Patent ID: 8419764

Claim:
A device comprising: a housing having an interior wall and an axis; a surgical instrument slidably retained within the housing and movable along the axis between a first position wherein a functional tip of the surgical instrument extends outside the housing and a second position wherein the functional tip is disposed within the housing; a mechanical control to move the surgical instrument from the second position to the first position; a locking mechanism including a first plurality of members coupled to the mechanical control on a first end and oriented substantially parallel to the interior wall of the housing, whereby the mechanical control can apply a force to move the surgical instrument from the second position to the first position, the locking mechanism further including a second plurality of members hingeably coupled on a first end to the first plurality of members, and coupled to the surgical instrument on a second end, the second plurality of members oriented substantially normal to the interior wall of the housing, whereby the first end of the second plurality of members can apply a normal force to frictionally engage the interior wall of the housing in a non-sliding mechanical relationship when a load is applied to the functional tip of the surgical instrument in a direction from the first position to the second position; and a biasing mechanism that biases the surgical instrument toward the second position.