Tissue Clamping Features of Surgical Instrument End Effector

An apparatus for operating on tissue, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a body;
• (b) a shaft assembly extending from the body;
• (c) an end effector operable to compress and cut tissue, wherein the end effector comprises:
• (i) a first jaw comprising a first plurality of apposed parallel plates;
• (ii) a second jaw comprising a second plurality of apposed parallel plates, wherein the second plurality of apposed parallel plates comprises an outer plate, an intermediate plate, an inner plate, and a spacer portion secured together,
• wherein the second jaw is movable relative to the first jaw along a plane that is parallel to the first and second pluralities of apposed parallel plates.

A method for closing an end effector having a first jaw, a second jaw, and a firing beam, wherein the first jaw and the second jaw are pivotally coupled together by a floating pivot, wherein the first jaw and the second jaw are operable to compress tissue, wherein the firing beam is operable to cut tissue between the first jaw and the second jaw, the method comprising:

• (a) pivoting the second jaw toward the first jaw about the floating pivot to capture tissue between the first and second jaws, wherein the second jaw is pivoted from a position where the second jaw defines an oblique angle with the first jaw at a proximal vertex;
• (b) raising a proximal portion of the second jaw at the floating pivot while simultaneously lowering a distal portion of the second jaw such that the second jaw defines an oblique angle with the first jaw at a distal vertex position;
• (c) driving the second jaw to a position where the second jaw is parallel with the first jaw;
• and
• (e) severing the tissue captured between the first and second jaws by advancing the firing beam distally through the first and second jaws.