Devices, Systems, and Methods for Gripping Tissue

Abstract

The end effector has first and second jaws movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration. At least one jaw has a tissue engagement surface contoured to improve gripping of tissue between the jaws. For example, the tissue engagement surface can be contoured to engage tissue substantially evenly / uniformly, and / or simultaneously, along the tissue engagement surface from the distal end to the proximal end of the jaw. The tissue engagement surface can be contoured independently of and / or differently from the outer surface of the jaw. The tissue engagement surfaces of the first and second jaws can be contoured to envelop the tissue engaged therebetween.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of medical devices, systems, and methods. In particular, the present disclosure relates to medical devices, systems, and methods for grasping and / or manipulating tissue.

Background Art

[0002] Various medical, surgical, laparoscopic, endoscopic, etc. procedures involve grasping and / or manipulating anatomical structures and / or tissue using a tissue grasping device as known to those skilled in the art as an end effector. It is important to securely engage the tissue between multiple arms or multiple jaws of the end effector so that the tissue does not slip out of the grasp of the end effector. Thus, reducing slippage of tissue from the multiple arms of the end effector is continuously needed in the art. Further, it is generally desirable to distribute the force across the grasped tissue so that the grasped tissue and / or anatomical structure is not damaged by the grasping force of the end effector. Thus, improvements to the end effector would be welcomed in the art.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] This summary of the present disclosure is provided to facilitate understanding and those skilled in the art will understand that each of the various aspects and features of the present disclosure may be advantageously used, in some cases separately, or in other cases in combination with other aspects and features of the present disclosure. In this summary, no limitation is intended with respect to the scope of the claimed subject matter by either inclusion or non-inclusion of elements, components, etc.

[0004] According to various principles of the present disclosure, an end effector comprises a first jaw having a proximal end and a distal end, a tissue-facing side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining a tissue engagement surface, and an outer side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining an outer surface; and a second jaw having a proximal end and a distal end, a tissue-facing side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining a tissue engagement surface, and an outer side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining an outer surface. In some embodiments, the proximal ends of the first jaw and the second jaw are connected to each other such that the tissue-facing sides of the first jaw and the second jaw face each other and the outer sides of the first jaw and the second jaw face opposite sides. The distal ends of the first jaw and the second jaw are movable between an open configuration in which they are spaced apart from each other and a closed configuration in which they are adjacent to each other. The tissue engagement surfaces of the first jaw and the second jaw are contoured independently of the outer surface so as to evenly distribute force across the tissue gripped by the first jaw and the second jaw.

[0005] In some embodiments, the tissue engagement surface of at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw is contoured to be concave. In some embodiments, the tissue engagement surfaces of both the first jaw and the second jaw are contoured to be concave so as to form a tissue engagement space therebetween. In some embodiments, the outer surface of at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw is substantially linear.

[0006] In some embodiments, the distance between the tissue engagement surface of the first jaw and the tissue engagement surface of the second jaw increases from the distal ends of the first jaw and the second jaw towards the proximal ends so that force is evenly distributed across the tissue gripped between the first jaw and the second jaw.

[0007] In some embodiments, the tissue engagement surface of at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw includes a plurality of spaced-apart protrusions. In some embodiments, the plurality of spaced-apart protrusions are contoured such that force is evenly distributed across the tissue grasped by the first jaw and the second jaw. In some embodiments, the tissue engagement surfaces of both the first jaw and the second jaw include a plurality of spaced-apart protrusions, and the tissue engagement surface of the plurality of protrusions of the first jaw is spaced from the tissue engagement surface of the plurality of protrusions of the second jaw as it extends from the distal ends of the first jaw and the second jaw toward the proximal ends of the first jaw and the second jaw. In some embodiments, the plurality of spaced-apart protrusions in the first jaw and the second jaw have a plurality of spaced-apart teeth that are substantially square. In some embodiments, the plurality of spaced-apart protrusions are contoured to engage the tissue non-invasively.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first jaw and the second jaw are biased to move away from each other to an open configuration. In some embodiments, the first jaw and the second jaw are formed by cutting a wire formed from a shape memory material to define opposing tissue engagement surfaces of the first jaw and the second jaw.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first jaw and the second jaw are rotatably connected to each other. According to various principles of the present disclosure, a system for grasping tissue includes an end effector, a tubular member, and an actuator coupled to the end effector and configured to move the end effector relative to the tubular member to transition the first jaw and the second jaw between an open configuration and a closed configuration. The end effector includes a first jaw having a proximal end and a distal end, a tissue-facing side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining a tissue engagement surface, and an outer side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining an outer surface; and a second jaw having a proximal end and a distal end, a tissue-facing side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining a tissue engagement surface, and an outer side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining an outer surface. In some embodiments, the proximal ends of the first jaw and the second jaw are coupled to each other such that the tissue-facing sides of the first jaw and the second jaw face each other and the outer sides of the first jaw and the second jaw face opposite directions, and the distal ends of the first jaw and the second jaw are movable between an open configuration in which they are spaced apart from each other and a closed configuration in which they are adjacent to each other. The tissue engagement surfaces of the first jaw and the second jaw are contoured independently of the outer surface to evenly distribute force across the tissue grasped by the first and second jaws. In some embodiments, when moving the first and second jaws within the tubular member, the tissue engagement surfaces of the first jaw and the second jaw move toward each other, and the tubular member applies a closing force to the first and second jaws that is substantially evenly distributed across the tissue grasped by the first and second jaws by the tissue engagement surfaces.

