Electrosurgical instrument with a knife blade stop

An electrosurgical forceps, comprising:

• a housing having a shaft extending therefrom;
• an end effector assembly operably coupled to a distal end of the shaft and including a pair of first and second jaw members having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of the second jaw member movable within the proximal end of the first jaw member to limit movement of the first and second jaw members between an open configuration for positioning tissue therebetween, to a clamping configuration for grasping tissue therebetween;
• and
• a knife blade assembly including a knife blade supported within the proximal ends of the first and second jaw members and translatable within the first and second jaw members when the first and second jaw members are in the clamping configuration, the knife blade assembly including a knife blade stop at a distal end thereof, the knife blade stop configured to contact at least a portion of the proximal end of the second jaw member when the first and second jaw members are in the open configuration to limit translation of the knife blade assembly,
• wherein the proximal end of the second jaw member is configured to contact at least a portion of the knife blade assembly to guide the knife blade into alignment with a knife channel provided on at least one of the first and second jaw members.

An electrosurgical forceps, comprising:

• a housing having a shaft extending therefrom;
• an end effector assembly operably coupled to a distal end of the shaft and including a pair of first and second jaw members having proximal and distal ends, at least one of the first and second jaw members movable from an open configuration for positioning tissue therebetween, to a clamping configuration for grasping tissue therebetween;
• and
• a knife blade assembly including a knife blade translatable within the first and second jaw members when the first and second jaw members are in the clamping configuration, the knife blade assembly including a knife blade stop with a leading edge positioned to contact a trailing edge of at least a portion of the proximal end of the second jaw member when the first and second jaw members are in the open configuration to limit translation of the knife blade assembly,
• wherein a leading edge of the second jaw member is configured to contact a leading edge of the first jaw member when the first and second jaw members are in the open configuration to limit pivoting of the first and second jaw members away from one another,
• wherein the proximal end of the second jaw member is configured to contact at least a portion of the knife blade assembly to guide the knife blade into alignment with a knife channel provided on at least one of the first and second jaw members.