Bipolar forceps having monopolar extension

1. An endoscopic forceps, comprising:

a housing having a shaft affixed thereto, the shaft including first and second jaw members attached to a distal end thereof, each of the first and second jaw members adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy such that the first and second jaw members are selectively capable of conducting energy through tissue held therebetween to treat the tissue;

a first actuator operably associated with the housing and configured to move the first and second jaw members relative to one another from a first position wherein the first and second jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to a second position wherein the first and second jaw members cooperate to grasp the tissue therebetween;

a monopolar element housed within at least the first jaw member and selectively movable from a first position within the first jaw member to a second position extending from a distal end of the first jaw member, the monopolar element includes a sharpened cutting edge, the monopolar element selectively activatable with electrosurgical energy independent of the first and second jaw members;

a second actuator operatively associated with the housing and configured to extend the monopolar element from the first position to the second position, and

a stop disposed at a distal end portion of the first or second jaw members and extending into a pathway of the monopolar element, the stop configured to resist movement of the monopolar element as the monopolar element moves from the first position toward the second position.

2. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1 , wherein the monopolar element is a knife including the sharpened cutting edge that is selectively movable within a knife channel defined within at least one of the first and second jaw members to initially cut the tissue disposed between the first and second jaw members and subsequently extend distally from the first and second jaw members, the knife being selectively energizable to treat the tissue in a monopolar fashion.

3. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 2 , wherein the stop only allows electrical activation of the knife after the knife engages the stop.

4. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1 , wherein the stop is configured to deactivate circuitry to at least one of the first or second jaw members and activate circuitry to the monopolar element upon the monopolar element moving from the first position to the second position.

5. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1 , wherein the stop is resiliently biased to a position within the pathway of the monopolar element.

6. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 5 , wherein advancement of the monopolar element from the first position toward the second position moves the stop out of the pathway of the monopolar element.

7. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 1 , further comprising a lead electrically coupled to the stop and configured to be electrically coupled to an electrosurgical generator.

8. An endoscopic forceps, comprising:

a housing having a shaft affixed thereto, the shaft including first and second jaw members attached to a distal end thereof, each of the first and second jaw members adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy such that the first and second jaw members are selectively capable of conducting energy through tissue held therebetween to treat the tissue;

a knife that is selectively moveable within a knife channel defined within at least one of the first and second jaw members to cut the tissue disposed between the first and second jaw members, the knife selectively activatable to treat tissue with monopolar energy independent of the first and second jaw members;

a first actuator operably associated with the housing and configured to move the first and second jaw members relative to one another from a first position wherein the first and second jaw members are disposed in spaced relation relative to one another to a second position wherein the first and second jaw members cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween;

a second actuator operatively associated with the housing and configured to extend the knife from a first position where the knife is disposed within the at least one of the first and second jaw members to a second position wherein the knife is extended distal to the at least one of the first and second jaw members; and

a stop disposed at a distal end portion of the first or second jaw members and extending into a pathway of the knife, the stop configured to resist movement of the knife as the knife moves from the first position toward the second position.

9. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 8 , wherein the knife is a monopolar element that is electrically coupled to the source of electrosurgical energy.

10. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 8 , wherein the stop only allows electrical activation of the knife after the knife engages the stop.

11. The endoscopic forceps according to claim 4 , wherein the monopolar element has a distal end portion configured to engage the stop upon the monopolar element moving toward the second position.