[0010] According to various principles of the present disclosure, a method for forming an end effector includes forming a contour of at least a tissue engagement surface of the first joint of the end effector independently from an outer surface of the first joint of the end effector, and positioning the distal end of the first joint and the distal end of the second joint between the tissue engagement surface of the first joint and the tissue engagement surface of the second joint to position tissue therebetween. The tissue engagement surface of the first joint is opposed to the tissue engagement surface of the second joint, and the proximal end of the first joint is connected to the proximal end of the second joint so as to be movable between an open configuration in which the tissue engagement surfaces of the first joint and the second joint are separated from each other and a closed configuration in which the tissue engagement surfaces engage the tissue positioned therebetween. In some embodiments, forming the contour of the tissue engagement surface includes configuring the contour to evenly distribute force across the tissue gripped between the first joint and the second joint as their proximal ends move from the open configuration to the closed configuration with the tissue positioned between the first joint and the second joint.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method includes forming the contour of the tissue engagement surface of the first joint such that a distance of the tissue engagement surface from the outer surface of the first joint increases from the proximal end to the distal end of the first joint. In some embodiments, the method includes forming the tissue engagement surface of the first joint and the tissue engagement surface of the second joint as a plurality of protrusions separated from each other by a gap, and a distance between the tissue engagement surfaces of the opposing protrusions of the first joint and the second joint decreases from the distal ends of the first joint and the second joint toward the proximal ends of the first joint and the second joint.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method includes forming a tissue engagement surface having a substantially concave shape from the distal end to the proximal end of the first joint by forming a contour of at least the tissue engagement surface of the first joint without forming a contour of the outer surface of the first joint.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method includes forming the first jaw and the second jaw by cutting a rod from the distal end of the rod toward the proximal end of the rod, the cutting defining the tissue engagement surfaces of the first jaw and the second jaw.

[0014] These and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be readily apparent from the following detailed description, and the scope of the claimed invention is set forth in the appended claims. The following disclosure is presented with respect to aspects or embodiments, but it should be recognized that individual aspects may be claimed separately or in combination with aspects and features of the embodiments or any other embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] Non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are schematic and are not intended to be to scale. The accompanying drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only, and the dimensions, positions, orders, and relative sizes reflected in each figure of the drawings may vary. For example, a device may be enlarged so that details can be recognized, but is intended to be scaled in relation to, for example, fitting within a delivery catheter or an endoscope's working channel. In each figure, the same or substantially the same or equivalent elements are generally represented by the same reference numerals, and like elements shown are generally designated by like reference numerals incremented by 100 and redundant descriptions are omitted. For clarity and brevity, not all elements in all figures are labeled, nor are all elements of each embodiment shown, where not necessary for the description to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to understand the present disclosure.

[0016] The detailed description is better understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like elements.

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[0017] The following detailed description should be read with reference to the drawings that illustrate exemplary embodiments. It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described, and thus can be modified. All apparatuses, systems, and methods described herein are examples of apparatuses and / or systems and / or methods implemented in accordance with one or more principles of the present disclosure. Each example of an embodiment is provided for purposes of explanation and is not the only way to implement these principles, but merely an example. Thus, references to elements or structures or features in the drawings should be recognized as references to examples of embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be understood to limit the present disclosure to the specific elements, structures, or features illustrated. Other examples of ways to implement the disclosed principles will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure. Indeed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the subject matter. For example, multiple features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield further embodiments. Accordingly, the subject matter is intended to embrace such modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0018] It will be understood that the present disclosure has been described in various levels of detail in this application. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for those skilled in the art to understand the present disclosure, or details that may make it difficult to recognize other details, may be omitted. The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit beyond the scope of the appended claims. Unless otherwise defined, technical terms used herein should be understood as being generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. All of the devices and / or methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure.

[0019] As used herein, "proximal" refers to the direction towards or the position closest to the user (such as a medical professional, clinician, technician, operator, or physician, etc., and such terms are used interchangeably herein without intention of limitation and include an automatic control system or other aspects) when using the device (e.g., when introducing the device into a patient or during implantation, placement, or delivery), and "distal" refers to the direction away from or the position farthest from the user closest to the delivery device when using the device (e.g., when introducing the device into a patient or during implantation, placement, or delivery). "Longitudinal" means the direction extending along the longer or larger dimension of an element. "Longitudinal axis" extends along the longitudinal extent of an element, but is not necessarily straight and does not necessarily maintain a constant form if the element bends or flexes. "Center" means at least generally bisecting a central point and / or being generally equidistant from the periphery or boundary, and "central axis" means, with respect to an opening or element, a line that at least generally bisects the central point of the opening or element and extends longitudinally along the length of the opening or element. As used herein, the "free end" of an element is the end beyond which the element does not extend.

[0020] The present disclosure relates to improvements in surfaces for gripping tissue, such as medical devices, systems, instruments, etc., and is not limited by the details of a device, system, or instrument having such a tissue-grasping surface (a surface for grasping tissue). For convenience, reference is made to an end effector as a device having a tissue-engaging surface (a surface that engages tissue), or as a component of a device, system, or instrument, etc., without intending to be limiting. For convenience, the end effector is described herein as having a plurality of arms or a plurality of jaws or a plurality of legs on which a tissue-engaging surface is formed according to various principles of the present disclosure, without intending to be limiting. The terms device, system, instrument, etc. are used herein in a non-limiting sense and it should be understood that they may be used interchangeably herein without intending to limit.

