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AssigneeEthicon Endo-Surgery, Inc.
InventorsDale R. Schulze, Joseph Paraschac, William D. Fox, Michael E. Setser, Kenneth S. Wales, Mark S. Zeiner
Estimating the term…
A surgical instrument for performing endoscopic surgical procedures. In one embodiment, the instrument includes a knife that remains unexposed until initiation of a cutting sequence, and returns to an unexposed position at the conclusion of the cutting sequence, minimizing the risk of injury to the person handling the instrument. In another embodiment, the instrument includes a flexible neck for articulating a surgical head assembly with respect to the shaft of the instrument. In another embodiment, a device for locking the articulated head at an angle of articulation is provided. In yet another embodiment, a mechanism for opening and closing an anvil assembly is disclosed.
An articulatable surgical instrument having a handle with a shaft connected thereto, said shaft having a head assembly including a surgical component articulatably mounted to the distal end thereof via flexible neck means, said flexible neck means comprising a flexible material having at least one axial kerf therein enabling said flexible material to bend along said at least one kerf, said articulatable surgical instrument further including articulation means proximate said handle for remotely articulating said head assembly along one or more bend radii defined by said flexible neck means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.