Surgical clip applier with parallel closure jaws

A surgical clip applier, comprising:

• a drive housing;
• an elongate shaft that extends from the drive housing;
• and
• an end effector arranged at a distal end of the elongate shaft, the end effector including:
• a housing;
• jaws that include opposed first and second jaw members each comprising an independent structure movable relative to the other, the first jaw member defining a first inner surface and the second jaw member defining a second inner surface opposite the first inner surface;
• and
• an actuation mechanism operable to move the jaws between an open position and a closed position, the actuation mechanism including a linear drive that provides transition pins engageable with angled slots defined in the first and second jaw members, a jaw pulley rotatably mounted within the housing, and a mechanical linkage that operatively couples the jaw pulley to the linear drive,
• wherein rotation of the jaw pulley actuates the mechanical linkage and thereby causes linear movement of the linear drive to move the first and second jaw members between the open and closed positions,
• wherein the angled slots extend either away or toward a longitudinal axis of the end effector and linear movement of the linear drive moves the jaws between the open and closed positions, and
• wherein the first and second inner surfaces remain substantially parallel to each other as the jaws move between the open and closed positions.

A method of operating a surgical clip applier, comprising:

• positioning the surgical clip applier adjacent a patient for operation, the surgical clip applier including a drive housing, an elongate shaft that extends from the drive housing, and an end effector arranged at a distal end of the elongate shaft, the end effector including:
• a housing;
• and
• jaws that include opposed first and second jaw members each comprising an independent structure movable relative to the other, the first jaw member defining a first inner surface and the second jaw member defining a second inner surface opposite the first inner surface;
• actuating an actuation mechanism arranged within the housing to move the first and second jaw members from an open position to a closed position, the actuation mechanism including:
• a linear drive that provides transition pins engageable with angled slots defined in the first and second jaw members, wherein the angled slots extend either away or toward a longitudinal axis of the end effector,
• a jaw pulley rotatably mounted within the housing, and
• a mechanical linkage that operatively couples the jaw pulley to the linear drive;
• maintaining the first and second inner surfaces substantially parallel to each other as the first and second jaw members move to the closed position;
• and
• crimping a surgical clip disposed between the first and second jaw members,
• wherein the actuation mechanism further includes, and wherein actuating the actuation mechanism comprises:
• rotating the jaw pulley to actuate the mechanical linkage and thereby causing linear movement of the linear drive;
• and
• moving the first and second jaw members between the open and closed positions as the linear drive moves.