Surgical instrument and method

In a surgical instrument wherein said instrument has (1) a frame having a pistol handle grip which is fixed relative to said frame and which is adapted to be held in the palm of the hand while the fingers of the hand extend around one side of the grip and the thumb of the hand extends around another side of the grip, (2) an elongated shaft mounted to said frame for rotation relative thereto, (3) a support defining a longitudinal axis and movably mounted to said shaft for movement to an angled orientation relative to said shaft, and (4) an end effector mounted to said support for rotation about said longitudinal axis, an operating system comprising:

• a rotatable first knob on said shaft located adjacent said frame for rotating said shaft when said first knob is turned by a digit of the hand;
• a rotatable second knob on said frame spaced proximally of said first knob and operatively engaged with said support for effecting movement of said support to an angled orientation relative to said shaft when said second knob is turned by a digit of the hand;
• a rotatable third knob on said frame and operatively engaged with said end effector for effecting rotation of said end effector on said support when said third knob is turned by a digit of the hand;
• and
• a trigger lever mounted distally of said handle grip on said frame for pivotal movement toward and away from said handle grip and operatively engaged with said end effector for effecting operation of said end effector, said trigger lever being located adjacent said handle grip to be pulled by a digit of said hand toward said handle grip to operate said end effector.

In a surgical instrument wherein said instrument has (1) a frame having a pistol handle grip which is fixed relative to said frame and which is adapted to be held in the palm of the hand while the fingers of the hand extend around one side of the grip and the thumb of the hand extends around another side of the grip, (2) an elongated shaft mounted to said frame for rotation relative thereto about an axis defined by said shaft, (3) a support defining a longitudinal axis and movably mounted to said shaft for movement to an angled orientation relative to said shaft, and (4) an end effector mounted to said support for rotation about said support longitudinal axis, an operating system comprising:

• a first knob on said shaft, said first knob being rotatable about said shaft axis and located adjacent said frame for rotating said shaft when said first knob is turned by a digit of the hand;
• a second knob on said frame spaced proximally of said first knob and operatively engaged with said support for effecting movement of said support to an angled orientation relative to said shaft when said second knob is turned by a digit of the hand, said second knob being rotatable about a transverse axis perpendicular to said shaft axis;
• a rotatable third knob on said frame spaced proximally of said second knob and operatively engaged with said end effector for effecting rotation of said end effector on said support when said third knob is turned by a digit of the hand;
• and
• a trigger lever mounted distally of said handle grip on said frame for pivotal movement toward and away from said handle grip and operatively engaged with said end effector for effecting operation of said end effector, said trigger lever being located adjacent said handle grip to be pulled by a digit of said hand proximally toward said handle grip to operate said end effector.