End effector assembly with multi-axis thermal cutting element

A surgical instrument, comprising:

• a housing having a shaft extending from a distal end thereof, a distal end of the shaft supporting an end effector assembly thereon, the end effector assembly including:
• a pair of jaw members each including a jaw housing supporting an electrically conductive tissue engaging surface thereon, the jaw members opposing one another on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis defined therethrough, the electrically conductive tissue engaging surfaces disposed in opposition relative to one another, at least one of the pair of jaw members movable relative to the other of the pair of jaw members to grasp tissue therebetween, the electrically conductive tissue engaging surfaces adapted to connect to an electrosurgical energy source;
• and
• a thermal cutting element operatively associated with at least one of the electrically conductive tissue engaging surfaces, the thermal cutting element independently activatable relative to the electrically conductive tissue engaging surfaces and adapted to connect to the electrosurgical energy source, the thermal cutting element exposed along a length of the at least one electrically conductive tissue engaging surface, the thermal cutting element selectively moveable in a first direction relative to the electrically conductive tissue engaging surface along a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and selectively moveable in a second direction along the longitudinal axis to extend relative to a distal end of the at least one of the pair of jaw members.

A surgical instrument, comprising:

• a pair of first and second shaft members each including a handle disposed at a proximal end thereof and a jaw member disposed at a distal end thereof, the shaft members selectively moveable relative to one another to move the jaw members about a pivot from a first spaced apart position to a second position for approximating tissue;
• an electrically conductive tissue engaging surface disposed on each jaw member, each electrically conductive tissue engaging surface adapted to connect to an electrosurgical energy source;
• and
• a thermal cutting element operatively associated with at least one of the electrically conductive tissue engaging surfaces of one of the jaw members, the thermal cutting element independently activatable relative to the electrically conductive tissue engaging surfaces and adapted to connect to the electrosurgical energy source, the thermal cutting element exposed along a length of the electrically conductive tissue engaging surface of the at least one jaw member, the thermal cutting element selectively moveable in a first direction relative to the electrically conductive tissue engaging surface along a transverse axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis defined through the at least one jaw member and selectively moveable in a second direction along the longitudinal axis to extend relative to a distal end of the at least one jaw member.