Surgical instrument with motorized articulation drive in shaft rotation knob

An apparatus for operating on tissue, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a body assembly;
• (b) a shaft extending distally from the body assembly, wherein the shaft comprises an ultrasonic waveguide, wherein the shaft defines a longitudinal axis;
• (c) an articulation section coupled with the shaft;
• (d) an end effector coupled with the articulation section, wherein the end effector comprises an ultrasonic blade configured to engage tissue;
• and
• (e) an articulation drive assembly operable to drive articulation of the articulation section to thereby deflect the end effector from the longitudinal axis, wherein the articulation drive assembly comprises:
• (i) a first translating driver,
• (ii) a second translating driver, and
• (iii) a motor configured to actuate the first translating driver and the second translating driver simultaneously in opposing longitudinal directions.

An apparatus for operating on tissue, the apparatus comprising:

• (a) a body assembly;
• (b) a shaft extending distally from the body assembly, wherein the shaft defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the shaft assembly is operable to rotate about the longitudinal axis relative to the body assembly;
• (c) an articulation section coupled with the shaft;
• (d) an end effector coupled with the articulation section;
• (e) a first pair of translating members, wherein the first pair of translating members is operable to actuate the articulation section to thereby deflect the end effector from the longitudinal axis;
• and
• (f) a motorized drive assembly in communication with the first pair of translating members, wherein the drive assembly is configured to translate the translating members of the first pair in opposite longitudinal directions simultaneously to thereby actuate the articulation section, wherein the motorized drive assembly is operable to rotate with the shaft about the longitudinal axis relative to the body assembly.