Rotation actuator for endoscopic devices

1. An endoscopic device, comprising:

a housing having a flexible elongate shaft with an end effector coupled thereto, and an actuator mechanism effective to rotate the end effector, the actuator mechanism having a freely rotatable position and a rotationally resistant position in which the actuator mechanism is resistant to rotation.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator mechanism comprises a knob coupled to the housing and slidably movable relative to the housing between the freely rotatable position and the rotationally resistant position.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the housing includes an engagement mechanism formed therein and configured to releasably engage a portion of the knob when the knob is in the rotationally resistant position.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the engagement mechanism comprises a flange formed within the housing and configured to frictionally engage a portion of the knob when the knob is in the rotationally resistant position.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator mechanism includes a shaft having at least an end portion that is split into first and second halves, and wherein the housing includes an opening located therein and configured to receive and engage the first and second halves to maintain the actuator mechanism in the rotationally resistant position.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first and second halves includes at least one surface feature formed thereon, and wherein the opening includes at least one groove formed therein and configured to receive the at least one surface feature to prevent rotation of the actuator mechanism.

7. The device of claim 2 , wherein the knob includes a deformable element and wherein the housing includes an opening located therein and configured to receive and engage the deformable element to maintain the actuator mechanism in the rotationally resistant position.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing element coupled to the actuator mechanism and adapted to bias the actuator mechanism to the freely rotatable position.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the actuator mechanism and a distal end of the elongate shaft are associated by a flexible control wire extending through the elongate shaft between the actuator mechanism and the distal end of the elongate shaft.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein rotation of the actuator mechanism is effective to torque the flexible control wire and thereby torque the distal end of the elongate shaft to rotate the end effector.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a grasping mechanism movably coupled thereto, and wherein movement of the grasping mechanism from a first position to a second position is configured to move the actuator mechanism from the rotationally resistant position to the freely rotatable position.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the end effector includes opposed jaws and wherein movement of the grasping mechanism from the first position to the second position is effective to close the opposed jaws.

13. An endoscopic device, comprising:

a housing having an elongate shaft extending therefrom, the elongate shaft having an end effector on a distal end thereof;

a flexible control wire extending through the elongate shaft and coupled to the distal end thereof; and

an actuator mechanism coupled to the flexible control wire and having a freely rotatable position in which rotation of the actuator mechanism applies a torque to the control wire to rotate the end effector, and a rotationally resistant position in which the actuator mechanism is resistant to rotation.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the actuator mechanism is rotatably coupled to the housing and slidably movable between the freely rotatable position and the rotationally resistant position.

15. The device of claim 13 , wherein the housing includes an engagement mechanism formed therein and configured to releasably engage the actuator mechanism to maintain the actuator mechanism in the rotationally resistant position.

16. The device of claim 13 , further comprising a grasping mechanism movably coupled to the housing and configured to move the actuator mechanism from the rotationally resistant position to the freely rotatable position.

17. The device of claim 13 , wherein the actuator maintains the end effector in a fixed position when the actuator is in the rotationally resistant position.

18. A method for manipulating an end effector on an endoscopic surgical device, comprising:

rotating an actuator mechanism on an endoscopic device to rotate an end effector of the endoscopic device; and

moving the actuator mechanism to a rotationally resistant position to maintain the end effector in a fixed position.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein moving the actuator mechanism comprises sliding the actuator mechanism along a longitudinal axis of the device to move the actuator mechanism to a rotationally resistant position.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the endoscopic device includes an elongate shaft extending between the actuator mechanism and the end effector, and a distal end of the elongate shaft and the actuator mechanism are coupled by a flexible control wire, and wherein rotating the actuator mechanism torques the flexible control wire to cause the distal end of the elongate shaft and the end effector coupled thereto to rotate.