Patent ID: 8603135

Claim:
An endoscopic instrument, comprising: a housing having a shaft extending therefrom that defines a longitudinal axis therethrough, the shaft including an articulating section, the articulating section having a plurality of stationary and rotatable links arranged in an alternating configuration along the articulating section, each rotatable link of the plurality of rotatable links rotatably seated within a corresponding stationary link of the plurality of stationary links to collectively define a central annulus therethrough; an end effector assembly operatively connected to a distal end of the shaft including a pair of first and second jaw members; and an articulation catheter operably disposed through the central annulus and configured to rotate the rotatable links with respect to the stationary links to articulate the shaft about the articulating section, wherein each stationary link of the plurality of stationary links includes a proximal face and a distal face, wherein the proximal face is perpendicular to the central annulus and the distal face is oriented at an angle that is different from the proximal face, wherein each rotatable link of the plurality of rotatable links includes a proximal face and a distal face, the proximal face of each rotatable link rests at least partially along a corresponding distal face of each stationary link such that rotation of the plurality of rotatable links cams the plurality of rotatable links to articulate the shaft about the articulating section.