Surgical instrument

A surgical instrument comprising

• a stationary member including a tube, said stationary member being disposed generally along an axis and including a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said stationary member from said axis,
• an assembly including a driver member disposed within said stationary member and a generally rigid movable member, said driver member and said movable member extending along said stationary member and being movable with respect to each other,
• said driver member including a hollow tube and having a distal end coupled to a surgical tool, said driver member being relieved with a first opening pattern disposed with in said bend region, said first opening pattern rendering said driver member at least partially flexible for transmitting a first force applied at a proximal region of said instrument through said bend region of said stationary member to operate said surgical tool, said first opening pattern including an axially elongated opening in a wall of said tube of said driver member, said elongated opening extending a selected amount axially along said tube and extending radially over at least 60% of a diameter of said tube and
• said generally rigid movable member having a distal end coupled to said surgical tool and being relieved with a second opening pattern different from said first opening pattern to provide a relatively flexible region axially aligned with said bend region proximally of said surgical tool for transmitting a second, different force applied at said proximal region through said bend region to selectively change a rotational orientation of said surgical tool with respect to said stationary member.

A surgical instrument comprising

• a stationary member including a tube, said stationary member being disposed generally along an axis and including a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said stationary member from said axis,
• an assembly including a driver member disposed within said stationary member and a generally rigid movable member, said driver member and said movable member extending along said stationary member and being movable with respect to each other,
• said driver member including a hollow tube and having a distal end coupled to a surgical tool, said driver member being relieved with a first opening pattern disposed with in said bendregion, said first opening pattern rendering said driver member at least partially flexible for transmitting a first force applied at a proximal region of said instrument through said bend region of said stationary member to operate said surgical tool, said first opening pattern including an axially elongated opening in a wall of said tube of said driver member, said elongated opening extending a selected amount axially along said tube and extending radially over at least 75% of a diameter of said tube and
• said generally rigid movable member having a distal end coupled to said surgical tool and being relieved with a second opening pattern different from said first opening pattern to provide a relatively flexible region axially aligned with said bend region proximally of said surgical tool for transmitting a second, different force applied at said proximal region through said bend region to selectively change a rotational orientation of said surgical tool with respect to said stationary member.

A surgical instrument comprising

• a stationary member including a tube, said stationary member being disposed generally along an axis and including a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said stationary member from said axis,
• an assembly including a driver member disposed within said stationary member and a generally rigid movable member, said driver member and said movable member extending along said stationary member and being movable with respect to each other,
• said driver member having a distal end coupled to a surgical tool including a first element carried by said movable member and a second element, said driver member being relieved with a first opening pattern disposed with said bend region, said first opening pattern rendering said driver member at least partially flexible for transmitting a first force applied at a proximal region of said instrument through said bend region of said stationary member to operate said surgical tool, said second element being adapted to be moved by said driver member with respect to said first element of said tool in response to said first force to operate said surgical tool, and
• said generally rigid movable member having a distal end coupled to said surgical tool and being relieved with a second opening pattern different from said first opening pattern to provide a relatively flexible region axially aligned with said bend region proximally of said surgical tool for transmitting a second, different force applied at said proximal region through said bend region to selectively change a rotational orientation of said surgical tool with respect to said stationary member.

A surgical instrument comprising

• a stationary member disposed generally along an axis and including a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said stationary member from said axis,
• an assembly including a driver member and a generally rigid movable member that extend along said stationary member and are movable with respect to each other,
• said driver member having a distal end coupled to a surgical tool and being relieved with a first opening pattern to render it at least partially flexible for transmitting a first force applied at a proximal region of said instrument through said bend region of said stationary member to operate said surgical tool, and
• said generally rigid movable member having a distal end coupled to said surgical tool and being relieved with a second opening pattern different from said first opening pattern to provide a relatively flexible region axially aligned with said bend region proximally of said surgical tool for transmitting a second, different force applied at said proximal region in a rotational direction with respect to said axis, through said bend region to selectively change a rotational orientation of said surgical tool with respect to said stationary member, said assembly being constructed to allow said movable member to rotate in response to said second force and change said rotational orientation of said surgical tool without disrupting the ability of said driver member to operate said surgical tool, said driver member remaining substantially rotationally stationary with respect to said bend region as said movable member rotates said surgical tool.

