Patent ID: 8562592

Claim:
An articulating laparoscopic access device, comprising: an elongate shaft; a first linkage having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of the first linkage being pivotally coupled to a distal end of the elongate shaft at a first pivot point; and a second linkage having proximal and distal ends an actuator coupled to the distal end of the second linkage and being longitudinally movable relative to the elongate shaft; and first and second linkage bars coupled to opposite sides of each of the first and second linkages, each linkage bar having proximal and distal ends, the proximal end of each of the first and second linkage bars being pivotally coupled to the distal end of the first linkage by a second pivot point, and the distal end of each of the first and second linkage bars being pivotally coupled to the proximal end of the second linkage by a third pivot point, wherein a first range of motion of the linkage bars is limited such that the first range of motion of the linkage bars about the third pivot point is less than a second range of motion of the linkage bars about the second pivot point; and wherein the distal end of the first linkage, the proximal end of the second linkage, and the first and second linkage bars are movable between a first position longitudinally aligned with a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft and a second position displaced from the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft, and wherein the actuator constrains the distal end of the second linkage to movement along the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft.