Articulating apparatus for applying surgical fasteners to body tissue

Apparatus for applying surgical fasteners to body tissue, which comprises:

• a) a handle;
• b) an elongated body extending from the handle and defining a central longitudinal axis;
• c) a fastener cartridge housing pivotably connected to a distal end portion of the elongated body;
• d) a fastener cartridge containing a plurality of surgical fasteners and positionable in the cartridge housing;
• e) an anvil mounted adjacent the cartridge housing and defining a fastener forming surface against which surgical fasteners are driven when ejected from the fastener cartridge;
• f) a fastener driving mechanism operatively associated with the fastener cartridge and actuatable from the handle to eject fasteners from the fastener cartridge;
• g) a single, substantially rigid link member having a distal portion offset from the elongated body central longitudinal axis and pivotably connected to the cartridge housing, the link member being movable between a proximal-most position and a distal most position to move the cartridge housing from an articulated condition extending from a first side of the elongated body central longitudinal axis to an articulated condition extending from a second side of the elongated body central longitudinal axis the link member being movable to a central position wherein the cartridge housing is aligned with the central longitudinal axis;
• and
• h) a control lever connected to the handle and pivotable about a point located along the elongated body central longitudinal axis connected to the link and pivotable between a first position corresponding to the proximal-most position of the link member and a second position corresponding to the distal-most position of the link member.