SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS INCLUDING NERVE STIMULATOR APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE DETECTION OF NERVES IN TISSUE AND METHODS OF DIRECTING ENERGY TO TISSUE USING SAME
A forceps includes a housing a shaft including a distal end and a proximal end operatively coupled to the housing, and an end-effector assembly coupled to the distal end of the shaft and including first and second jaw assemblies. Each of the first and second jaw assemblies includes a sealing plate. One or both of the first and second jaw assemblies is movable from a spaced relation relative to the other jaw assembly to at least one subsequent position wherein the sealing plates cooperate to grasp tissue therebetween. The forceps also includes a nerve stimulator apparatus associated with one or both of the first and second jaw assemblies. The nerve stimulator apparatus is configured to emit light to stimulate tissue for the evaluation of one or more characteristics of nerves.
