SURGICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING AN ARTICULATABLE DISTAL HEAD
A surgical instrument comprising a shaft, a distal head, and an articulation joint rotatably connecting the distal head to the shaft is disclosed.
1 . A surgical instrument configured to treat the tissue of a patient, comprising:
a shaft;
a distal head; and
an articulation joint rotatably connecting said distal head to said shaft, wherein said distal head is not lockable in position.
2 . The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said distal head can float relative to said shaft in response to exterior forces applied to said distal head.
3 . The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said distal head is passively articulated relative to said shaft in response to exterior forces applied to said distal head.
4 . The surgical instrument of claim 3 , wherein said shaft defines a longitudinal shaft axis, and wherein said distal head is articulatable in two different planes with respect to said longitudinal shaft axis.
5 . The surgical instrument of claim 4 , wherein said distal head is configured to assume a compound angle with respect to said longitudinal shaft axis.
6 . The surgical instrument of claim 3 , wherein said shaft defines a longitudinal shaft axis, and wherein said distal head is only articulatable in one plane with respect to said longitudinal axis.
7 . The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein said distal head comprises a tissue opening, wherein said tissue opening defines a front of said distal head, wherein said plane extends through said front, and wherein said distal head is articulatable in a forward-to-back motion.
8 . The surgical instrument of claim 6 , wherein said distal head comprises a tissue opening, wherein said tissue opening defines a front of said distal head, wherein said plane extends transversely to said front, and wherein said distal head is articulatable in a side-to-side motion.
9 . The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said surgical instrument does not comprise an articulation actuator to articulate said distal head.
10 . The surgical instrument of claim 1 , further comprising a staple cartridge and a staple firing system configured to deploy staples from said staple cartridge.
11 . The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said articulation joint comprises a first articulation joint, and wherein said surgical instrument further comprises a second articulation joint.
12 . The surgical instrument of claim 11 , wherein said first articulation joint is configured to permit said distal head to articulate in a first plane, and wherein said second articulation joint is configured to permit said distal head to articulate in a second plane which is different than said first plane.
13 . The surgical instrument of claim 12 , wherein said first plane and said second plane are orthogonal.
14 . The surgical instrument of claim 12 , wherein said first articulation joint comprises a passive articulation joint, wherein said second articulation joint comprises an active articulation joint, wherein said surgical instrument does not comprise an articulation driver to articulate said distal head in said first plane, and wherein said surgical instrument comprises an articulation driver configured to articulate said distal head in said second plane.
15 . The surgical instrument of claim 12 , wherein said first articulation joint comprises a passive articulation joint and said second articulation joint comprises a passive articulation joint.
16 . The surgical instrument of claim 12 , wherein said first articulation joint comprises an active articulation joint and said second articulation joint comprises an active articulation joint, and wherein said surgical instrument comprises a first articulation drive configured to articulate said distal head in said first plane and a second articulation drive configured to articulate said distal head in said second plane.
17 . The surgical instrument of claim 1 , wherein said distal head is configured to self-adapt to the patient tissue as said distal head is moved relative to the patient tissue.
18 . The surgical instrument of claim 1 , further comprising a tissue cutting system configured to cut the patient tissue, wherein said distal head is configured to self-articulate as said distal head cuts through the patient tissue along a path.
19 . A surgical instrument for treating the tissue of a patient, comprising:
a shaft;
a distal head comprising a tissue cutting system configured to cut the patient tissue; and
an articulation joint rotatably connecting said distal head to said shaft, wherein said distal head is configured to self-articulate as said distal head cuts through the patient tissue along a path.
20 . A surgical instrument configured to treat the tissue of a patient, comprising:
a shaft;
a distal head; and
an articulation joint rotatably connecting said distal head to said shaft, wherein said distal head is configured to self-adapt to the patient tissue as said distal head is moved relative to the patient tissue.