[0021] According to various principles of the present disclosure, the end effector is configured to securely grasp and hold tissue and overcome the tendency for the tissue to slip out of the grasping arms of the end effector. In some aspects of the present disclosure, substantially equal / uniform force is applied across the grasped tissue by a plurality of jaws of the end effector. Applying equal force across the grasped tissue can improve the ability of the device and related systems to overcome any slippage of the tissue therefrom. It should be understood that the terms grasp, grab, hold, manipulate, steer, etc., and other grammatical forms thereof, may be used interchangeably herein without intending to limit. Further, references to tissue, anatomical structures, organs, blood vessels, etc. should be understood to be interchangeable herein without intending to limit.

[0022] In some embodiments, the end effector includes a pair of arms or a pair of jaws or a pair of legs (such terms are used interchangeably herein without intent to limit) that are movable relative to each other to grip tissue therebetween. In an open configuration of the end effector, tissue can enter between the pair of arms of the end effector, and in a closed configuration of the end effector, the tissue can be gripped or held by the pair of arms of the end effector. Accordingly, each arm of the end effector has a tissue engagement surface that faces the tissue engagement surface of the other arm of the end effector. Also, each arm of the end effector has an outer surface that faces opposite the tissue engagement surface and opposite the other arm of the end effector. The contours of the tissue engagement surfaces of a pair of jaws of the end effector formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure can be formed to provide various improvements compared to conventional end effectors, as described herein. References herein to tissue engagement surfaces are to be understood as applying to one or both of a pair of jaws of the end effector, whether references are made to the singular or plural forms of such elements, unless otherwise indicated.

[0023] According to various principles of the present disclosure, the tissue engagement surface is configured and / or contoured to substantially evenly distribute force across the tissue for secure retention on the tissue by closure of a pair of jaws on the tissue and to resist slippage of the tissue from the pair of jaws. It should be understood that the more evenly the force is distributed across the tissue, the better the pair of jaws can resist slippage of the tissue from the pair of jaws. Without intending to limit, it should be understood that in this specification, terms such as even, equal, and other grammatical forms may be referred to interchangeably. In some embodiments, the pair of jaws are biased away from each other to an open configuration and are drawn together and closed, such as by being drawn proximally into the interior of a tubular element. The tissue engagement surfaces of such a pair of jaws are formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure and can grip the tissue and oppose slippage of the tissue relative to the tissue engagement surfaces. More specifically, in embodiments of an end effector where a pair of jaws are drawn into the interior of a tubular member and moved to a closed configuration to grip the tissue, the pair of jaws grip (e.g., compress) and pull the tissue as the pair of jaws are closed. The tissue engagement surfaces can be formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure to oppose slippage of the tissue as the tissue is pulled and pressed against a tubular element into which the pair of jaws are drawn. For example, when closing the pair of jaws of an end effector, the contour of the tissue engagement surface can be designed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure such that a sufficient amount of force is evenly applied across the gripped tissue to overcome the resistance of the tissue to being gripped and pulled.

[0024] A pair of tissue engagement surfaces of an end effector formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure can be configured to engage tissue from the proximal ends to the distal ends of the pair of jaws generally and substantially evenly / equally when the pair of jaws are closed on tissue positioned between the pair of jaws. Additionally or alternatively, the pair of tissue engagement surfaces can be configured to engage tissue from the proximal ends to the distal ends of the pair of jaws generally and substantially simultaneously when the pair of jaws are closed on tissue positioned between the pair of jaws. Such engagement is in contrast to the engagement of tissue by a pair of jaws of a conventional end effector that does not have specially contoured tissue engagement surfaces, where the pair of jaws of the conventional end effector push tissue distally out from between the pair of jaws by having proximal ends that engage the tissue before the pair of distal ends engage the tissue when the pair of jaws are closed. For example, a conventional / presently available scissor-like end effector has a pair of rotatably connected arms having tissue engagement surfaces near the pivot of the pair of arms that typically engage the tissue before the tissue engagement surfaces near the distal ends of the pair of arms engage the tissue. In contrast, the tissue engagement surfaces of a pair of arms of an end effector formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure can be configured to approach and engage tissue at substantially the same time and / or speed along the lengths of the pair of arms of the end effector when the pair of arms of the end effector close. For example, the distance between the tissue engagement surfaces of the pair of arms of the end effector in a closed configuration (e.g., defining a tissue engagement space in a direction generally transverse to the lengths of the pair of arms of the end effector) can increase along the lengths of the pair of arms of the end effector from the distal ends to the proximal ends of the pair of arms of the end effector. As referred to herein, the lengths of the pair of arms of the end effector should be understood to extend from the proximal ends (where the pair of arms of the end effector are typically connected) to the distal ends (which are the free ends of the pair of arms that are spaced apart when the end effector is in an open configuration) of the pair of arms of the end effector.Accordingly, a pair of arms of the end effector can be connected to each other at the proximal end of the end effector while being spaced apart from each other at the distal end when the end effector is in the open configuration, but as the distance between the tissue engagement surfaces at the distal ends of the pair of arms of the end effector decreases, the distance between the tissue engagement surfaces at the proximal ends of the pair of arms of the end effector increases, such that when the pair of arms of the end effector are drawn towards each other from the open configuration to the closed configuration, overall, the tissue engagement surfaces along the length of the pair of arms of the end effector can engage the tissue substantially simultaneously. In other words, when the end effector is in the closed configuration, the distance between the tissue engagement surfaces of the pair of arms of the end effector decreases in the proximal-to-distal direction, such that the distal ends of the pair of arms of the end effector can contact / engage the tissue earlier than achieved with prior art end effectors (where the distance between those tissue engagement surfaces does not vary along the length of the pair of arms).

