Rectal manipulation devices

A rectum manipulation device, comprising:

• a shaft assembly defining an insertion axis;
• a first tissue manipulation arm movably supported on said shaft assembly and is movable relative thereto along a first axis that is substantially transverse to said insertion axis;
• a second tissue manipulation arm movably supported on said shaft assembly and is movable relative thereto along a second axis that is substantially transverse to said insertion axis;
• a third tissue manipulation arm movably supported on said shaft assembly and is movable relative thereto along a third axis that is substantially transverse to said insertion axis;
• a fourth tissue manipulation arm movably supported on said shaft assembly and is movable relative thereto along a fourth axis that is substantially transverse to said insertion axis;
• and
• an actuation member comprising a tension member operably interfacing with each of said first, second, third, and fourth tissue manipulation arms such that, upon application of an actuation motion to said tension member, said tension member applies deployment motions to said first, second, third and fourth tissue manipulation arms.

A rectal manipulation device, comprising:

• a shaft assembly defining an insertion axis, wherein at least a portion of said shaft assembly is configured to be inserted into a patient's rectum;
• and
• a plurality of tissue manipulation arms each having a tissue manipulation end, each said tissue manipulation arm operably supported by said shaft assembly, wherein at least some of said tissue manipulation arms are selectively movable from a first insertion position wherein all of said tissue manipulation ends are substantially aligned relative to each other and, upon application of an actuation motion thereto, said at least some of said tissue manipulation arms move to other deployed positions about said insertion axis such that said tissue manipulation ends of said plurality of tissue manipulation arms are not all substantially aligned relative to each other and wherein one of said at least some of said tissue manipulation arms is constrained to move along a corresponding transverse axis that is substantially transverse to said insertion axis from said first insertion position to one of said other deployed positions upon application of said actuation motion thereto and wherein another one of said at least some of said tissue manipulation arms is constrained to move along another corresponding transverse axis that is substantially transverse to said insertion axis and axially spaced from said corresponding transverse axis from said first insertion position to another one of said other deployed positions upon application of said actuation motion thereto.

A rectal manipulation device, comprising:

• a shaft assembly defining an insertion axis, wherein at least a portion of said shaft assembly is configured to be inserted into a patient's rectum;
• and
• a plurality of tissue manipulation arms each having a tissue manipulation end, each said tissue manipulation arm operably supported by said shaft assembly, wherein at least some of said tissue manipulation arms are selectively movable from a first insertion position wherein all of said tissue manipulation ends are substantially aligned relative to each other and, upon application of an actuation motion thereto, said at least some of said tissue manipulation arms move to other deployed positions about said insertion axis such that said tissue manipulation ends of said plurality of tissue manipulation arms are not all substantially aligned relative to each other and wherein one of said at least some of said tissue manipulation arms is constrained to move along a corresponding transverse plane that is substantially transverse to said insertion axis from said first insertion position to one of said other deployed positions upon application of said actuation motion thereto and wherein another one of said at least some of said tissue manipulation arms is constrained to move along another corresponding transverse plane that is substantially transverse to said insertion axis and parallel to said corresponding transverse plane from said first insertion position to another one of said other deployed positions upon application of said actuation motion thereto.