Patent ID: 6966919

Claim:
A surgical instrument, comprising: a) a tubular control shaft having proximal and distal ends and defining a longitudinal axis; b) a first control element extending through said control shaft and having proximal and distal ends; c) a proximal handle including a stationary portion and a first movable portion movable relative to said stationary portion, one of said stationary portion and said first movable portion coupled to said proximal end of said control shaft and the other of said stationary portion and said first movable portion coupled to said proximal end of said first control element, wherein actuation of said handle moves said first movable portion relative to said stationary portion and thereby causes said control shaft and said first control element to be longitudinally moved relative to each other; and d) a distal end effector coupled to said distal end of said control shaft and said first control element, said end effector including a clevis and first and second jaws mutually rotatable on said clevis between open and closed positions, said first and second jaws having terminal ends and said first and second jaws substantially oriented so that said terminal ends configured to are proximally directed away from said distal end of said control shaft while said first and second jaws are introduced into a said first and second jaws being laterally displaced relative to said longitudinal axis of said control shaft, wherein actuation of said handle effects rotation of said first and second jaws between said open and closed positions.