[0025] Additionally or alternatively, an end effector formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure may be configured to enclose tissue gripped between tissue engagement surfaces extending between the proximal and distal ends of a pair of arms of the end effector. More specifically, in some embodiments, as the pair of arms of the end effector are moved to the closed configuration, the tissue engagement surfaces of the pair of arms contact each other at the distal ends of the pair of arms or are at least closer to each other than at least portions of the pair of arms of the end effector closer to the proximal end when the pair of arms of the end effector are in the closed position. Accordingly, the tissue is retained within the tissue engagement space between the pair of arms of the end effector and is defined by the tissue engagement surfaces of the pair of arms between the proximal end and the closed (or relatively close) distal end. In some embodiments, the tissue engagement surfaces of the pair of arms are further spaced apart as they extend from the distal ends of the pair of arms of the end effector towards the proximal ends of the pair of arms of the end effector. Accordingly, the tissue engagement surfaces of the pair of arms of the end effector face each other and form a tissue engagement space that encloses (or at least partially surrounds) the tissue between the pair of arms of the end effector.

[0026] In some embodiments, the tissue engagement surface of an end effector formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure may be formed in a configuration having a generally concave shape. An end effector comprising one or more jaws having a tissue engagement surface with a plurality of generally concave-shaped contours may function to envelop tissue between the proximal and distal ends of a pair of jaws of the end effector. In some examples, such a shape may capture tissue between a pair of jaws such that the pair of jaws may move the tissue without the tissue slipping out from between the pair of jaws. Additionally or alternatively, such a shape may distribute force substantially evenly across the tissue, thereby improving the resistance to slippage of the engaged tissue (e.g., by evenly increasing friction against such tissue). In some embodiments, such a contour applies a sufficient amount of force to the tissue being gripped to overcome slippage. More particularly, since a pair of tissue engagement surfaces move closer to each other as they extend from the proximal ends of a pair of jaws towards the distal ends of the pair of jaws of the end effector, the tissue engagement surfaces of the opposing pair of jaws generally simultaneously approach each other across the entire length of the tissue engagement surface between the proximal and distal ends of the pair of jaws.

[0027] In some embodiments, a pair of tissue engagement surfaces are formed as a plurality of teeth whose height increases from the proximal end to the distal end of the tissue engagement surface (in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the end effector). In other words, the distance between the surfaces of the plurality of teeth forming the tissue engagement surfaces of the pair of arms increases from the distal end to the proximal end of the end effector. Such an increase enables the tissue to be engaged by the proximal tissue engagement surface without being "squished" or pushed outwardly distally as the end effector is moved to the closed configuration. Further, by increasing the length of the plurality of teeth from the proximal end to the distal end of the end effector, the effect of the increasing distance from the pair of arms of the end effector as the pair of arms of the end effector open to grip tissue between the pair of arms is counteracted. Thus, when the end effector is moved to the closed configuration, the plurality of teeth at the distal ends of the pair of arms of the end effector engage the tissue even if such distal ends are further spaced apart than the proximal ends of the pair of arms of the end effector. The overall profile of such a plurality of teeth may provide a surface having a generally concave shape with respect to the tissue gripped between the pair of jaws of the end effector.

[0028] Various embodiments of an end effector, a pair of jaws of the end effector, and devices, systems, and methods for grasping tissue are described with reference to the plurality of examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. References to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "some embodiments", "other embodiments", etc. in this specification indicate that one or more specific features, structures, concepts, and / or characteristics according to the principles of the present disclosure may be included in the embodiment. However, such references do not necessarily mean that all embodiments include the specific features, structures, concepts, and / or characteristics, or that a certain embodiment includes all features, structures, concepts, and / or characteristics. Some embodiments may include one or more such features, structures, concepts, and / or characteristics in various combinations thereof. One or more of the features, structures, concepts, and / or characteristics described with reference to one embodiment may be combined with one or more of the features, structures, concepts, and / or characteristics of any of the other embodiments provided herein. That is, any of the features, structures, concepts, and / or characteristics described herein may be mixed and adapted to form hybrid embodiments, and such hybrid embodiments are included within the scope of the present disclosure. Further, references to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "some embodiments", "other embodiments", etc. in various places in this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, and distinct or alternative embodiments do not necessarily exclude each other. Further, it should be understood that the various features, structures, concepts, and / or characteristics of the disclosed embodiments are independent and distinct from each other and may be used or exist individually or in various combinations with each other to form alternative embodiments that are considered part of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to only the embodiments specifically described herein, and it would be very cumbersome to describe all the numerous possible combinations and partial combinations of features, structures, concepts, and / or characteristics, and the examples of embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to limit the broader aspects of the present disclosure.The following description is merely illustrative of embodiments and is not intended to limit the broader aspects of the present disclosure.

[0029] In the drawings, common features are identified by common reference elements, and for the sake of brevity and convenience, and not by way of limitation, the description of common features is generally not repeated. For clarity, not all components having the same reference number are numbered. Groups of similar elements may be indicated by numbers and letters. Generally, references to one or such elements or such elements as a group may be made by numbers only (without including letters associated with each similar element). In the following description, between various illustrated embodiments having reference numbers greater than 100, similar elements or components generally increase by only multiples of 100 and are designated by the same reference number, and redundant descriptions are generally omitted for the sake of brevity. Further, a particular feature in one embodiment may be used across different embodiments and when appearing in different embodiments is not necessarily individually labeled or described in detail. For the sake of brevity and convenience, and not by way of limitation, common elements having common functions are indicated by the same reference signs differing only by a value of 100, and the above description of similar elements and operations is referred to.

