Patent ID: 8382742

Claim:
A surgical instrument having a proximal end section and a distal end section and a central section extending therebetween, the instrument comprising: an elongated hollow outer shaft extending from the proximal end section to the distal end section, a drive element rotatably mounted in the outer shaft, a boring, cutting, abrading or milling tool arranged at the distal end section of the instrument which is coupled to the drive element, the drive element comprising a flexible section which is arranged between the proximal end section and the distal end section, the flexible section comprising a plurality of ring segments each of which has a first and a second end region in an axial direction, the first end region comprising two or more projections that protrude in the axial direction and the second end region comprising two or more recesses for accommodating the projections, the ring segments intermeshing by means of the projections and recesses in an articulated manner, the ring segments being connected together in an interlocking manner in the axial direction and/or a radial direction by the projections and recesses, the outer shaft comprising an articulation zone which is arranged in a vicinity of the distal end section and connects the distal end section and the central section together in an articulated manner, a length of the flexible section of the drive element in the axial direction corresponding at least substantially to a length of the articulation zone of the outer shaft in the axial direction, and a control element with which the distal end section is deflectable with respect to the central section, the control element comprising a hollow cylindrical component arranged between the outer shaft and the drive element, a cylinder wall of the hollow cylindrical component being subdivided into two or more wall segments which form force transmitting longitudinal elements, at least in a region of a section between proximal and distal ends of the hollow cylindrical component.