Articulating endoscopic implant rotator surgical apparatus and method for using same

A surgical instrument for use in the body of a patient comprising:

• a handle having a longitudinal axis and a front end;
• an actuation member associated with the handle;
• an elongated tube section, having a tube bore therethrough, extending longitudinally from the front end of said handle;
• a tubular elongated articulating section having an articulating bore therethrough, a proximal end, and an opposed distal end, the proximal end of said articulating section connected to the tube section;
• a flexible member connected near the distal end of said articulating section wherein said articulating section is bendable upon the movement of said flexible member from a fully-extended position, wherein said articulating section is substantially co-axial to said tube section, to a plurality of operative positions, wherein said articulating section is selectively deflected in an angular plane passing through the longitudinal axis of said handle within a desired angular range of motion in response to movement of the actuation member and flexible member relative to the handle;
• a tool adaptor having a top end and a bottom end;
• and a rotatable elongated rod member extending within the articulating bore and the tube bore, having a forward end, an opposed back end, the forward end of said rod member connected to the bottom end of said tool adaptor, wherein said tool adaptor may be selectively rotated about the distal end of said articulating section upon the rotational movement of said rod member;
• wherein said tool adaptor may be oriented relative to the longitudinal axis of said handle by the bending of said articulating section and wherein said tool adaptor may be rotationally oriented relative to the distal end of said articulating section so that the tool adaptor may be articulated into a desired orientation within a surgical field within a body of a patient.

A surgical instrument for use in the body of a patient comprising:

• a handle having a front end and defining a longitudinal axis;
• an actuation member associated with the handle;
• an elongated section having at least a portion thereof forming an articulating section;
• said actuation member being movable relative to the handle member for effecting pivotal movement of said articulating section from a fully extended position, wherein the articulating section is generally co-axial with the longitudinal axis of the handle, to a plurality of operative positions in response to movement of the actuation member relative to the handle member, wherein said articulating section is selectively deflected in an angular plane passing through the longitudinal axis of said handle within a desired angular range of motion;
• a tool adaptor having an end thereon adapted to engage an implant for use in the body of a patient and wherein said tool adaptor is freely rotatable about the distal end of said articulating section;
• and
• a rotation member for effecting rotational movement of said tool adaptor relative to the distal end of said articulating section;
• wherein said tool adaptor may be oriented relative to the longitudinal axis of said handle by the bending of said articulating section and wherein said tool adaptor may be rotationally oriented relative to the distal end of said articulating section so that said tool adaptor may be articulated into a desired orientation within the body of a patient.

A method of using a surgical instrument in surgery for implantation of a prosthetic implant device, the method including the steps of;

• providing a surgical instrument for use in the body of a patient having a handle having a front end and defining a longitudinal axis withan actuation member associated with the handle and an elongated section having at least a portion thereof forming an articulating section and further including a tool adaptor having an end thereon adapted to engage an implant for use in the body of a patient and wherein said tool adaptor is freely rotatable about the distal end of said articulating section and a rotation member for effecting rotational movement of said tool adaptor relative to the distal end of said articulating section;
• causing the movement of the actuation member relative to the handle member for effecting pivotal movement of said articulating section from a fully extended position, wherein the articulating section is generally co-axial with the longitudinal axis of the handle, to a plurality of operative positions in response to movement of the actuation member relative to the handle member, wherein said articulating section is selectively deflected in an angular plane passing through the longitudinal axis of said handle within a desired angular range of motion;
• orienting the tool adaptor relative to the desired location in a surgical field and longitudinal axis of the handle by the bending of the articulating section in response to the movement of the actuation member relative to the handle;
• and
• rotationally adjusting the tool adaptor relative to the distal end of said articulating section and the desired location in the surgical field so that said tool adaptor may be articulated into a desired orientation within the body of a patient to perform a procedure with a prosthetic implant.