| abstract |
The present invention discloses an end effector and a surgical instrument including the end effector. The end effector includes a clamp arm and an ultrasonic blade configured to be acoustically coupled to the ultrasonic transducer and electrically coupled to one pole of the generator. The clamp arm includes a clamp, a cantilevered electrode, and a clamp arm pad. The cantilevered electrode is biased in a direction toward the clamp, and the clamp arm includes a retainer to resist the biasing force and maintain the cantilevered electrode in a generally flat configuration relative to the ultrasonic blade. A skirt may be provided around the clamp. The clamp arm pad may include a plurality of support elements arranged in rows to support the cantilevered electrode. |