摘要 |
An endoscopic surgical instrument for sealing tissue includes an end effector having a pair of jaw members adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy. At least one jaw member is movable relative to the other between an open configuration and a closed configuration for grasping tissue. A handle is movable to induce motion in the end effector between the open and closed configurations. An elongated shaft defines a longitudinal axis and is coupled between the end effector and the handle. The shaft includes a plurality of links arranged such that neighboring links engage one another across a pair of edges to maintain the end effector in an aligned configuration with respect to the longitudinal axis. Each of the edges is spaced laterally from the longitudinal axis. The neighboring links may pivot about the rotational edges to move the end effector to an articulated configuration.
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