Importance

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Abstract

A surgical instrument includes a first member that has an opening in its distal region for admitting tissue and that is rotatable with respect to a base from which the first member extends to allow the rotational orientation of the opening to be selectively changed with respect to the axis of the instrument. A second member is disposed within the first member to transmit force to move a cutting implement disposed at its distal end and cause it to cut tissue that is exposed to the implement through the opening. In another aspect of the invention, a surgical instrument includes a rigid member that has a bend region that angularly offsets a distal region from a proximal region mounted to a first section of a base; a surgical device extending distally from a second section of the base coaxially with the rigid member carries a surgical tool distal of the bend region, and is flexible at least in the bend region to transmit force applied at a proximal end of the surgical device through the bend region to operate the surgical tool; the first base section is rotatable with respect to the second base section, allowing the relative rotational orientation between the surgical tool and the bend region to be changed.

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First Claim