US Patent 10016187 Articulating surgical instruments and method of deploying the same

A surgical instrument comprises a steering mechanism. The steering mechanism comprises a handle at a proximal end of the surgical instrument. The handle includes a plurality of controls for controlling a movement of the surgical instrument. The steering mechanism also comprises a hub that rotatably mates with the handle and a housing positioned about the hub. The handle, the housing, and the hub communicate with each other to provide at least a first degree of freedom and a second degree of freedom. An articulation region is at a distal end of the surgical instrument. A movement of the steering mechanism handle in one and only one of the first or second degrees of freedom relative to at least one of the housing or the hub translates to a movement of the articulation region in a single plane of motion.