Patent ID: 8313502

Claim:
An endoscopic surgical assembly comprising concentrically disposed elongated tubular inner and outer members, each of said elongated members comprising a coordinating hub disposed at its proximal end, a laterally disposed cutting aperture at its distal end, and a central lumen extending between the two ends, said inner member being sized to be slidably received within the lumen of said outer member, wherein: when said inner and outer hubs are connected, axial displacement between the inner and outer members is fixed and the respective cutting apertures of said inner and outer members are aligned to permit cooperative resection of tissue in contact with said apertures, further wherein: (a) the inner member comprises a, distally facing open end while the distally facing end of the outer member comprises a closed surface, or (b) the outer member comprises a, distally facing open end while the distally facing end of the inner member comprises a closed surface; and further comprising: an elastic member that transmits an axial force distally on the inner member to maintain contact between a distal surface of the inner hub and a proximal surface of the outer hub when said inner and outer hubs are connected such that the distal ends of the inner and outer members do not form a distal bearing surface.