[0030] Referring now to the drawings, an example of one embodiment of the tissue grasping system 100 is shown in an open configuration in FIG. 1 and in a closed configuration in FIG. 2. The illustrated example of one embodiment of the tissue grasping system 100 is at the distal end 101 of the tissue grasping system 100 and includes an end effector 110 extending relative to the tubular member 120. In some embodiments, the proximal end 113 of the end effector 110 is movable relative to the distal end 121 of the tubular member 120 and is, for example, movably coupled to the tubular member 120 as will be described in further detail below.

[0031] The end effector 110 includes a pair of jaws 112 that extend distally from the tubular member 120 and are movable relative to each other between an open configuration as shown in FIG. 1 and a closed configuration as shown in FIG. 2. In the open configuration, the distal ends 111 of the pair of jaws 112 are spaced apart from each other (and away from the longitudinal axis LA) to allow tissue or other elements to enter between the tissue engagement surfaces 115 of the pair of jaws 112. As can be appreciated, the tissue engagement surfaces 115 of the pair of jaws 112 face each other (e.g., generally toward the longitudinal axis LA of the tissue grasping system 100) and are defined on the tissue-facing side of the pair of jaws 112, opposite the outside defined along the outer surfaces 117 of the pair of jaws 112. The pair of outer surfaces 117 face opposite sides (e.g., generally opposite the longitudinal axis LA of the tissue grasping system 100). The end effector 110 illustrated herein is configured to grasp tissue or other elements between the pair of jaws 112. However, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to tissue and merely refers to tissue for convenience. The term "jaw" can be used interchangeably herein with terms such as arm, grasping arm, gripper, etc., and it should be understood that it may be modified by terms such as gripper or grasping or tissue grasping without intending to limit it.

[0032] The end effector 110 can be formed in any desired manner such that a pair of jaws 112 are movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration. For example, in an example of one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the end effector 110 can be formed from a rod or wire 130 (e.g., a single monolithic element), and is dimensioned to allow for the cutting of the rod or wire 130 to form opposing tissue engagement surfaces 115 of the pair of jaws 112. The material of such an end effector 110 can be a flexible material such as a shape memory material (e.g., Nitinol), allowing the pair of jaws 112 to flex away from each other. In one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the pair of jaws 112 are connected at the proximal ends 113 of the pair of jaws 112 and are biased away from each other (from the proximal ends 113 to the distal ends 111 of the pair of jaws 112), whereby the distal ends 111 of the pair of jaws 112 can move away from each other. In an example of one embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the longitudinal / axial movement of the pair of jaws 112 relative to the tubular member 120 (movement along the substantially longitudinal axis LA) enables or effects the movement of the pair of jaws 112 between the open configuration and the closed configuration. For example, by moving the pair of jaws 112 inside or outside the lumen 125 within the tubular member 120, the pair of jaws 112 can be moved to the closed configuration or the open configuration, respectively. In an example of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the end effector 110 is operably connected to an actuator 140 (e.g., a pull wire or other such element known to those skilled in the art) that extends to a handle 150, whereby the movement of the actuator 140 (e.g., via the handle 140) can retract the pair of jaws 112 proximally relative to the tubular member 120 to close the pair of jaws 112 or advance the pair of jaws 112 distally away from the tubular member 120 to open the pair of jaws 112.The actuator 140 and the handle 150, and the manner in which the actuator 140 is coupled to the end effector 110 and the handle 150 can be any configuration known to those skilled in the art or previously known, and the present disclosure is not limited by such features.

[0033] It should also be understood that other configurations of a pair of jaws that enable the pair of jaws to close or open relative to each other for grasping tissue are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. For example, in an example of one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, a pair of jaws 212 of an end effector 210 are formed separately from each other and are pivotally coupled to each other about a pivot point 230. The pivot point 230 can be coupled to the actuator 140 in any manner known to those skilled in the art or previously known, and the present disclosure is not limited by such features. As can be appreciated, movement of the pair of jaws 212 of the end effector 210 of FIG. 4 relative to the tubular member 120 enables the pair of jaws 212 to open or close in a manner similar to that described above with respect to the pair of jaws 112 illustrated in FIG. 3. Thus, for the sake of brevity, reference is made to such description but is not intended to be limiting. Unless otherwise indicated, references herein to a plurality of features of an example of one embodiment of the end effector 110 illustrated in FIG. 3 are applicable to a plurality of features of an example of one embodiment of the end effector 210 illustrated in FIG. 4 other than the configuration of the pair of jaws of the end effector 210 that enables movement of the pair of jaws between an open configuration and a closed configuration.

