Articulated surgical instrument
First Claim
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1. A surgical apparatus, comprising:
- a shaft defining a lumen therein;
a plurality of articulation bands extending through and slidable generally longitudinally within said lumen of said shaft;
an end effector affixed to said articulation bands;
a plurality of generally annular segments positioned about said articulation bands along at least a portion of the length of said articulation bands to define an articulated region, wherein said segments laterally constrain said articulation bands, and wherein each of said segments includes a unitary body having a single aperture through which the plurality of articulation bands extends; and
a central core extending from said end effector to said articulated region, wherein said central core is flexible, and wherein at least one said segment is pivotally fixed to said central core.
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Abstract
An exemplary surgical apparatus may include a shaft defining a lumen therein; articulation bands extending through and slidable generally longitudinally within the lumen of the shaft; an end effector affixed to the articulation bands; and generally annular segments positioned about the articulation bands along at least a portion of the length of the articulation bands to define an articulated region, where the segments laterally constrain the articulation bands.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A surgical apparatus, comprising:
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a shaft defining a lumen therein; a plurality of articulation bands extending through and slidable generally longitudinally within said lumen of said shaft; an end effector affixed to said articulation bands; a plurality of generally annular segments positioned about said articulation bands along at least a portion of the length of said articulation bands to define an articulated region, wherein said segments laterally constrain said articulation bands, and wherein each of said segments includes a unitary body having a single aperture through which the plurality of articulation bands extends; and a central core extending from said end effector to said articulated region, wherein said central core is flexible, and wherein at least one said segment is pivotally fixed to said central core. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A surgical apparatus, comprising:
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a shaft defining a lumen therein; a plurality of articulation bands extending through and slidable generally longitudinally within said lumen of said shaft; an end effector affixed to said articulation bands, wherein said end effector is a surgical stapler; a feeder belt extending into said end effector; a plurality of staples integral with and frangibly separable from said feeder belt; a plurality of generally annular segments positioned about said articulation bands along at least a portion of the length of said articulation bands to define an articulated region, wherein said segments laterally constrain said articulation bands, and wherein each of said segments pivots about a pin; and a central core extending from said end effector to said articulated region, wherein at least one said segment has an interior aperture defined in part by two substantially-vertical and laterally-spaced walls, and wherein one of said articulation bands is positioned between, and longitudinally slidable between, said central core and a corresponding said wall of at least one said segment wherein each said lateral wall urges a corresponding said articulation belt against said central core. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification