Patent attributes
An articulating surgical instrument includes a case having a trigger handle, a sheath coupled to the case, a flexible bending section coupled to the sheath, an end effector removably attachable to the bending section, a set of cables that control position of the bending section, at least two motors coupled to the cables, and a user control module configured to control position of the bending section and the end effector. The instrument further includes a pushrod disposed within the sheath and within the bending section that is configured for axial motion relative to the sheath and the bending section and rotational motion within the sheath and the bending section. The pushrod is coupled to the trigger handle and removably coupled to the end effector, so that rotational motion of the pushrod effectuates rotation of the end effector and axial motion of the pushrod is controllable by the trigger handle.