[0034] An additional example of one embodiment of the end effector 310 is illustrated in FIG. 5 and has a pair of tissue engagement surfaces 315 configured differently from the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215 of the end effectors 110, 210 illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, as will be described in further detail below. Despite the differences between the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 315 of the end effector 310 illustrated in FIG. 5, other features of the examples of the embodiments of the end effectors 110, 210 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively, are applicable to the example of the embodiment of the end effector 310 illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0035] When tissue T is positioned between a pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 (when the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 are in an open configuration), the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 are moved to a closed configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 2, and can grip tissue T positioned between the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312. According to various principles of the present disclosure, the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 are formed not only to securely grip tissue between the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312, but also to enhance the engagement of the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 with the tissue as compared to the tissue engagement of the conventional tissue engagement surfaces of a pair of jaws that engage conventional tissue. For example, in some embodiments, the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure are configured to resist slippage of tissue T gripped between the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 when the end effectors 110, 210, 310 are retracted relative to the tubular member 120 to move the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 to a closed configuration and grip tissue T between the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure are configured to substantially evenly distribute force across tissue T gripped between the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315. Thus, the friction against the gripped tissue T is increased by the force applied to the tissue, whereby the force is evenly distributed, improving the friction between the pair of arms of the end effector or the pair of jaws and the gripped tissue and reducing slippage of tissue T from the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312. In some embodiments, the force applied to the tissue can be evenly / equally and substantially simultaneously distributed by the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure when the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 move from an open configuration to a closed configuration and grip tissue between the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312.In some embodiments, a pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 approach each other at substantially the same time and / or speed when a pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 close. For example, even if the entire portions of a pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 along the proximal ends 113, 213, 313 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 are generally relatively close to the entire portions of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 along the distal ends 111, 211, 311 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312, a plurality of teeth 116, 216, 316 closer to the distal ends 111, 211, 311 are longer than a plurality of teeth 116, 216, 316 closer to the proximal ends 113, 213, 313, thereby compensating for the difference in distance between a pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 (e.g., the outer surfaces 117, 217, 317 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312). Further, in some embodiments, the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 of a pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 are formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure such that force is evenly applied across the grasped tissue T, and as a result, the likelihood of excessive force being applied along a portion of the grasped tissue T is reduced, and the likelihood of potentially damaging the grasped tissue T is also reduced. Finally, in some embodiments, the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 of a pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure are configured such that force is evenly applied along the length of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 by the force applied to the proximal ends 113, 213, 313 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 to close the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312, so that the force does not significantly decrease from the proximal ends 113, 213, 313 to the distal ends 111, 211, 311 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312.

[0036] According to various principles of the present disclosure, in some embodiments, the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 of a pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 achieve a desired configuration only by forming or contouring the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 without bending, manipulating, curving, deforming, shaping, or otherwise adjusting the overall shape or configuration of the pair of jaws. In other words, the formation of the shape or contour of the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 can be formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure independently of and without necessarily affecting the overall shape and / or outer surface 117, 217, 317 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312. Thus, the overall shape of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 need not be bent, curved, or otherwise formed to define the space between the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 with which the tissue T is engaged, and that space is defined by the shape and / or configuration of the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315. In some embodiments, the shape or contour of the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 is different from the shape or contour of the outer surface 117, 217, 317 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312. It is to be understood that, without intending to be limiting, the terms shape, contour, and other grammatical forms thereof may be referred to interchangeably herein unless otherwise specified.

[0037] In some embodiments of an end effector formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure, the tissue engagement surfaces of a pair of jaws of the end effector are contoured such that the distance between the pair of tissue engagement surfaces increases from the distal ends of the pair of jaws toward the proximal ends of the pair of jaws. Examples of a plurality of embodiments of end effectors 110, 210, 310 having tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 where the distal ends 111, 211, 311 are relatively closer to each other than the proximal ends 113, 213, 313 are shown in FIGS. 1-5. Such a configuration of the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 may enable retention of the grasped tissue T between the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the overall contour of at least one of the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 of a pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 of an end effector 110, 210, 310 formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure may be at least partially substantially concave. For example, in some embodiments, the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 may have a contour having a substantially concave shape facing each other (along all or a portion of their longitudinal extent, along the longitudinal axis LA). The concave shape of the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 does not necessarily require that a particular portion of the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 be actually curved, for example, it may be relatively concave as a whole when a virtual line is drawn along the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315. Thus, as an overall effect of the configuration of the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315, it is possible to realize tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 having a substantially concave shape facing each other between the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 of the end effectors 110, 210, 310.

[0038] As described above, certain portions of the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 need not be (entirely or partially) curved so as to achieve a generally concave configuration. In some aspects, the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure are crenulated. For example, in the illustrated examples of the plurality of embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-5, the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 of the illustrated examples of the plurality of embodiments of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 include a plurality of teeth 116, 216, 316 that are generally longitudinally spaced apart by a plurality of gaps 118, 218, 318. Depending on the various configurations of the plurality of teeth 116, 216, 316 and the plurality of gaps 118, 218, 318, a configuration having a generally concave shape can be provided for the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 of the end effector 110, 210, 310 formed in accordance with various principles of the present disclosure. Thus, while the plurality of teeth 116, 216 and the plurality of gaps 118, 218 are illustrated as being generally square, the present disclosure is not intended to be so limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of teeth 316 and the plurality of gaps 318 can be curved (e.g., wavy or sinusoidal).

[0039] In some embodiments, such as those illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the height of the plurality of teeth 116, 216, 316 varies from one or both ends of one or both of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 to the other end of one or both of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312. In other words, the distance from the outer surfaces 117, 217, 317 to the tissue engagement surfaces 115t, 215t, 315t in the direction d of the plurality of teeth 116, 216, 316 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 varies along the length of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 (as illustrated by the dashed line in FIG. 4), such as by decreasing from the proximal ends 113, 213, 313 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 to the distal ends 111, 211, 311 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312. In some embodiments, the depth of the plurality of gaps 118, 218, 318 in the direction d is substantially constant between the distal ends 111, 211, 311 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 and the proximal ends 113, 213, 313 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312. In other embodiments, the depth of the plurality of gaps 118, 218, 318 of the pair of opposing jaws 112, 212, 312 of the end effector 110, 210, 310 varies from the distal ends 111, 211, 311 of the pair of opposing jaws 112, 212, 312 to the proximal ends 113, 213, 313 of the pair of opposing jaws 112, 212, 312. In some embodiments, such as examples of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tissue engagement surfaces 115t, 215t of the plurality of teeth 116, 216 of one of the pair of opposing jaws 112, 212 are positioned opposite the tissue engagement surfaces 115g, 215g of the gaps 118, 218 between the plurality of teeth 116, 216 of the other of the pair of opposing jaws 112, 212. Such a configuration can improve the grasping of tissue between the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312, such as by creating a wavy or tortuous configuration of the tissue grasped by the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312, as illustrated in FIG. 2.It should be understood that the tissue engagement surfaces 115g, 215g, 315g of the plurality of gaps 118, 218, 318 may or may not engage the tissue depending on the depth of the plurality of gaps 118, 218, 318, the shape of the plurality of teeth 116, 216, 316, etc.

