Electronic latch for electrosurgical instrument

A surgical instrument, comprising:

• (a) a handle;
• (b) an end effector positioned distally in relation to the handle, the end effector comprising jaws and one or more electrodes;
• (c) a trigger operable to move from a first position to a second position to thereby drive the jaws from an open configuration to a closed configuration, the trigger being further operable to move from the second position to a third position;
• (d) a lock configured to lock the trigger within a range of movement;
• (e) a sensor configured to detect the trigger reaching the third position;
• (f) a user input configured to receive a mode selection from a user, the mode being selected from a plurality of available modes;
• and
• (g) a processor in electrical communication with the sensor, the lock, and the user input, the processor being configured to:
• (i) receive the mode selection from the user input to thereby transition to the mode selected from plurality of available modes, and
• (ii) either:
• (A) activate the lock in response to the sensor detecting the trigger reaching the third position,
• (B) refrain from activating the lock in response to the sensor detecting the trigger reaching the third position, or
• (C) activate the one or more electrodes to thereby apply electrical energy to tissue in response to detecting that the trigger is in the third position,
• based on which mode was selected from plurality of available modes.

A method of using a surgical instrument, the surgical instrument including a handle, a trigger, an electrode activation button, a lock, and an end effector, the method including:

• (a) selecting a processor mode from a plurality of modes, the plurality of modes including:
• (i) a latching mode,
• (ii) a free movement mode, and
• (iii) seal upon closure mode;
• (b) moving the trigger relative to the handle from a first position to a second position, the end effector grasping tissue in response to the trigger being moved from the first position to the second position, the trigger activating a switch upon reaching the second position;
• and
• (c) in response to the trigger activating the switch, either:
• (i) activating the lock to thereby lock the trigger in the second position if the latching mode was selected,
• (ii) refraining from activating the lock, and activating the electrodes if the electrode activation button, a footswitch, or another external activation source is depressed, if the free mode was selected, or
• (iii) activating one or more electrodes of the end effector to apply energy to the grasped tissue if the seal upon closure mode was selected.