Surgical stapling and cutting device

1. A medical device, comprising:

a pistol-shaped handle;

a laparoscopic shaft extending from the handle having a distal end and defining a shaft axis;

a surgical end effector connected to the distal end of the shaft;

a surgical procedure actuator operable to carry out a surgical procedure on tissue at the end effector; and

a rotating knob at a distal end of the handle:

rotatable with respect to the shaft about the shaft axis; and

operable to actuate the surgical procedure actuator when slid in a direction towards the handle.

2. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein the end effector is connected to the distal end of the shaft with a passive articulating connection.

3. The medical device according to claim 2 , wherein:

the end effector is rotationally fixedly connected to the shaft with the passive articulating connection; and

the rotating knob is operable to correspondingly rotate the shaft and the end effector when rotated about the shaft axis.

4. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the end effector is connected to the distal end of the shaft with a passive articulating connection;

the surgical procedure actuator is a locking device of the passive articulating connection; and

actuation of the surgical procedure actuator by movement of the rotating knob towards the handle unlocks the passive articulating connection.

5. The medical device according to claim 4 , wherein:

the surgical procedure actuator has an unactuated state and an actuated state;

the passive articulating connection has a locked articulation state and an unlocked articulation state; and

the surgical procedure actuator:

changes the passive articulating connection from the locked articulation state to the unlocked articulation state when the rotating knob is moved towards the handle; and

changes the passive articulating connection from the unlocked articulation state to the locked articulation state when the rotating knob is released after movement towards the handle has occurred.

6. The medical device according to claim 4 , wherein the end effector articulates after:

the surgical procedure actuator is actuated by movement of the rotating knob towards the handle; and

thereafter, an external force is applied to the end effector.

7. The medical device according to claim 4 , wherein, when the surgical procedure actuator is actuated by movement of the rotating knob towards the handle, the end effector freely articulates dependent upon external forces acting upon the end effector.

8. The medical device according to claim 4 , wherein:

the shaft has a first longitudinal axis;

the end effector has a second longitudinal axis;

at least one of the shaft, the end effector, and the passive articulating connection has an alignment device; and

the alignment device is operable to bias the end effector to substantially align the first and second longitudinal axes when the surgical procedure actuator is actuated by movement of the rotating knob towards the handle.

9. The medical device according to claim 8 , wherein the alignment device is a center-biasing device.

10. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the pistol-shaped handle has a stapler-closing device; and

the end effector is a surgical stapling end effector having a pair of opposing stapling surfaces, at least one of the stapling surfaces being operable to move with respect to the other of the stapling surfaces upon actuation of the stapler-closing device to apply a compressive force to tissue therebetween.

11. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein the end effector further comprises a knife assembly disposed to cut tissue at the end effector.

12. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein the end effector comprises one of a circular surgical staple head and a linear surgical staple head.

13. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the end effector is rotationally fixedly connected to the shaft; and

the rotating knob is operable to correspondingly rotate the shaft and the end effector when rotated about the shaft axis.

14. The medical device according to claim 13 , wherein the rotating knob is operable to correspondingly rotate the shaft and the end effector when rotated about the shaft axis and simultaneously actuate the surgical procedure actuator.

15. The medical device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the end effector is a surgical stapling end effector having a stapling device with staples and a cutting device with a blade;

the handle has:

a stapler closing actuator closing the stapling device when actuated; and

a firing actuator that, when actuated:

staples with the stapling device; and

cuts with the cutting device; and

the stapler closing actuator and the staple firing actuator are different from the rotating knob.

16. A medical device, comprising:

a pistol-shaped handle;

a laparoscopic shaft extending from the handle having a distal end and defining a shaft axis;

a surgical end effector connected to the distal end of the shaft;

a surgical procedure actuator operable to carry out a surgical procedure on tissue at the end effector; and

a rotating knob at a distal end of the handle:

rotatable with respect to the shaft about the shaft axis; and

operable to actuate the surgical procedure actuator when slid in a proximal direction towards the handle.