VESSEL SEALING INSTRUMENT

An electrosurgical instrument (400), comprising: a housing (425); an elongated shaft (412) extending from the housing and having a pair of opposing jaw members (410, 420) disposed at a distal end (416) thereof, each of the jaw members including an electrically conductive sealing surface (412a, 412b) configured to deliver energy to tissue; a trigger (470) operably coupled to the housing; a knife (85) operably coupled to the trigger such that actuation of the trigger translates the knife distally through a knife channel extending through at least one of the jaw members; a handle assembly (430) operably coupled to the housing and including a movable handle (440) configured to move relative to the housing to effect movement of the jaw members between an open position and a closed position; and a switch (455) disposed on the housing and configured to be depressed by the movable handle when the jaw members are in the closed position to control a supply of electrosurgical energy from an electrosurgical energy source to each of the electrically conductive sealing surfaces.