Patent ID: 8628545

Claim:
An endoscopic stitching device, comprising: a handle assembly; an elongate shaft supported by and extending from the handle assembly; an end effector supported on a distal end of the elongate shaft, the end effector including: a neck assembly configured and adapted for articulation between a substantially linear configuration and an off-axis configuration; a pair of juxtaposed jaws pivotally associated with one another, wherein each jaw defines a suture needle receiving recess formed in a tissue contacting surface thereof; and a pair of axially translatable needle engaging blades slidably supported, one each, in a respective jaw of the pair of juxtaposed jaws, each blade having a first position wherein a portion of the blade engages a suture needle when the suture needle is present in the suture needle receiving recess formed in the tissue contacting surface of the jaw, and a second position wherein the blade does not engage the suture needle, a proximal end of each blade rotatably supported on a respective barrel of a concentric barrel pair, wherein the blades are rotated about the barrels upon a rotation of the jaws; and an articulation assembly supported on the handle assembly and actuatable to articulate the end effector between the substantially linear configuration and the off-axis configuration, the articulation assembly including: an articulation knob supported on a housing of the handle assembly; an articulation sleeve operatively connected to the articulation knob and including a pair of oppositely pitched outer helical threads; a pair of articulation collars threadably connected to respective helical threads of the pair of oppositely pitched outer helical threads and configured to permit axial translation and inhibit rotation thereof; and a pair of articulation cables secured to respective articulation collars of the pair of articulation collars, wherein each articulation cable includes a first end secured to the respective articulation collar and a second end secured at a location distal of the neck assembly, and wherein the pair of articulation cables is disposed on opposed sides of a center drive rod assembly.