Retractable Ratchet Mechanism for Surgical Instruments

Abstract

A surgical instrument includes first and second shaft members each having a jaw member disposed at a distal end thereof. One (or both) of the shaft members is moveable with respect to the other from a spaced-apart position to an approximated position for grasping tissue between the jaw members. A first ratchet component is coupled to the first shaft member and defines an engagement plane. A second ratchet component is coupled to the second shaft member and is moveable between a retracted position, wherein the second ratchet component is displaced from the engagement plane, and a deployed position, wherein the second ratchet component is aligned with the engagement plane. When the second ratchet component is in the deployed position, the ratchet components are engageable with one another upon movement of the shaft member(s) to the approximated position to fix the position of the jaw members relative to one another.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.