A surgical instrument comprising

• a stationary member disposed generally along an axis and including a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said stationary member from said axis,
• an assembly including a driver member and a generally rigid movable member that extend along said stationary member and are movable with respect to each other,
• said driver member having a distal end coupled to a surgical tool and being relieved with a first opening pattern to render it at least partially flexible for transmitting a first force applied at a proximal region of said instrument through said bend region of said stationary member to operate said surgical tool, and
• said generally rigid movable member having a distal end coupled to said surgical tool and being relieved with a second opening pattern different from said first opening pattern to provide a relatively flexible region axially aligned with said bend region proximally of said surgical tool for transmitting a second, different force, applied at said proximal region in a rotational direction with respect to said axis, through said bend region to selectively change a rotational through said bend region to selectively change a rotational orientation of said surgical tool with respect to said stationary member, said assembly being constructed to allow said movable member to rotate in response to said second force and change said rotational orientation of said surgical tool without disrupting the ability of said driver member to operate said surgical tool, said surgical tool including a first element carried by and rotatable with said movable member and a second element actuated by said driver member with respect to the first element to operate said tool, said first element engaging said second element to cause said second element to rotate with said first element in response to said second force, said driver member remaining substantially rotationally stationary with respect to said bend region as said first element and said second element rotate.

A surgical instrument comprising

• a stationary member disposed generally along an axis and including a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said stationary member from said axis,
• an assembly including a driver member and a generally rigid movable member that extend along said stationary member and are movable with respect to each other,
• said driver member having a distal end coupled to a surgical tool and being relieved with a first opening pattern to render it at least partially flexible for transmitting a first force applied at a proximal region of said instrument through said bend region of said stationary member to operate said surgical tool, and
• said generally rigid movable member having a distal end coupled to said surgical tool and being relieved with a second opening pattern different from said first opening pattern to provide a relatively flexible region axially aligned with said bend region proximally of said surgical tool for transmitting a second, different force, applied at said proximal region in a rotational direction with respect to said axis, through said bend region to selectively change a rotational orientation of said surgical tool with respect to said stationary member, said assembly being constructed to allow said movable member to rotate in response to said second force and change said rotational orientation of said surgical tool without disrupting the ability of said driver member to operate said surgical tool, said driver member being rotatably coupled to said surgical tool to rotate with said surgical tool in response to rotation of said movable member.

A surgical instrument comprising

• a stationary member disposed generally along an axis and including a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said stationary member from said axis,
• an assembly including a driver member and a generally rigid movable member that extend along said stationary member and are movable with respect to each other,
• said driver member having a distal end coupled to a surgical tool and being relieved with a first opening pattern to render it at least partially flexible for transmitting a first force applied at a proximal region of said instrument through said bend region of said stationary member to operate said surgical tool, and
• said generally rigid movable member having a distal end coupled to said surgical tool and being relieved with a second opening pattern different from said first opening pattern to provide a relatively flexible region axially aligned with said bend region proximally of said surgical tool for transmitting a second, different force, applied at said proximal region through said bend region to selectively change a rotational orientation of said surgical tool with respect to said stationary member, and
• a manual actuator disposed at said proximal region of said instrument for supporting said stationary member and coupled to a proximal region of said assembly for applying said first force to said assembly to operate said surgical tool, and means for decoupling said actuator from said assembly if said first force exceeds a threshold thereby to avoid applying excessive force to said surgical tool.

A surgical instrument comprising

• a stationary member supporting a surgical tool at a distal region thereof,
• a rotatable member supported by said stationary member and having a distal end coupled to said surgical tool and being relieved with a first opening pattern to render it at least partially flexible for transmitting rotational force applied at a proximal region of said instrument to said surgical tool to selectively change a rotational orientation of said surgical tool with respect to said stationary member,
• a driver member supported by said stationary member and having a distal end coupled to said surgical tool and being relieved with a second pattern different from said first opening pattern to render it at least partially flexible for transmitting an axial force applied at said proximal region to said surgical tool to operate said surgical tool and cause said surgical tool to sever body material, and
• one of said rotatable member or said driver member being hollow to provide a passage that extends from a distal end of said one member proximally through said one member to said proximal region of said instrument for transporting body material severed by said surgical tool from said distal region to said proximal region of said instrument in response to suction applied at said proximal region of said instrument.

