Surgical instrument

A surgical instrument comprising:

• a manually engageable handle;
• a rigid stem section extending from said handle;
• tissue engaging means for engaging tissue, said tissue engaging means including a first tissue engaging member;
• an articulated stem section connected between said rigid stem section and said tissue engaging means and supporting said tissue engaging means for three-dimensional movement between a plurality of orientations relative to said stem section;
• pivot joint means for supporting said first tissue engaging member on said articulated stem section for pivotal movement relative to said articulated stem section;
• first actuator means connected with said handle for bending said articulated stem section to change the orientation of said tissue engaging means relative to said rigid stem section from a first orientation to a second orientation;
• and
• second actuator means connected with said handle and with said first tissue engaging member for effecting pivotal movement of said first tissue engaging member relative to said articulated stem section to engage tissue when said tissue engaging means is in any of its plurality of orientations relative to said stem section;
• wherein said articulated stem section comprises a plurality of links and a plurality of pivot joints interconnecting said links for pivotal movement relative to each other about a plurality of axes.

A surgical instrument comprising:

• a manually engageable handle;
• a rigid stem section extending from said handle;
• tissue engaging means for engaging tissue, said tissue engaging means including a first tissue engaging member;
• an articulated stem section connected between said rigid stem section and said tissue engaging means and supporting said tissue engaging means for three-dimensional movement between a plurality of orientations relative to said stem section;
• pivot joint means for supporting said first tissue engaging member on said articulated stem section for pivotal movement relative to said articulated stem section;
• first actuator means connected with said handle for bending said articulated stem section to change the orientation of said tissue engaging means relative to said rigid stem section from a first orientation to a second orientation;
• and
• second actuator means connected with said handle and with said first tissue engaging member for effecting pivotal movement of said first tissue engaging member relative to said articulated stem section to engage tissue when said tissue engaging means is in any of its plurality of orientations relative to said stem section.
• said first actuator means comprising a single manually engageable control member which is mounted on said handle and which is movable to bend said articulated stem section to provide said three-dimensional movement of said tissue engaging means relative to said rigid stem section.