Knife shield for surgical instruments

Claim 2

A surgical instrument including a handle, an end effector and an elongated closure tube connected to said handle and adapted to actuate said end effector comprising: a tissue stop for use in a surgical instrument, wherein said tissue stop comprises: a distal end and a proximal end; a body at said proximal end; a knife housing at said distal end; a neck interconnecting said body and said knife housing; a knife blade slot in said knife housing at said distal end; a knife channel connecting said distal end to said proximal end through said body, said neck and said housing; a first wireform guide channel on a first side of said body; and a second wireform guide channel on a second side of said body; a first wireform element passing through said elongated tube on a first side of said tissue stop; a second wireform element passing through said elongated tube on a second side of said tissue stop; a knife positioned within said tissue stop wherein said knife includes a blade positioned in said knife blade slot; a knife edge at a distal end of said knife blade such that the entirety of said knife edge is contained within said slot when said knife is in a proximal position.

Claim 3

A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said first wireform guide channel includes a rib element adapted to engage a slot in said first wireform element and said second wireform guide channel includes a rib element adapted to engage a slot in said second wireform guide channel.

Claim 4

A surgical instrument according to claim 2 wherein said knife includes a knife shank which is moveable within said knife channel, said knife channel providing support for said knife shank.

Claim 5

A surgical instrument according to claim 1 wherein said first wireform element is connected to a first jaw of said surgical instrument and said second wireform element is connected to a second jaw of said surgical instrument.

Claim 6

An electrosurgical instrument comprising: a handle; an end effector operatively connected to said handle through an elongated tube; first wireform means for supporting a first jaw of said end effector wherein said first wireform means extends from said handle to said first jaw through said elongated tube; second wireform means for supporting a second jaw of said end effector wherein said second wireform means extends from said handle to said second jaw through said elongated tube; a knife means for cutting tissue, said knife means being moveable within said end effector and including a knife edge at a distal end thereof; button means for moving said knife means, said button means being positioned on said handle; tissue stop means for positioning tissue engaged by said end effector, wherein said tissue stop means comprises: a distal end and a proximal end; a body at said proximal end; a knife housing at said distal end; a neck interconnecting said body and said knife housing; a knife blade slot in said knife housing at said distal end; wherein said knife edge is positioned such that the entirety of said knife edge is contained within said knife blade slot when said knife means is in a proximal position; a knife channel connecting said distal end to said proximal end through said body, said neck and said housing; a first wireform guide channel on a first side of said body; and a second wireform guide channel on a second side of said body.

Claim 7

An electrosurgical instrument comprising: a handle; an end effector operatively connected to said handle through an elongated tube; first wireform means for supporting a first jaw of said end effector wherein said first wireform means extends from said handle to said first jaw through said elongated tube; second wireform means for supporting a second jaw of said end effector wherein said second wireform means extends from said handle to said second jaw through said elongated tube; a knife means for cutting tissue, said knife means being moveable within said end effector and including a knife edge at a distal end thereof; button means for moving said knife means, said button means being positioned on said handle; tissue stop means for positioning tissue engaged by said end effector, wherein said tissue stop means comprises: a distal end and a proximal end; a body at said proximal end; a knife housing at said distal end; a neck interconnecting said body and said knife housing; a knife blade slot in said knife housing at said distal end; wherein said knife edge is positioned such that the entirety of said knife edge is contained within said knife blade slot when said knife means is in a proximal position; a knife channel connecting said distal end to said proximal end through said body, said neck and said housing; a first wireform guide channel on a first side of said body; and a second wireform guide channel on a second side of said body.

Claim 8

A surgical instrument according to claim 5 wherein said first wireform guide channel includes a rib element adapted to engage a slot in said first wireform means and said second wireform guide channel includes a rib element adapted to engage a slot in said second wireform means.

Claim 9

A surgical instrument according to claim 6 wherein said knife includes a knife shank means adapted to support a knife blade wherein said knife shank is moveable within said knife channel, said knife channel providing support for said knife shank means.

Claim 10

A surgical instrument according to claim 5 wherein said first wireform means is connected to a first jaw of said surgical instrument and said second wireform means is connected to a second jaw of said surgical instrument.

Claim 11

A surgical instrument according to claim 8 wherein said knife housing is positioned between said jaws and is elongated in a direction parallel to the movement of said jaws.