Patent ID: 8245898

Claim:
A medical device, comprising: a control handle having: a stapling actuator; an articulation joint actuator different from said stapling actuator and having an unactuated state and an actuated state; and a body through which said stapling actuator and said articulation joint actuator traverse, said body defining a longitudinal axis; a surgical stapling end effector having: an anvil; a stapler cartridge having at least one staple; and an anvil-cartridge control device operatively connected to said stapling actuator, said anvil, and said stapler cartridge and stapling said at least one staple when said stapling actuator is actuated; a passive articulating joint connecting said stapling end effector to said control handle and articulating about an articulation axis; a portion of said stapling actuator passing through said passive articulating joint and flexing in a corresponding manner to an articulation of said passive articulating joint; and no portion of said articulation joint actuator passing entirely through said passive articulating joint, said articulation joint actuator: when in said unactuated state, holding said passive articulation joint and, thereby, said end effector, in a substantially fixed articulation position; and when in said actuated state, releasing said passive articulation joint into a freely articulating state to permit free articulation of said end effector that is solely dependent upon forces external to said medical device and applied to said end effector through direct contact with an exterior surface of said end effector.