End effector connection and actuation systems

1. An end effector actuation system comprising:

a shaft assembly including an outer shaft having an internal lumen and an actuation rod slidably received in the lumen, the outer shaft having a distal end portion that is compressible only when the actuation rod is absent from the lumen in the distal end portion;

a locking boss provided on the distal end portion; and

an end effector assembly having a receiving opening and at least one retention pocket,

wherein the receiving opening is sized to receive the compressed distal end portion of the outer shaft and the at least one retention pocket is sized to receive the locking boss when the distal end portion is uncompressed due to the presence of the actuation rod in the lumen of the distal end portion, and

wherein the at least one retention pocket is dimensioned to correspond with a dimension of the locking boss such that the locking boss is seated in a locked relationship when the distal end portion is uncompressed to prevent axial movement of the outer shaft in a distal direction relative to the end effector and such that rotation of the shaft assembly will result in rotation of the end effector assembly.

2. The end effector actuation system of claim 1 , wherein at least one flexing slit is formed in the distal end portion of the outer shaft.

3. The end effector actuation system of claim 1 , wherein a first flexing slit and a second flexing slit are formed in the distal end portion of the outer shaft, the first flexing slit being formed in the outer shaft at a position diametrically opposed to the second flexing slit to form a first flexing arm and a second flexing arm.

4. The end effector actuation system of claim 3 , wherein the locking boss is provided on one of the first flexing arm or the second flexing arm.

5. The end effector actuation system of claim 4 , further comprising:

a handle assembly coupled to the shaft assembly.

6. The end effector actuation system of claim 5 , wherein a proximal end portion of the outer shaft is secured to the handle assembly such that the actuator rod extends from the proximal end portion of the outer shaft and is slidably received into a main body portion of the handle assembly.

7. The end effector actuation system of claim 6 , further comprising a locking sleeve configured on the outer shaft, the locking sleeve having a shaft lock receptacle for securely coupling the handle assembly to the outer shaft.

8. The end effector actuation system of claim 5 , wherein the actuator rod has a lock ball formed on a proximal end thereof, and wherein the handle assembly includes a lever, the lever configured to engage the lock ball to control extension and retraction of the actuation rod through the lumen of the outer shaft.

9. The end effector actuation system of claim 1 , wherein the end effector assembly further includes a spring retainer biased into a first position by a spring, the spring retainer providing a seat for application of force by the actuation rod to move the spring retainer into a second position.

10. The end effector actuation system of claim 9 , wherein the end effector assembly comprises a multiple jaw configuration, and wherein movement of the spring retainer from a first position to a second position causes the multiple jaw configuration to open or close.

11. An end effector actuation system comprising:

a shaft assembly having an outer shaft and an actuation shaft slidably received in the outer shaft, the actuation shaft having a tip end; and

an end effector assembly including a clevis housing, a tip connector for securing the tip end of the actuation shaft, and a jaws assembly coupled to the tip connector,

wherein the tip connector is housed in the clevis housing and has an expandable portion for receiving the tip end of the actuation shaft, the expandable portion being expandable only when the tip connector is at a predetermined position in the clevis housing,

wherein the expandable portion comprises a plurality of collet petals that form a collet opening for receiving a ball end of the actuation shaft,

wherein the clevis housing includes a plurality of support beams and at least one flexible grip beam radially spaced in between the support beams,

wherein the plurality of support beams and at least one flexible grip beam form a clevis void region into which the collet petals can expand when the actuation shaft is in a first predetermined position, and

wherein the at least one flexible grip beam extends cantilevered from a distal end portion of the clevis housing.

12. The end effector actuation system of claim 11 , wherein the clevis housing further includes a clevis restriction area that restricts expansion of the collet petals when the actuation shaft is in a second predetermined position.

13. The end effector actuation system of claim 11 , wherein the outer shaft includes a locking mechanism for releasably coupling the outer shaft to the end effector assembly.

14. The end effector actuation system of claim 11 , wherein the jaws assembly includes an upper jaw and a lower jaw, and wherein each of the upper jaw and the lower jaw are attached to one end of a link, the other end of the link being rotatably attached to the tip connector.

15. The end effector actuation system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of support beams are secured to the distal end portion and a proximal end portion of the clevis housing.

16. A method of connecting an end effector to an actuation shaft, the method comprising:

providing a shaft assembly comprising:

an outer shaft having a compressible distal end portion configured with at least one locking boss;

an actuation shaft slidably accommodated in the outer shaft, one end of the actuation shaft configured to slidably extend and retract from the distal end portion of the outer shaft;

providing an end effector assembly having a receiving opening and at least one retention pocket for mating with the locking boss, the at least one retention pocket being dimensioned to correspond with a dimension of the locking boss such that the locking boss is seated in a locked relationship with the retention pocket when the distal end portion is uncompressed to prevent axial movement of the outer shaft in a distal direction relative to the end effector;

with the actuation shaft substantially retracted from the distal end portion of the shaft assembly, inserting the distal end portion of the shaft assembly into the receiving opening of the end effector to force compression of the distal end portion until the locking boss is received in the at least one retention pocket and the distal end portion uncompresses;

actuating the actuation shaft to extend into the distal end portion to prevent compression of the distal end portion and seat the locking boss in the at least one retention pocket in a locked relationship such that rotation of the shaft assembly will result in rotation of the end effector assembly.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

providing a first flexing slit and a second flexing slit in the distal end portion of the outer shaft, wherein at least one flexing arm is formed between the first flexing slit and the second flexing slit.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the locking boss is provided on the at least one flexing arm.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

coupling a handle assembly to the shaft assembly to control the end effector via the actuation shaft.