Patent ID: 8679099

Claim:
A surgical instrument assembly comprising: a first body segment having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis defined between the proximal and distal ends: a parallel motion mechanism comprising a first joint, a second joint, a second body segment, and a first set of cables, the first joint, the second body segment, and the second joint being connected in series, the first joint being coupled to the distal end first body segment, the first joint comprising a first hinge having a first hinge pivot, the second joint comprising a second hinge having a second hinge pivot, and the first set of cables each having a first end connected to the parallel motion mechanism proximal of the first hinge pivot, and each having a second end connected to the parallel motion mechanism distal of the second hinge pivot; a second set of cables extending through the first body segment to the parallel motion mechanism, each of the second set of cables having a distal end connected to the parallel motion mechanism distal of the first hinge pivot; a wrist joint coupled to the second joint of the parallel motion mechanism; and a distal end component coupled to the wrist joint, wherein the first set of cables is coupled in the parallel motion mechanism to allow the parallel motion mechanism to heave and sway the distal end component with reference to the longitudinal axis of the first body segment without changing pitch and yaw of the distal end component with reference to the longitudinal axis of the first body segment.