Jaw assembly for an endoscopic instrument

Abstract

An end effector assembly for an endoscopic instrument includes first and second end effectors, a screw, and optionally a washer. The end effectors have arms which are biased away from each other. The screw has a threaded portion dimensioned to engage the distal end of the endoscopic instrument and a head portion with a pair of arm receiving grooves. In a presently preferred embodiment, the washer extends over the arms of the end effectors which pass through grooves in the head of the screw. In this manner, the arms of the end effectors are captured between the screw and the washer. The grooves are preferably provided with upstanding pins which engage mounting holes in the arms of the end effectors. Where the endoscopic instrument is a biopsy forceps type instrument having a long coil, the threaded portion of the screw mates naturally with the distal end of the coil, and the end effectors, which are normally biased away from each other, are closed by a cylinder which is moved over the arms of the end effectors. Where the endoscopic instrument is a laparoscopic type instrument, an inner rod of the instrument is provided with threads to receive the screw, and the end effectors are closed either by the outer tube of the instrument which is slid over the arms of the end effectors, or by pulling the inner rod into the outer tube.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.