relative to the housing. The second leg is configured to translate through the housing in cooperation with the first leg to move the drive member longitudinally when a force acting on the drive member is less than a threshold force, and to remain in fixed position, thereby tensioning the torsion spring and retaining the drive member in fixed position when the force acting on the drive member is equal to or exceeds the threshold force.

An end effector assembly for use with a forceps includes a pair of jaw members, a knife assembly, and one or more cam assemblies. One or more of the jaw members are moveable relative to the other about a pivot between open and closed positions. One or more of the jaw members include a knife channel. The pivot includes first and second sections defining a passage therebetween. The knife assembly includes a knife blade and an actuation shaft. The knife blade is disposed distally relative to the pivot. The actuation shaft is configured for slidable translation through the passage to allow selective advancement of the knife blade through the knife channel. The one or more cam assemblies are operably coupled to the one or more moveable jaw members and are actuatable to move the one or more jaw members between the open and closed positions for grasping tissue therebetween.

A manipulator adapted to grasp and draw tissue comprises first and second arms having proximal ends and distal ends separated by a distance. First and second grasping surfaces each connected to and extending from respective distal ends of the first and second arms are biased toward each other by a respective spring force. When the first and second arms are actuated to reduce the distance, the manipulator is configured such that tissue arranged between the first and second grasping surfaces resist actuation of the first and second arms. The first and second arms are further actuatable to overcome the spring force of the first and second grasping surfaces so that the first and second grasping surfaces pivot at respective pivot points such that the distance between the distal ends of the first and second arms is reduced.

A surgical stapling device includes an elongated tool assembly having spaced first and second jaws positioned to receive a body organ. The length of the tool assembly (which may have a curved configuration) is selected to receive and staple and/or transect a body organ in a single actuation of the tool assembly.