Ultrasonic blade and clamp arm matching design

A clamp pad for an ultrasonic surgical instrument, comprising:

• (a) a pad body extending in a longitudinal direction and configured to compress a tissue toward an ultrasonic blade of the ultrasonic surgical instrument;
• and
• (b) a tenon secured to the pad body and configured to be received within a mortise of a clamp arm, the tenon including:
• (i) a rail extending in a transverse direction from the pad body and having a first lateral width in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions,
• (ii) a support base extending in the transverse direction from the rail and having a second lateral width in the lateral direction, wherein the second lateral width is larger width is larger than the first lateral width to define a first shoulder configured to engage the clamp arm for securement within the clamp arm, and
• (iii) a plurality of openings extending through at least one of the support base or the rail such that the tenon has a predetermined transverse spring rate longitudinally along the tenon,
• wherein the predetermined transverse spring rate of the tenon is configured to distribute pressure longitudinally along the pad body according to a predetermined pressure distribution when the pad body is compressed against the tissue.

A method of compressing a tissue with an ultrasonic surgical instrument, wherein the ultrasonic surgical instrument includes (a) a shaft assembly;

• and (b) an end effector extending distally from the shaft assembly and including;
• (i) an ultrasonic blade, (ii) a clamp arm movably secured relative to the ultrasonic blade and having a mortise longitudinally extending therethrough, and (iii) a clamp pad connected to the clamp arm, including:
• (A) a pad body extending in a longitudinal direction and configured to compress the tissue toward the ultrasonic blade;
• and (B) a tenon secured to the pad body and received within the mortise, the tenon including:
• (I) a rail extending in a transverse direction from the pad body and having a first lateral width in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal and transverse directions, (II) a support base extending in the transverse direction from the rail and having a second lateral width in the lateral direction, wherein the second lateral width is larger width is larger than the first lateral width to define a first shoulder configured to engage the clamp arm for securement within the clamp arm, and (III) a plurality of openings extending through at least one of the support base or the rail such that the tenon has a predetermined transverse spring rate longitudinally along the tenon, the method comprising:
• (a) compressing the tissue between the ultrasonic blade and the clamp arm;
• and
• (b) resiliently deforming the tenon to according to the predetermined transverse spring rate thereby distributing pressure along the tissue in the longitudinal direction according to a predetermined pressure distribution.