Patent ID: 8062306

Claim:
A surgical device, comprising: an elongate shaft having proximal and distal ends; a three-bar linkage having proximal and distal ends, the three-bar linkage including a first pivot joint, a second pivot joint, and a rotation joint, the rotation joint rotatably coupling the proximal end of the three-bar linkage to the distal end of the elongate shaft such that the three-bar linkage can rotate about a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft; an end effector coupled to the distal end of the three-bar linkage; and an articulation actuator extending through the elongate shaft, the articulation actuator being coupled to the three-bar linkage at a third pivot joint and being effective to laterally articulate the three-bar linkage relative to a longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft to angularly orient the end effector relative to the elongate shaft, the articulation actuator having a distal end adjacent to the distal end of the elongate shaft, wherein the articulation actuator is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft such that rotation of the articulation actuator about the longitudinal axis of the elongate shaft rotates the three-bar linkage and the end effector relative to the elongate shaft.