Patent ID: 7674255

Claim:
A surgical instrument comprising: an instrument handle having a front end and a rear end; a tube shaft having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, wherein the proximal end portion is linked to the rear end of the instrument handle; and an instrument head, wherein the instrument head is linked to the distal end portion, so as to allow the instrument head to bend relative to the tube shaft, the instrument head further comprising a rotatably supported effector having at least one pivotable engaging element, wherein the instrument handle includes a plurality of manipulators and/or operating mechanisms for operating the instrument head and/or the effector, wherein a first manipulator further comprises an operating element having the shape of a rotary knob and being rotatably supported at the front end of the instrument handle, and wherein the instrument handle is pivotally supported at the tube shaft via a pivot shaft, such that the instrument handle including the first manipulator are aligned so as to be laterally offset with respect to the tube shaft.