Patent ID: 8475453

Claim:
An endoscopic forceps, comprising: a housing; a shaft extending from the housing and defining a longitudinal axis, the shaft including a flexible portion; an end effector supported at a distal end of the shaft, the end effector including a pair of jaw members, the jaw members being adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy, at least one jaw member being moveable relative to the other; a drive assembly disposed within the housing, the drive assembly operable to move the movable jaw member relative to the other jaw member from a first position wherein the movable jaw member is disposed in spaced relation relative to the other jaw member to a second position wherein the movable jaw member is closer to the other jaw member for manipulating tissue; a movable handle supported on the housing, the movable handle in mechanical cooperation with the drive assembly such that the movable handle is rotatable about a pivot to move the jaw members between the first and second positions; an articulation assembly including at least one steering cable operably coupled to the flexible portion of the shaft such that movement of the articulation assembly induces the flexible portion of the shaft to articulate relative to the longitudinal axis, said articulation assembly including at least one articulating wheel disposed atop the housing that operably couples to the at least one steering cable such that articulation of the at least one articulation wheel moves the at least one steering cable to articulate the flexible portion of the shaft relative to the longitudinal axis; wherein the articulation assembly includes at least one slider coupled to the at least one steering cable, and wherein the at least one slider cooperates with the at least one articulating wheel to move the at least one steering cable longitudinally in response to rotational movement of the at least one articulating wheel; wherein the at least one articulating wheel is operably coupled to the at least one slider by a spindle, the spindle configured to rotate along with the at least one articulating wheel; and wherein the spindle is operably coupled to the at least one slider by a cam member configured to rotate along with the spindle, and wherein the cam member includes an eccentric arcuate surface thereon having a center dissimilar from a center of rotation of the cam member, and wherein the at least one slider is operatively coupled to the eccentric arcuate surface such that rotation of the cam member induces longitudinal motion of the slider.