Replaceable surgical scissor blades for surgical instruments

A method, comprising:

• providing a surgical tool that includes:
• an elongate shaft extending distally from a drive housing;
• a wrist arranged at a distal end of the shaft and including first and second distally-extending arms;
• and
• an end effector operatively coupled to the wrist and including first and second blade holders rotatably mounted to the first and second arms at first and second axles, respectively,
• wherein the first and second blade holder each include an open-ended blade channel sized to receive a shank of a laterally adjacent blade of first and second blades, and an open-ended pin slot defined within the blade channel and sized to receive a portion of a center pin,
• wherein the first and second axles are independent of each other,
• wherein the first blade is releasably coupled to the first blade holder with a first securing device, and the second blade is rotatably coupled to the first blade at the center pin and releasably coupled to the second blade holder with a second securing device,
• wherein the first securing device provides a first latching feature arranged to engage a first projected shoulder provided in the pin slot of the first blade holder,
• wherein the second securing device provides a second latching feature arranged to engage a second projected shoulder provided in the pin slot of the second blade holder;
• disengaging the first and second securing devices from the first and second blade holders;
• and
• separating the first and second blades from the first and second blade holders.

An end effector for a surgical tool, comprising:

• a first blade holder rotatably mountable to a first arm of a distal clevis at a first axle;
• a second blade holder rotatably mountable to a second arm of the distal clevis at a second axle independent of the first axle, wherein the first and second blade holder each include:
• an open-ended blade channel sized to receive a shank of a laterally adjacent blade of first and second blades;
• and
• an open-ended pin slot defined within the blade channel and sized to receive a portion of a center pin;
• the first blade releasably coupled to the first blade holder with a first securing device, wherein the first securing device provides a first latching feature arranged to engage a first projected shoulder provided in the pin slot of the first blade holder;
• and
• the second blade rotatably coupled to the first blade at the center pin independent of the first and second axles and releasably coupled to the second blade holder with a second securing device, wherein the second securing device provides a second latching feature arranged to engage a second projected shoulder provided in the pin slot of the second blade holder,
• wherein the first and second axles and the center pin are coaxially aligned along a pivot axis, and the first and second blade holders and the first and second blades are rotatable about the pivot axis, and
• wherein disengaging the first and second securing devices from the first and second blade holders allows the first and second blades to be separated from the first and second blade holders.

An end effector for a surgical tool, comprising:

• a first blade holder rotatably mountable to a first arm of a distal clevis at a first axle;
• a second blade holder rotatably mountable to a second arm of the distal clevis at a second axle independent of the first axle;
• a first blade releasably coupled to the first blade holder with a first securing device;
• and
• a second blade rotatably coupled to the first blade at a center pin independent of the first and second axles and releasably coupled to the second blade holder with a second securing device,
• wherein the first and second axles and the center pin are coaxially aligned along a pivot axis, and the first and second blade holders and the first and second blades are rotatable about the pivot axis,
• wherein the first securing device provides a first latching feature arranged to engage a first projected shoulder provided on the first blade holder, and the second securing device provides a second latching feature arranged to engage a second projected shoulder provided on the second blade holder,
• wherein each securing device comprises a leaf spring received within a recess defined in a shank of a laterally adjacent blade of the first and second blades, and each latching feature is spring biased to naturally project laterally outward from the shank and away from the recess to engage a corresponding one of the first and second projected shoulders, and
• wherein disengaging the first and second securing devices from the first and second blade holders allows the first and second blades to be separated from the first and second blade holders.