A surgical instrument comprising

• a stationary member disposed generally along an axis and including a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said stationary member from said axis,
• a surgical tool disposed at said distal region, and
• a movable member supported by said stationary member, said movable member having a generally rigid distal region coupled to said surgical tool, a generally rigid proximal region disposed at a proximal region of said instrument, and a flexible intermediate region disposed in said bend region,
• said flexible region including an axially elongated strip of material rigidly interconnected at either end to said generally rigid distal region and said generally rigid proximal region, said strip of material being circumferentially bounded by an axially elongated opening disposed between said generally rigid distal region and said generally rigid proximal region, said strip of material being sufficiently axially stiff to transmit to axial force applied to said proximal region of said movable member through said bend region of said stationary member to operate said tool, said movable member being disposed to slide within said stationary member in response to said applied axial force.

A surgical instrument comprising

• a stationary member disposed generally along an axis and including a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said stationary member from said axis,
• a surgical tool disposed at said distal region, and
• a movable member supported by said stationary member, said movable member having a generally rigid distal region coupled to said surgical tool, a generally rigid proximal region disposed at a proximal region of said instrument, and a flexible intermediate region disposed in said bend region,
• said flexible region including an axially elongated strip of material rigidly interconnected at either end to said generally rigid distal region and said generally rigid proximal region, said strip of material being circumferentially bounded by an axially elongated opening disposed between said generally rigid distal region and said generally rigid proximal region, said strip of material being sufficiently axially stiff to transmit an axial force applied to said proximal region of said movable member through said bend region of said stationary member to operate said tool, said axially elongated strip of material having a length selected so that said generally rigid distal and proximal regions of said movable member disposed adjacent to said flexible remain substantially outside of said bend region during operation of said tool.

A surgical instrument comprising

• a stationary member disposed generally along an axis and including a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said stationary member from said axis,
• a surgical tool disposed at said distal region, and
• a tubular movable member supported by said stationary member, said movable member having a generally rigid distal region coupled to said surgical tool, a generally rigid proximal region disposed at a proximal region of said instrument, and a flexible intermediate region disposed in said bend region,
• said flexible region including an axially elongated strip of material rigidly interconnected at either end to said generally rigid distal region and said generally rigid proximal region, said strip of material being circumferentially bounded by an axially elongated opening disposed extending radially into said tubular moveable member by a selected amount and disposed between said generally rigid distal region and said generally rigid proximal region, said strip of material being sufficiently axially stiff to transmit an axial force applied to said proximal region of said movable member through said bend region of said stationary member to operate said tool.

A surgical instrument comprising

• a stationary member disposed generally along an axis and including a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said stationary member from said axis,
• a surgical tool disposed at said distal region, and
• a movable member supported by said stationary member, said movable member having a generally rigid distal region coupled to said surgical tool, a generally rigid proximal region disposed at a proximal region of said instrument, and a flexible intermediate region disposed in said bend region,
• said flexible region including an axially elongated strip of material rigidly interconnected at either end to said generally rigid distal region and said generally rigid proximal region, said strip of material being circumferentially bounded by an axially elongated opening disposed between said generally rigid distal region and said generally rigid proximal region, and said strip of material being sufficiently axially stiff to transmit an axial force applied to said proximal region of said movable member through said bend region of said stationary member to operate said tool, said elongated opening having a length selected so that said generally rigid distal and proximal regions of said tube disposed adjacent to said elongated opening remain substantially outside of said bend region during operation of said surgical tool.

A surgical instrument comprising

• a stationary member disposed generally along an axis and including a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region of said stationary member from said axis,
• a surgical tool disposed at said distal region, and
• a movable member supported by said stationary member, said movable member having a generally rigid distal region coupled to said surgical tool, a generally rigid proximal region disposed at a proximal region of said instrument, and a flexible intermediate region disposed in said bend region,
• said flexible region including an axially elongated strip of material rigidly interconnected at either end to said generally rigid distal region and said generally rigid proximal region, said strip of material being circumferentially bounded by an axially elongated opening disposed between said generally rigid distal region and said generally rigid proximal region, said strip of material being sufficiently axially stiff to transmit an axial force applied to said proximal region of said movable member through said bend region of said stationary member to operate said tool,
• a passage defined at least in part by one of said stationary member or movable member for transporting body material severed by said surgical tool from said distal region to said proximal region of said instrument in response to suction applied at said proximal region.