Suture passing

A surgical instrument comprising:

• a first pinless joint pivotably attached to a first jaw body and to a second, integral jaw body such that a pair of projections on the first jaw body are received within a pair of openings on the second jaw body, the first jaw body pivoting relative to the second jaw body about an axis defined through the projections and the first jaw body having a surface that mates with a surface of the second jaw body for grasping tissue therebetween;
• a second pinless joint coupling a distal portion of an actuating member to the first jaw body such that the first jaw body includes a first leg and a second leg, the first leg having a curved groove on an interior wall of the first leg and the second leg having a curved ledge on an interior wall of the second leg, the actuating member including a curved lug received in the groove and a curve bottom wall abutting the curved ledge, a stationary member extending from the second jaw body, the stationary member defining a channel that receives the actuating member, wherein the stationary member includes walls extending along the channel and the actuating member includes laterally extending extensions configured to abut against the wall to limit bending of the actuating member when the actuating member is moved to pivot the first jaw body, the stationary member disposed within an outer member;
• and
• a third pinless joint coupling a handle to a proximal portion of the actuating member such that a notch on an actuator link coupled to the handle receives a proximal portion of the actuating member, the notch and proximal portion of the actuating member having corresponding shapes,
• wherein the third pinless joint translates movement of the handle into axial movement of actuating member and the second pinless joint translates the axial movement of the actuating member into pivotable movement of the first jaw body relative to the second jaw body about the first pinless joint.

A method of manufacturing a surgical instrument, the method comprising:

• pinlessly attaching a first jaw body to a second, jaw body for pivotable movement relative to one another such that a pair of projections on the first jaw body are received within a pair of openings on the second jaw body, the first jaw body pivoting relative to the second jaw body about an axis defined through the projections and the first jaw body having a surface that mates with a surface of the second jaw body for grasping tissue therebetween;
• pinlessly coupling a distal portion of an actuating member to the first jaw body such that a curved lug of the actuating member is received within a curved groove on an interior wall of a first leg of the first jaw body and a curved bottom wall of the actuating member abuts a curved ledge on an interior wall of a second leg of the first jaw body, wherein axial movement of the actuating member is translated into pivotable movement of the first jaw body relative to the second jaw body, at least a portion of the actuating member disposed within a stationary member, the stationary member extending from the second jaw body, the stationary member and the actuating member disposed within an outer member;
• coupling the outer member to an adaptor such that an end of the outer member is disposed through the adaptor;
• coupling the adaptor to an actuator link such that a proximal portion of the actuating member is received within a notch of the actuator link;
• and
• painlessly coupling a handle to the actuator link, wherein movement of the handle is translated into the axial movement of the actuating member.