主权项 |
1. An endoscopic forceps, comprising: a housing;
a shaft extending from the housing and defining a longitudinal axis, the shaft including a flexible portion; an end effector supported adjacent a distal end of the flexible portion of the shaft, the end effector including a pair of jaw members configured and dimensioned to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy, at least one jaw member being pivotable relative to the other jaw member, the end effector including structure to accommodate a drive rod having a flexible distal portion mounting a knife; a drive assembly disposed within the housing, the drive assembly operable to pivot the at least one jaw member relative to the other jaw member from a first position wherein the movable jaw member is disposed in spaced relation relative to the other jaw member to a second position wherein the movable jaw member is closer to the other jaw member for manipulating tissue; a movable handle pivotably supported on the housing, the movable handle in mechanical cooperation with the drive assembly such that the movable handle is rotatable relative to the housing to move the jaw members between the first and second positions; an articulation assembly including at least one steering cable operably coupled to the flexible portion of the shaft such that movement of the articulation assembly causes the flexible portion of the shaft to articulate relative to the longitudinal axis, the articulation assembly including a manually operated articulation wheel mounted at least partially within the housing, the articulation wheel defining a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis, the articulation wheel being operably coupled to the at least one steering cable such that rotation of the articulation wheel moves the at least one steering cable to articulate the flexible portion of the shaft relative to the longitudinal axis; and wherein the flexible portion of the shaft includes a plurality of joints that interengage to facilitate articulation of the flexible portion of the shaft relative to the longitudinal axis, each joint of the plurality of joints including a longitudinally aligned clevis, the clevis defining an axially longitudinally aligned central lumen, the joint further defining at least one longitudinal lumen offset from the central lumen for slidable receiving the at least one steering cable, the central lumen of the plurality of joints configured and dimensioned to accommodate reciprocal motion of the flexible distal portion of the drive rod. |