Method of Transferring Force Using Flexible Fluid-Filled Tubing in an Articulating Surgical Instrument

摘要

An endoscopic surgical instrument for sealing tissue includes an elongated shaft defining a proximal shaft axis and a distal shaft axis. The shaft axes may be misaligned to appropriately position and orient an end effector coupled to the distal end of the elongated shaft. The instrument is configured such that the shaft may resist a tendency to realign itself as the end effector moves from an open configuration for receiving tissue to a closed configuration for maintaining a closure pressure on the tissue ranging from about 3 kg/cm2 to about 16 kg/cm2. A handle coupled to the proximal end of the elongated shaft is operable to control the end effector by controlling a flow of hydraulic fluid through flow path extending s between the handle and the end effector.