Multi-piece jaw assembly for surgical clip applier

A method of manufacturing a surgical instrument configured to apply a surgical clip to a patient, wherein the surgical instrument comprises a jaw retaining assembly, wherein the jaw retaining assembly includes a shaft and opposing first and second jaws, wherein the method comprises:

• (a) metal injection molding the first and second jaws of a first metallic portion of the jaw retaining assembly, wherein the first metallic portion includes first and second jaw clip guidance features of the first and second jaws;
• (b) metal injection molding first and second arms of a second metallic portion of the jaw retaining assembly, wherein the second metallic portion is completely separate from the first metallic portion, wherein the first arm includes wherein the second metallic portion includes a bearing jaw portion;
• (c) aligning a proximal lap surface of the first jaw with a distal lap surface of the first arm;
• (d) aligning a proximal lap surface of the second jaw with a distal lap surface of the second arm;
• and
• (e) welding the first and second metallic portions of the jaw retaining assembly together.

A method of manufacturing a surgical instrument configured to apply a surgical clip to a patient, wherein the surgical instrument comprises a jaw retaining assembly, wherein the jaw retaining assembly includes a shaft and opposing first and second jaws, wherein the method comprises:

• (a) metal injection molding the first and second jaws of a first metallic portion of the jaw retaining assembly;
• (b) forming first and second arms of a shaft of a second metallic portion of the jaw retaining assembly through one or more of metal injection molding, stamping, or laser cutting, wherein the second metallic portion is separately formed from the first metallic portion;
• and
• (c) fixably coupling the first and second metallic portions of the jaw retaining assembly together by:
• (i) coupling a first coupling feature disposed at a proximal end of the first jaw with a first recess disposed at a distal end of the first arm, and
• (ii) coupling a second coupling feature disposed at a proximal end of the second jaw with a second recess disposed at a distal end of the second arm.