US Patent 10441308 Ultrasonic surgical instrument blades

A surgical instrument is disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a transducer, a waveguide coupled to the transducer and defining a longitudinal axis, a tube comprising an outer surface, an end effector, and a protective sheath. The waveguide extends through the tube. The end effector includes a surgical blade extending from the waveguide. The surgical blade is asymmetric relative to the longitudinal axis. The surgical blade includes a cutting edge on a first side of the longitudinal axis, an atraumatic surface on a second side of the longitudinal axis, a distal tip, and a treatment portion. The cutting edge includes a proximal end. The treatment portion extends between the proximal end of the cutting edge and the distal tip. The protective sheath extends around at least a portion of the tube and along at least a portion of the surgical blade to the treatment portion.