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AssigneeSra Developments Limited
InventorsMichael John Radley YOUNG, Christopher John LEAVER, Nicholas Charles WRIGHT, Peter James MANLEY
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A surgical tool having an elongate shaft, with a directional operative element at its distal end, is provided with a mechanism to rotate the shaft and the operative element about a longitudinal axis shaft. This allows the operative element to be aligned with an element of tissue without excessive hand movement by the user. In a preferred version, the mechanism is electrically powered and is regulated to produce smooth, controlled, accurate motion between selected rotational positions. The mechanism may include a linear magnetic motor drive to move a drive element longitudinally along the tool. This drive element is engaged with a helical formation on a drive shaft, such that longitudinal motion of the drive element is converted to rotational motion of the drive shaft, and of the shaft and operative element, to which the shaft is mounted.
A surgical tool comprising an elongate member having a distal end and a proximal end, the elongate member being provided adjacent the distal end with an effector defining a plane of operation, a manipulable handpiece disposed adjacent the proximal end of the elongate member, and a rotation mechanism adapted controllably to rotate the elongate member and the effector together about a longitudinal axis of the elongate member so as to align said plane of operation of the effector in a desired orientation, wherein the rotation mechanism comprises at least two elements co-operably moveable relative to one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.