Patent ID: 9468426
Filing Date: 2016-10-18
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. An articulating laparoscopic access device, comprising: an elongate shaft; a first linkage having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of the first linkage being pivotally coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft at a first pivot point; a second linkage having proximal and distal ends; a linkage bar having proximal and distal ends, a proximal end of the linkage bar being pivotally coupled to the distal end of the first linkage at a second point, and the distal end of the linkage bar being pivotally coupled to the proximal end of the second linkage at a third pivot point; wherein the first and second linkages and the linkage bar are configured to move from a first position, in which the first and second linkages and the linkage bar are longitudinally aligned, in which the first linkage defines a first straight longitudinal axis, and in which the second linkage defines a second straight longitudinal axis, to a second position, in which the distal end of the first linkage, the proximal end of the second linkage, and the proximal and distal ends of the linkage bar are displaced from a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft, in which the first and second longitudinal axes remain straight, and in which the proximal end of the first linkage and the distal end of the second linkage are not displayed from the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft.