Patent ID: 7704254

Claim:
A surgical saw comprising: a housing including a head, said head having a surface for receiving a saw blade and at least one structural member located above the saw blade receiving surface; and an oscillating shaft separate from said at least one structural member that is mounted to said housing head, said oscillating shaft having a longitudinal axis and at least one drive pin that is located above the head saw blade receiving surface that is shaped to receive the saw blade so that movement of said drive pin causes movement of the saw blade, wherein: said oscillating shaft is mounted to said housing head to: oscillate around the longitudinal axis of said oscillating shaft; and to engage in translational motion along the saw blade receiving surface that is separate from the oscillatory motion so that when the saw blade is received by said oscillating shaft drive pin, the translational motion of the oscillating shaft selectively positions the saw blade in and out of engagement with said housing head structural member; and an oscillating drive assembly configured to receive a rotational moment and convert the rotational moment to a motion that oscillates said oscillating shaft.