Surgical instrument with actuator spring arm

1. A handle assembly for use with a surgical instrument having an operative distal end portion, the handle assembly comprising:

a housing;

a drive element disposed at least partially within the housing and being longitudinally translatable with respect to the housing;

an actuator disposed in mechanical cooperation with the housing;

a spring arm disposed at least partially within the housing; and

a biasing element for biasing the actuator, a first portion of the biasing element disposed in mechanical cooperation with the actuator and a second portion of the biasing element extending through an aperture in the spring arm, wherein movement of the actuator translates the drive element distally from a proximal position where a portion of the drive element is in contact with the spring arm to a distal position where the drive element is spaced from the spring arm.

2. The handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein a bottom surface of the drive element includes a plurality of teeth, and wherein a portion of the spring arm is in contact with the bottom surface of the drive element when the drive element is in the proximal position.

3. The handle assembly of claim 2 , wherein a portion of the spring arm is in contact with a proximal-facing surface of the drive element when the drive element is between the proximal position and the distal position.

4. The handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spring arm exerts a distal force on the drive element when the drive element is between the proximal position and the distal position.

5. The handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spring arm is movable with respect to the housing.

6. The handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spring arm is rotatable with respect to the housing.

7. The handle assembly of claim 6 , wherein a predetermined amount of rotation of the spring arm with respect to the housing causes a portion of the spring arm to engage a portion of the housing, which substantially prevents continued rotation of the spring arm with respect to the housing.

8. A surgical instrument comprising:

a handle assembly;

an endoscopic portion extending distally from the handle assembly; and

an end effector disposed adjacent a distal end of the endoscopic portion and including a first jaw member and a second jaw member, the first jaw member being movable with respect to the second jaw member from an open position to an approximated position,

wherein the handle assembly includes:

a housing;

a longitudinally translatable drive element;

an actuator;

a spring arm; and

a biasing element for biasing the actuator, a first portion of the biasing element disposed in mechanical cooperation with the actuator and a second portion of the biasing element extending through an aperture in the spring arm, wherein at least a partial actuation of the actuator translates the drive element distally from a proximal position where a lower surface of the drive element is in contact with the spring arm to a distal position where a proximal face of the drive element is in contact with the spring arm.

9. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein the spring arm is in contact with the drive element when the jaw members are in the open position.

10. The surgical instrument of claim 9 , wherein the spring arm is spaced from the drive element when the jaw members are in the approximated position.

11. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein the lower surface of the drive element includes a plurality of teeth.

12. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein the spring arm exerts a distal force on the drive element when the drive element is in the distal position.

13. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein the spring arm is movable with respect to the housing.

14. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein the spring arm is rotatable with respect to the housing.

15. The surgical instrument of claim 14 , wherein a predetermined amount of rotation of the spring arm with respect to the housing causes a portion of the spring arm to engage a portion of the handle housing, which substantially prevents continued rotation of the spring arm with respect to the housing.

16. The handle assembly of claim 1 , wherein movement of the actuator from an actuated position to a non-actuated position translates the drive element distally from the proximal position where the portion of the drive element is in contact with the spring arm to the distal position where the drive element is spaced from the spring arm.

17. The handle assembly of claim 16 , wherein a proximal face of the drive element is in contact with the spring arm when the actuator is in the actuated position.

18. The surgical instrument of claim 8 , wherein movement of the actuator from an actuated position to a non-actuated position translates the drive element distally from the distal position to a further distal position where the drive element is spaced from the spring arm.

19. A handle assembly for use with a surgical instrument having an operative distal end portion, the handle assembly comprising:

a housing;

a drive element disposed at least partially within the housing and being longitudinally translatable with respect to the housing;

an actuator disposed in mechanical cooperation with the housing;

a spring arm disposed at least partially within the housing; and

a biasing element for biasing the actuator, a first portion of the biasing element disposed in mechanical cooperation with the actuator and a second portion of the biasing element disposed in mechanical corporation with the spring arm, wherein movement of the actuator translates the drive element distally from a proximal position where a portion of the drive element is in contact with the spring arm to a distal position where the drive element is spaced from the spring arm;

wherein movement of the actuator from an actuated position to a non-actuated position translates the drive element distally from the proximal position where the portion of the drive element is in contact with the spring arm to the distal position where the drive element is spaced from the spring arm.

20. A surgical instrument comprising:

a handle assembly;

an endoscopic portion extending distally from the handle assembly; and

an end effector disposed adjacent a distal end of the endoscopic portion and including a first jaw member and a second jaw member, the first jaw member being movable with respect to the second jaw member from an open position to an approximated position,

wherein the handle assembly includes:

a housing;

a longitudinally translatable drive element disposed at least partially within the housing;

an actuator disposed in mechanical cooperation with the housing;

a spring arm disposed at least partially within the housing; and

a biasing element for biasing the actuator, a first portion of the biasing element disposed in mechanical cooperation with the actuator and a second portion of the biasing element disposed in mechanical corporation with the spring arm, wherein at least a partial actuation of the actuator translates the drive element distally from a proximal position where a lower surface of the drive element is in contact with the spring arm to a distal position where a proximal face of the drive element is in contact with the spring arm;

wherein movement of the actuator from an actuated position to a non-actuated position translates the drive element distally from the distal position to a further distal position where the drive element is spaced from the spring arm.