US Patent Issued to Covidien on May 13 for "Engagement features and methods for attaching a drive rod to a knife blade in an articulating surgical instrument" (Colorado Inventor)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 12 -- United States Patent no. 12,295,606, issued on May 13, was assigned to Covidien LP (Mansfield, Mass.).

"Engagement features and methods for attaching a drive rod to a knife blade in an articulating surgical instrument" was invented by David D. Brause (Longmont, Colo.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A knife assembly for use with a surgical instrument includes a knife having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end including an aperture defined therein having a series of spaced apart fins extending thereacross. A knife drive rod is included and is configured to operably engage the fins to secure the knife drive rod to the knife. A retention mechanism is operably dis...