Articulating ultrasonic surgical instruments and systems

An end effector of an ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:

• an ultrasonic blade having a substantially cylindrical configuration;
• and
• a jaw including a structural body and a jaw liner engaged with the structural body and positioned such that a blade-facing surface of the jaw liner is disposed between first and second blade-facing surfaces of the structural body, the first and second blade-facing surfaces of the structural body being tissue-contacting surfaces, the jaw movable relative to the ultrasonic blade from an open position to a clamping position, wherein, in the clamping position, the blade-facing surface of the jaw liner opposes the ultrasonic blade with the first and second blade-facing surfaces of the structural body disposed on either side of the blade-facing surface of the jaw liner and the ultrasonic blade,
• wherein the ultrasonic blade defines a first longitudinal axis and a first radius, the first and second blade-facing surfaces of the structural body cooperate to define a second radius centered on a second longitudinal axis, and the blade-facing surface of the jaw liner defines a third radius centered on a third longitudinal axis, and
• wherein the first radius and the second radius are different from one another and the blade-facing surface of the jaw liner protrudes towards the ultrasonic blade beyond at least a portion of the first blade-facing surface of the structural body and the second blade-facing surface of the structural body.