Patent ID: 7896803

Claim:
A viewing instrument with a variable direction of view, comprising: a proximal portion; an outer shaft extending out from said proximal portion, said shaft having a distal end and a first longitudinal axis about which said outer shaft rotates; an inner shaft at least partly disposed in said outer shaft and having a second longitudinal axis about which said inner shaft rotates that is generally coincident with the first longitudinal axis; a view changing element located at the distal end of said outer shaft, said view changing element having a rotational axis angularly offset from said first longitudinal axis and about which said viewing element is rotated by said inner shaft; first and second actuators arranged in said proximal portion, wherein said outer shaft is rotated about the first longitudinal axis by said first actuator and said inner shaft is rotated about the second longitudinal axis by said second actuator such that said viewing element rotates about said rotational axis.