Surgical instrument for grasping and cutting tissue

A surgical instrument for grasping and cutting tissue comprising:

• an elongated member having a proximal portion and a distal portion;
• a first jaw and a second jaw adjacent the distal portion of the elongated member, the first jaw having a first recess at a proximal portion, a first projecting member extending outwardly from the first jaw in a first direction and a second projecting member extending outwardly from the first jaw in a second direction transverse to the first direction, the first projecting member operably connected to a first movable member and the second projecting member operably connected to a second movable member, the second jaw having a second recess at a proximal portion, a third projecting member extending outwardly from the second jaw in a third direction and a fourth projecting member extending outwardly from the second jaw in a fourth direction transverse to the third direction, the third projecting member operably connected with the first movable member and the fourth projecting member operably connected to the second movable member, the first and second movable members being independently movable;
• an elongated shaft positioned within the elongated member, and a ball shaped engagement member at a distal portion of the elongated shaft engaging the first and second recesses of the first and second jaws;
• and
• an actuating mechanism actuable to move the first and second jaws in a grasping direction in a grasping action and to move the first and second jaws in a cutting direction in a cutting action different than the grasping direction.