US Patent 10111698 Surgical instrument with rotatable shaft having plurality of locking positions

An apparatus comprises a body assembly, a shaft, an end effector, a rotation input feature, and a locking feature. The shaft extends distally from the body assembly and defines a longitudinal axis. The end effector is positioned at the distal end of the shaft. The rotation input feature comprises a proximal end and a distal end. The rotation input feature is configured to rotate one or both of the shaft assembly or the end effector about the longitudinal axis. The locking feature is configured to transition between a locked state and an unlocked state. The locking feature is configured to prevent rotation of the one or both of the shaft assembly when the locking feature is in the locked state. The locking feature is configured to permit rotation of the one or both of the shaft assembly when the locking feature is in the unlocked state.