Endoscopic biopsy forceps jaws and instruments incorporating same

Endoscopic biopsy forceps jaws having an outer edge which may be generally U-shaped, circular, or oblate circular are disclosed with a number of teeth which extend along at least a portion of the outer edge where the peaks of the teeth are located upward and inward from the outer edge. In one embodiment, each tooth is defined by a substantially triangular inner surface, a substantially quadrilateral base, and a surface which extends outward and downward from the vertex of the triangular surface to the outer edge of the jaw. Valleys between the teeth have two inclined surfaces which intersect along a line which extends inward and downward from the outer edge of the jaw. In a second embodiment, the peak of each tooth is defined by the vertex of a pyramid having four faces and valleys between these teeth have three substantially flat surfaces which intersect at a vertex which lies downward and inward from the outer edge of the jaw. Alternate embodiments of both the first and second embodiment of the jaws include providing a lip around the outer portion of the outer edge so that the teeth and valleys are spaced farther in from the outer surface of the jaw cup.