Electrical Surgical Instrument with Optimal Tissue Compression

A surgical instrument, comprising:

• a tissue-compressing device comprising opposing compression surfaces;
• a switching element having first and second switching states changed solely by mechanical movements;
• and
• a biasing element mechanically coupled to the switching element, the biasing element imparting a pre-determined force on the switching element to retain the switching element in one of the first and second switching states until a switching force at least as great as the pre-determined force imposed by the biasing element is imparted to the switching element and causes a change of the switching state to occur, wherein:
• the pre-determined force is an amount of force proportional to an optimal tissue compression force of the compressed tissue disposed between the opposing compression surfaces;
• and
• the switching element is positioned in line with the tissue-compressing device to cause the switching force, proportional to the force placed upon compressed tissue disposed between the opposing compression surfaces, to be imparted to the switching element.