SURGICAL INSTRUMENT
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical instrument is disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a handle assembly, a body, a tool assembly and an articulation assembly. The articulation mechanism includes a receptacle, and a main shaft. A lower clutch is fixedly positioned within the receptacle and has a serrated portion including a plurality of serrations. An upper clutch includes at least one projection positioned to engage the serrations of the lower clutch to releasably retain the main shaft at a rotatably fixed position. An angle between a first pair of adjacent serrations is defined as a first angle, an angle between a second pair of adjacent serrations is defined as a second angle, and an angle between a third pair of adjacent serrations is defined as a third angle. The first angle, the second angle, and the third angle are each different from one another.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. A method of articulating a tool assembly of a surgical instrument, comprising:
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manipulating an articulation lever; rotating an upper clutch with respect to a lower clutch; and resiliently engaging a plurality of protrusions of the upper clutch with at least one of the plurality of recesses of the lower clutch to retain the tool assembly in one of a plurality of articulated positions. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 26, 27)
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25. The method according to claim 25, wherein moving the articulation link includes moving the articulation link in one of two directions.
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28. A method of operating a surgical instrument, comprising:
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providing a surgical instrument including a tool assembly and an articulation mechanism, the articulation mechanism including; a lower clutch having a plurality of recesses; and an upper clutch having a plurality of protrusions for engaging at least one of the recesses of the plurality of recesses of the lower clutch; and resiliently engaging at least one of the plurality of protrusions of the upper clutch with at least one of the plurality of recesses of the lower clutch, wherein engagement between at least one of the protrusions and the at least one of the recesses retains the tool assembly in one of a plurality of articulated positions. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification