Patent ID: RE39152

Claim:
A surgical instrument comprising a stem section extending from a handle, a cutting tool, said cutting tool including a rotatable cutter a hollow articulated section connected with said cutting tool and said stem section, a rotatable drive shaft connected with said cutter and disposed in and extending axially through said stem section and said articulated section, said drive shaft having a flexible portion disposed in said articulated section, and actuator means connected with said handle for bending said articulated section and said flexible portion of said drive shaft to change the orientation of said cutter relative to time from a first orientation to a second orientation, said actuator means including first and second elongated elements which extend through said stem section and articulated section and are connected with said cutting tool, said elongated elements being disposed between an outer side surface of said flexible portion of said drive shaft and an inner side of said articulated section, said actuator means including means for pulling on one of said elongated dements to bend said articulated section and said flexible portion or said drive shaft to change the orientation of said cutter from the first orientation to the second orientation, said drive shaft being rotatable relative to said articulated section to rotate said cutter when said cutter is in the first orientation and when said cutter is in the second orientation; said surgical instrument further including passage means extending axially through said drive shaft for conducting tissue from a location adjacent to said cutter through said articulated section and said stem section toward the handle.