Patent ID: 8372085

Claim:
A surgical instrument comprising: a handle at a first end and a screw driving tool portion at a second end the handle extending along a longitudinal axis, a shaft extending between the first and second ends of the instrument; a flexible shaft portion extending at least partially between first and second rigid holding portions of the shaft formed on either side of the flexible shaft portion; and a flexible elastomeric cover having an outer diameter annularly disposed around said flexible shaft portion and extending longitudinally over the length of the flexible shaft portion and over at least a first portion of the first and second rigid holding portions disposed on respective sides of the flexible shaft portion, an end portion of each of the first and second rigid holding portions spaced from the flexible shaft portion, each end portion having an outer diameter greater than an outer diameter of the first portions of the first and second rigid holding portions, wherein the handle has an essentially circular diameter with a planar surface extending between two circular outer side surfaces, the planar surface extending parallel to the handle axis, the planar surface indicating the orientation of the screw-driving tool portion.