US 6,981,628 B2
Surgical instrument with a lateral-moving articulation control
Kenneth S. Wales, Mason, Ohio (US)
Assigned to Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio (US)
Filed on Jul. 09, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/615,972.
Prior Publication US 2005/0006430 A1, Jan. 13, 2005
Int. Cl. A61B 17/064 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 227—178.1 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A surgical instrument, comprising:
an end effector;
a shaft having a longitudinal axis and including an articulation motion transfer member operatively configured to transfer an articulation motion;
an articulation mechanism responsive to the articulation motion from the articulation motion transfer member and pivotally coupling the end effector to a distal end of the shaft in a single plane bisected by the longitudinal axis to articulate selectively in a first direction and a second direction; and
an articulation control coupled to a proximal portion of the shaft, comprising:
an actuator laterally and linearly positionable by a user, a lateral motion therefrom aligned to the single plane to correspond to the selected one of the first and second direction of articulation, and
a motion conversion mechanism coupled to the actuator and to the articulation mechanism and operably configured to convert the lateral motion from the articulation control to an articulation motion.