Steerable flexible microsurgical instrument with rotatable clevis

A clevis assembly for use in a surgical instrument having an end effector, said clevis assembly comprising:

• a) a clevis member having a base, a first arm, and a second arm, said first and second arms extending distally from said base and defining an end effector mounting space between said first and second clevis arms said clevis member further having a throughbore in said base communicating with said end effector mounting space;
• and
• b) a clevis bushing having a throughbore with a stepped inner diameter with a distal smaller diameter portion and a proximal larger diameter portion, wherein
• one of said clevis member and said clevis bushing has a hollow cylindrical stem extending into the throughbore of the other of said clevis member and said clevis bushing, said hollow cylindrical stem coupling said end effector mounting space with said proximal large diameter portion of said bushing, and connecting means connecting said clevis member to said bushing whereby said clevis member is freely rotatable and non-threaded relative to said clevis bushing.

A surgical instrument, comprising:

• a) a tube member having a proximal end and a distal end, and a lumen extending therethrough;
• b) a torsionally unyielding control member having a proximal end and a distal end and extending through said lumen of said tube member;
• c) an actuation means coupled to said proximal end of said tube member and to said proximal end of said control member for effecting a translational movement of said control member relative to said tube member, said actuation means including rotation means for effecting an axial rotation of said control member relative to said tube member;
• d) a clevis;
• e) means for rotatably coupling said clevis to the distal end of said tube member;
• and
• f) at least one end effector coupled to said clevis and coupled to said distal end of said control member, said control member passing freely through said clevis,
• wherein axial rotation of said control member relative to said tube member effects an axial rotation of said at least one end effector and said clevis relative to said tube member.