Surgical instruments with compliant mechanism design

A surgical instrument, comprising:

• a first member having an elongated track member having a proximal end and a distal end, a first handle extending from the proximal end of the first member, a first biasing member, and a hole extending through the first member at the proximal end , the elongated track member comprising a track extending longitudinally along a length of the elongated track member, the distal end of the elongated track member having a first jaw, a bottom end of the first biasing member being integrally formed with a bottom end of the first handle;
• and
• a second member having an elongated slide having a proximal end and a distal end, a second handle extending from the proximal end of the second member, a second biasing member, and a boss extending outwardly from the second member at the proximal end and being configured to engage the hole, the distal end of the elongated slide terminating in a second jaw, and a bottom end of the second biasing member being integrally formed with a bottom end of the second handle;
• wherein the first member and the second member are configured to be selectably and removably coupled together, when coupled together, the boss is received within the hole and a top end of the first biasing member, and a top end of the second biasing are configured to engage each other to bias the first handle and the second handle away from each other,
• wherein when the first member and the second member are coupled together, the first and second members are configured to be selectably transitioned between an operational configuration, in which the elongated slide is slidably received within the elongated track member, and a non-operational configuration, in which the elongated slide is disengaged from the elongated track member and a gap is formed between the first and second members, the gap being of a size that does not facilitate capillary action, and
• wherein when the first handle and second handle are squeezed together, the elongated slide is configured to slide forward in a distal direction relative to the elongated track member such that the second jaw moves towards the first jaw.

A method of assembling a surgical instrument comprising a first member and a second member, the method comprising:

• selectably inserting a boss disposed on the second member into a hole that extends through the first member, the first member having an elongated track member with a first jaw and a first handle, and the second member having an elongated slide with a second jaw and a second handle, thereby advancing the boss through the hole to removably couple the first member to the second member;
• pushing the second member and the first member together until the second handle is disposed in contact with the first handle, wherein the second member is in a squeezed position when coupling the first member and second member;
• placing a proximal portion of the slide inside a catch and pushing a distal portion of the slide down onto a distal end of the elongated track member;
• and
• releasing the second handle from the first handle, thereby causing a tension band to push the distal portion of the slide forward and urging the surgical instrument towards a surgical use ready position.