[0040] In some embodiments, the tissue engagement surfaces 115t, 215t, 315t of the plurality of teeth 116, 216, 316 may be contoured to be non-traumatic, such as formed in a blunt shape, a convexly curved shape, or other shape, so as not to damage the tissue grasped by the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the plurality of teeth 316 may form a curved, slightly wavy pattern / substantially sinusoidal pattern as shown in FIG. 5.

[0041] The pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 may be contoured to improve the space created between the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 and / or the engagement of the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 with the tissue T. For example, the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 are angled to create a substantially concave curvature with respect to the overall tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 along the longitudinal extent of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 (e.g., along a virtual line drawn along the tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315), or along at least a portion of such a longitudinal extent of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312, or may be contoured in other ways.

[0042] Additional space 119, 219, 319 (e.g., without teeth or other protrusions) may be between the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 to provide additional space for the tissue T to be held between the proximal ends 113, 213, 313 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312.

[0043] As described above, in some embodiments, the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 cut (i.e., cutting) the surface of the material from which the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 are formed (e.g., cutting the rod 130 in the example of one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, or formed by cutting only the surfaces of a pair of jaws 212 facing each other as in the example of one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4). More specifically, the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 may be formed by a cutting pattern applied to the ends of a rod or wire that divides the rod or wire into a pair of jaws 112 as illustrated in FIG. 3, or by the cutting surfaces of a pair of separately formed jaws 212 that are joined together as illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0044] In some embodiments, the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 may be contoured to be different from the contour of the outer surfaces 117, 217, 317 of the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312. For example, the pair of tissue engagement surfaces 115, 215, 315 may be configured to enable gripping of the tissue between the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 and / or to enable securing of a space for tissue T to fit between the pair of jaws 112, 212, 312 and / or to have other or additional features or characteristics, such as forming a generally curved (e.g., concave) surface, while the outer surfaces of the pair of jaws 112 may be linear.

[0045] As described above, it should be understood that the various features described above may be applied to both or either of a pair of jaws of an end effector formed in accordance with the various principles of the present disclosure. The principles of the present disclosure can be applied without limitation to various medical devices, instruments, tools, etc., such as various medical devices for grasping, manipulating, moving, engaging, or otherwise interacting with various anatomical structures. Other configurations of the tissue engagement surface adapted for the end use of the end effector 110, such as for engaging a particular type of tissue or other element, are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the above-described multiple embodiments are examples of multiple embodiments and are not intended to limit the broad principles of the present disclosure.

[0046] It should be understood that all of the devices and methods described herein are examples of devices and / or methods implemented in accordance with one or more principles of the present disclosure. These examples are not the only ways to implement these principles, but are merely examples and are not intended to limit the broader aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, references to elements or structures or features in the drawings should be recognized as references to examples of embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be understood as limiting the present disclosure to the specific elements, structures or features shown. Other examples of ways to implement the disclosed principles will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the present disclosure.

[0047] It will be understood that features described with respect to one embodiment can typically be applied to another embodiment, whether or not explicitly shown. The various features described below can be used alone or in any combination thereof. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to only the embodiments specifically described herein.

[0048] In addition to the above, various further advantages of the various aspects, features, components, and structures of the end effector as described above can be understood by those skilled in the art. The above description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description as having a wide range of applications, and is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. It should be understood that various additions, changes, and substitutions can be made to the embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the present disclosure. In particular, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the principles of the present disclosure can be embodied in other forms, structures, arrangements, ratios, and using other elements, materials, and components without departing from its concept, spirit, scope, or features. For example, various features of the present disclosure may be grouped together in one or more aspects, embodiments, or configurations for the purpose of streamlining the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the various features of one aspect, embodiment, or configuration of the present disclosure may be combined in alternative aspects, embodiments, or configurations. Although the present disclosure is presented from the perspective of embodiments, it should be understood that not all of the various distinct features of the subject matter need to be present in order to achieve at least some of the desired characteristics and / or advantages of the subject matter or such individual features. A person skilled in the art can understand that the present disclosure can be used with many variations of structures, mechanisms, ratios, materials, components, and other aspects that are particularly adapted to specific environments and operating requirements without departing from the principles, ideas, or scope of the present disclosure. For example, elements shown as being integrally formed may be constructed from multiple parts, or elements shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operation of an element may be reversed or changed in other ways, and the size or dimensions of an element may be changed. Similarly, although operations, actions, or procedures have been described in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such a particular order to achieve the desired result, or that all operations, actions, or procedures should be performed. Also, other implementations are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the operations recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve the desired result.Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is indicated by the appended claims and is not limited to the foregoing description or specific embodiments or configurations described or illustrated herein. In view of the foregoing, the individual features of any embodiment can be used and claimed separately from or in combination with the features of that or any other embodiment, and the scope of the subject matter is indicated by the appended claims and is not limited to the foregoing description.

