Patent ID: 7799044

Claim:
A collet assembly usable with a powered surgical apparatus that includes a handle and a movable cutting blade assembly that includes an outer hub secured to an outer tube that defines a cutting window, the collet assembly comprising: a base mount secured to the handle; a stationary cam secured to the base mount, the stationary cam defining teeth along a distal face of the stationary cam; a sliding cam that defines teeth along a proximal face of the sliding cam and at least one groove, the teeth of the sliding cam being directly engageable with the teeth of the stationary cam to prevent relative rotation between the stationary cam and the sliding cam; at least one ball disposed in the at least one groove of the sliding cam; a swivel shell attached to the sliding cam via the at least one ball such that rotation of the swivel shell moves the teeth of the sliding cam out of engagement with the teeth of the stationary cam; and a retention sleeve that receives a proximal end of the outer hub of the cutting blade assembly, the retention sleeve being secured to the sliding cam and rotatable relative to the stationary cam; wherein rotation of the swivel shell causes a corresponding rotation of the retention sleeve and a reorientation of the cutting window of the outer tube of the cutting blade assembly.