Abstract: A surgical instrument, has an end effector that includes an ultrasonic blade, and a clamp arm that moves relative to the ultrasonic blade from an opened position toward an intermediate position and a closed position. The clamp arm is offset from the ultrasonic blade to define a predetermined gap in the intermediate position between the opened position and the closed position. A clamp arm actuator connects to the clamp arm and moves from an opened configuration to a closed configuration to direct the clamp arm from the opened position toward the intermediate position and the closed position. A spacer connects with the clamp arm to inhibit movement of the clamp arm from the intermediate position toward the closed position for maintaining the predetermined gap between the clamp arm and the ultrasonic blade.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for selecting a path between an originating point and a destination point in a communications network comprising a number of objects for a certain time interval. The method comprises constructing a link availability matrix which comprises a start time and an end time for a link between any two objects in the communications network. The start time for all links in the link availability matrix are arranged in a chronological order. A cost matrix is generated for the first start time in the link availability matrix based on selected factors and continuing through the following start times until a connecting path is found between the originating point and destination point using a number of objects in the network. After a connecting path is found, a first disconnect time based on the end times in the link availability matrix for the objects in the connecting path is selected.