Patent ID: 7780651

Claim:
An articulated surgical instrument for minimally invasive surgery comprising: a sliding bracket slidably coupled to a support bracket; an elongate support member having a proximal end coupled to the sliding bracket, and a distal end insertable into the body of a patient during minimally invasive surgery, the support member being movable along its longitudinal axis by sliding the sliding bracket relative to the support bracket: a wrist member coupled to the distal end of the elongate support member, the wrist member rotatable relative to the elongate support member about a first axis; a surgical end effector coupled to the wrist member, the surgical end effector comprising a first work member rotatable relative to the wrist member about a second axis; and actuators disposed at the sliding bracket, the actuators coupled to the wrist member by cables to rotate the wrist member about the first axis, the actuators further coupled to the first work member by cables to rotate the first work member about the second axis; the actuators comprising four actuators, the four actuators coupled by four cables to four pulleys coupled to the wrist member, wherein selective actuation of the four actuators rotates the wrist member about the first axis and translates the sliding bracket relative to the support bracket along a longitudinal axis of the support member.