[0049] In the foregoing description and in the following claims, the following may be understood. As used herein, the phrases "at least one", "one or more", and "and / or" are open-ended expressions that are used as both conjunctive and disjunctive. Terms such as "a", "the", "first", "second", etc. do not exclude a plurality. For example, "an" entity, as used herein, refers to one or more of that entity. Thus, the terms "a", "one or more", and "at least one" may be used interchangeably herein. The term "or" as used in this specification and the appended claims is generally used in the sense of including "and / or" unless otherwise clearly indicated to the contrary for the content thereof. The conjunction "and" as used herein includes each of the structures, components, features, or equivalents so combined, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, and the conjunction "or" includes one or the other of the structures, components, features, or equivalents so combined, alone and in any combination and number, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. All references to direction (e.g., proximal, distal, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, lateral, longitudinal, front, rear, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, radial, axial, clockwise, counterclockwise, etc.) are used only for identification purposes to assist the reader in understanding the present disclosure and / or to distinguish the regions of the associated elements from one another, and do not particularly limit the associated elements with respect to the position, orientation, or use of the present disclosure. References to connection (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, engaged, and joined) should be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between sets of elements and relative movement between elements, unless otherwise indicated. Thus, references to connection do not necessarily imply that two elements are directly connected and in a fixed relationship to each other. References to identification (e.g., primary, secondary, first, second, third, fourth, etc.) are not intended to imply importance or priority and are used to distinguish one feature from another.

[0050] The following claims are incorporated by reference into the embodiments for carrying out the present invention, and each claim stands independently as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure. In the claims, the terms "comprising," "having," "including," and "containing" do not exclude the presence of other elements, components, features, groups, regions, integers, steps, acts, etc. Also, individual features may be included in different claims, but these features can, in some cases, be advantageously combined, and being included in different claims does not imply that the combination of features is not feasible and / or not advantageous. Also, references to the singular do not exclude the plural. The reference signs in the claims are provided merely as examples for clarification and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

Claims

1. An end effector comprising: a first jaw having a proximal end and a distal end, a tissue-facing side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining a tissue engagement surface, and an outer side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining an outer surface; a second jaw having a proximal end and a distal end, a tissue-facing side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining a tissue engagement surface, and an outer side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining an outer surface; wherein the proximal ends of the first jaw and the second jaw are connected to each other such that the tissue-facing sides of the first jaw and the second jaw face each other and the outer sides of the first jaw and the second jaw face opposite sides; wherein the distal ends of the first jaw and the second jaw are movable between an open configuration in which they are spaced apart from each other and a closed configuration in which they are adjacent to each other; and wherein the tissue engagement surfaces of the first jaw and the second jaw are contoured independently of the outer surface so as to evenly distribute force across tissue gripped by the first and second jaws.

2. The end effector according to claim 1, wherein the tissue engagement surface of at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw is contoured to have a concave shape.

3. The end effector according to claim 2, wherein the tissue engagement surfaces of both the first jaw and the second jaw are contoured to have a concave shape so as to form a tissue engagement space therebetween.

4. The end effector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the outer surface of at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw is substantially linear.

5. The end effector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the distance between the tissue engagement surface of the first jaw and the tissue engagement surface of the second jaw increases from the distal ends of the first jaw and the second jaw towards the proximal ends so that force is evenly distributed across tissue gripped between the first jaw and the second jaw.

6. The tissue engagement surface of at least one of the first jaw and the second jaw includes a plurality of spaced-apart protrusions, the end effector according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The plurality of spaced-apart protrusions are contoured such that force is evenly distributed across the tissue grasped by the first jaw and the second jaw, the end effector according to claim 6.

8. The tissue engagement surfaces of both the first jaw and the second jaw include a plurality of spaced-apart protrusions, and the tissue engagement surface of the plurality of protrusions of the first jaw is spaced from the tissue engagement surface of the plurality of protrusions of the second jaw as it extends from the distal ends of the first jaw and the second jaw towards the proximal ends of the first jaw and the second jaw, the end effector according to claim 7.

9. The plurality of spaced-apart protrusions in the first jaw and the second jaw have a plurality of spaced-apart teeth that are substantially square, the end effector according to claim 8.

10. The plurality of spaced-apart protrusions are contoured to engage the tissue non-traumatically, the end effector according to any one of claims 6 to 9.

11. The first jaw and the second jaw are biased to move away from each other to an open configuration, the end effector according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The first jaw and the second jaw are formed by cutting a wire formed of a shape memory material so as to define opposing tissue engagement surfaces of the first jaw and the second jaw, the end effector according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The first jaw and the second jaw are rotatably connected to each other, the end effector according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A system for grasping tissue, comprising An end effector, comprising A first jaw having a proximal end and a distal end, a tissue-facing side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining a tissue engagement surface, and an outer side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining an outer surface. a second jaw having a proximal end and a distal end, a tissue-facing side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining a tissue engagement surface, and an outer side extending between the proximal end and the distal end and defining an outer surface; the proximal end of the first jaw and the proximal end of the second jaw are connected to each other such that the tissue-facing sides of the first jaw and the second jaw face each other and the outer sides of the first jaw and the second jaw face opposite sides; the distal end of the first jaw and the distal end of the second jaw are movable between an open configuration in which they are spaced apart from each other and a closed configuration in which they are adjacent to each other; the tissue engagement surfaces of the first jaw and the second jaw are contoured independently of the outer surface such that force is evenly distributed across the tissue gripped by the first jaw and the second jaw; the end effector; a tubular member; a system comprising an actuator connected to the end effector and moving the end effector relative to the tubular member to move the first jaw and the second jaw between the open configuration and the closed configuration. **Claim 15** When moving the first jaw and the second jaw into the interior of the tubular member, the tissue engagement surfaces of the first jaw and the second jaw move toward each other, and at this time, the tubular member applies a closing force to the first jaw and the second jaw, and the closing force is substantially evenly distributed across the tissue gripped by the first jaw and the second jaw by the tissue engagement surfaces. The system according to claim 14.

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