ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 31 -- United States Patent no. 12,508,044, issued on Dec. 30, was assigned to Covidien LP (Mansfield, Mass.).
"Blade deployment mechanisms for surgical forceps" was invented by Ryan C. Artale (Crested Butte, Colo.), Thomas W. Meiser (Lakewood, Colo.), William J. Dickhans (Longmont, Colo.), Steven E. Butcher (Berthoud, Colo.) and Dennis W. Butcher (Longmont, Colo.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A forceps includes first and second shafts, each having a jaw member disposed at a distal end thereof. At least one jaw member is moveable from an open to a closed position for grasping tissue therebetween. At least one jaw member is configured for reciprocation of a blade therethr...